STOLEN CHARMS by Adele Ashworth

Author:Adele Ashworth [Ashworth, Adele]
Format: epub
Published: 2010-01-07T07:05:29+00:00

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Chapter 11

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It took Natalie nearly ten minutes of staring at his trunk before deciding it was time to open it and check the contents. Naturally, searching his personal items would be a most embarrassing thing to do, but she had no choice. It was the only way to know absolutely. Jonathan had just left the bungalow to purchase them a cold luncheon in one of the nearby villages, leaving her with the promise of an extensive discussion when he returned. Such a discussion would no doubt be about the emeralds, about the Black Knight, and she wanted to be ready for it. She had to find the jewels first, though, for any leverage at all, and she was fairly certain he didn't have them when he left. Carrying them in a pocket would have been noticeable probably, and she just couldn't imagine him selling them anyway, which would be the only reason to risk carrying them at all. That meant they were still here. And the only place they could be was tucked somewhere beneath his personal belongings.

They'd returned from the ball shortly after two in the morning. The party had continued to some degree after the forged emeralds had been discovered, although the mood had changed to one of quiet static. Most guests left early, but she and Jonathan had remained at her insistence, dancing occasionally, mingling socially, being nearly the last to leave. The comte d'Arles had not returned after the fiasco with Fecteau, but Claudine had done her best to keep the party alive for the sake of Annette-Elise. It was all she could do, really, and Natalie felt sorry for both of them. One could hardly call the ball a success, but it hadn't, at least, ended disgracefully.

She was, however, extraordinarily proud of herself. Her acting had been superb, as Jonathan had remained completely blind to her sudden discovery of his identity. That gave her power, something that would serve her well in the days ahead. During the last nine hours she'd done nothing but fidget internally, sleeping little, hiding her intentions as best she could, almost wanting to murder him, but deciding to get even instead. At six this morning, lying next to his carefree, slumbering form in bed, it had come to her. She now had a plan, and a way to use him in the manner in which he'd used her from the moment she'd walked into his town house.

So, with dignity, and before she could change her mind, she knelt at last beside his unlocked metal trunk, smoothed her lavender skirt around her, released the brass latches, and opened the lid.

If she expected to be surprised at the contents, she was mistaken. Of course, she'd never done anything so obtrusive in her life, nor had she ever been so closely exposed to a man's underthings. But her first impression upon opening the lid was amazement at how neatly everything was folded and placed within. From shirts to shoes, it was perfectly tidy.

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