“Of Asian antiquities,” Jamie corrected him. “Ming bowls in particular. My sisters, on the other hand, have Egypt mania. Anything dug out of the dirt and brought back to the museums holds their attention. I’m certain one or both of them will rush to Egypt any day and start rooting through tombs.”
“Ladies do have funny whims.” Atherton chuckled. “I’m sure you can persuade them to stay safely at home.”
“You clearly have not met my sisters,” Jamie said. “But let us be off to ancient Greece. Lead the way, Miss McKnight.”
She did not wish to lead Jamie anywhere, he saw. Evie wanted him to rush to Egypt himself, fall back into his wadi, and leave her and her friends alone.
Her adamance made Jamie that much more determined to discover why.
Evie marched across the courtyard and up the steps to the wing that held the ancient Greek and Roman collections. Her stride was swift, her heels clicking on the polished floor.
Why Iris and Hayden had spontaneously invited Jamie along, she could not fathom. The three of them needed to discuss things, and they could not speak freely in front of him.
Besides, Jamie unnerved her. His tall, strong body made Hayden’s appear thin and reedy. Not ten minutes ago, Evie had been congratulating herself on Hayden’s good looks. When Hayden had handed her down from the hansom in front of the museum, passing ladies had regarded her with envy.
Jamie was handsome as well, but in a very different way. His red-brown hair was unruly as though wind-tossed—he eschewed the pomade that Hayden used to keep his mane tamed. Jamie’s clean-shaven face was hard, his blue eyes dark.
His Scottish-style suit with kilt lay upon him casually, as though he could slip off the coat at any time, loosening his cravat and letting himself breathe. His chest would rise and fall, his loose shirt parting, and he’d send Evie a smile, his wicked eyes half closing.
That’s better, he’d whisper.
Evie’s heart constricted, and she nearly tripped on a step. A very strong grip steadied her.
“Easy, lass,” Jamie said in her ear. “We want to see the vases, not carry you to a physician.”
Evie gulped air. Jamie continued to hold her arm until they reached the top of the steps and turned into the gallery.
She glanced behind her to see if Hayden had noticed Jamie’s assistance, but Hayden had Iris’s arm tucked in his, and he listened as she spoke animatedly. By the time he and Iris reached Jamie and Evie, Jamie was several feet from Evie, busily studying the bust of a long-dead Roman senator.
Hayden cheerfully offered his other arm to Evie, shutting out Jamie. Jamie said nothing, simply fell into step with the group as they made their way to the Greek collection. Jamie walked with his hands clasped behind him, his casualness both unnerving and intriguing.
Large vases in the Greek room reposed on plinths, with smaller ones set inside glass cases. Evie’s interest was caught by the artistry of the black figures on red backgrounds, men and women frozen in acts of dancing, leaping, or fighting.
Iris examined each carefully, her agreeable mood vanishing as she looked over a case of small vessels that had red figures on black backgrounds. Evie wasn’t certain whether to be relieved or worried when Iris signaled that the one they sought was not here.
Jamie studied the pottery in silence, head cocked as though taking in their beauty. Hayden was the only restless one, darting from case to case, impatiently sidestepping other visitors trying to view the collection.
“Huh.” Jamie pointed at a slender jar in a case. “This one’s mislabeled. Should be from Crete, not Attica.”
Hayden moved quickly to him. “How do you know?”
“I’ve been to plenty of digs in Athens and other sites, and on Crete. Plus my uncle dragged me here and to all the galleries in London and Scotland when I was a lad, showing me the best art from around the world. Trying to improve my mind.” Jamie tapped his head with his knuckles. “Not sure it had any effect.”
“Are you an expert in Greek pottery?” Iris asked him eagerly, ignoring Evie’s silencing glare.
“Not an expert as such.” Jamie shook out his hand as though he’d hurt his fingers on his cranium. “But I know a bit. Enough to see that this is Minoan. But those in the basement typing the labels don’t always know.”
Iris gazed at him in hope. “Then perhaps you can—”
“Have you seen the Parthenon marbles, Mr. Mackenzie?” Evie abruptly gestured toward a sign that pointed the way to their display, needing to stop Iris before she blurted out too much.
Hayden caught on. “Beautiful things,” he added with enthusiasm. “But maybe not a sight for the ladies, eh Mackenzie?” He winked.
Evie’s irritation rose. She knew Hayden was trying to be amusing to distract Jamie from their purpose, but she found his method irksome. She could certainly gaze at nude men and women in marble relief and not be shocked.
“I have indeed seen them,” Jamie answered, his tone deceptively mild. “But I’m certain the ladies would not need their smelling salts.” His disparaging glance at Hayden told Evie he was as displeased with Hayden’s attempt at repartee as she was.
“Excellent,” Evie broke in. “Then you can indicate some of their finer points, Mr. Mackenzie. They’re this way.”
“A great lot of people are rushing to see the marbles at the moment.” Jamie waved at a long queue of ladies and gentlemen outside the door to the next gallery, skirts and frock coats filling the space. “Quieter here.”
“There are those who believe the marbles should go back to Greece,” Hayden said, a glint in his eye she’d seen when he was goading his father. “Because Lord Elgin pretty much stole them, they claim. Rot, I say. They’re much safer here.”
Jamie faced him calmly. “Laws are being made now to ensure antiquities remain in the country where they’re unearthed. Not that it stops thieves selling the things to tourists and collectors.”
“Again, I say, much safer in this museum, or the Metropolitan in America, or in the Louvre.” Hayden stuck out his chin. “If we hadn’t hauled all these things here, they might have been lost forever. Would be a shame, eh?”
Jamie spread his hands. “Maybe true in the past, but times have changed. Shouldn’t the people in those countries be able to see them in their museums?”
“Exactly as I say,” Iris broke in. “Greek things belong in Greece.” She trailed off as she caught Evie’s warning gaze. Iris might give everything away if she entered another argument with Hayden.
Hayden ignored her. “Does that include your father’s collection?” he asked Jamie, his look challenging. “By your argument, he should send all his Ming pieces back to China.”
Chapter 9
Evie watched Jamie grow very still. She realized as she observed him that the affable, good-natured fellow he liked to show others was a facade. Behind it lay a formidable man, one who did not suffer fools gladly.
Jamie could easily pick up Hayden and crush him between his large hands. He chose not to, not because they were in a public museum, but because he chose.
The hard light in Jamie’s eyes flickered in the shadowy gallery. Evie remembered when that gaze had focused on her, as the dripping, angry Jamie had climbed from the river and given her that fierce, demanding kiss.