The Lightkeeper's Ball (5 page)

Katie bustled back into the room with more tea on a tray. “Now that Jennie is down for the night, we can chat. You have color in your cheeks now,” she said, putting the tray on a table. “My, you’re quite beautiful. Your hair is lovely. And such dark eyes. Like a Spanish dancer.”

Heat rose in Olivia’s cheeks, and she began to wind her hair back up on her head. “I can’t thank you enough for your hospitality. I’m so sorry to impose in this way.”

Katie poured tea into a cup and handed it to her. “It’s not an imposition at all! I shall quite enjoy feminine company.”

Olivia glanced at the clock on the mantel. “It’s only eight? It feels like much later.”

“You nearly drowned. That would wear anyone out. There are fresh linens on the bed in the guest room. Whenever you are ready for sleep, I’ll show you to your room.”

“You’re too kind.” Olivia was ready to lay her head on the pillow and forget a murderer stalked her. She added sugar to her tea, then heard steps and male voices outside on the porch.

Katie rose. “That’s probably Will. Let me tell him what’s happened.”

“Who is with him?”

“Let me check.” She went to the window and pulled back the lace curtain. “Will has Harrison Bennett with him.”

Olivia held back a gasp. “You can’t tell him I’m here!”

“Will he recognize you?”

The front door opened and footsteps came down the hall. “I don’t think so. I was only ten the last time I saw him, and he barely noticed me.”

Katie stepped toward the door. “Stay calm. You have to meet him sooner or later.”

Olivia rose and nodded as two men stepped into the room. She studied the face of the man who had caused her so much heartache. Harrison’s shoulders were broad under the cotton shirt he wore. She’d expected him to be in a suit and exuding wealth and power. His dark hair curled above his ears and along the nape of his neck. He reminded her of a sleek panther that hid its power and true danger until one least expected it.

He stopped when he saw her. “There you are,” he said.

She recognized the voice at once. Harrison Bennett was the man who had rescued her from certain death. Her words left her and all she could do was stare.

“We’ve been scouring the sand and the dock for you, Lady Devonworth,” he said, glowering. “I told you to stay put. Do you have any idea how much worry you’ve caused?”

She found her tongue. “I could hardly stay alone on a dark beach when someone had just tried to kill me. And I must say I resent your tone, sir. You hardly have the right to order me to do anything.”

His scowl deepened. Then his dark gaze lightened and he laughed. “You’ve got a temper, Lady Devonworth.”

Katie stepped between her and the men. “It’s good to see you, Harrison. I’m sorry to say Jennie is in bed. She’ll be so disappointed to have missed you.”

Olivia didn’t care for the amusement on Harrison’s face. And she did
not
have a temper.

The other man chuckled feebly at the obvious tension in the air. “You must be the mermaid Harrison pulled from the sea. I’m Will Jesperson.”

Olivia smiled and held out her hand. “Your wife has befriended me when I needed it most, Mr. Jesperson. Thank you for your hospitality.”

“We’re honored to have you in our home,” he said. “How did you end up here?”

Katie helped him out of his anorak. “You can interrogate her by the fire. I’ll get some cookies and coffee.”

Olivia watched Harrison. Surely women flocked to him. Confidence oozed from his broad shoulders. His square jaw was clean shaven, and his black hair curled a bit on his collar. He returned her perusal, and she averted her gaze.

His brown eyes held no recognition, just curiosity. She extended her hand and glanced at Katie. “You know my name, but you have not introduced yourself.”

He took her hand. “Harrison Bennett.”

Olivia managed not to snatch her fingers away as he bent. When his lips brushed her skin, she nearly yelped. As soon as it was seemly, she put her hand behind her back. “Are you a businessman, Mr. Bennett?”

“My father and I own some diamond mines in Africa,” he said. “We also have a silver mine or two and a few lumber tracts. Our newest acquisition is a black-diamond mine.”

With his deep voice and smooth manners, she had no doubt he managed to sell investors on anything he wanted. “I’ve never seen a black diamond. How interesting. I should like to see one.”

“The local jewelry designer recently purchased some. I should be delighted to show them to you.”

Jewelry wasn’t something she was able to buy right now, but the ruse would allow her to spend time around him. “I need to let the servants at the Stewart manor know I’ve arrived and am unharmed. If you wouldn’t mind escorting me to the residence tomorrow, perhaps we could stop by the jewelry store on the way.”

His brows rose. “There is no one in residence there.”

“No indeed,” she said. “Mrs. Stewart is still mourning the death of her daughter, but she urged me to stay as long as I like. I’m quite tired of the season’s parties. The idea of spending time in the country is most alluring.”

His smile faded. “If you are close friends of the Stewarts, why did you not immediately indicate you recognized my name?”

“You’re right. I should have done so at once. I’m sorry for your loss.” The words of condolence nearly choked her, but she managed to keep her smile fixed in place. She settled into the chair by the fire.

“Thank you.”

