Surrender (13 page)

the butler his card.

 
The Earl of stone vale to see Lady

Nettleship and her niece."

The butler peered down a very long

nose." I will see if Lady Nettleship is

receiving this morning."

For one grim moment Lucas wondered

what he would do if Victoria had changed

her mind about allowing him to pay a call

this morning. It was entirely possible that

in the clear light of day she had sensed

danger.

He should have resisted the hot urge that

had driven him to kiss her last night. He

had never intended to do so, not this early

in the game. But for a short, perilous time

there in the dark garden he had broken his

own cardinal rule and allowed his emotions

inn

to dominate hiss actions. Lucas vowed he

would be more ccautious in the future.

The butler returned, and a moment later

Lucas experienced relief which melted into

triumph when he was shown into the

stately drawing room. With the discipline

of long practice, he made certain neither

emotion was visible in his expression, but

reminded himself that the first hurdle was

behind him; he had been admitted into the

home of his quarry.

An instant later his triumph turned to

irritation when he did not immediately

spot Victoria in the sunny room. He

realized he had not expected her to lose

her nerve this morning. But the lady who

had followed him fearlessly into that alley

last night had apparently had a few second

thoughts about meeting him in the light

of day. Lucas forced himself to give his

full attention to the striking middle-aged

woman seated on the elegant sofa.

 
Your servant, Lady Nettleship," he

murmured as he bowed over the be ringed

hand." I see now that Victoria's fine eyes

are a family trademark."

 
Very charming, my lord. Do sit down.

We've been expecting you. Victoria, do put

down those beetles, my dear, and come

greet your guest." Victoria's aunt turned

her head slightly in the direction of her

niece and smiled.

Satisfaction soared in him. The little

baggage had not changed her mind after

all. Lucas straightened with a smile and

turned to see Victoria standing quietly near

the window at the far end of the room. No

wonder he hadn't spotted her at once. She

was dressed in a yellow and white dress

that tended to blend with the gold drapery

behind her.

Her very motionlessness told him that

she had deliberately chosen her position

so that she would be able to study him

unobserved for a few minutes as he entered

the room. Lucas's brows rose faintly in

amused acknowledgment of her tactics.

There was no substitute for getting a close

look at one's opponent before facing him.

It was clear he was not the only one who

knew something about strategy.

 
Good morning, Miss Huntington. For

a moment I feared you had discovered

you had a conflicting social engagement

today."

She came forward smoothly, her soft

slippers making no noise on the carpet. She

was carrying a flat box in her hands and

her eyes were alight with mischief" How

could you possibly think I would forget

your visit to us this morning, my lord?"

 
One can never be completely certain of

a lady's memory." Lucas inclined his head

over the hand she gracefully extended. Her

fingers felt cold and he knew then that she

was not as composed as she appeared. This

pleased him.

 
I assure you my memory is excellent."

 
Unfortunately for a man, it is not always

a lady's memory that fails. Sometimes she

simply changes her mind," Lucas said.

Victoria tilted her head and studied

him." Not without good cause. Please sit

down, as my aunt suggested. Are you at

all interested in beetles?"

 
Beetles?" For the first time Lucas

glanced into the box and found himself

viewing an array of dead insects pinned

inside. They were carefully arranged in

rows according to size, with the largest, a

true monster, at one end." To be perfectly

truthful, Miss Huntington, I have never

paid much heed to beetles."

 
Oh, but these are very excellent beetles,

are they not, Aunt Cleo?"

 
A fine collection," Lady Nettleship

agreed enthusiastically." Lady Woodbury,

a member of our little society, collected

them."

 
Fascinating." Lucas sat down slowly, his

eyes on Victoria as she took a place on the

sofa next to her aunt." One wonders how

Lady Woodbury managed to kill so many

large insects."

 
In the usual manner, I presume," Cleo

said." Pinched them under the wings or

used camphor or a length of wire."

 
Do you collect insects. Miss Hunting

ton?" Lucas asked.

