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    She took a breath before answering. “Oh? I was unaware you had been racing, my lord. Chariots or horses?” she asked innocently.
    U nexpected laughter welled up within him and it made his voice shake slightly, “Ah, well done, my dear. I am almost convinced. But it won’t do you any good. You are caught you see, and by such a chance – it’s your hair that gave you away. You have such remarkable hair.” His voice dropped low, in a tone that was far too intimate for this setting. She almost felt as if he were mentally caressing one of the ringlets and could not repress a shiver.
    “I have often been told as much. It is blonde, but there are a number of women with blonde hair just at this party – perhaps it is one of them with whom you have confused me.”
    “ They have none of them such honeyed tresses, my siren.” He was teasing her! She knew that if any of the other guests were to hear his words, there would be a terrible fuss and to-do.
    “You are mistaken, Lord Winbourne.” She tried to mimic some of the iciness she had witnessed him assume with such ease. “We have never met before today.”
    “Oh? ” Casually reaching into a pocket of his coat, he produced her mother’s moonstone pendant, and twirled it on the delicate silver chain. “Then I suppose this pretty little trinket will hold no meaning for you whatsoever.”
    Her gaze followed the pendant, and he was delighted to see her green eyes flash with recognition. Lorelei was momentarily divided, but she was suddenly sure that she did not wish this cool, condescending man to have such a hold over her. She would have to get the pendant back some other way.
    Meeting his challenging gaze with a defiant one of her own, Lorelei composed herself to speak. “It’s a pendant, my lord. Moonstone, if I am not mistaken. I am not so green as to be unable to recognise a moonstone when I see one.” She was sure a heroine in one of her novels would have done the same, only better. She spoke in a voice full of self-possessed dignity and bravery, neither of which she felt just then. As they emerged into the garden, the moonstone changed colours slightly in the sun.
    “You know, Lord Winbourne, moonstones are supposed to be terrible luck. Perhaps you had better be getting rid of it before it brings you misfortune.”
    “Ah, but my dearest Miss Lindon, I am not the least bit superstitious. Next, you’ll accuse me of believing in ghosts, perhaps? What a delight you are. I wonder how much of your naïveté is just a clever ploy? Bad luck, you say, but I rather think it brought me the opposite.”
    His dark gaze met hers suddenly, blazing with unconcealed desire . She did gasp this time, and would have taken a step away from him, had he not at that moment grasped the hand that had been on his arm and brought it to his lips, planting a lingering kiss on the back of it. It was a kiss that set fire to her bones and sent her blood hammering in her ears.
    She did not know what he might do next, but she hoped none of the other guests had noticed the exchange. Her head was still foggy when he nodded over her shoulder. “Lady Hurst seems to desire a word, my siren.”
    “She is my chaperone,” Lorelei managed breathlessly.
    “Then I had much better leave you to attend her.” With a polite bow, his face resumed its cold countenance and he moved away, to join a group of gentlemen talking about a forthcoming hunt.
    “My Lorelei,” said Lady Hurst, when Lorelei had joined her at last, “what were you speaking of so intently with the Earl of Winbourne?” Lorelei noticed that her guardian looked faintly concerned.
    “It was nothing, Lady Hurst. We were just discussing a novel we both had read. It was a ghost story. The ending was very disappointing, you see.” She hoped Lady Hurst would not see through the prevarication. If she did, the lady gave no sign.
    “Novel? I did not take the e arl for the sort of man to bother much with novels. He is, no doubt, a man