“My lady,” he said with a nod, his eyes not quite making contact with hers. “I was about to make my way to the cellar and wondered if ...” He allowed the sentence to trail off, not sure how he should ask Clarinda if she intended to join him. Since David had never mentioned being a patron of the arts, Daniel had no idea his brother had a collection of paintings. Daniel had been keeping track of the expenses associated with the earldom for several years, and if the paintings had been done by any of the Old World masters, he rather doubted David could have easily hidden their purchase. Perhaps David had acquired them with his winnings from gambling – David had always been quite lucky when it came to card games. Or, more likely, the paintings could have been his winnings. Daniel had no idea what to expect. Clarinda ducked her head, knowing red splotches were probably developing on her cheeks. “Although I must admit I was not aware that David collected paintings, I can assure you none of the ones in the cellar are depictions of me,”
