Lady in Red by Karen Hawkins Read Free Book Online Page A

found themselves on opposite ends of the auction table so often that just the sight of his carriage in front of an auction house made her shoulders tighten, her back stiffen, her eyes narrow. She was all but immune to his vivid blue eyes and the way one brow rose whenever he faced an unpleasant situation. Nor did she pay the slightest attention to the thick curl of his black hair or the way his mouth pursed in such a tantalizing manner when he was considering something.
    No, Honoria had long since stopped seeing the devastatingly handsome marquis as anything other than a threat to her peace of mind and her purse. She glanced down and realized her hands were at her sides in tight fists.
    Smiling a little at herself, Honoria forced her fingers to loosen and let a bit of air slip into her palms. “My lord, to what do I owe the pleasure? I cannot imagine this is a purely social visit.”
    A flash of irritation crossed his face, his chin lifting slightly in obvious disapprobation. “Yes, I do wish to ask you about something, although I had thought we’d at least engage in the minimum of civility first.”
    “How kind of you,” she said, catching a glimpse of fire in his gaze. Perhaps she’d been a bit hasty in describing his character as pasteboard in consistency. To many people, the Marquis of Treymount seemed a cold, impersonal man, but to be perfectly honest, Honoria knew differently. Irritating and smugly sure of his own supremacy, he was far from cold. He was, in fact, a man of fierce desires and unremitting determination. Few members of the ton had faced the man when he was pursuing something he really wanted, be it an ancient tapestry or a priceless Chinese vase. When in genuine pursuit, his coldly controlled mask fell away and one was treated to the blaze of determination and cold acuity that was rather intriguing to behold.
    Honoria searched his face for some glimmer of his purpose, but none came. Irritated, she dipped a slight curtsy. “My lord, welcome to my home. I daresay you’ve come on a matter of business…” She raised her brows and waited.
    His deep blue eyes raked across her, lingering on her hair. Honoria had to swallow the urge to make a face at him. It was a peculiar tendency of his, to pause and measure one before engaging in conversation. She’d seen him depress the attentions of any number of toad-eating position worshippers. Under that hard stare, most people found themselves stuttering, anxious to please. Thank God she had her pride to hold her head upright, even before such an imperious gesture.
    Still, she couldn’t help but wish she’d worn her good morning dress, though she doubted it would make any difference other than to make her feel somewhat more confident; me man was used to the finest of the fine, and even her good morning dress could not be counted as such. She glanced at Mm and waited… but still he did not speak.
    A flicker of uncertainty brushed across her. Was he silently taunting her? Or was it something else? Honoria’s back stiffened. She did not like being put at such a disadvantage. Treymount’s continued silence began to weight the air.
    “Oh pother! Enough of this!” She crossed her arms over her chest, fighting the desire to merely order the cad out of her house. At least his rudeness freed her to speak her mind. “Treymount, what do you want?”
    He bowed, an ironic smile touching his lips, his gaze still crossing over her face, to her hair and back. “I am sorry if I appeared rude but… did I interrupt you in something…” Again that nickering glance to her hair. “… important?”
    Her face heated instantly. She was used to people staring at her hair whenever they first met—the streak of white at her right temple made a lot of people pause. Some stared. Some pointedly looked away. Some gawked as if she had two heads. But Honoria had faced Treymount more than once now. Surely he wasn’t merely looking at her because of that silly streak.
    She