well aware that you have not had much experience with men.'
'I have had any number of male clients.'
'I meant experience of a personal nature, and well you know it,' Pamela snapped. 'Mind you, if you had chosen almost any other man for this sort of adventure, I would have been thrilled for you. Every woman deserves the opportunity to discover romantic passion. But why the devil did you decide to embark on an affair with Owen Sweetwater?'
'For heaven's sake, Pamela, will you please lower your voice?'
'No one could be more unsuitable for you. He might even decide to damage your career when your affair ends. You have worked hard to establish yourself. I do not want to see you throw away your future.'
'I don't think Mr. Sweetwater will pronounce me a fraud,' Virginia said.
She broke off when she sensed a presence behind her.
'Rest assured, that will not happen,' Owen said, his voice very dry.
Pamela gasped and swung around so sharply that a few drops of champagne flew out of the glass in her hand. 'Mr. Sweetwater. I didn't realize you were in the vicinity.'
Virginia turned more slowly. Owen held two glasses of champagne in his hands. He was smiling his coldest smile. His excellently cut black-and-white evening clothes underscored the aura of raw power that always charged the air around him.
'Allow me to introduce afriend, ' Virginia said, laying subtle emphasis on the word 'friend' so that Owen would understand that he was not allowed to be rude to Pamela. 'Miss Egan is a highly regarded practitioner. She was very kind to me at the beginning of my career. Indeed, I owe much of my success to her advice and the introductions she was good enough to provide.'
Amusement replaced the ice in Owen's eyes. His smile warmed several degrees. He inclined his head in a formal manner toward Pamela.
'In that case, it is a pleasure, Miss Egan,' he said.
Pamela recovered her composure, but Virginia could have sworn that she blushed. 'Mr. Sweetwater. I've heard a great deal about you.'
'None of it good, I'm sure.' He handed one of the glasses to Virginia. 'But believe me when I say that I have no reason to declare Miss Dean a charlatan.' He took a swallow of champagne and gave Virginia an intimate smile. 'In fact, I find her talents extraordinary.'
'Will you be giving that information to the press at the conclusion of your study of her powers?' Pamela asked. 'It might do wonders for her career.'
Owen turned back to her, brows slightly elevated.
'I will be happy to inform the press that Miss Dean possesses genuine psychical abilities, but I doubt that she needs my acclaim. She seems to be doing very well on her own.'
Pamela gave him a steel-bright smile. 'There is no such thing as too much positive publicity in our business, Mr. Sweetwater. It seems to me that a few good words to the press is the least you can do for Miss Dean under the circumstances.'
'Circumstances?' Owen repeated, somewhat ominously.
'I refer, of course, to the fact that you are taking advantage of Miss Dean's generous nature in order to pursue your research project,' Pamela said coolly. 'She is doing you an enormous favor, is she not, Mr. Sweetwater?'
Virginia winced. 'It's all right, Pamela, I assure you.'
Owen slanted a long look at Virginia. 'Yes, Miss Egan, she is doing me a great favor.'
'Then it is only right that you repay her when you end the project,' Pamela said. 'The most helpful way you could do that is by ensuring that she receives some attractive publicity that might send some new clients her way.'
'I see,' Owen said.
'After all, it is not as if you have anything else of lasting value to offer her, is it?' Pamela said very pointedly.
'Pamela, please,' Virginia pleaded. 'That's enough.'
'Quite right.' Pamela smiled at Virginia. 'Enjoy the rest of the evening, my dear, and don't forget the warning from the princess.'
'I won't.'
Pamela whisked up her green skirts and swept off into the crowd.
Owen watched her leave. 'What was that about a warning from the princess?'
'Nothing important. I wonder how Charlotte and Nick are making out. I have lost sight of them. Oh, damn.'
'Now what?'
'Gilmore Leybrook and his assistant are coming this way. Well, I suppose it was inevitable.'
Owen followed her gaze, suddenly very focused. The atmosphere around him became more highly charged.
'This should be interesting,' he said.
Chapter 26
This isn't working,' Nick said.
Charlotte had been about to take a sip of champagne. She paused and peered at him, squinting a little because she had stored her spectacles in the dainty beaded bag that dangled from the waist of her gown. For reasons she was not certain she wished to explore, she had concluded that afternoon that she wanted to look her best tonight. According to the fashion journals, spectacles were not the most attractive evening accessory.
The unfortunate result of her fashion choice was that the reception hall below the small balcony where she and Nick stood was a colorful blur. But this close up she could make out Nick quite plainly. He looked very fine in his evening clothes, she thought. True, she'd had to put her spectacles on in the carriage long enough to make some small adjustments to his appearance. But it had taken only a few minutes to redo the sad knot in his black tie. When she had mentioned, quite discreetly, that the buttons of his satin waistcoat had been fastened in the wrong order, he had immediately rectified the problem.
'What isn't working?' she asked.
'Owen's plan,' Nick said. He sounded baffled. 'I don't understand. When it comes to this sort of thing, my cousin's schemes invariably work quite well. But this one has certainly come a cropper.'
He contemplated the scene below as though it was a perplexing puzzle. Although Charlotte could not make out details, she knew that the balcony, originally designed to conceal the musicians at a formal ball, gave Nick a panoramic view of the hall.
'I was under the impression that your task was to look for the subtle signs that might indicate that someone in the room had developed a pronounced or obsessive interest in Virginia,' Charlotte said. 'Really, sir, how difficult is that? You're supposed to have a talent for observing small particulars.'
'Quite difficult, as it happens, because a number of people in the room appear to have a great interest in Miss Dean. The only people who have not been casting veiled glances at her and my cousin are the servants. There is a great deal of speculation going on down there.'
'Speculation about her association with Mr. Sweetwater, yes, I warned Virginia about that. I knew everyone would assume the worst.'
'Damnation. Surely they don't suspect that she is helping Owen investigate the murders?'
'No, of course not. It is much worse than that. They think she is involved in an illicit liaison with him.'
'Is that all?' Nick looked considerably relieved. 'No need to worry, then. I don't see why that sort of gossip should cause Owen any problems. For a moment there, you had me concerned that perhaps his plan was falling apart.'
