“Yes, I am.”
Lord Valentine shook his head. “What about Mr Cassiel?” he suddenly asked.
A nervous shiver ran the length of her spine upon hearing the mystic’s name. For a moment, she could not breathe. “Mr Cassiel?” The man knew things, things he had never heard nor witnessed. The man had a way with words that robbed the mind of rational thought. “What of him?”
“He had unrestricted access to this house.” The lord looked briefly out of the window at her house across the street. “You are acquainted with him on a personal level.”
“If that is a polite way of asking if we are lovers then the answer is no,” she muttered through gritted teeth. “I hired him in a professional capacity, nothing more.” If anything, he made her skin crawl. She didn’t like that he could read her mind, delve into her soul.
“Good.”
“Good?”
A wicked glint flashed in his eyes, eyes as enticing as the ocean on a scorching hot day. He bent his head and whispered, “If I’m to kiss you again, I want to know I am the only man you desire.”
Heat flooded her chest, crept up her neck. She cast a furtive glance about the room before replying. “What makes you think I desire you?”
Arrogance radiated, and he gave a confident smile in response. “I tasted the hunger on your lips, Miss Kendall. I felt your eager hands roam over my chest, heard the breathless pants that said you want me.”
Good Lord!
How had they gone from talk of that vile man, Cassiel, to this?
For a second, she floundered beneath his stare. While she wanted to unsettle his composure by denying his claim, she knew honesty was perhaps the best policy.
“Lust is a powerful thing, my lord, and you’re an extremely handsome man.” Her attraction to him went beyond the physical. Her attraction to him went beyond anything she could explain.
“I am?”
“Yes, but in answer to your concerns regarding Mr Cassiel, the man has never set foot in my home and could not have taken my precious belongings.”
The change in topic did nothing to dampen her ardour. The sudden need to feel his hard body pushing her back against the stone wall played havoc with her insides.
“I shall reserve judgement until I have met him. Have you forgotten you promised to recommend me? My friend Mr Drake is keen to test the mystic’s abilities.”
She had forgotten—deliberately so.
In truth, she had no desire to approach Mr Cassiel again. She had no desire to hear the terrifying words that had plagued her since that night. “The man possesses a talent beyond this world. But let me tell you, hearing from the deceased brought no comfort.”
It brought nothing but pain.
Lord Valentine straightened. “You’re convinced you—”
“Ah, Miss Kendall.” Perhaps feeling that Ava had spent far too much time conversing alone with the viscount, Honora approached. “Come, we must go through to the library and decide on the next novel.”
“Of course.” Ava inclined her head in agreement. She turned to Lord Valentine. “I thank you, my lord, for an interesting conversation.”
“As my son prefers to listen to you, Miss Kendall, might you discuss the merits of marriage with him?” Honora said with some amusement. “Lady Durrant will not wait forever.”
Jealousy woke from its slumber to hiss and writhe in Ava’s chest at the mere mention of the widow’s name. “I am not sure I am qualified to speak on the subject.”
“Nonsense. Your parents’ marriage was Society’s greatest love affair. I’m told they were devoted their whole lives.”
“Yes. My parents shared a deep and abiding connection until they drew their last breaths.”
Honora shook her head and sighed. “Such a terrible tragedy.”
The words echoed Mr Cassiel’s whispered comments when Ava was alone with him in this room, when her mind had somehow been lost in a whirl of confusion.