“Lord Northwood, I should like to offer my assistance with your exhibition in exchange for the locket.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“I have a talent for mathematics and am quite certain I could be a useful consultant.”
“You have a talent for mathematics?”
He was looking at her as if she were the oddest creature he’d ever encountered. Lydia had been on the receiving end of such askance looks since she was a child and had grown accustomed to them. Coming from Lord Northwood, however, such dubiousness caused an unexpected rustle of dismay.
“Unusual, I know,” she said, attempting to keep her voice light, “but there it is. I’ve spent most of my life with numbers, crafting useful theorems into solutions. I can advise you on the efficacy and value of the mathematics display.”
“We are already consulting with a Society subcommittee composed of mathematicians and professors.”
Lydia’s heart sank. “Oh.” She chewed her lower lip and flipped through the notebook. “What about the books? Do you need anyone to help with your accounting of the books?”
“No. Even if I did, I would not allow you to work in exchange for the locket.”
“Well, I would still like—”
Before she could finish the sentence, Northwood rose from his chair with the swiftness of a crocodile emerging from a river. He crossed to her in two strides and pulled the notebook from her grip. Lydia gave a slight gasp. He paged through the book, his frown deepening.
“ ‘Alexander Hall, Lord Northwood,’ ” he read, “ ‘returned from St. Petersburg two years ago following scandal.’ What is all this?”
A hot flush crept up Lydia’s neck. “My lord, I apologize, I didn’t mean to offend.”
“A bit late for that, Miss Kellaway. You’ve been collecting details about me? For the purpose of retrieving the locket?”
“It was the only way I could—”
“ ‘A pompous sort’? Where did you hear I was a pompous sort?”
Lydia’s blush grew hotter, accompanied by a growing alarm as she sensed the locket swinging farther out of her reach. “Er… a friend of my grandmother’s. She said you were known for moving about in rather lofty circles, both here and in St. Petersburg.”
When he didn’t respond, she added, “She also said you’d done excellent work building your trading company.”
If the compliment mitigated the offense, he gave no indication. He turned his attention back to the book.
“ ‘Scandal involving mother.’ ” Northwood’s expression tightened with anger. “Did your research, didn’t you, Miss Kellaway?”
She couldn’t respond. Shame and dismay swirled through her chest. Northwood leafed through the rest of the book, his expression not changing as he examined the scribbled equations and theorems.
“What is all this?” he asked again.
“My notes. I keep the notebook with me so I can write things down as I think of them.”
Northwood slammed the book shut.
“It’s late, Miss Kellaway.” His voice was weary, taut. “I believe John has returned with the carriage. If you’ll wait in the foyer, he will ensure that you arrive home safely.”
Lydia knew that if she left now, he would never agree to see her again.
“Lord Northwood, please, I’m certain we can come to some sort of agreement.”
“Are you, now?” He stared at her so intently that Lydia shifted with discomfort. His eyes slipped over her, lingering on her breasts, her waist. “What kind of agreement?”
She ought to have been offended by the dark insinuation in his voice, like the low thrum of a cello, but instead a shiver ran through her blood and curled in her belly.
Yet she had nothing more to offer him.
“Lord Northwood,” she finally said, “what do you propose?”
Alexander paused for a moment and stared at the woman before him. Who was she? Why did she make him so… curious? And why was embarrassment flaring in him because she knew about the scandal?
“I propose, Miss Kellaway,” he said, his words clipped, “that you throw your infernal notebook into the fire and leave me the bloody hell alone.”
Her eyes widened. “I’m certain you realize that is not an option,” she said quietly.
He gave a humorless laugh. So much for attempting to frighten her off. “One can hope.”
He could just give her the damned locket back. That would be the gentlemanly thing to do, though he suspected she wouldn’t accept the gesture. For her, it had to be done through payment or exchange.
He rolled his shoulders back, easing the tension that lived in his muscles. His earlier frustration with Talia lingered, and now with Miss Kellaway here… it would be no wonder if he concluded women were the cause of