“Oh, my dear man, that will never do.” Mother shook her head. “There is a world exposition here, you know. There is not a room to be had anywhere in Paris.” She cast him a triumphant smile. “You will absolutely have to stay here.”

“Nonetheless, I really don’t think—”

“Furthermore, I would be most distraught if you did not remain for the ball.” Mother sighed in an overly dramatic manner. “There hasn’t been a ball in this house for years and I would hate for dear India’s friend—”

“Employer,” Derek said.

“—to miss what will surely be a festive and most enjoyable evening.”

“I have not been to a ball in some time,” Luckthorne said uneasily.

“Then this is the perfect opportunity for you.” Mother glanced at India. “Don’t you agree?”

“I know I have no intention of missing it.” A stubborn note sounded in India’s voice. Derek had heard that tone before. Surely Luckthorne had, too.

“I am here only to offer my assistance to Miss Prendergast. And I would prefer to waste no time in returning to London.”

“Goodness, Sir Martin.” Mother smiled engagingly. “Stealing the time for a bit of frivolity now and again makes life much more enjoyable.”

“I assure you—”

“Besides,” she continued in a casual manner. “If you stay for the ball, you will have the rest of today and all day tomorrow to attend the exposition. Why, the exhibits of the latest inventions and scientific advancements alone would be well worth your time.”

Derek might have known Mother would find a man’s Achilles’ heel and use it to her advantage. While he would have preferred she get rid of Luckthorne altogether, he wasn’t entirely sure the man wouldn’t manage to convince India to return with him.

“I hadn’t considered that,” Luckthorne said thoughtfully. “I had no intention of attending the exposition but I suppose, as I am in Paris...”

“It would be a dreadful shame if a man of your accomplishments missed this spectacle of man’s progress and achievements,” Mother pointed out.

“Perhaps you’re right.” Luckthorne nodded. “Very well then, I shall stay through tomorrow, and we shall return to London on the day after.”

“Wonderful.” Mother beamed and turned toward her son, a satisfied gleam in her eyes. “I suspect India would like to have a word with Sir Martin as he has come such a long way to offer his assistance.”

“Thank you, Lady Westvale. Indeed, I have a great deal to say to Sir Martin.” India’s words were measured and controlled, but it was clear to Derek she was not the least bit happy with her employer. He resisted the urge to grin with delight.

“Derek, if you would join me?” Mother took his arm. “I need your opinion on a matter of some importance.”

He glanced at India. She gave the slightest nod of her head. “Of course.” He nodded at Luckthorne. “Sir Martin.”

“Saunders,” the man replied curtly.

Derek steered his mother toward the stairs. “What is this matter of some importance you wish my opinion on?”

“I believe the weather is quite lovely for June. What do you think?”

He stared down at her. “You wanted my opinion on the weather?”

“Goodness, Derek. I thought you were intelligent enough to understand I simply wished to give India a moment alone with Sir Martin without being overly obvious.”

“Why?”

“Because she needs to straighten a few things out with him.”

They started up the stairs. “You noticed that, did you?”

“Didn’t you?”

“Apparently not.” He was too busy noticing Luckthorne’s overly possessive attitude. He should have thrashed the man when he had the chance. “You’ve never met him before, have you?”

“Of course not.”

“Then how did you know—”

“My dear boy.” She shook her head. “Do you really think I would allow you to be smitten with a woman I know nothing about?”

“Smitten?”

“You needn’t deny it. I am your mother, I know these things. While India and I were refurbishing her wardrobe, Stephen made a few inquiries into her background. Naturally, Sir Martin, as her employer, was also of interest.”

“Naturally.”

She slanted him a sharp look. “Sometimes, I cannot tell if you’re annoyed or amused.”

“I’m not annoyed, Mother. I’m most appreciative.” He smiled. “Although it was not necessary. I did the same thing before we left London. And I suspect India made inquiries about me, as well.”

“How very clever of her.” She smiled in a too-smug manner. “I have always wanted an intelligent woman for you. And for your brother, as well. Beauty is fleeting, but a clever woman will keep you on your toes for the rest of your days.”

He chuckled. “You want that for me, do you?”

“Good Lord, Derek.” She cast him a wry look. “You would be quite unbearable otherwise.”

