work, shouldn’t it call to me or something?” He caught the glitter of amusement in her eyes again. “Wait, I think I hear it now.” He gazed about the room. “No, that’s Redmond with the vapors.”
“Oh, stop it,” she said, a chuckle in her voice.
“My point is, if the diamond and I are both evil, why am I only about when it’s not?”
“That is my thinking precisely. I’m beginning to believe that my aunt had it sideways: The diamond isgood luck. And that’s why you only appear when I’mnot wearing it.”
“Hm. You begin to wound my feelings, Gilly.” He drew her a breath closer and lowered his voice. “Tell me in all honesty that you never wish to set eyes on me again, then, and I’ll go away. But be honest, because I will acquiesce to your wishes.”
“I never wish to set eyes on you again.”
“Balderdash. I don’t believe you.”
She sighed, not sounding as irritated as he expected. A little bit of herdid like him, then; just not the part she could admit to. “Why don’t you believe me, Lord Rawley?”
“Call me Connoll.”
“No.”
“Yes, if you wish me to answer your question.”
“You insist on bullying me, don’t you?”
“You began it. I give as I receive. Call me Connoll.”
“Connoll, then. Why don’t you believe me, Connoll?”
He liked the way she said his name, with a kind of exasperated affection. It very much reflected the way he’d begun to feel about her. Exasperated, at wit’s end,but not willing to give her up yet. Not even close. “I don’t believe you because you kissed me.”
“That was not—”
“Not your idea. I know that. But in addition, I’ve noted your…strong will. If you didn’t want me about, you wouldn’t have walked with me, and you wouldn’t be dancing with me now. So you protest, but I think only for show. To please your mother, perhaps—I’m not certain, yet. But you enjoy my company, and I enjoy yours. I see no reason for us to go our separate ways. In fact, I intend to take you on a picnic luncheon tomorrow at noon.”
“No.”
“Yes. If you wish to test the necklace, wear it. Put it in your pocket. Burn rare spices to invoke its power. Sacrifice a chicken to it. But I will be on your doorstep at noon, and we will have a pleasant, amusing, interesting time together. I swear it.”
“Do you, now?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Then I accept your challenge, Connoll Addison.”
Chapter 5
Evangeline lifted the diamond necklace out ofits velvet-lined box and then out of the velvet bag she’d found for it, and held it up to the window. Good luck or bad luck? Oh, the idea of it being either was ridiculous. All wearing it to a picnic would mean was that she was terribly overdressed.
Still, Lord Rawley had challenged her to wear it, or at least to keep it with her. And she supposed that she didn’t need to convince herself of its power; she only needed to convincehim . Therefore, if she kept it in her pocket and remained resolved to dislike him and made certain they both had a miserable time, then producing it for his viewing pleasure would ensure that he would leave her alone. Or it would at least improve the chances that he would do so.
Yes, he was handsome, and witty, and very intelligent and wealthy, but he’d already demonstrated that everything had to be done his way, at his pleasure, and for his own satisfaction. She couldn’t think of a lifemore miserable than one spent in the company of that aggravating man.
“Are you going to wear that today, Miss Munroe?” Doretta asked as she entered the room, Evangeline’s newly cleaned slippers in her hands.
“No. I’m going to put it in my pocket.” With a deep breath she placed it back in its bag and then did so, patting the outside of her pelisse to make certain it was secure. It
“Oh, stop it,” she said, a chuckle in her voice.
“My point is, if the diamond and I are both evil, why am I only about when it’s not?”
“That is my thinking precisely. I’m beginning to believe that my aunt had it sideways: The diamond isgood luck. And that’s why you only appear when I’mnot wearing it.”
“Hm. You begin to wound my feelings, Gilly.” He drew her a breath closer and lowered his voice. “Tell me in all honesty that you never wish to set eyes on me again, then, and I’ll go away. But be honest, because I will acquiesce to your wishes.”
“I never wish to set eyes on you again.”
“Balderdash. I don’t believe you.”
She sighed, not sounding as irritated as he expected. A little bit of herdid like him, then; just not the part she could admit to. “Why don’t you believe me, Lord Rawley?”
“Call me Connoll.”
“No.”
“Yes, if you wish me to answer your question.”
“You insist on bullying me, don’t you?”
“You began it. I give as I receive. Call me Connoll.”
“Connoll, then. Why don’t you believe me, Connoll?”
He liked the way she said his name, with a kind of exasperated affection. It very much reflected the way he’d begun to feel about her. Exasperated, at wit’s end,but not willing to give her up yet. Not even close. “I don’t believe you because you kissed me.”
“That was not—”
“Not your idea. I know that. But in addition, I’ve noted your…strong will. If you didn’t want me about, you wouldn’t have walked with me, and you wouldn’t be dancing with me now. So you protest, but I think only for show. To please your mother, perhaps—I’m not certain, yet. But you enjoy my company, and I enjoy yours. I see no reason for us to go our separate ways. In fact, I intend to take you on a picnic luncheon tomorrow at noon.”
“No.”
“Yes. If you wish to test the necklace, wear it. Put it in your pocket. Burn rare spices to invoke its power. Sacrifice a chicken to it. But I will be on your doorstep at noon, and we will have a pleasant, amusing, interesting time together. I swear it.”
“Do you, now?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Then I accept your challenge, Connoll Addison.”
Chapter 5
Evangeline lifted the diamond necklace out ofits velvet-lined box and then out of the velvet bag she’d found for it, and held it up to the window. Good luck or bad luck? Oh, the idea of it being either was ridiculous. All wearing it to a picnic would mean was that she was terribly overdressed.
Still, Lord Rawley had challenged her to wear it, or at least to keep it with her. And she supposed that she didn’t need to convince herself of its power; she only needed to convincehim . Therefore, if she kept it in her pocket and remained resolved to dislike him and made certain they both had a miserable time, then producing it for his viewing pleasure would ensure that he would leave her alone. Or it would at least improve the chances that he would do so.
Yes, he was handsome, and witty, and very intelligent and wealthy, but he’d already demonstrated that everything had to be done his way, at his pleasure, and for his own satisfaction. She couldn’t think of a lifemore miserable than one spent in the company of that aggravating man.
“Are you going to wear that today, Miss Munroe?” Doretta asked as she entered the room, Evangeline’s newly cleaned slippers in her hands.
“No. I’m going to put it in my pocket.” With a deep breath she placed it back in its bag and then did so, patting the outside of her pelisse to make certain it was secure. It
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