He looked slightly offended, but said, “My word of honor.”
“My mother was a true de Chantonney, the legitimate daughter of the Comte and Comtesse de Chantonney.” She took another deep breath. “But I am her illegitimate daughter. And as such I would never be considered the rightful heir of anything of the de Chantonneys.” She lifted her chin and looked him right in the eye. “So in that sense, I suppose you were right: I did steal that painting. But I’m not giving it back.”
“I see.” He gave her a thoughtful look. “Do your cousins know you are illegitimate?”
She didn’t answer, just shrugged and looked away. Let him think what he wanted. She’d probably said too much as it was.
“You’ve explained the painting swaps,” she said, “and I suppose I must accept it.” And thinking back over all he’d told her in the past, he hadn’t actually lied to her, just hadn’t told her the whole story. She’d even accused him ofprofiting from them, and he hadn’t denied it. Still, they weren’t outright lies, and they’d both been keeping secrets from each other.
“Gracious of you,” he said dryly.
“There’s just one more thing I want to kn—” she began.
“In here, ladies.” The door opened, and Izzy breezed in, followed by Clarissa and her husband’s cousin, Lady Frobisher. She stopped in well-staged surprise. “Oh. You still here, Lord Foxton? I suppose you’ve forgotten the time.” She sent a pointed glance at the clock in the corner and turned back to Clarissa and Lady Frobisher. “Come in, come in, Lord Foxton was just leaving. He obviously forgot that morning calls generally only last twenty minutes.” She gave a trilling laugh. “And here I’ve been a shocking chaperone leaving these two alone together for such a time. I beg of you not to tell a soul. It would be so awkward otherwise.”
She winked at Zoë, then turned a bright, expectant look on Lord Foxton. “Matteo will show you out. So nice to see you again.”
Lord Foxton rose to his feet. From his expression he knew exactly what Izzy was up to, but with two other ladies looking on, he had no choice but to take his leave with as much grace as he could.
“I did forget the time, for which I apologize.” He bowed over Zoë’s hand. “Perhaps we can continue this conversation another time, Miss Benoît.”
“Oh, perhaps, perhaps,” Izzy trilled, waving him toward the door. “You never can tell what the future will bring. Ah, there is Matteo. See this gentleman out, Matteo, please.”
Lord Foxton left. As the door closed behind him, Izzy fell, laughing, into a chair. “Oh, that was fun. The poor man. He would have liked to wring my neck, did you see?” She turned to Zoë. “You were in with him for a long time. I told you to ring for tea if you needed rescuing.”
“But I didn’t need rescuing.” Truth to tell, Zoë was a bitannoyed at the interruption. They’d really been getting somewhere, and she still had questions for him. He was such a twisty person, but he’d claimed he hadn’t lied to her. So what did that mean?
Izzy laughed. “No, I gathered that, but I thought he’d had long enough.”
“But we didn’t.” There was more, so much more that she needed to know.
“No, my love, but a gentleman who’s courting needs to be deprived of his intended’s company from time to time. It keeps them keen.”
“It keeps them cross,” Zoë said, and all three ladies laughed. “And he’s not courting me,” she added. Especially now that he knew she was illegitimate, she was sure.
“We’ll see,” Izzy said blithely. “Now we need to set up another meeting. Perhaps at your house this time, Clarissa?”
“Yes, of course,” Clarissa said. “But don’t expect me to come barging in on them like you did. I wouldn’t have the audacity. You were quite brazen, Izzy.”
Izzy waved her hand airily. “It pays to keep men on their toes and guessing.”
“I’ve never seen you treat Leo that way,” Clarissa said.
Izzy’s face softened. “Well, no, but my Leo is special. Now, shall I ring for tea?”
Over tea and cakes, they discussed Zoë’s next appointment with Lord Foxton. “Not tomorrow,” Izzy declared. “Make it the following day. Keep him waiting a little, sharpen his appetite.”
For what? Zoë wondered. She was the one eager to see him, to know what exactly was the truth. And where she stood.
In France she and Reynard had been able to talk as much and whenever they wanted. But now, when she really needed to talk to him, they were back in London where decorum ruled.
Chapter Sixteen
It had to be admitted that Milly was not the easiest of houseguests. Used to going out and about with her mother at all hours of the day and night, she found her confinement in Lady Scattergood’s house difficult.
She didn’t enjoy reading, and even when Clarissa brought her some popular romances, she just glanced through them desultorily. And when Lady Scattergood asked her to read aloud to her to save her old eyes, Milly did it reluctantly and in a bored, flat monotone.
The only thing she did with any enthusiasm was write long letters to Thaddeus, which she did several times a day. Probably full of complaints, Zoë thought.
