Page 26 of How to Tempt a Duke

She met his eyes and held his gaze. “With pleasure, My Lord.”

He held out his hand and she took it, her kid leather gloves soft in his palm.

“Superb...” Lottie’s voice stole into the private moment.

Charles eased back at once, granting room for her to approach. The interruption was exactly what he had needed.

Westix.

The reminder blared through his mind. She was the daughter of his enemy. He was here for the journals. What the devil was he doing, letting himself be swept away by a mere smile?

“Lady Eleanor, how simply marvelous.” Lottie clapped aloud, as if it were an opera that played out before her instead of a conversation. “You let a piece of yourself free. I saw it on your face. One such look to a man will make him feel important. He will not be able to stop his thoughts from fixing on you, focused and wonderfully enraptured.”

It appeared Lottie had a strong grasp of what made up the male mind. Charles did his best not to be affronted by her perfectly accurate assessment.

Eleanor inclined her head graciously, accepting the praise with humble pride. “Your instruction has been integral, Lottie.” Those green eyes turned on Charles and her mouth opened in preparation to speak.

A knock sounded at the great double doors. The footman entered and announced that Eleanor’s carriage had arrived.

“Has it been an hour already?” she exclaimed.

“It has, unfortunately,” Lottie replied. “Shall we expect you tomorrow?”

Lady Eleanor settled the blonde wig on her head, albeit slightly askew. “Please do. Especially if I might see the kittens once more.”

Lottie laughed, and Charles felt his own lips teased into a smile by her gleeful hope.

“You may certainly see the kittens once more.” Lottie delicately straightened the wig, so all the bounty of that red hair lay hidden by the coiffure of pale tresses.

Once Eleanor had departed, Charles turned his attention to Lottie and found her watching him with a small smirk, her hand propped against her hip.

“You were in rare form tonight, Your Grace.” She lowered her head and teased him with a coy expression. “I think you’ve changed your mind about Lady Eleanor.”

Indeed, he had not. A lovely smile or no, the woman was still the offspring of the Earl of Westix. Even if he’d made her life as difficult as he’d made Charles’s. And, while Lottie was aware of Charles’s need to acquire the journals from Eleanor, she didn’t know it was his primary reason for accepting the opportunity to aid her in this bizarre venture.

He brushed at a bit of kitten fur on his sleeve and didn’t deign to reply.

“Hmmm...”

Lottie nodded slowly, her head tilted in purposeful observation, her gaze sharpening too perceptively for his taste. As though she knew something he did not. And he didn’t like it one bit.

Chapter Eight

The following evening Charles took his time, deliberately not arriving early at Lottie’s. He refused to feed her implication that he might harbor affection for Lady Eleanor. Indeed, he rejected the very idea. Why, his father would turn about in his grave at such a consideration.

“Any more discoveries in your search for the stone?” Lottie asked, once they were settled in the drawing room.

A servant entered and placed a glass of sherry on the small side table, the same as was done every night when Lady Eleanor came.

“She never drinks it.” He nodded to the full glass.

“It’s there if she wants it.” Lottie shrugged and turned her attention back to him. “And that’s a no on the stone, I assume?”

He had uncovered nothing of use in the pile of boxes from the country estate. Not that he’d expected his efforts to yield what he needed. After all, his father would have easily uncovered the ruby’s location if the necessary information had been in his possession. No, Westix had to have it. Why else would the late Earl have refused to relinquish any of his items?

Charles tapped his finger impatiently on the mahogany tabletop holding various bottles of liquor. “If only I had all the journals.”

If only he were close enough to Lady Eleanor to ask her for them. But he’d made far too much headway with her to risk losing all by asking too precipitously. Especially with Lottie’s future at risk.