Free Untrue Colors (Entangled Select Suspense) by Veronica Forand

in her past who had shredded her trust in people needed a huge arse-kicking.
    “What do you desire, Henry?” The hesitancy in her voice nearly killed him.
    “Merely the answer to a simple question.” He tried to reassure her with one hand placed over hers and a shift on the bench a centimeter away from her.
    “That’s fair.” Her breathing slowed and expression softened.
    “How can I locate the original Lady Elizabeth?”
    Sighing, she looked up over the hedges toward the sky. “That’s not an easy question to answer. The reality is you may never recover it.”
    “I don’t believe in impossibilities. There has to be a means of finding it.” He gazed into her brandy eyes.
    The corners of her mouth fell. “It could take months to track the location of an unknown portrait.”
    He didn’t have months.
    “I could backtrack to find the restoration expert. I could search in some private galleries known to deal in stolen art. Simon knows people who can provide me access.” He sounded desperate. He was desperate.
    “If Simon knows people in those circles, then use his connections.” Her jaw visibly tightened at the mention of stolen art or Simon or both. She stood and circled the area, brushing her hand over the tiny leaves of the hedge as she moved. “Why don’t you call the police, fill out a report, and let the authorities handle it?”
    “They have too many dangerous criminals to catch, and no time to invest in tracking a painting. I’d lose it forever.”
    She continued pacing around the bench. “I think it’s already lost forever.”
    “It can’t be. In three weeks, an appraiser is coming to see it.”
    “Why?” She stopped and turned toward him. “Are you going to sell it?”
    “I was hoping to use it as collateral for a loan.” He raised up his hands. “Hard to appraise a reproduction.”
    Somehow, this news seemed to recharge her energy levels. “ If you found the painting, it would be valued high. Not priceless masterpiece high, but higher than the average portrait by Sir Thomas Lawrence because of the size and the subject matter.”
    She resumed her pacing at an increased speed. Her mouth quirked to the right as her mind went into action. At least he hoped it did.
    “We’re not talking a bidding war, are we?” he asked.
    “I’m afraid not. Lawrence made many portraits, and Lady Elizabeth is not exactly a well-known member of the aristocracy. I can provide you with the names of several appraisers who can give a better estimate than the one the finance company will send out, provided you don’t mention the source of the referral.”
    “Fair enough. I’m hoping to receive enough financing to begin the renovation of the wing you’re staying in.”
    “Why don’t you use the castle as collateral, or the Oxford house?”
    “I can’t. The Oxford house is mortgaged to the hilt, and Ripon Manor’s value is tied up in a family trust that has every loophole sewn shut and sealed. My solicitor has already examined every possibility.”
    “Wouldn’t a trustee want to fund a renovation of its main property?”
    “Upkeep, yes, but I’m planning to alter the character and purpose of the wing. The trustee claims these modifications wouldn’t benefit the heir.”
    She sat next to him. Her thighs brushed against his, creating a burning sensation inappropriately directed toward his groin. His heat-seeking hormones destroyed his concentration, and he struggled to stay in the conversation. She tempted him more than anyone ever had. Leave it to his quirky libido to fall for a woman who offered more questions than answers.
    Focus, damn it.
    The women’s group needed him. His adolescent urges had to be contained.
    “Who’s the heir? Ask him or her if you can renovate.” She wandered away from him without leaving the center space.
    “That would be my uncle. He’s not too keen on children taking over the property.”
    Her eyes widened. “What children?”
    “The Ripon Women’s Club helps