The Vanishing Thief(75)

After a hasty dinner, complete with suggestions from Phyllida to keep our noses in the air if we wanted to look authentic in our jewels, we were ready to find out what awaited us at Lady Westover’s.

The wind from the day before had died down and now fog muffled every street, alley, and path in London. While we heard occasional hoofbeats, no hansom cabs passed us, so we were forced to walk. We found our way to Lady Westover’s in the dark by moving from one familiar landmark to another, one lamppost to the next. All the while, the footsteps I heard trailing us sent icy fingers skittering down my spine.

Emma slipped her knife out and showed it to me, but I still felt threatened. When we found an omnibus stop, we caught the next one and rode part of the way. As much as I wanted to, I hadn’t caught a glimpse of Sumner, the man the Duke of Blackford had hired to guard me if I went out at night. After we left the omnibus near Lady Westover’s home, I heard the footsteps again. Although I wanted to believe I heard Sumner following us, I was relieved to climb the steps to Westover House.

The butler opened the door and let us in along with a wisp of fog. As he took our wraps, he said, “Her ladyship is in the parlor. You’re to go right up.”

Lady Westover sat across from the Duke of Blackford, open jewel cases spread out on a table between them. Emma walked forward, staring at the sparkling riches for her to examine. My own stare was focused on a dim corner of the room where Sumner stood guard.

My heart thudded into my stomach. Sumner was here guarding the duke and the jewels. His couldn’t have been the footsteps I’d heard behind us. I’d had no protection during or after my encounter with the ruffian. “If you’re in here . . . ,” I began and clenched my hands together as I shut my eyes.

The duke sprang from the sofa before I opened them. “You were followed. Good God, Georgia, what happened to you?”

I pointed to my bruised cheekbone. “This happened when I left the shop tonight. I heard footsteps coming here, but I didn’t see anyone. Too foggy.”

The duke nodded to Sumner, who left the room. “Could it have been someone headed in the same direction?”

I remembered my last trip to Sir Broderick’s. “How long has it been since Sumner stopped guarding us in the evening?”

The duke scowled. “I had him stop almost immediately. You never went out at night, so I decided there was no reason for concern.”

I felt a cold breath on my neck at the thought of someone out there following us. And when I was alone, someone had struck. It made me wish I carried a weighted walking stick like the duke’s or a knife like Emma’s. “This is the second time it’s happened. We were followed from here to Sir Broderick’s three days ago.”

The duke muttered a foul curse, looked around in embarrassment, and picked up a tiara. With a false note of heartiness in his voice, he said, “Now, ladies, time to start becoming accustomed to wearing jewels and tiaras.”

I caught the duke’s gaze and held it. Whoever had set those two ruffians on me after Lady Westover’s dinner party had sent someone three more times. Two of those times, he’d not attacked. Was it because I wasn’t alone? I couldn’t spend my life with someone next to me every time I went out to keep me safe. I had to find this thug, and the person who’d hired him, and stop this horror.

The duke shook his head slightly as he returned my gaze and then handed Lady Westover a tiara. While Lady Westover adjusted Emma’s tiara, the duke set mine on my head with the solemnity of an archbishop crowning a queen.

While he stood there admiring his jewelry, I said, “Why are you going to all this trouble to help us, Your Grace?”

“I want Drake to hand over the letters he’s stolen. Surely the Archivist Society doesn’t mind assistance.”

“Not at all.”

“Good. Start walking,” he commanded.

Emma took to her diamond and sapphire tiara immediately, her bearing becoming more regal by the moment. I, on the other hand, held my head stiffly while keeping my eyes focused upward as if I could see the diamond and ruby confection resting atop my red-tinged locks.

Finally, the duke stepped in front of the path I was walking across the parlor while dodging ferns and flowers and said, “Georgia, look at me.”

I did as he ordered and found myself staring into fathomless dark eyes. “I fear I can’t guard your jewels properly, Your Grace.”

“Don’t worry about the jewels. They’re insured. And I don’t want you guarding them; I want you wearing them. Proudly. Like a duchess.”

“More like a tethered goat, don’t you mean?”