“Hmm.”

“As a matter of fact, watching Emeline’s excellent performance this afternoon gave me an idea.”

There was a short, wary pause.

“What sort of idea?” Tobias asked cautiously.

“I am thinking of asking her to instruct me in the technique of employing charm to obtain information from gentlemen.”

Tobias choked on the mouthful of champagne he had been in the process of swallowing. He sputtered and started to cough.

“Good heavens, sir, are you all right?” Alarmed, she reached into the little beaded reticule that Madam Francesca had insisted she purchase to go with her gown. She yanked out a handkerchief and thrust it into Tobias’s hand. “Here. Use this.”

“Thank you,” he mumbled into the square of delicately embroidered linen. “I believe that what I really need, however, is a large glass of claret.” He snagged another glass of champagne off a passing tray. “But I suppose this will have to do for now.”

She frowned as she watched him down half the contents of the glass. “Is your leg bothering you again?”

“It is not my leg that is troubling me.”

She did not care for the gleam in his eyes. “What is it, then?”

“My sweet, you have any number of admirable skills and talents. But as your loyal, occasional business partner, I must tell you that, in my considered opinion, any attempt on your part to study the art of charming gentlemen into giving up their secrets would be a complete waste of your time.”

The fact that he assumed charm to be a skill that was beyond her struck her to the quick.

“Are you implying, sir,” she said coldly, “that I lack the ability to cause gentlemen to dissolve into puddles?”

“Not at all.” His teeth flashed in a wicked grin. “You certainly have a dissolving effect on me on occasion.”

She glowered. “You find my notion of studying the techniques of charm quite amusing, do you not?”

“I regret to say that I do not believe that either one of us has an aptitude for charm. I speak with some authority because, as it happens, Anthony has been attempting to teach me some of the finer points of the art.”

She was stunned. “He has?”

“Indeed. I have run one or two experiments on you recently, and as far as I can tell it has had no effect whatsoever.”

“You tried to charm me}”

“For all the good it did. Obviously you failed to even notice my poor efforts.”

“When do you ever employ charm-” She broke off, remembering his recent comments at breakfast. “Oh, yes. That business of me resembling an incarnation of Venus.”

“And there was that rather nice line comparing you with a sea nymph. I practiced that one for the length of the entire distance between my house and yours this morning.”

“Just because you have no gift for charm does not mean that I cannot learn the skill.”

“Save your energy, my sweet. I have concluded that charm is an inborn attribute. One either possesses it naturally, from the cradle, as is the case with Miss Emeline and Anthony, or one lacks it altogether and no degree of instruction will enable one to acquire it.”

“Rubbish.”

“I fail to see why you are concerned with learning how to charm gentlemen,” Tobias said. “You contrive to do rather well without that skill.”

“I believe that is an insult, sir.”

“I did not mean it as such.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Perhaps I would enjoy charming certain gentlemen.”

“Me, for instance?” He smiled in a kindly fashion. “It is a pretty thought, but it is not necessary, my dear. I am content with you just the way you are.”

“Really, Tobias.”

“Yes, really. It is apparent to me that you and I have established an understanding of each other’s nature that goes beyond insincere platitudes and meaningless compliments.”

“You may be correct; nevertheless, it strikes me as an extraordinarily useful inquiry technique and I am strongly inclined to perform some experiments of my own before I abandon the whole notion.”

“I trust you will be cautious, madam. I am not at all certain that my nerves are strong enough to sustain the shock of a heady dose of charm delivered by you.”

She had had enough of his teasing. “Do not concern yourself, sir. I was not planning to waste any such hard-won skill on you. I suspect you would be utterly impervious to charm, in any event.”

“No doubt.” His voice softened to that low pitch that told her he was no longer teasing her. “Nevertheless, if you choose to conduct any experiments with charm, I must insist that you confine your researches to me.”

She caught a glimpse of something in his eyes that was both dangerous and exciting, but she was not certain what to make of it. There was an element of irony here, she thought. This was just the sort of situation where the ability to charm a gentleman would be quite useful.

“Why should I confine my experiments to you, sir?” she asked lightly.

“I cannot, in good conscience, allow you to put any other innocent gentlemen at risk.”

“You, sir, are no innocent.”

“It was a figure of speech.” His gaze went past her shoulder. “Speaking of one who knows the value of charm, here is Mrs. Dove.”

Lavinia was oddly disappointed that Joan had chosen this moment to seek her out in the crowded ballroom. These brisk verbal exchanges with Tobias never failed to invigorate her senses and infuse her with a certain pleasant heat.

Nevertheless, business called.

She collected herself and turned to greet the striking woman coming toward them.

Joan Dove was in her mid-forties, but her pale blond hair hid the telltale streaks of silver well. With her fine, classical features and her superb sense of style, she was frequently mistaken for a much younger woman. It was not until one drew close enough to notice the faint lines at the corners of her eyes and the worldly experience in her gaze that one got a hint of her true age.

Although she had been widowed for a full year, Joan still wore only gray and black in memory of her much-loved husband. While the gowns were limited in their colors and hues, they were inevitably in the first stare of fashion. Madam Francesca saw to that.

Tonight she was serenely elegant in silver satin trimmed with exquisite little black roses. The neckline was cut low to frame her fine shoulders and bosom. The skirts fell in perfect folds to her ankles.

“Ah, there you are, Lavinia. Tobias.” Joan smiled at both of them. “A pleasure to see you this evening. I collect that Emeline and Anthony are enjoying themselves on the dance floor.”

“Indeed.” Lavinia smiled with satisfaction. “This is another social coup for both of them, and I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your efforts to secure the invitations for us.”

“Think nothing of it. Now that I am getting out a bit more, it is in my own best interests to ensure that there will be people at these affairs with whom I can enjoy conversation. I consider you and Tobias to be not only good friends but colleagues as well.”

Lavinia caught Tobias’s eye. They exchanged glances of mutual understanding that needed no words. The thought of Joan as a colleague was unsettling.

It had been Joan’s suggestion that they should consult with her on difficult cases where her unusual connections might prove useful. Indeed, she was quite enthusiastic about what she viewed as her new hobby.

Although Joan had been their first important client and Lavinia would always be grateful to her, not only for the business but for introducing her to Madam Francesca, there was good reason to have some misgivings about the notion of taking her on as a consultant. On the positive side, however, she offered her services for free.

Joan was a mysterious woman with a shadowy past. One of the few things that Lavinia knew for certain about her was that, before his untimely death, her husband, Fielding Dove, had controlled a powerful criminal organization known as the Blue Chamber. At its zenith, the ring had possessed extensive legal and illegal business interests that reached beyond England all the way to the Continent.