A Scandalous Portrait (The Rose Room Rogues #1) - Callie Hutton Page 0,7
settled, he took her hand in his. Improper as it was, since he was an old friend, she wasn’t concerned.
“Then there was the time you took a ride on Rotten Row with the horse your papa forbade you to ride because the spirited mare was beyond your abilities.” He gazed out into the garden, as if picturing the disaster that day. “If memory serves—”
Diana raised her hand. “Stop!” Whatever did the man do? Keep a list of all her indiscretions? She swore he was laughing at her.
He didn’t seem annoyed at the recitation of her blunders but viewed her with amusement. “Therefore, Lady Diana, since you appear to not want to hear the rest of my stories, I rest my case about the fright you trigger within me and the sleepless nights you have caused.”
Diana took both of his hands in hers. “This is serious, Hunt. Not some mishap on a horse or falling into a creek. I am in serious trouble.”
His amusement turned to something else. Something protective and, if she was wont to admit, possessive as well. “What happened, Diana? Did someone harm you? Do I need to call someone out?”
She shook her head and pulled her hands from his to hug her middle. “A little over a year ago—before I left for Italy, I arranged to have a portrait of myself painted.” She glanced over at him. “As vain as that sounds, I did it merely to appease my late grandmother who had asked me for years to have a portrait done and hang it next to hers in the library at Waverly Manor, the estate I inherited from her, along with the London Townhouse.
“I was feeling quite blue and missing her dearly one day and decided to have it done.”
Hunt felt a tightening of his stomach muscles, scared to death at what she was about to say. “Go on.”
“I commissioned Mr. J. D. Mallory to do the portrait. I sat for him for hours, but I knew it would be worth it when it was finished.” She took a deep breath. “At his insistence, he had me resting on a lounge, facing him, but with my head tilted in such a way that hair fell over part of my face, which was not clearly seen. I thought it odd at the time, but since I’d never had an official portrait done before, and didn’t want to appear a novice, I merely acquiesced to his instructions.”
Hunt studied her as she spoke, staring out at the garden, looking as though she wished to be swallowed up by the roses. He’d begun to realize she’d gotten herself into something deep this time but had no clue as to where her tale was leading. “Go on.”
“He gave me the portrait before I left for Italy, and it is now hanging in the library at Waverly Manor.” She stood to pace. “It is quite lovely, actually.”
“Then what is the problem? If it’s hanging in the library at Waverly Manor, why do you want me to steal a portrait from Mr. Mallory’s studio? I don’t understand.”
Diana stopped and took a huge breath. “I’ve never spoken out loud about this, to anyone, but if you are to help me, I must trust you.”
He reached out and took her hand again. “You know you can trust me, Diana.”
She nodded. “Shortly after I returned from Italy, Mr. Mallory sent a note that he wished to visit with me at my townhouse in London.” She turned to face him.
“Go on, sweetheart.” Hunt stood and took her other hand in his. Even through both their gloves, he could feel her ice-cold hands.
Another deep breath. “When he called, he told me he’d made some changes to the portrait and would I care to see the difference. I was quite taken aback and confused to be honest, because I didn’t understand why he would do such a thing. Or how he had even gotten it from my estate.”
Hunt waited as Diana seemed to wrestle with something. He watched her, knowing she’d come this far, so whatever she had to tell him would eventually come out.
“At first I attempted to dismiss him, but he insisted he had the portrait in his carriage, and he wanted very much to bring it inside for me to see.” She wiped beads of perspiration from her upper lip.
When she swallowed several times, he said, “Go on, sweetheart, just tell me.”
“Thank goodness the portrait was covered in a sheet when he came back into the