Seduce Me (14 page)

He exhaled slowly, then shifted positions. “You believe me to be some kind of hero who rushes in and saves antiquities from
the evils of the Raven,” he said. “But that is not the truth.”

“Is that not what you do?”

“No,” he said.

She felt a frown settling onto her face as she studied him. He looked neither abashed nor proud, and somehow the cynicism
of his expression embarrassed her. “No, of course not.” She laughed to hide her awkwardness. “I am not a simpleton. Of course
it is not your profession to rescue damsels and antiquities. But then, what exactly is it that you do… do?”

She waited for him to answer, to offer some reasonable explanation, but he was silent.

“Oh.” She stood again. “You are a villain?”

He shrugged. “Perhaps to some. Up until seven years ago, I worked for the Raven. I hunted treasures for him, and he paid me
well for it.”

She was silent for a moment as she absorbed his words. Had he too kidnapped unsuspecting women in their night-clothes? If
he’d taken sacred antiquities and sold them to the highest bidder rather than putting them in a museum where they belonged,
why not kidnap helpless women?

But he’d said, “up until seven years ago.” She held her breath, hoping he’d add that seven years ago he’d had a change of
heart and given up hunting antiques for profit. She hoped he’d say that yet somehow knew he wouldn’t.

“Ever since then I’ve hunted treasure on my own, hiring myself out to clients who are collectors. People who will pay a great
deal for me to find their antiquity of choice.”

She forced herself to slow her thinking, give him the benefit of the doubt. She knew better than anyone what it was like to
be judged and unfairly deemed guilty.

Perhaps he had needed the money, and it had been the only way. There weren’t very many opportunities for aristocratic gentlemen
to acquire funds if their families were lacking. Then again, his estate had seemed the home of a rather lucrative family.

“Esme?”

She ignored him. He certainly didn’t appear to be a villain. Never had he shown her anything but kindness. He had rescued
her, although he most certainly hadn’t been there for that purpose. And ever since then he had protected her as well as her
small family.

Satisfied with her own justification for his behavior, she turned to him. “I’m certain you have your reasons.”

“I have earned a lot of money,” he said flatly, as if determined to argue with her exoneration.

“Money is not everything.”

“No,” he said forcefully, “but it is the only thing that will keep you in your house and put food on the table. Money, Esme,
not mythical boxes or books.”

His words pierced her already worn defenses. He didn’t understand her at all. Foolishly she’d hoped he’d be different from
other men, had hoped he would appreciate her. Then it occurred to her. He was telling her all of this on purpose, strategically
placing a barrier between them. Her lustful advances had gone too far and become, for him, a burden. “Why are you still here
with me?” she asked.

“I have to uncover how to get that bloody thing off your wrist and put it and the other bracelets back in the box before I
deliver it to Solomon’s.”

She felt her nostrils flare. “In other words, I am nothing but an inconvenience. And you are nothing more than a bounty hunter?”

“If you wish to perceive me as such.” His tone was cavalier. But something crossed over his eyes. Something dark and haunted,
as if this entire matter was far more serious than just stolen antiquities and acquiring a fortune. Something deeper and more
painful. He’d said something about needing money for a house and food. Perhaps he hadn’t always been this wealthy.

Her heart shifted, and as much as she wanted to think poorly of him, as much as she wanted to be angry, her anger would not
come.

She sighed heavily. “Then tell me who it is I should see when I look at you.”

His jaw was tight.

He obviously didn’t want to tell her, but perhaps if she prodded him. “Being a viscount, I should think your family coffers
would have afforded you a nice living, but perhaps your family fell on a difficult time?”

He came to his feet. “Don’t be so naive, Esme. There are aristocrats all over this country who have no fortune to go with
their blue blood.” He turned away from her then and stepped over to the door. “I’m going out. I won’t be back for several
hours.” And with that he disappeared into the hall.

Her stomach clenched. That had not gone well at all. His life was none of her concern. It wasn’t his fault they were embroiled
in this mess together. Perhaps she shouldn’t have asked him so many questions.

In wanting to touch that hidden part of him, she might have pushed him too far.

The opened windows overlooked a lush garden. Butterflies fluttered from one brightly colored flower to the next. Birds chirped
happily. Such a peaceful contrast to how she was currently feeling.

Fielding obviously didn’t believe she could help with their current predicament; in fact, she suspected he believed she made
it worse. He didn’t appreciate her knowledge about the box or her books on the subject. And to make matters worse, her knowledge
and her books hadn’t exactly answered any of their questions.

But she could prove to him she had more to offer. Show him her value. That she was a worthy partner.

While he was out today she would make one more pass through the books, see if she couldn’t uncover the key to removing this
infernal bracelet. She’d always been particularly good at research and puzzles. There was no reason why she couldn’t find
the necessary information. And with him gone, she should be able to focus completely on the task at hand instead of every
inch of his muscular frame.

Part of her enjoyed the physical attention she was able to elicit from Fielding. It made her feel very much the complete woman,
attractive and desirable. Esme opened the first book and skimmed the pages. She’d be a liar if she said she was completely
ready to remove the cursed bracelet.

Yet, she knew men did not choose women with minds of their own or opinions. They wanted pretty little things who sat by their
sides and nodded in agreement. Her mother had warned her of that, had told her repeatedly she needed to learn when to hold
her tongue.

Esme had tried for a while, gone to balls and soirees and smiled prettily and tried to be demure, but in the end she just
couldn’t sit by and say nothing. Other women seemed to do it so easily. Perhaps they simply had nothing to say. But Esme was
educated, well read, and she had plenty of opinions. Why could she not share them as men did?

