Her foot stumbled. She would have tripped if Ian had not caught her, which drew her indignant anger; she refused to appear anything less than graceful in public. And she knew they were being watched.
“Who are you supposed to deliver the emeralds to?” Ian pressed.
“You truly are a devil if you’re doing all of this solely to interrogate me.”
He didn’t deny it. “Who are we meeting?”
“I don’t know.”
“Bollocks. You know every other important detail of your operation, down to the fabric of this suit and the menus on your ships.”
“I don’tknow,” she repeated.
“But you suspect it’s your handler.”
The music shifted into a slow waltz. More couples gathered onto the dance floor.
Ian drew her closer. “Why won’t you tell me who is behind all this?”
She was terrified of Widow or another Stag observing them entwined around each other like lovers. Diana pressed her hand on his chest to carve out some distance. “You won’t understand.”
“Did someone hurt you?” He relaxed his hold on her. “Did they threaten to hurt you? I’d end them for it.”
To her horror, she gasped.
“Why does that surprise you?” His voice softened. “You killed for me once.”
She was prepared to do it again if circumstances demanded it.
“Everything changes when we walk into the room for the meet,” Diana rasped. “I’m not afraid of who will be there, or what might happen. I’m afraid of what comes next.”
A couple brushed against them before Ian deftly twirled them to the edge of the dance floor. She seized on the movement to pull away from him. His embrace was too intoxicating; she needed the separation to rally her strength.
Ian shoved his hands in his pockets. A frown pulled at his brow as he withdrew a silver token.
“That chip is for the private gaming room.” Diana plucked it from his open hand. “It must be the drop point.”
Ian curled his hand around hers. “We go in together, or not at all.”
“Of course,” she said softly. “I can’t do this without you.”
“And when theytry to disarm us?”
“They will. As a precaution. But it won’t matter.” She held his eyes. “They won’t leave with the emeralds.”
When he spoke again, his voice was like gravel. “Not everything will change.”
In her entire life, Diana never wanted to believe a lie more.
They darted out of the ballroom to the gallery, where they came close to colliding with a waiter carrying a tray of champagne coupes. Diana lithely ducked out of the way but caught the edge of her dress on the nearby settee.
“Damn,” she muttered as she lifted the fallen hem.
“Leave it,” Ian said.
“I can’t, I’ll trip. Bloody ready-made gowns.”
She glanced up and saw the ladies’ retiring room was a few doors down. “There should be some pins there. It will take half a minute. I’ll hurry.”