* * *

“WELL?” MARTIN CROSSED his arms over his chest in the manner of a parent reprimanding a child. He could not have picked a worse stance. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

“What do I have to say for myself?” India could scarcely get out the words. Aside from any number of times since she’d met Derek, she didn’t think she’d ever been quite so furious with a man in her life.

“You are supposed to be searching for poor Lady Heloise and instead I find you in a grand mansion in the heart of Paris in the arms of a scoundrel you wished to see thrown in prison!”

“Yes, well, I might have been wrong about that,” she snapped.

“You are never wrong! And why are you still in Paris? Shouldn’t you be traveling the continent by now?”

“We have not yet exhausted our search here.”

“You’ve been here nearly a fortnight. How difficult can it be to find one mere woman? I found you easily enough.”

“Then I suggest you attempt it, Martin!” India clenched her teeth and prayed for calm. “According to the papers, approximately one hundred thousand people attend the exposition every day, a fair percentage of them English speaking. They are at every other attraction in Paris, as well, and they have filled the hotels. It is far more difficult to find a mere woman in a crowd of her own countrymen than it is if she appeared out of place. Do you understand?”

“I understand completely. Neither you nor that cad are the least bit equipped to find a woman lost in the streets of Paris or anywhere else.” He set his jaw in a determined manner she’d never seen before. “The moment we return to London, I shall do what I should have done in the first place. I will hire someone to find Lady Heloise, and there’s to be no more discussion about it!”

She stared at him. This was not the Martin she knew. Not the man she’d worked for, and with, for eight years. This was some overbearing, pompous, arrogant tyrant of a beast who thought simply because he paid her a salary he could control her entire life.

“In which case...” She squared her shoulders. “I shall be obliged to submit my letter of resignation.”

For a long moment he stared in disbelief. Then he sighed in surrender. “Very well then, I won’t.”

“You never argue with me,” she said slowly. “You chastise, you parry—on occasion you tease. We are never at odds. You never disagree with me. Indeed, you act as if you don’t have a care in the world.” Realization widened her eyes. “Because you haven’t! Not when I’m there.”

He toyed with his collar as if it were entirely too tight and refused to meet her gaze.

“That’s it, isn’t it? You’re not as concerned about my safety or locating Heloise as you are that I’m gone and you have to fend for yourself.”

“Now see here, India.” An injured note sounded in his voice. “I was worried about you. Admittedly, it has been difficult for me without you. This is the first time you’ve been gone for more than a day or two in eight years and I didn’t like it.” He sighed. “I didn’t like it one bit.”

“Yet another surprise.”

“I was alone, left to my own devices. I couldn’t think—not about anything of significance. My mind kept drifting to mundane matters, like what I should tell the cook to prepare for dinner or perhaps I should look at the morning post or what I should wear to Wednesday’s lecture.” He paused and pinned her with a helpless look. “I had no idea there were so many minuscule details to attend to in a day. It’s exhausting, India.”

“Is it?” She crossed her arms over her chest.

“Good God, yes. Worse, I was lonely. I am accustomed to having you to discuss with what I wish to discuss. You are an enormous part of my work and my life. I didn’t realize how important until you were gone. And I admit, I don’t like having to take care of everything, but more I don’t like you not being there.” He waved at her in a petulant gesture, like a small child. “And I don’t like that!”

“What?” She frowned. “Are you referring to my appearance?”

“Yes,” he said in a lofty manner. “I don’t like it.”

“Everyone else does. But more important—” she wasn’t sure she’d actually admitted this to herself “—I like it.”

“Well, I won’t have it. It makes you look entirely too...too attractive.”

“Is that a compliment?”

“It’s an admission. I have always thought you most attractive, quite lovely really, but you never did anything to, well, display your charms.”

She choked.

“And therefore no other man seemed to see what I was well aware of. Which was most convenient.” He met her gaze directly. “I did not want to lose you.”

“Oh.” Surprise widened her eyes. She had no idea how to respond to this admission. “Even so, Martin.” She drew a steadying breath. “There was no need to follow me to another country.”

“There was every need.” He huffed. “These weeks without you have brought me to my senses.” He clasped his hands behind his back as he often did when making some sort of pronouncement. “I believe I’m in love with you, India.”