Free Ravished by Amanda Quick Page B

suppose."
    "You need not chat with him, you know."
    "I might as well. If he does not manage to corner me tonight, I shall probably find him waiting for me after church on Sunday. You know how persistent he is." Harriet smiled grimly at Mr. Venable, who smiled just as menacingly in return.
    The two were old adversaries. Venable had been an avid fossil collector for years until an unfortunate accident in the caves had given him a fear of the cliff caverns.
    He was obliged to limit his collecting to the beach these days and the truth was, he had made no major finds in years. That did not, however, prevent him from trying to convince Harriet that she needed him to oversee and direct her own work. Harriet was on to his tricks. Fossil hunters were a shameless lot and she was constantly on her guard around collectors such as Mr. Venable.
    "Good evening, Miss Pomeroy." Mr. Venable bent stiffly over her hand. "I wonder if I might have the pleasure of procuring you a cup of tea."
    "Thank you, sir, that would be lovely." Harriet rose to her feet and allowed Venable to lead her over to the refreshment table, where he promptly fetched her a cup of tea.
    "How have you been, my dear?" Venable's smile was a trifle oily. "Hard at work in the caves, I presume?"
    "I go into them when I have the time." Harriet smiled blandly. "You know how it is, sir. We have a busy household and my fossil collecting opportunities are rare these days."
    Venable's eyes glittered. He knew she was lying, of course. This was an old game they had played for some time. "Did I tell you I am thinking of contacting a colleague of mine in the Royal Society about presenting a paper on our local fossils?"
    Harriet blinked warily. "No, you did not. Are you planning to present a paper to the Society, sir?"
    "I'll admit I have toyed with the notion. Very busy, of course." Venable swallowed a small sandwich in one gulp. "One needs time for that sort of thing."
    "And a few interesting and unusual fossils," Harriet retorted coolly. "Have you found anything of note recently?"
    "One or two items." Venable rocked on his heels and looked wise. "One or two. And you, my dear?"
    Harriet smiled. "Why, nothing at all, I fear. As I said, I have so little time these days for collecting."
    Venable was clearly searching for a way to probe further when a hush fell over the room. Harriet glanced around curiously. The music had just stopped, but that did not explain the sudden stillness that gripped the crowd. She realized all eyes were directed toward the door.
    "Good God," Venable exclaimed in a startled tone. "It's St. Justin. What the devil is he doing here?"
    Harriet's gaze flew to the entrance of the crowded room. Gideon stood there, a great predatory beast of the night that had wandered into a room full of prey.
    He was dressed in stark black from his polished Hessians to his expertly tailored black jacket. Only his crisp, white cravat and white pleated shirt afforded relief from the overall impression of darkness. He swept the crowd with cold calculation.
    "Haven't seen him in years," Venable muttered. "But I would recognize that hellacious scar anywhere. I had heard he was in the neighborhood. Damned great nerve to just drop in here tonight as if it were quite the ordinary thing."
    Harriet got angry. "It is a public gathering," she said tartly. "And he is the largest landholder in the district. If you ask me, the local people should be proud and gratified to have him put in an appearance. Furthermore, I am astonished, sir, that you would make personal remarks about his scar. I do not find it the least offensive."
    Venable scowled. "You're too kind, my dear. Comes of being reared as a rector's daughter, I imagine. St Justin's scar is indicative of his black character."
    "
Sir
." Harriet was outraged.
    "Forgot you wouldn't know the background. Just as well. The tale don't bear repeating to a young woman."
    "Then I trust you will not repeat it," Harriet said repressively.
    "Damnation, I