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with his friend and the Viceroy, but was moving restlessly around the room, inspecting the books on the shelves, his open indifference to his host and hostess bordering almost on insolence.
    Sensing someone’s gaze on him he turned his head. His eyes met Gianetta’s and, for a heart-stopping second before she could drag her gaze away, held. She saw surprise flash through the dark depths of his eyes followed immediately by an ill-concealed mental shrug of dismissal.
    That the dismissal was because it was she and not Serena he had surprised looking at him was obvious, as was his mortifying assumption that her gaze had been one of admiration. Furious at herself for giving so false an impression, she moved so that her shoulders were set firmly against him and, with an effort, returned her attention to Lord Rendlesham.
    â€˜Some provinces of China, those that are easily approached by sea, have of course already been thoroughly explored,’ he was saying to her uncle. ‘The problem is that the provinces in question all have tropical or sub-tropical climates, and the flora found there will not grow happily in England. Our objective is to find unknown plants growing in a temperate zone. Plants that will flourish in English gardens.’
    She would have to follow them at a distance for two or three days, possibly longer. If she caught up with them too soon they would simply have her escorted straight back to Chung King. She would have to wait until the distance they had travelled was so great that they would have no option but to allow her to continue with them.
    â€˜And does Kansu have a temperate zone?’ her aunt was asking with polite interest.
    Lord Rendlesham grinned. ‘Oh yes. Weatherwise, Kansu is influenced by the high plateau of Tibet. The plants we find there will live very happily in northern Europe.’
    Gianetta listened to him avidly. She would have to bring clothes that were both serviceable for travelling, suitable for wear now and warm enough for the colder climate of Kansu. It wouldn’t be an easy task, especially as she could only take what could be easily carried on a mule or a donkey.
    Mr Zachary Cartwright had finished his perusal of her uncle’s books and was sitting in a chair to the left of the Viceroy. Gianetta kept her eyes steadfastly away from his, aware, nevertheless, that his own attention was once more focused upon Serena.
    â€˜It was Zac who fired my imagination and tempted me into accompanying him,’ Lord Rendlesham was saying frankly. ‘Compared to his, my botanical knowledge is nil.’
    Her uncle politely said he was sure that couldn’t be true, but Zachary Cartwright made no attempt to correct his friend’s statement. Gianetta wondered if other people, apart from Lord Rendlesham, referred to him as Zac. Certainly the name suited his hard masculinity far better than the more biblical Zachary.
    â€˜I still think you should spend longer in Chung King before departing on such a hazardous venture,’ her aunt was saying to Lord Rendlesham.
    Gianetta suppressed a smile. If her aunt had deigned to look in Zachary Cartwright’s direction she would have seen the way he was looking at Serena and wouldn’t, then, have been so keen for him to prolong his visit.
    Lord Rendlesham smiled, ‘I would have liked to stay here for several weeks, but if we are to avoid the summer rains we must leave immediately. Our equipment merely has to be repacked on to the mules we have hired, and that is being done at this very moment.’
    Gianetta felt a slam of shock that left her almost breathless.
    â€˜When … when do you intend to leave?’ she asked. She had thought it would not be until the end of the week. Possibly not until the beginning of the week following.
    â€˜Tomorrow at dawn,’ Lord Rendlesham said, and as he spoke to her there was sincere regret in his voice. He would have liked to have stayed longer. Gianetta Hollis had