Don't Look Back by Amanda Quick

turned, and dragging Lavinia with him, walked swiftly away.
    There was a short moment of silence. He could feel Lavinia vibrating with outrage on his arm.
    "You do realize," Lavinia said, "that she was attempting to put you into a trance with that silly fan."
    "It occurred to me, yes. It was an interesting experience. Especially in light of the fact that she made a point of telling us the other day that she had no talent for the art of mesmerism."
    Lavinia sniffed with undisguised disdain. "I doubt if she does have much genuine ability. But she has been working with Howard for a year, so it is possible that she has picked up a few rudimentary skills."
    "And chose to practice them on me? I wonder why she went to the trouble."
    "Don't be ridiculous. The answer is perfectly obvious, if you ask me. She intended to seduce you and thought to use her poor mesmeric techniques to accomplish her goal."
    He smiled. "Do you really believe that was her objective?"
    "I am quite certain of it. It is clear to me that she finds you fascinating, intriguing, and something of a challenge."
    "I would be flattered were it not for the fact that I have the distinct impression that Celeste places all men into one of two categories. Useful and Not Useful. I have a nasty suspicion that she has decided that I fit into the former."
    Lavinia tilted the parasol to get a better look at him. "You believe that she thinks she can somehow use you?"
    "It is a blow to my pride, of course. Nevertheless, I am forced to conclude that it is the most likely explanation for her interest in me."
    "And just how do you imagine that she might use you, sir?"
    "Damned if I know," he admitted.
    "Rubbish." Lavinia's hand tightened around his arm. "I think she is madly attracted to you and thinks it would be amusing to indulge in an affair."
    He grinned. "As I am not the sort of man who can be put into a trance by just any passing mesmerist, we are unlikely to ever discover the truth of her intentions."
    "I trust not."
    "Are you by any chance jealous, Lavinia?"
    "Of her extremely limited mesmeric skills? Certainly not."
    "Not of Celeste's mesmeric talents." He lowered his voice. "Of her interest in me."
    She gazed straight ahead. "Is there any reason why I should feel the pangs of jealousy?"
    "No."
    She brightened. "Then the subject does not arise."
    "The subject has arisen. You're avoiding it."
    "Really, Tobias. You are a man of honor. Your word is your bond. Of course I trust you."
    "That is not quite the question I am asking."
    "That nonsense about free samples." Lavinia gave him a suspicious look. "She was offering herself to you, wasn't she?"
    "You know me, my dear. I have never taken the trouble to master the fine arts of flirtation and innuendo, so I cannot say for certain what she was about with that chatter."
    "Bloody hell." Lavinia came to a halt and spun around to face him. "That is precisely what she was doing. That hussy as much as offered you a free sample of the extremely cheap goods she is selling. What nerve."
    "You are jealous." For some reason he felt quite cheerful.
    "Let's just say that I do not trust that woman any farther than I could throw that hackney over there."
    "On that point, we are in complete agreement." Tobias looked back over his shoulder to where Celeste had been standing a few minutes ago. "The goods may be cheap, but I very much doubt that anything Mrs. Hudson offers—including samples—would prove to be free."
     
Chapter Seven
     
    The sight of the unlit warehouse looming in the darkness near the river gave her a moment of nervous dread. For the first time in this endeavor she experienced true fear. It started in her palms, an icy, prickling sensation that climbed up her arms and spread through her chest. Suddenly she found it hard to breathe.
    What was the matter with her? It was almost finished. She had come too far to lose her courage at this juncture.
    She took a deep breath, and the disturbing sensation passed. She was in command of