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Ophelia was appalled that he could parade his lack of interest without shalance and it was a mistake Her attention welded to his square masculine jaw, shifted inexorably upward to scan his wide passionate mouth and clih carved cheekbones and the black density of his thick lashes Disapproval was forgotten while her tummy flipped and her skin prickled His thick dark lashes lifted: eyes the colour of azed steadily back at her and her throat was so constricted she honestly thought she ht choke

Tearing her attention fro through her ‘This is the Long Gallery’

Lysander drew level and stared down the dusty elory The curtains were ragged and the fa since been sold The emptiness was not a concern because Lysander had had a tea heirloo and the ancient creaking floor, which were discoloured by dah his expressive mouth compressed he made no comment

‘Be careful where you walk The floor’s a little dodgy in places,’ Ophelia warned

‘You seemed shocked by the will,’ Lysander remarked without inflection

‘Who wouldn’t have been? I’rand secrets’ Ophelia saw no point in discussing the ith him As far as she was concerned he had had no business appearing in it and she was not sorry that his inclusion should have proved a disappointment to him She didn’t trust herself to look directly at him It shook her and it shamed her that she could be so powerfully attracted to a man whose lover awaited him downstairs But then her brain seemed to play no part in the effect he had on her, she conceded guiltily Indeed her body was alight with a crazy sort of fizzing awareness that kept on interfering with her common sense

‘As you must already be aware, I’m very keen to acquire this house,’ Lysander imparted levelly

Ophelia pressed open the door at the foot of the gallery ‘You’re a rich man I’m sure Cedric will sell it to you as soon as he’s able’

His lean, strong face hardened ‘I’m not prepared to wait five years’

‘I’ht it would do him no harm whatsoever to have to wait for what he wanted He would also have to make it worth Cedric’s while to ditch his developreedy e of the chance to increase the worth of his unexpected inheritance But then what possible hope did that give her of renting the walled garden from Cedric? Her heart sank at that obvious truth

‘But we do have a choice,’ Lysander Metaxis pronounced at the precise h a rotten floorboard With a sibilant Greek curse, he pulled free of the splintering wood and stepped back

‘I did warn you I do wish you’d be roaned ‘There are loads of holes on the floor above but until now I’ve been able to keep this floor pretty much intact’

Recognising criticisy in those coer and astonishment ‘I could’ve been hurt’

‘I doubt that you’re that fragile, but below this roo that is almost five hundred years old,’ Ophelia told him waspishly

She showed him a selection of panelled bedrooround floor Lysander disliked everything he saw: the disrepair and dinginess, the ponderous Victorian furniture and the faded tatters of long-departed grandeur When she suggested taking hirounds, he de room instead

‘We have to discuss the will’ Lysander had one goal: to win her iet back to London without any further expenditure of his valuable tih it is not my way to surrender to virtual blacket it’

Ophelia was stunned by that admission and stared back at him ide eyes It had not once occurred to her that a male as wealthy and influential as Lysander Metaxis would be prepared to et his hands on a property After all, a simple wait of five years would allow hial Court that much…you can’t be serious!’

‘Of course I am serious,’ Lysander responded drily

Ophelia shook her head in bewilderment The movean to fall down round her in earnest she yanked out the clip and finger-combed it impatiently back from her smooth brow ‘But that doesn’t make sense at all’

Lysander watched with old strands of her hair tumbled down and slid in silky loops across her narrow shoulders ‘It makes sense to me’

Conscious of his appraisal but carefully avoiding it, Ophelia walked over to theand spun restively round again Nothing he had so far said made sense to her ‘But you could wait for Cedric to sell it to you, or maybe work out some compromise with the lawyers If you’re rich aren’t there alays and means? Why are you in such a hurry? I know that your mother’s family owned this place for centuries but you’ve shown no real interest in the history of the house Does the family connection really mean that much to you?’

With hauteur, Lysander elevated a sleek ebony brow ‘I have my reasons and they are private’

Royally snubbed, Ophelia reddened ‘Yes, but to suggest that we —’

‘Essentially, it wouldAll that would be required of us would be a quiet civil ceremony,’ Lysander interposed ‘It’s the easiest and al Court The building is already in poor condition Do you think it can wait five years for attention? I would ie a team of architects and craftsmen to restore it’

Ophelia was struggling to suppress a growing sense of indignation that he could dare to suggest that she et his hands on the house sooner Didn’t he have any sensitivity at all? Ophelia had been raised with the sad story of how her mother had felt on the day that Aristide Metaxis stood her up at the altar When Cathy had had a drink or two, she had talked endlessly about her broken heart Ophelia’s ht have married another man but Aristide Metaxis had been the love of her life Her parent’s inability to overcos for Aristide and resist the temptation he offered had ultimately destroyed her and every relationship that had followed

‘There’s no point talking about this because I’e, civil or otherwise,’ Ophelia declared in a flat tone of finality

Lysander looked steadily back at her, lush black lashes se cool metallic eyes of enquiry ‘Why not?’

‘It would be inappropriate’ Ophelia was deternity rather than descend into the kind of emotionalism that she kneould only rouse his contempt Shame wasn’t fashionable No doubt he saw no reason why he should feel the slightest bit guilty about his father’s mistreatment of her mother ‘I couldn’t do it’

‘I’m sure you could’ His dark imperious features had a sardonic cast ‘The financial rewards for doing as I ask will be handsome’

All Ophelia’s natural colour drain

ed from her complexion The wad of banknotes in her back pocket felt as if it were burning into her flesh ‘I suppose it’sthat offer’ She hauled out the cash he had given her and settled it doith a decisive slap on the table beside her ‘Take yourto outface you earlier I wouldn’t have accepted it I ht and wrong’

Lysander gave her a wolfish sirl’

Crystalline blue eyes flaring, Ophelia lifted her chin ‘Look, it may sound stupid and siht, I don’t always live up to my own ideals, but when I make a mistake I’m not ashamed to admit it!’

‘Ideals are wonderful when you can afford the bronze eyes oniset a share of the house and you’ll be in debt Agree to ain I aenerous towards those who please me’

Her change of tune froreed to idealism left Lysander cold He was convinced that her show of reluctance was squarely aiher After all, she had taken the es without hesitation: she had wanted the money and had seen no reason why she should not accept it That had told Lysander all he needed to know

His refusal to accept a negative response sent teeyser ‘Unfortunately for you, I haven’t got the smallest desire to please you!’