Page 139 of Kathryn

Oh, God. He was blinded by greed and would never give up.

And whose fault is that?

Her eyes darted again over his shoulder. Dulverton was headed toward the tent, his jaw set and his eyes blazing.

“Look at this,” Katie snapped.

“Look at what?”

“At the fossil, you idiot! Dulverton is almost upon us.”

Jasper scowled but dropped his gaze. “This isn’t over, sweetheart,” he hissed. He might like to behave as if he did not fear the duke, but he quickly played along. “Quite fascinating—and you say you dug it out yourself?” he asked loudly.

“We all help each other here.”

“Well, I can see I am keeping—ah, Dulverton, old chap!” Jasper said, edging away from Katie. “I was just taking my leave of your duchess. Thank you for being so generous with your time.” He hesitated a moment, clearly waiting for some kind of acknowledgement from the other man, but Dulverton was ignoring him so utterly that Katie suspected he truly did not notice that Jasper was standing there.

Jasper snorted, rammed his hat on his head, and sauntered off.

Dulverton stepped closer, until Katie could feel the heat of his body. She had to force herself to hold his gaze rather than look away guiltily.

“I do not like his sort coming around the dig. Or anywhere near my property, Kathryn.”

The way he glared at her made it clear he was not referring to only his land when he said the word property.

Rather than irk her, as it should have, his possessive stare caused heat to flare in her belly. “I never invited him. He took it upon himself to come.”

“Why did you not tell me you had seen him? Or that you knew him?”

Katie lowered her gaze, unable to bear the weight of his scrutiny when she lied. “I suppose it just slipped my mind.”

Gerrit took her chin and forced her to meet his eyes. He did not speak but gave her a searching look, his nostrils flaring slightly at whatever he saw.

Katie’s heart pounded beneath his icy regard, and she was grateful that her high collar hid the pulse she felt fluttering at the base of her throat.

“Lord Jasper has been gone from England for several years, running from his debts,” Dulverton said in a toneless voice.

“That is what I have heard.”

“That means you would not have encountered him in London these past Seasons.”

“My aunt lives near Lord Jasper’s family’s country house. We attended many of the same functions one summer.” All true, but not even close to all of the truth.

He remained so motionless he hardly seemed human.

A throat cleared behind him, and Katie startled when Mr. Scott’s head peered around her husband’s shoulder.

“Er, Your Grace?”

Dulverton finally blinked but his eyes never left her face. “Yes?”

“The men with the wagon are here.” Mr. Scott paused and then said, “Er, you asked that I—”

“I will be right there.”

“Very good, sir,” Mr. Scott said, and then quickly darted off.

When he’d gone, Dulverton did the oddest thing. He leaned down, still holding her chin, and placed a feather-light kiss on her lips. And then he dropped his hand and turned away without saying another word.