He swore he caught a flash of relief in those eyes that were the same vivid azure as the sea. The hint of a smile trembled on her lips. “I could perhaps say the same about you.”
“You could… or you are?” His tone was lightly teasing, but he suddenly realized he very much wanted her answer.
“Are you certain you really want to know the answer, Nathan?” she asked in a matching teasing tone, mimicking the question he’d asked her more than once.
Slipping his fingers from beneath her chin, he grinned. “Actually, being the master spy I am, I already know the answer. Your enthusiastic response indicated you found the encounter as delightful as I did.”
She inclined her head in a gesture of acquiescence, then shrugged. “I’ve learned that men who are well versed in the art of kissing are accustomed to enthusiastic responses.”
He narrowed his eyes, but she didn’t notice as she turned to watch a pair of twittering birds dancing on a nearby branch. What the hell had she meant by
Damn it, last night he’d suffered through sleepless hours tormented by such thoughts. Well, not the entire night. Part was spent indulging in erotic fantasies of touching her, kissing her, making love to her a dozen different ways, exploring every inch of her soft, fragrant skin with his hands and mouth and tongue. But part was also spent fighting back tormenting images of her sharing such intimacies with another man. When she returned to London she would choose a husband. One of her bloody earls. Or worse, Gordon or Colin, both of whom were clearly attracted to her. The real problem, however, was his own painful, ever growing, and extremely unfortunate attraction to her.
She turned to him. “Did my father believe you innocent?”
“He said he did.”
She nodded slowly. “If it makes any difference, I believe you innocent.”
His heart jumped in that ridiculous way, and with those simple words, she touched something deep inside him. Her belief in him shouldn’t make a difference. He didn’t want it to make a difference. But… it did. “Thank you.”
“I also believe my father innocent,” she continued, making it clear she understood the implications of believing Nathan innocent of wrongdoing. “There must be another explanation. And I’m determined to find out what it is. The answer lies in the jewels. So, shall we begin our search?”
“Yes,” he agreed, although he was beginning to suspect that he’d already found a treasure he hadn’t even suspected existed.
After nearly three hours of unsuccessfully searching a dozen rock formations in the first grid square, they arrived at a gurgling stream.
“This marks the northern boundary of the estate,” Nathan said. “I suggest we stop here to eat and allow the horses to drink and rest.”
“All right,” Victoria said, hoping she didn’t sound as grateful as she felt. Tired, sore, hungry and thirsty, she was more than ready to take a break.
Nathan swung from the saddle, removed the worn leather bag holding their picnic meal, then gave Midnight a gentle pat on the rump. The gelding immediately headed toward the stream. Nathan then walked to Victoria and lifted his arms to assist her. Flutters tickled her stomach, but his touch was impersonal, and the instant her feet touched the ground, he released her, leaving her oddly disappointed. Indeed, he’d spoken little during the past three hours.
Setting her hands on her lower spine, Victoria arched her back to relieve the stiffness and winced. Nathan looked up from where he crouched beside the saddlebag.
“I should have suggested we stop earlier,” he said in an apologetic tone. “Why didn’t you say something?”
“And have you accuse me of being a wilting hothouse flower? No, thank you. Not only that, but we were getting along so well in our silence, I hated to disrupt our accord. Besides, I didn’t want to stop searching. We’ve a great deal of ground to cover.” She looked around her, taking in the tall trees and vast landscape. “I didn’t realize how much.”
“It’s a huge estate.” He pulled two apples from the saddlebag and tossed them lightly up to her. “Why don’t you give Midnight and Honey a snack while I set up our picnic?”
“All right.” Apples in hand, Victoria walked to the edge of the stream, where the two horses were still drinking the crystal clear water. While she waited for them to finish, she removed her riding gloves and surveyed her surroundings. Sunlight glinted stripes of gold through the leaves, while fluffy clouds floated lazily against a dazzling blue backdrop. Lush greenery interspersed with patches of colorful wildflowers and uneven rocks lined both sides of the stream. The gentle gurgle of water running over time-smoothened rocks provided background music to the twittering of birds and the rustling of leaves from a breeze cool enough to offer relief from the sun’s warmth without providing a chill. Victoria drew a deep breath, enjoying the faint scent of the sea that lingered in the air even though they weren’t near the shore.
Honey lifted her head, and Victoria fed the mare her treat, while patting her neck and murmuring soothing words. Midnight nudged her, clearly wanting the same attention. With a laugh, Victoria awarded him his apple and bestowed an equal amount of pats and murmurs. Finished with her task, she rinsed her hands in the chilly water, then turned toward Nathan.
He stood in the shade of a soaring elm next to a colorful quilt upon which was spread a massive variety of food. He offered a low bow then grinned. “Your meal awaits, my lady.”
“Heavens,” she said, walking toward him, surveying the array of cheeses and tarts, meats and biscuits, fruits and bread. “How did all this fit in one saddlebag?”
“Cook is an expert at packing.”
Looking down at the blanket, she laughed. “There’s enough food here for half a dozen people. Are we expecting guests?”
“No. It’s just the two of us.”
Her head snapped up and their eyes met. Yes, it was indeed just the two of them. Her heart skipped a beat.
“Cook informed me that she doesn’t want any food left over. That we cannot return until it’s all gone.”
Good lord, that could take… hours. Another skipped heartbeat. Pulling in a calming breath, she smiled. “Then we’d best get started.”
She walked to the blanket, then sat in the place he indicated, arranging her skirts around her. He lowered himself next to her, folded his longs legs in front of him, and proceeded to prepare her a heaping plate. After preparing one for himself, he filled two pewter mugs with cider. Raising his mug, he pinned her with a look she couldn’t decipher but that rolled a wave of heat through her just the same. “Here’s to finding what we’re looking for.”
“Yes,” she murmured, touching her mug to his. She took a grateful sip, welcoming the coolness on her dry, parched throat. The food looked delicious, and since she was famished, she dug in with gusto. Nathan, she noted, did the same, and for several minutes they simply ate, surrounded by the sun-dappled shade and the sounds of the outdoors.
After helping himself to another thick slice of bread, Nathan pulled in a long, deep breath then exhaled. “God, I love the smell here. That bit of the sea that’s always in the air. Much as I love Little Longstone, it doesn’t smell like this. Neither does London.” He glanced at her and gave an exaggerated shudder. “How can you stand spending so much time there?”
“There’re the shops.”
He shook his head. “Crowds.”
“The fabulous parties.”
“Tedious conversation with tiresome strangers.”
“The opera.”
“People singing indecipherable songs in languages I don’t understand.”
She laughed. “I’m afraid we’ll have to agree to disagree. What about you? How can you stand to spend all your
