“A smart man.” She smiled, clearly not offended. “But I don’t see into the future.”

“No?” He raised a golden brow at her. “Then what do you see, to be a seer?”

“I see people for what they are, and perhaps help them to see themselves in a clearer light, so that they can correct their own faults and be happier with their lot.”

He was amused by such fanciful claims. “I know myself well enough.”

“Do you?”

She asked it with such meaning that it gave him pause. But he shook off the immediate curiosity that her insinuation aroused. He was not fooled. These people made their living by taking advantage of the ignorant and superstitious. He was neither. And besides, what he wanted from her, she had not mentioned yet.

“I have coins to spend,” he told her matter-of-factly. “Surely you must have something else to sell—that I would find of interest?”

That his eyes moved down her body as he said it could leave little doubt of what he wanted from her. A look like that would have insulted a lady. The wench didn’t take offense, though, not even a little. She actually smiled, as if she were delighted he was being so blatant in his desire. Which was why her answer confounded him.

“I am not for sale.”

He felt poleaxed. That he couldn’t have her had never occurred to him. His emotions rioted; he refused to accept a no where she was concerned.

He had been rendered speechless, which was perhaps why, after a few moments, she thought to add, “Which does not mean you cannot have me—”

“Excellent!” he jumped in, only to have her hold a hand up so she could finish.

“However, you would not like the condition, so it is not worth discussing.”

For someone whose emotions had been pretty much dead for a very long time now, Christopher didn’t know quite how to handle these extreme ups and downs the Gypsy was dealing him at the moment.

He ended up frowning and his tone was less than pleasant as he demanded, “What condition?”

She sighed. “Why mention it, when you would never agree to it?”

She turned away from him, started to rise, as if to leave. He grabbed her arm to detain her. He would have her. But he was suddenly very angry, that she obviously thought teasing him would up the price.

“How much will it cost me?” he bit out.

She blinked at his tone, yet she didn’t try to placate his obvious anger, asked merely, “Why must everything have a price, Lord Englishman? You have made a mistake in thinking I am like these other women. Lying with a Gajo means nothing to them, is just another means to put food in the kettle.”

“And what makes you different?”

“I am only half Gypsy. My father was as noble as yours, if not more so, a princeling in his own country. From him I have different ideals, one of which is that no man will touch me without benefit of marriage. Now do you understand why I say this is not worth discussing? You would not only have to agree to marry me, you would have to convince my grandmother that you are worthy of me, and I do not foresee either occurring. Now, if you will excuse me . . .”