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“Last night...” She trailed off, remembering that she’d asked him to kiss her.
He raised his brows and gave her a mischievous grin. “Yes, last night. What about it?”
In that moment, she wanted to believe he was exactly who he said he was, but she couldn’t keep ignoring the other side he’d shown her—quite unwittingly, she suspected.
“Yes, well, after that part.”
“What part?” he asked, all innocence.
“I was not well, and the medication affected me strangely.”
“Apparently, it made you want me to kiss you.”
She looked away to hide her growing blush. “You are not a gentleman to mention it.”
“If I wasn’t a gentleman then we’d be talking about more than kissing right now. As I recall, I refused you as I didn’t want to take advantage of your state.”
He had done that, and a small part of her thought his refusal might indicate he didn’t want her. But now he seemed to indicate he wanted much more than a kiss. But that wasn’t what niggled at her.
She looked at him, hoping her face wasn’t as pink as it felt. “But you did take advantage of my state.”
His brows lowered. “I would never.”
“You asked me about the Irish separatists.”
His brows rose, and his face went carefully blank. Interesting how quickly and easily he was able to do that.
“You thought I wouldn’t remember,” she said.
He didn’t respond. She couldn’t quite read the expression on his face, but it had changed from a blank mask to show some of what he must have felt. And what she saw there was conflict.
“I don’t remember exactly what you asked me.” She pressed a finger to her temple, willing the memory to surface. Willing him to tell her so she wouldn’t have to ask. “Do you?”
“No,” he said flatly.
She dropped her hand. “Liar.” She’d given him a chance, and he hadn’t taken it. “Youdoremember, but you don’t want me to realize that you suspect me.”
“Suspect you? Of what?” There was a tinge of outrage in his voice, but not so much as to be overdone.
“You’re very good,” she said. He was either a brilliant actor or he’d been trained at dissembling. He looked genuinely confused and a little hurt by her insinuation. “But though my inhibitions might have been lowered and my memory hazy, I remember enough.”
“I don’t know what you think you remember—”
“You asked me for the names of the Irishmen. You asked me where they meet.”
Now he looked away.
“You suspect me of being involved in planning to kill the queen.” As she said the words, her outrage deepened. She’d wanted to trust this man, to believe she was safe with him. But how could she trust him if he didn’t trust her? “How could you think that of me? How could you believeIwould try and kill the Queen?”
He turned to face her, his cheeks flushed with color now. “I admit, I questioned you. I...” He trailed off, closing his eyes almost as though he felt an intense stab of pain. As though his next words hurt him.
And then he opened his eyes, and his expression was calm, though she could see the heat in his gaze when he looked at her. Whatever attraction she felt for him, he felt it too.
“I suppose I questioned you because Palmerston said—” He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter.”
She put a hand on his arm. “What did Lord Palmerston say?”
“He said to trust no one and suspect everyone. It’s ridiculous to think you had anything to do with it. After all,youwere the one injured.”
