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head to see if her imagination was playing tricks on her. She looked directly into a pair of jet black eyes!
    The eyes widened slightly in surprise before they glittered with animosity. “Diana discovered,” he sneered.
    “How did you find me?” she hissed in outrage.
    “I assure you I was not searching. Fate is taking perverse pleasure, throwing you in my path.”
    “What are you doing here?” she demanded, snapping closed her book and advancing toward him in an aggressive manner.
    “I fail to see where it is any of your business, but I’m here to consider buying a library.”
    His words halted her advance. “Not
this
library?”
    “This
library.” His deep voice clipped off the words, clearly showing his irritation.
    “That is impossible. This library is not for sale. You have been misinformed, Lord Bath.”
    He was annoyed that the girl knew his identity without him knowing hers. “Who the devil do you think you are?”
    “I am Lady Diana Davenport, the owner of this library.”
    “Hello, Diana,” Richard said, entering the book-linedroom. “I had no idea you were in here, m’dear. Sorry to disturb you.”
    “Richard, I am more than disturbed. This … gentleman is under the misapprehension that I am selling my library.”
    “I understood the library was
yours
to sell, Davenport,” Lord Bath said bluntly.
    “Then you understood wrongly, my lord,” Diana interjected. “My late father’s collection is priceless, at least to me. It is
not
for sale.” She glared at Bath, defying him to inform her uncle about last night in retaliation.
    The earl had no such petty intent. He spoke to her as an equal. “You are quite right about the worth of this library. I understand perfectly your reluctance to part with it. I thought Davenport had the legal right to dispose of it.” His voice was smooth and unruffled yet more than a trifle regretful.
    “I
do
have the legal right to dispose of it,” Richard asserted. “I am the executor of my late brother’s will and my niece’s legal guardian and financial counselor until she comes of age. My brother intended that Lady Diana be guided by me in all things.”
    “How could you even think of selling Father’s books?” Diana demanded passionately. “I’ve grown up surrounded by them. They are part of my life. It would be like cutting off my arm to part with them!”
    “Enough theatrics, Diana. It is most ill-bred of you to argue family matters before his lordship.” Richard was taken off-guard. Diana had never defied him before.
    “Heaven forbid that anyone should act ill-bred in front of the earl!” She could still feel the heat from his ill-bred hand sliding up her leg.
    “Leave the room!” Richard was livid.
    With flags flying in both cheeks, Diana lifted her chin in the air, flicked aside her skirts as if they would be contaminated if they touched the men, and departed with the
hauteur
of a queen.
Or a goddess,
thought Bath.
    * * *
    When Diana entered the dining room at lunchtime, she fully expected both Richard and Prudence would call her to task over her shocking display of bad manners. She braced herself for the confrontation. Richard, however, was conspicuous by his absence and Prudence was tight-lipped from what appeared to be pain.
    Diana was moved to compassion immediately. “Is it your hip, Prudence?”
    “Among other things,” Prudence accused.
    Damn the Earl of Bath to hellfire,
thought Diana. At every encounter sparks flew between them, igniting emotions that threatened to consume them. If he hadn’t treated her like a trollop last night, none of this would have happened. She would still not have allowed Richard to sell her father’s library to him, but she would have at least spoken to the earl in a civilized manner.
    Prudence refused to make conversation. Her face was tight with pain, which she was determined to suffer in silence. Diana’s lunch was quite ruined. She excused herself to dress for her afternoon ride in the park. She