His curt reply made her curl her fingers into her palms. Didn’t he care at all about Eleanor’s death? “What were you doing on the ship?” she asked.

His brows rose. “The same as you. Coming here. I was returning from business in San Francisco.”

Her cheeks heated. “Of course.” Could he have been the man who threw her overboard? How convenient he was on the same boat. What better way to gain her trust than to rescue her?

F
OUR

T
HE MOTORCAR HIT
a muddy pothole, and if not for Harrison’s quick grasp of her arm, Olivia would have gone flying. They sat in the backseat as the driver, Thurman, navigated the rough road, and she was conscious of his elbow brushing hers.

The glowering clouds had temporarily stopped spitting rain, and she could only hope they reached shelter before the storm hit. The rain would ruin her new gown. The canvas top would block little of the elements. At least Will had retrieved her belongings from the ship.

She grabbed the side and hung on for dear life as the open-body Cadillac bounced along the rough streets. She craned her neck to take in the town of Mercy Falls. It was quite attractive to her dazzled eyes. She’d expected nothing more than wooden storefronts in what she considered a backwater, but it was a bustling town with well-dressed men and women strolling the brick sidewalks.

Being with Harrison Bennett set her on edge, but the only way to find out what happened to Eleanor was to spend time in his presence. He would make a slipup that would lead her to the truth.

Thurman parked the automobile in front of a stately stone storefront that boasted a large display of jewelry in its picture window. Harrison leaped over the side of the car and came around to assist her. “The pieces in the window are of paste,” he said. “The real items are in the safe.”

She lifted her silk skirt free of the mud puddle outside the motorcar and stepped onto the sidewalk with his assistance. “What a pretty town,” she said, staring at a charming white church with a tower.

“I like it.” The bell tinkled as he opened the door for her.

She stepped onto marble floors. Gold foil papered the walls. The tin ceiling was painted gold as well.

A woman behind the counter discreetly poured tea into delicate china. “Would you care for sugar, Lady Devonworth?”

He must have alerted the staff to her visit. “Two sugars, please.” She accepted the tea and sipped it as she moved toward the glass counters. Sparkling jewels captured the light from the chandeliers overhead. She caught her breath at one necklace. “That almost looks like lace,” she said, pausing over the display.

The woman beamed. “The platinum adds to that illusion. The weight of diamonds in this piece is five carats total, though they are small to grab the light in a lacelike display.”

What was she doing here? She couldn’t afford any of this jewelry, not until Bennett made good on his promise. All she had was the small sum she’d brought with her, and that had to last for the summer.

The woman lifted the necklace onto the glass. Harrison lifted it from its black velvet home and draped it around Olivia’s neck. It was cold at first but quickly warmed on her skin. She touched the delicate filigree and fingered the glittering diamonds. They were of top quality and picked up facets of light from every direction.

“I quite adore it,” she said.

He clipped dangling diamond earrings to her ears. The brush of his warm fingers against her neck made her shiver. She forced herself to stand her ground. He turned her toward the light from the windows and motioned to a full-length mirror. She was not a covetous woman, but seeing her reflection made her long to keep the necklace. “I’ve never seen anything so lovely.”

His gaze never left hers in the mirror. “Nor have I.”

Her cheeks burned at the intent in his gaze. What a rogue he was. “And the price?”

“Five thousand dollars.”

“I’ll think about it,” she said, turning away from the mirror. “If you don’t mind, we could stop at the manor and let the servants know where to pick up my things.”

“Of course.”

“If you would be so kind as to undo the clasp.” His warm fingers grazed the back of her neck again. She didn’t like the way her pulse leaped. The cad knew how to make a woman respond to his touch. No wonder Eleanor had been so enamored. Olivia vowed not to be as weak as her sister. She could see through this man’s mask.

He handed the necklace to the sales clerk, and Olivia stepped away before he could remove the earrings. “I can get these.” She quickly took them off and handed them to the other woman.

When his fingers touched her elbow, she didn’t move toward the door. Not when she had so many questions. She hovered over the display case. “Where are those black diamonds you praised?”

“Right here.” He pointed to a bracelet studded with black and white stones.

The black diamonds glittered against the white ones. “Did you buy any of these lovely pieces for your fiancée?” She glanced at him from under her lashes and saw him flinch.

“Unfortunately, I saw Eleanor very little,” he said, his tone frosty. “When she arrived, I was on a trip to Africa. She died four days after I returned.”

“It was an arranged marriage?”

His brows lowered and his lips thinned. “I’m sure you know it was, Lady Devonworth. If you’re such a close friend of the family, you would be quite aware of these things.”

“I beg your pardon. I didn’t mean to offend you,” she said. When his glower didn’t diminish, she turned up the wattage on her smile until his lips twitched. She moved toward the door with him.

So, Eleanor had seen little of him, yet she died four days after his arrival from Africa. What did it all mean? And how could Olivia get the truth out of him?