The bracelet had stirred feelings she’d thought long buried. As long as it was on her wrist, she was burdened with the desire
to have those things she knew she could not have—a husband and a family. With the bracelet gone, she would be able to forget
about those longings and get back to her studies.

In the meantime, she would try her best to keep her hands to herself and off Fielding. A task she knew would be as challenging
as finding a way to rid herself of the curse.

F
ielding rang the doorbell, then mentally rehearsed what he would say. He might not be active in proper society, but he’d been
raised in it and knew how things worked. These people needed to know that he would not be called upon to marry Esme, regardless
of the situation.

For a moment he thought about turning around and leaving, but the door opened before he could turn away.

“Yes?” the butler asked.

Fielding handed over his card. “I’m here to see Lord and Lady Weatherby.”

The butler nodded and held the door open. “This way, please.”

As he followed the man, Fielding wondered what Esme would think about him calling on her family. No doubt it would displease
her, but her opinion was not of consequence in this matter. This was something that had to be done. Esme hadn’t exaggerated
when she said her sister had married into wealth. The place positively gleamed with money. Every surface shone brightly, and
maids were around every corner, polishing and dusting anything that didn’t move.

“A Lord Eldon to see you both,” the butler said, then with a swipe of his arm, he waved Fielding forward.

The Weatherbys sat in a large parlor decorated in soft blues and greens. Lady Weatherby was perched daintily on a gilded chair
and doing needlepoint. Her husband relaxed on the blue sofa with a newspaper in one hand and a cup of tea in the other. Together
they had seemingly perfected the life of the English aristocracy.

The couple rose in unison. Though she tried to hide it with a smile, the woman’s face perfectly portrayed her confusion. She
set her needlepoint aside, then came forward despite not knowing Fielding. The gracious hostess. “My lord, how nice of you
to visit,” she said.

Her husband moved to stand next to her, newspaper still dangling from his hand. “I don’t believe we’ve met,” he said. “I am
Raymond Griffin, and this is my wife.” His expertly tied cravat and tailored jacket did nothing to hide the man’s large stomach.
Perhaps he had been handsome at one time, but now Lord Weatherby was rotund with thinning reddish-blond hair.

“No, we haven’t. My name is Fielding Grey, and I’ve come to speak with you about Esme,” he said. Fielding steeled himself
for an argument and prepared his words to plead his case.

Elena fell back into her chair. “Oh, she will be the death of me.” Sitting on the small occasional table next to her were
two oval-shaped frames with photographs of young girls. One of them in particular looked very much like Esme, with bright
eyes that shone with intelligence and an impish grin.

Fielding could see the slight resemblance between Esme and her sister. Though Elena was fair of hair and slighter of frame,
their eyes were similar. The older sister also boasted more grace; even if she obviously had a flair for drama, her fall into
the chair was fluid and lithe.

“What has the girl done this time?” Raymond asked. A beam of sunlight hit the man’s bald spot, making his nearly bare scalp
glisten.

“The girl, as you both must know, is now a woman,” Fielding corrected. “And she has done nothing. She was, however, abducted
recently. Right out of her home.” When Elena gasped, Fielding sat down next to the woman. Finally, one of them had shown a
semblance of concern. “She is safe now. I was fortunate enough to come across her and able to bring her back to London. Aside
from a minor injury, she was unharmed.”

Elena first looked at her husband, then merely nodded to Fielding.

“I wanted to inform you both of her current situation. I cannot tell you her location, as she is still at risk of danger,
but suffice it to say she and Thea are well cared for. And her reputation remains intact.” For the time being, although he
wasn’t certain he could promise it would remain so. He’d already seen her in her nightclothes, with fabric so thin it had
left little to his imagination. And he’d kissed her, caressed her,
wanted
her.

“She is prone to scandal.” Raymond noisily folded his newspaper and set it on the occasional table beside him. “I’m afraid
she’s been nothing but trouble.”

Elena and Raymond exchanged looks before Elena spoke. “Lord Eldon, I don’t know what Esme has told you, but she is not exactly
a member of our family,” Elena said. “That is to say, we do not have much contact—”

Raymond put his hand on Elena’s shoulder to quiet her. “Esme made her choice years ago, and she now reaps the spoils of her
actions. We are, however, very sorry for any inconvenience she might have caused you.”

“Esme has always been”—Elena paused as if searching for the appropriate word—“challenging.”

“Headstrong,” Raymond provided.

She nodded. “Mother always had difficulty with her.” Elena picked up the framed photograph that resembled Esme.

“Is that Esme?” he asked.

For a moment confusion marred her features, then, as the realization struck her, she smiled. “Actually, no, this is one of
our daughters. Rose. She is very similar to her aunt.”

“Headstrong, just like Esme,” Raymond said.

“Perhaps it’s a matter of understanding her,” Fielding suggested.

“There was nothing to understand about Esme,” Raymond said. “Women are not complex creatures, though some, like Esme, insist
otherwise.” He chuckled. “It takes a firm hand to hold the reins on a woman like that, something their father should have
done instead of encouraging her behavior and indulging her every whim.”

Fielding felt the anger simmering under his skin. “And you agree with all of this,” Fielding pointedly asked Elena.

She opened her mouth to respond, but Fielding saw the gentle squeeze her husband gave her shoulder. She pasted on a smile.
“My sister and I are very different.”

“I can see that.”

Angered by their complacence, Fielding stood. “I thought you would be concerned for her welfare, but I see I was greatly mistaken.”
He scowled down at them. “Please know that while I am taking responsibility for her well-being at the moment, I will not be called upon at a future
date and expected to wed Miss Worthington,” Fielding said.