Page 51 of To Love A Spy
Valencia leaned forward in her chair, intrigued by the change that came over his face when he spoke of such things. Telling stories seemed to lighten his mood. And he did it well, like so many things. His deep voice was rich and melodious, bringing the words come alive.
“Pliny wasn’t far off the mark,” he continued. “India had been mining the stones for centuries, and they were indeed reserved only for royalty. A few inferior specimens trickled out to the Romans, who wore them as talismans to ward off evil. But it wasn’t until the 1600s that a Parisian dealer in precious stones named Jean-Baptiste Tavernier became the first European to visit the fortified city of Golconda.”
“You make it sound . . . romantic,” she said.
“Tavernier did bring back a number of fabulous gems, including one from the Mogul Emperor, Aurangzeb, specially purchased for Louis XIV. Its rare size and color—a cool, smoky blue—made it the stuff of legend. From the Sun King, it passed to Marie Antoinette.”
“EvenIhave heard of that stone. Wasn’t it rumored to have been lost during the Revolution?” She propped her chin in her hand. “I wonder what became of it.”
“I believe it is currently in the possession of the Prince Regent,” murmured Lynsley.
“Prinnyhas it?” she exclaimed. “Good lord, how didhecontrive to get his hands on it? And how doyouknow about the affair?”
His lips twitched for an instant. “State secret, I’m afraid.”
She realized her mouth was hanging open and shut it with a snap. “You are certainly privy to a wealth of interesting information.”
“Much of it merely serendipitous,” he said with a self-deprecating smile. “I tend to collect all sorts of odd nuggets during my travels. For example, when I was in Toledo, I discovered that the European and Arab philosophers of the Middle Ages had come up with their own fanciful theory as to where diamonds came from.”
What female could resist thatteaser? “Yes?” she demanded.
His brow waggled. “I thought you didn’t care much for jewels?”
“I am always interested in expanding my field of knowledge,” she said primly.
“Ah. A purely pedagogical reason. Very well, then, I shall proceed.” His gaze once again gleamed with a teasing glitter. “Over the centuries, versions of the same tale have appeared in many writings, from the Eastern yarns of Sinbad the Sailor to the travels of Marco Polo. They all revolved around a mythical Valley of the Diamond, a forbidding place high in the mountains of India, where only the bravest adventurer would dare to venture. Pile upon pile of precious stones were said to lie on the valley’s floor. However, they were guarded by giant serpents with heads and fangs so fearsome that any human looking on them would die of fright.”
Valencia found herself shivering in spite of the glowing fire.
“So the only way to capture the treasure was to kill a sheep or cow, skin the carcass, and throw it into the chasms. The diamonds would then stick in the raw flesh?—“
“How ghastly,” she exclaimed.
Lynsley paused. “Shall I stop?”
“No, no, I’m dying to hear the rest.”
He chuckled. “As you wish. The eagles who lived in the mountains would swoop down and bring the meat back to their eyrie. The diamond hunters would try to fight off the birds longenough to pick out the gems. However all was not lost if they failed in that skirmish.”
“I shudder to ask.”
“For the truly intrepid . . .” He paused for dramatic effect. “There was always a chance to sneak up to the nest the next morning and go through the dung.”
“Fie, you are making this up!” she exclaimed.
“I swear, I am not.” Merriment swirled up from depths of his eyes. From there, it slowly spread across his face. “EvenIwould be hard-pressed to invent such a tale.”
A strange sensation fluttered inside her ribcage. It made her feel a bit giddy to see him smile in such a way at her. It was as intimate as a caress, and suddenly the tickle was spreading the length of her limbs. He was averyattractive man, especially when he allowed his whimsical side to show. The ladies of London were said to be ruthless in their pursuit of eligible men. How was it that they had allowed him to stay single?
Perhaps they were blind as bats.
“Hah!” Valencia forced her eyes away from the whiskey gold strands of hair curling around his collar. “I am certain that you could charm the scales off of those serpents if need be.”
There was a whisper of silence and a sidelong peek showed his gaze lingering for an instant on her face, her body.
Their banter tonight might almost pass as flirtation.
Her breath caught in her throat. She knew that many men thought her beautiful. She had received more than her share of compliments over the years—along with proposals, respectable and otherwise. But as she saw herself in an entirely different light, their admiration had never meant much to her.