 
No, I fear I have not the stomach for

it." She glanced down into the box." The

poor things do not always die quickly, you

know."

He watched her profile." The will to

survive can be amazingly strong."

 
Yes." She put the lid on the box of

beetles.

 
I fear my niece is a bit too softhearted

for certain areas of intellectual inquiry,"

Cleo said with a smile.

 
I will admit I prefer botany and

horticulture to the study of insects."

 
Your interests appear to be quite varied,

Miss Huntington," Lucas observed.

 
Did you think them limited?" She

glanced at him through her lashes, her

eyes gleaming with a mocking innocence.

Lucas recognized a trap when he saw

one." Not at all. In the course of our brief

association it has become quite clear to me

that you are a woman with a most unusual

mind."

Cleo glanced at him with interest." Are

you a student of horticulture and botany,

sir?"

 
As you may have heard, I have only

recently acceded to my title. I find that

coming into my inheritance has greatly

expanded my range of interests. It seems

to me that I shall need to learn something

about horticulture and similar subjects if

I am to implement improvements on my

estate," Lucas said.

Cleo looked pleased." Excellent. Then

you will no doubt be interested in Victoria's

watercolors and her drawings of plants."

Victoria turned a bright shade of pink,

which amazed Lucas." Aunt Cleo, I'm

sure his lordship would not be in the

least interested in my dabbles."

 
I assure you, I would be most inter

ested," Lucas said quickly. Anything that

could make Victoria blush was bound to

be fascinating.

 
She has a wonderful ability." Lady

Nettleship said as she jumped to her

feet and went to a nearby table to fetch

a sketchbook." Take a look at these."

 
Aunt Cleo, really
 
."

 
" Now, no false modesty, Vicky. Your

work is lovely and so wonderfully true to

life. I have been telling you for ages that

you should get some of it published. Here

you are, my lord. What do you think of

these?" Cleo thrust the book into Lucas's

hands with an air of expectant triumph.

Aware that Victoria was watching him

in a resigned silence, Lucas took his time

examining the sketchbook. He opened it

expecting to find the usual assortment of

amateurish artwork a man associated with

females. It was considered quite fashionable

for young ladies to learn to sketch and paint

flowers.

But Lucas was startled at the clarity and

liveliness of Victoria's work. Her plants

bloomed on the pages of the sketchbook,

glowing with exuberant energy. They were

not just artistically beautiful, they were

precise in every detail.

Lucas was fascinated as page after page

full of roses, irises, poppies, and lilies came

to life in front of him. Each one was

labeled in a fine hand with its formal,

botanical name: Rosa provincialis, Passiflora

alata.
Cyclamen linearifolium.

He looked up to find Victoria still

watching him with an oddly anxious

expression. He realized then that her art

was a vulnerable subject for her. He closed

the sketchbook." These are excellent, Miss

Huntington, as I'm sure you've been told.

Even to my untrained eye these sketches

and watercolors are beautiful."

 
Thank you." She smiled suddenly, very

brilliantly, as if he had just told her

that she, not her art, was beautiful. Her

amber eyes were almost gold." You're very

kind."

 
I am rarely kind, Miss Huntington," he

told her quietly." I am merely telling you

the truth. I will admit, however, that I

don't recognize all of these plants. Where

did you get your subjects?"

 
From the conservatory," Cleo explained.

 
Together, Victoria and I have established

what I like to believe is a most creditable

botanical garden. Nothing on the scale of

Kew, of course, but we're rather proud of

it.

Would you care to view the conservatory?

Victoria would be happy to give you a

short tour."

Lucas nodded." I should very much like

to see it."

Victoria rose gracefully." This way, my

lord."

 
Run along, then," Cleo said." Perhaps

you will join us for a dish of tea when

you have finished viewing the plants, my

lord?"

 
Thank you." Lucas smiled to himself

as he followed Victoria out into the hall

 
and down a short passageway that led to

the back of the house. Matters were going

well, he decided as she led him into a large

glass gallery filled with plants and the rich,

humid scent of soil. Already he was alone