‘I want you to stop this nonsense.’ She poured him coffee, strong and black as she had learned he liked it. He took the cup with a murmur of thanks and a look that curled her toes. ‘I am not going to marry you and that is that. Now, what are we going to do today?’
Quinn did not respond to her statement, but neither did he agree. He cut into his steak and said, ‘I am going to the Society of Antiquaries, then I am making some visits, taking up invitations to call.’ He smiled, although without humour. ‘Insinuating my foot into respectable society. Then I will meet Gregor and we will see if the rumours we have picked up about Makepeace can be forged into a lever to get him out of The Blue Door.’
‘How have you discovered anything about him in such a short time?’ Lina asked. ‘We have only been in London two days.’
‘Gregor has been here longer, don’t forget. But I wrote from Norfolk to my agents and to some rather less respectable sources. I may not come to England often, but I trade and that means I have a network of acquaintances in many ports. Makepeace has the air of a man who has reinvented himself; I suspect he would rather take my money for his share in The Blue Door and vanish than confront his old life. We will see.’
‘That will be a great relief for Aunt Clara,’ Lina said, making herself eat the bacon in front of her. Picking at her food was senseless.
‘But you are wondering what I am doing about the sapphire?’
‘Yes. I have to confess it would be a weight off my mind not to expect arrest and worse at any moment,’ she said, trying for a lightness she did not feel.
‘I will meet Reginald Tolhurst tomorrow night and then I hope to discover what he did with his father’s ring.’ Quinn buttered bread lavishly as though he had not just dropped a bombshell.
‘Reginald? But why do you think he had it?’
‘Who else?’ Quinn raised an eyebrow at her bemused expression. ‘Sir Humphrey was wearing it when you were undressing. You did not take it and you were in the room up to the point it was found to be missing. Reginald took his father’s left hand to feel for a pulse and then discovered the ring was gone.’
‘But why would he do such a thing? It is very valuable, but well known and difficult to dispose of, surely?’
‘That puzzles me, I have to admit,’ Quinn agreed. ‘Did he know his father’s will left him insufficient funds to cover his obligations? Or perhaps he just could not resist the opportunity to take it and then had to worry about disposing of it afterwards. He is obviously a gambler and not a wise one. But if it was cut up for safe disposal, even a big sapphire would be greatly reduced in value.’
For a moment Lina was breathless with relief, then reality hit—this was a theory, nothing more. ‘But how will you prove it?’ she asked.
‘We set a trap, bait it lavishly and make sure of our witnesses.’ Lina shivered. Quinn reminded her of a hunting cat all of a sudden: sleek, focused menace.
‘I want to come, too.’
‘No.’
‘I see, your word is law. That attitude is hardly an inducement for me to marry you, you know,’ she pointed out sweetly. ‘I want more from a marriage than to sit at home meekly doing what my husband tells me. I expect a partnership.’
‘Does that mean you are going to see sense about this?’
‘About marriage? Maybe.’ Lina cast down her eyes so he could not see the defiance in them. ‘If I thought I might see more of you than a glimpse at breakfast and interludes in the bedchamber.’
‘This is dangerous,’ he began, then, to her amazement, he hesitated. ‘It seems unfair that he has made you suffer so much and you cannot see the end game. Yes, you may come along, but only if you promise to do as you are told.’
‘I swear it
! Thank you, Quinn.’ She looked up, smiling, enchanted that he would do this, overrule his own judgement, because he felt it was fair. I love you, she thought, and then saw him frown as he studied her face. What had she betrayed? ‘I want to see him get his come-uppance,’ she added, hoping her glowing pleasure would be read as delight in revenge, not directed at him.
‘You had best wear your Oriental disguise,’ he said after a moment. ‘It is the best thing to hide your hair and this time I can explain you away as a servant if you are seen.’
Quinn found Celina’s face kept coming back into his mind throughout the day, distracting him while he had serious discussions about Crusader castles at the Society of Antiquaries, interrupting the smooth flow of his small talk while he took tea at the homes of those gentlemen who had extended invitations, making him vague when Gregor spoke to him in the carriage taking them to The Blue Door late that night.
‘Are you ill?’ the Russian demanded.
‘No.’ Quinn sat up and made himself focus. Perhaps he was sickening for something because otherwise, why could he not get the infuriating woman out of his head?
‘In love, then?’
‘Of course not. But I have asked Celina to marry me,’ Quinn said abruptly. ‘It seemed the best thing.’
‘So, I am to be the best man? I like the idea,’ Gregor said with a grin.
‘She says she won’t have me,’ Quinn admitted, gratified by the way his friend’s jaw dropped. ‘And I have told her she can come with us to trap Tolhurst.’