Page 75 of Unmasking the Diamond
A knowing gleam entered Jane’s eyes. “Now I wonder who distracted you,” she teased. “Could it have been the handsome son of a duke? Your fiancé?”
Charlotte stiffened. “We are not truly engaged.”
“And yet,” Jane countered with a smirk, “you are sitting here thinking about him instead of writing.”
“I am not thinking about him,” Charlotte lied.
Jane laughed. “You are a terrible liar. Come, some fresh air will do you good.”
Before Charlotte could reply, the butler appeared in the doorway. “Lord Luca has come to call for Miss Winslow,” he announced. “Shall I show him in?”
Charlotte’s heart lurched. Of course he had. She lifted a hand to smooth her blonde hair, ensuring not a strand had come loose from her chignon. “Yes, send him in,” she said, managing a tone of perfect calm.
Malone inclined his head and disappeared. Moments later, Luca stepped into the room and Charlotte’s resolve wavered. He looked far too deucedly handsome for his own good, sunlight from the window catching in his dark hair, his expression warm but unreadable.
Jane was the first to greet him. “Lord Luca,” she said with a graceful nod.
“Lady Alcott.” Luca bowed, then turned his gaze on Charlotte. “Charlotte.”
Her curtsy was impeccable, though her pulse was anything but steady. “Luca.”
“May I speak with you for a moment?” he asked. “Privately, if you do not mind.”
Charlotte seized upon the chance to regain composure. “Of course. We can speak in the gardens,” she replied. “Fortunately for us, we do not require a chaperone, since we are engaged.”
Jane folded her arms, her smile wry. “I will still be watching from the window.”
“Suit yourself, but I assure you we will be on our best behavior.” Charlotte shot Luca a look. “Won’t we, my lord?”
Luca’s lips twitched. “You say that now, but I saw the way your eyes lingered when I entered. I feared you might pounce.”
Charlotte pressed her lips together. “Are you ever serious?”
“I can be,” he said with a grin, “when the situation warrants it.”
“And this does not warrant it?”
“It is much more enjoyable to tease you. I daresay it’s becoming my favorite pastime,” he replied, offering his arm.
Charlotte placed her hand on his outstretched arm, pretending his nearness did not send a spark down her spine. “You are utterly vexing.”
“You meancharming.”
“No, I meant precisely what I said,” she retorted.
Luca glanced sideways at her. “You look lovely today.”
“Flattery?”
“Truth,” he corrected smoothly.
“Well, keep your truth to yourself,” she replied, though she could not stop the warmth that crept into her cheeks.
A footman opened the back door, and they stepped into the crisp morning air. The gardens stretched before them—trimmed hedges, gravel paths, and the faint hum of bees near the late-blooming roses.
Luca’s tone shifted as they walked. “I spent the morning reviewing the ledger Mr. Griffin gave me before his death. Three entries marked ‘A,’ ‘B,’ and ‘C.’ The first two each had an initial large deposit followed by monthly payments. I couldn’t make sense of it, but one of my reporters may have found the pattern.”
He continued. “If we’re correct, ‘A’ was the Duchess of Brackenford, and ‘B’ was Lady Coldwyck.”
