Page 20 of A Daring Pursuit

“Ha. It’s only a few years. Why, when I’m forty-nine, he shall be forty-four or five.” She waved out her hand. “Hardly any difference at all.”

Genuine humor erupted from Geneva in a full-bellied laugh. The first since she and Abra had boarded the train north. “Oh, all right. You win. Besides, heisuntitled.”

Her bottom lip poked out in a pout. “True.” She dropped beside Geneva on the settee and laid her head back and swiveled, facing Geneva. “What are your plans?”

She clasped her fingers together, laid her palms open across her ribs, and stared up at the ornamental plastered ceiling. Tastefully arranged grasses topped with sparsely placed flowers in ivory tones took the place of decorative corning that embossedthe top portion of the walls into the ceiling and edged the rectangular chamber. The calming sight allowed her to pull her thoughts together. “The family will be occupied with all the pomp and circumstance that goes along with an earl’s passing.”

“I don’t think I care for the direction of this conversation,” Abra mumbled. “I’m part of the peerage, you know.”

“Oh. You act so normal I tend to forget.”

“Well?”

Geneva lowered her voice, and even glanced at the door behind them to make certain it was closed. “I need to search the earl’s chamber.”

Abra jolted to sitting. “Blast it, Gen. Don’t you dare. They’ll run us out of here with our heads on pikes.”

“That’s much too old-fashioned.”

“Don’t be flippant,” Abra snapped. She dropped her face in her hands. “Papa will kill me.”

“Nonsense. If anything, he’s likely to help us. If you deign to ask him, that is.”

A sly look glinted in her friend’s eye. “I suppose I could ask him to make enquiries.”

Well, that jest was a spectacular misfire. “Don’t you dare. Then the evil one would be involved.” Geneva tapped her fingers on her thigh. “I think I can search the earl’s chamber during the service.”

“I sincerely hope you mean ‘former earl.’” Her teasing remark dripped with wry amusement.

Geneva rolled her eyes then eyed her thoughtfully.

“Don’t even think such a thing.” Abra groaned. “Searching the former earl’s chamber is too risky. Besides, we shall have to make an appearance.”

“Youhave to make an appearance,” she corrected. “I do not. I practically live in the slums.”

“You donotlive in the slums. I would never visit the slums. Besides Papa already investigated your residence and deemed it acceptable as long as I am accompanied by Pasha and a footman.”

“You never bring a footman.”

“He doesn’t have to know everything. You are missing my point, Gen. If Papa hadn’t approved, I would be locked in my chamber.”

Geneva released a sigh. “That’s neither here nor there. I don’t believe Lord Perlsea, rather,Pender,has moved into that chamber and it might be our only opportunity.”

“I suppose I can act as a decoy,” she said reluctantly. “But Mr. Oshea seems highly observant to me.” She narrowed her eyes. “Especially where you’re concerned.”

How utterly annoying.“Truly?” Geneva certainly hadn’t detected anything of that sort when he’d shown her his laboratory. He’d just watched her with a hooded gaze from across the room. Only when she’d touched his precious bone had he displayed the passion that seemed to simmer beneath the skin. She shivered.

“You gave them my suite?” The feminine fury vibrated outside the sitting room door.

Geneva met Abra’s eyes and by mutual consent, they looked at the closed door, remaining silent.

The low, deeper response was indiscernible but set Geneva’s nerve endings afire. Why did Abra have to put the picture of a kiss from him in her head?

“How could you?”

Another rumble of Noah Oshea’s incoherent words.

“Of course, I was coming back,” she snapped. “And no. I refused being banished to the East Tower.”

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