They were alone for the moment, there in the wide entry hall. Vincent wasn’t sure how to proceed. He was used to dealing with women in a straightforward manner. His title and wealth had always opened more doors for him than not, and the “nots” simply weren’t worth the effort. So he had never actually resorted to a planned seduction before. And the few that had been planned against him all seemed to include food in the agenda for some reason beyond his comprehension, as if women naturally assumed that a man without a wife must be starving, when any man of his position would have a perfectly good cook on staff, which he did.

However, the thought of food reminded him, “You are in time for luncheon.”

“No, thank you, Lord Everett, I couldn’t possible intrude,” she replied.

“Intrude on what?”

“Your family.”

“I have no family. I live alone here.”

It was a simple statement of fact, not meant to elicit sympathy from her. Yet he didn’t mistake the brief show of it that crossed her face before she recollected that she was in the enemy’s camp, so to speak.

Her attitude was understandable. She was not bubbling over with gratitude for his assistance, just the opposite. Her stiffness, her reticence, both spoke volumes. She no doubt saw him as the enemy, whether she was really aware that he was one or not. He’d put her out of her home. That alone would bring dislike, possibly even hate. Which was why the show of sympathy was so interesting. She had to have quite a compassionate nature to feel sympathy, however brief, for someone she likely despised at the moment.

She had given a paltry excuse to decline eating with him, and having disposed of it, he wasn’t going to give her another opportunity to refuse a simple meal, especially when it was such a perfect opportunity for them to become better acquainted. He took her arm and led her to the dining room, sat her down and moved away from her to put her at ease. He’d noticed her nervousness as well as her shyness, or rather, her disinclination to look at him directly, and in his experience, there was only one reason for that . . .

It was fairly obvious that despite any resentment toward him that she might be harboring, she was still attracted to him.

It was not unexpected. Women of all ages were drawn not only to his looks, but to the challenge he represented. They wanted to crack his shell. They couldn’t grasp the fact that cracking it would gain them nothing, since he had nothing inside it to offer.