Garden of Lies(36)

“Ah,” he said. “We are back to your concerns about those exotic sexual rites in the forbidden chamber, is that it? Never fear, I won’t expose you to that sort of thing unless you request me to do so.”

“Damn it, Slater, you are deliberately mocking me.”

He grinned. “I do believe I am. I think I rather enjoy teasing you. It’s only fair, given your remarkably ridiculous concerns about your own temperament.”

She sighed. “You are not going to take my warnings seriously, are you?”

“I suggest we examine this situation from my point of view.”

She gave him a wary look. “What do you mean?”

“Given my periods of extended celibacy it seems likely that I am out of practice when it comes to matters of sexual rituals. I have no doubt grown clumsy, or possibly quite inept.”

“Inept?”

“At the very least I’m sure my timing will be off,” he said.

“Timing?”

“If memory serves—and after my experience on Fever Island I cannot be at all certain that it does serve—I believe timing is critical in acts of physical intimacy. Clearly I have moved too quickly today, for example.”

“It is not that you moved too swiftly,” she assured him. “It is just that I was taken somewhat by surprise.”

“My fault, entirely,” he said.

“Well, not exactly.”

“Given my ineptitude, bad timing and lack of practice, it is clear that I need a woman who will be patient with me,” he said. “One who will be understanding. Considerate. Gentle.”

“You are impossible, Mr. Roxton.” She glared. “What’s more, I have had quite enough of your deliberately provocative conversation. I strongly suggest that you do not say another word on the subject of your poor timing and inept ways or exotic sexual rites and rituals. If you do I will terminate our partnership and continue with the investigation on my own. Do you understand me, sir?”

A knock on the door made both of them pause. Slater stifled a groan.

He fished his spectacles out of his pocket and put them on. “Come in.”

The door opened. Webster loomed in the opening.

“Lady Roxton is here, sir. She is asking to see you. Insists that it’s very important.” There was a slight hesitation before he added in his darkest tones, “She brought the children, sir.”

“In that case, whatever you do, don’t send them in here,” Slater said. “The last time the boys were in my library they made every attempt to destroy my collection.” He glanced out the window and saw that the fog had dispersed. “Send them out into the garden and show Lady Roxton to the terrace. I’ll join her there.”

Webster was visibly relieved. “Very good, sir.”

He left, closing the door.

Ursula turned to Slater. “You have guests. You’ll want privacy. I should return to the office.”

“You may as well stay and meet the rest of the family,” Slater said.

Ursula glanced at him with a flash of curiosity and then concentrated on opening her satchel.

“I would not wish to interfere in your private affairs,” she said, taking out a small hand mirror. She frowned at the glass and raised one hand to remove a long, steel hatpin. She adjusted the cap and anchored it with the pin. “I understand that your relationship with your father’s widow and her children is complicated.”

“My entire life has become complicated of late,” he said. He watched her close the satchel. “But it has also become more interesting.”





SIXTEEN




It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mrs. Kern,” Judith Roxton said. “I’m sorry to interrupt your work with Slater. Since his return he has been so busy dealing with matters relating to his father’s estate that he has not had time to devote himself to his collection of artifacts. I know he is relieved to be able to get back to the cataloging.”

“You didn’t interrupt anything important,” Ursula said. That was a blatant falsehood but she could hardly explain that she and Slater had been in the midst of a heated discussion of their odd relationship when Judith and the children had arrived. “We were finished with the day’s business.”

Judith was not at all what Ursula had expected. Blond, blue-eyed and dressed in the height of fashion, Judith was more than pretty. There was a ravishing fragility about her. She did not appear conscious of her extraordinary appeal. Nor did she seem like the sort of female who relied on her beauty to manipulate others. Quite the opposite, Ursula thought. This was a woman who looked as if she needed rescuing. And that quality, too, no doubt drew the male of the species.

Judith also appeared to be a devoted mother to the two young boys who were playing in the garden. Slater was with them, alternately catching and tossing the ball. Crawford and Daniel were eight and nine years old, respectively. Dark haired with cognac-colored eyes, they bore a striking resemblance to their much older half brother.

It was obvious that they adored Slater. They had come running up to him the moment he appeared on the terrace, demanding that he play a game with them. It occurred to Ursula that Slater seemed to be enjoying himself. He looked younger and more carefree than she had ever seen him.

So much for the gossip of a family feud, she thought.