He wouldn’t listen to her in the past, but perhaps he would now.
“I…” She cleared her throat. “I might know where to find your father’s vase.”
He dropped her hand. “What?”
This was the right thing to do. Theonlything to do. Even if it destroyed whatever connection she and Lawrence had forged between them, at least the truth would give him peace and Puck could finally come home.
“Your father gave the vase to mine—” she began.
“He would never,” Lawrence said fiercely.
“He did. He left it behind in exchange for the one piece of art my family cherishes above all others. A lively portrait of mischievous fairies.”
He blinked in surprise. “The one I gave Miss York?”
“No, that was a copy.” Which she had replaced with an equally erroneous forgery, none of which was important at the moment. She was the one in the dragon’s lair. She would not implicate her siblings. “Where is the original?”
His face flushed. “Is that why you’re so ‘interested’ in my library? Our little ‘tours’? You’re hoping I’ll lead you to an ugly painting?”
“I adore your library,” she said, “and Idowant my family heirloom back, more than anything. We can trade, just as our fathers wished. That is, if you still have it.”
He stepped backward.
“That’s what you’ve been after all this time.” Each word was a blade of ice. “Not me, but a painting? Bloody convenient to have this streak of honesty now, once I’ve mentioned the Runners, rather than coming to me right from the start—”
“Right from the start?” she choked out in disbelief. Every muscle trembled at the unfairness of his accusation. “That painting isours. We came to your father and then we came to you. I knocked on your door, my sister knocked on your door, my brother knocked on your door… We sent dozens of letters. They all came back unopened!”
“Ihave a reputation to protect,” he snarled. “Calls and correspondence are only accepted from respectable parties. Anyone not on the list is rejected out of hand. I only lifted the prohibition on Wynchesters because I owed you that favor.” His eyes flashed. “I see I was right to distance myself from your duplicitous family.”
She recoiled as if struck.
“You wereright?” Her throat went dry, her limbs shaking with anger. “You wish we came to you from the start. We did, and you ignored us. You needed money. We tried to pay you—for an item that was rightfully ours. The only reason you acknowledged me this time was because I stole a carriage with you in it.”
His lip curled. “I should have known then what kind of person you’d turn out to be.”
“As should I,” she retorted, jabbing an unsteady finger at his chest. “If I hadn’t tricked you into allowing me across your precious threshold, you would have no idea where to find your father’s vase becauseyoucan’t be bothered to acknowledge the existence of your ‘lessers.’ So, explain to me, Your Grace, which one of us has a right to be offended by the callousness of the other.”
“I ignored you. I did not lie to you,” he said, his tone frigid. “Take me to my father’s vase at once or I shall takeyouto visit the Bow Street Runners.”
25
Chloe climbed up through a fog of dread and into the Duke of Faircliffe’s waiting coach.
What had she done?
This had been the most wonderful and terrible afternoon imaginable. And now, taking him home to meet her family, under conditions such as these… What would they think of him? What wouldhethink ofthem? Once they traded the Faircliffe vase for the Wynchester portrait, would she ever see Lawrence again?
Wouldhe return the painting? He hadn’t confirmed it was still in his possession. Had her unfortunate honesty ruined everything for nothing?
Up came Tommy, who took the seat opposite until Chloe grabbed her by the arm and tugged her into the squab at Chloe’s side.
Tommy sent her a sharp frown. “What’s happening?”
Before Chloe could answer, the duke bounded into the carriage and took the rear-facing seat Tommy had vacated to glare at them, stone-faced.
“Er,” said Tommy. “Was it the lemon cakes? They looked delectable. I just thought it would be better if this old stomach refrained from turning inside out onto your settee.”
“It’s not the lemon cakes.” He rapped on the wall facing the driver, and the horses burst into motion. “I’ve learned that the real reason your niece has been coming round is because she intended to steal a painting—and is also in possession of my father’s vase.”
