But this was Tobias. She knew that he could be dangerous, but never toward her. The only threat he represented to her was the one aimed at her heart.

“Hudson wants you,” Tobias said.

She stared at him in disbelief. “I beg your pardon?”

“He wants you.”

“Are you mad? Good heavens, sir, the man is an old family friend. I grew up thinking of him as a… a sort of uncle. I’m sure he thinks of me as a niece.”

“None of that changes the fact that he wants you.”

“But he never… I never… I mean, there was nothing-” She broke off, sputtering, and made a bid to collect herself. “I assure you, Howard never gave any indication that he was interested in me in that way. He never said a word to me. As a matter of fact he attended my wedding and wished me happiness. I have no reason to doubt that he meant it.”

“Perhaps he did at the time. Perhaps something changed when he saw you again.”

“Tobias-”

“Between men, some things do not need explanation or interpretation. Hudson wants you.”

“Really, sir.”

“Yes, really.” Tobias undamped his hands from around the chair arms and straightened. He went back to the window and returned his attention to the garden. “He desires you intensely.”

Now that he was no longer bending over her, she was finally able to catch her breath. But his absolute assurance on the point he was attempting to drive home had rattled her.

“You say that between men some things do not require explanation or interpretation,” she said very steadily. “The same is true between men and women.”

“What the devil do you mean by that?”

She drummed her fingers on the arm of the chair and tried to find the right words. “A woman usually knows when a man is attracted to her. She may not know his heart, let alone whether or not he is in love with her, but she knows when he feels a physical passion for her. Such things are not easy to hide.”

“Your point, madam?”

“If Howard wants me, it is not because he has conceived an overwhelming romantical passion for my person,” she said dryly. “I would know if that were the case.”

Tobias turned back to face her, his mouth quirked in cold amusement. “You are sure of that?”

“Absolutely certain.”

“I do not share your certainty. But say for the sake of argument that you are correct. That leaves us with a very interesting question.”

“What question is that?”

“If he does not desire to have you in his bed, why does he want you?”

“Tobias, you are the most incredibly stubborn man I have ever met.”

He ignored that. “Because I assure you, madam, Hudson most definitely wants you.”

Tobias walked into the cheerful little breakfast room with what had lately become a familiar sense of satisfaction and anticipation. Outside, a light, misty rain was falling, but in here all was warm and cozy. The enticing aromas of hot coffee, eggs, and freshly baked muffins swirled in the air.

Emeline gave him her warm, gracious smile. “Good morning, sir. How nice to see you.”

“Miss Emeline.”

Her smile dimmed only slightly when she looked past him into the empty hall. “Oh, I see Mr. Sinclair did not accompany you.”

“He will be along in an hour to fetch you so that the two of you may start your inquiries at the Banks mansion.” He turned to Lavinia. “Good morning, madam.”

Lavinia looked up from the morning paper, a decidedly frosty expression in her vivid eyes. She was dressed in a rich, dark purple-red gown that framed her elegant neck in a dainty little ruff. Her red hair was bound up in a stylish knot at the back of her nicely shaped head and set off with a lacy cap. He thought about making love to her in the Stillwaters’ conservatory and how it had felt when she had come undone in his arms. The memories heated his blood. He wondered if he would ever grow accustomed to the effect she had on him.

He smiled. “I vow, your eyes resemble emerald seas in the morning sun.”

“It is raining, in case you had not noticed, sir.”

Emeline gave Lavinia a troubled frown. “Aunt Lavinia, there’s no need to be rude. Mr. March paid you a very pretty compliment.”

“No, he did not.” Lavinia turned the page in her paper. “The remark about my eyes was just another part of a diabolical experiment he is attempting to perform on me.”

Emeline was clearly baffled. “An experiment}”

“Mr. March thinks to employ charm in an effort to influence me so that I will take his instructions and orders in regard to my business affairs.”

Emeline switched her bemused eyes to Tobias, silently seeking clarification.

He pulled out a chair and winked at her. “As you can see from her gracious, welcoming manner, my cunning plan is working. She is soft clay in my hands.” He reached for the coffeepot.

Lavinia folded the paper with a crisp snap. “We do not generally expect callers at breakfast, you know.”

“I’m amazed to hear you say that.” He slathered butter on a muffin. “I have joined you for breakfast on several occasions of late. One would have thought that you would have grown accustomed to the sight of me at your table at this hour. Mrs. Chilton certainly has.

I’ve noticed that she has begun making extra servings of everything.”

“Indeed. And I have noticed the cost of those extra servings. They have begun making a dent in the household accounts.”

“Larder and pantry getting a bit bare?” He helped himself to a large spoonful of currant jam. “Don’t fret. I shall have Whitby send over some supplies.”

“That is not the point,” Lavinia said.

He took a mouthful of muffin. “Why raise the issue if it is not the point?”

Emeline chuckled. “My aunt is in an ill temper this morning, sir. Do not pay her any heed.”

“Thank you for alerting me to her foul mood.” He swallowed the bite of muffin. “I might have missed it altogether if you had not called it to my attention.”

Lavinia rolled her eyes and went back to reading the paper.

“Never mind,” Emeline said quickly. “Please tell me more about the inquiries Anthony and I are to conduct today.”

“Mrs. Rushton has agreed to allow you to question the members of her household staff,” he said. “We wish to ascertain whether any of them might have had access to the key to the safe in Banks’s dressing room.”

“I see. You believe that one of them might have been involved in the theft of the bracelet?”

“It is a possibility that must be ruled out. But you and Anthony will need to be subtle in your questioning. None of the servants is likely to simply announce that he knows something about the affair.”

“No, of course not.” Emeline’s enthusiasm for the project vibrated in her voice. “Anthony and I will be very cautious and circumspect.”

“Remember to make notes, even if the details you learn do not sound as if they would be important.

Sometimes the smallest point proves to be crucial to the solution.”

“I shall keep very complete notes,” Emeline assured him.

Tobias looked at Lavinia. “What are your plans for the day, madam?”

“I have a few errands to see to this afternoon,” Lavinia said with a vague air as she continued to read her newspaper. “I thought that I would call upon Mrs. Dove to find out if she has had any new thoughts on the case. What about you, sir?”

“I intend to consult with Crackenburne and Smiling Jack again,” he said. He could be vague, too, he thought.

She nodded without looking up. “An excellent plan.”

No doubt about it, he thought. Lavinia had concocted some private scheme she intended to carry out today. He knew the signs all too well.

The great difficulty in conducting an investigation with Lavinia was that he was obliged to spend nearly as much time keeping an eye on her as he did searching for answers for the client.