“That’s quite tasteful, considering,” Alice said in surprise.
“Er… no, it ain’t,” Lill told her wryly. She took it back, flicking a little hidden catch that lifted a thin glass lid, onto which the lady’s gown had been painted. Underneath it, she lay naked in a pose of wanton abandon.
“Oh!”Alice said in surprise.
Lill giggled. “Wicked, ain’t it? But look here.” She closed the glass lid and opened the top properly, showing the engraving inside.To Silas Mourney, with thanks.
Alice grinned. “I don’t believe it. Lill, you are a marvel. You might just have saved our bacon.”
“Don’t I always?” she said smugly, but then her face fell. “This is dangerous, love. Isn’t it?”
Alice nodded, wondering what Aubrey would do if he had the slightest idea what she was contemplating. Lock her up, most likely. “Silas would cut my throat without batting an eyelid. He’s done for bigger fish than me and no one has brought him down yet. But this, this might do it, Lill. If I can get there first.”
“And what of your fella?”
Alice swallowed and shook her head. Her heart ached as she imagined how furious he would be with her, that she had refused to trust him just hours after promising to give him a chance. She might be about to ruin her chances with him, but better that than seeing him caught up in this. She’d got away with stealing the diamonds once because she was the best there was, but to do it twice—Alfie had the luck of the devil, but this was pushing it to the limit. “He can’t have any part of this, Lill. I’ll leave before he knows anything about it, and you mustn’t tell him. You’ll have to say I’m visiting a friend, or… think of something. I’ll need my wits about me, and having an amateur on hand, no matter how well meaning, it’s no good. You see that, don’t you?”
Lill hesitated. “I suppose, only—I’m frightened for you, Alice. This doesn’t feel like the other jobs. You were prepared before, it wasn’t such a rush, and… Maybe he could just be there, hanging around outside even, just in case and—”
Alice shook her head. “If he’s there, he’ll interfere. He won’t be able to help himself, and if it all goes to hell—” Her stomach pitched at the idea, sending the snakes into a frenzy. “If it all goes to hell, he needs to be as far away from me as he can get.”
Sliding from the bed with regret, Alice put her slippers back on.
“Now what?”
Alice looked back at Lill in surprise. “I need to get ready, obviously. We’ve got a few hours before I must leave. My footman’s costume will need ironing, the shoes polishing. I’ll need to pack some food for the journey and—”
“Oh, no,” Lill snapped crossly, flinging back the bedclothes and getting to her feet. “You need to sleep. I know what you need preparing just as well as you do. I’ll get everything ready while you get some shuteye, at least a couple of hours. This is a ramshackle enough undertaking without you doing it half asleep.”
Alice sighed, walking to Lill and embracing her. “What would I do without you?”
“So long as you want me around, you don’t ever need to ask that,” Lill said, a catch in her voice. “Now get some sleep, or else.”
“Yes, Mama,” Alice said with a too sweet smile.
“Cheeky baggage,” Lill said crossly, but flashed Alice a warm smile as she gathered up the tea things and hurried to prepare for her departure.
Hatherley Hall, Little Valentine, 19thJanuary 1816
Aubrey joined his family for breakfast, feeling in remarkably good spirits. His entire life was being upended by a woman who was so unconventional most men would demand she be sent to the nearest madhouse, and that was without her penchant for larceny, and he found he didn’t mind a bit.
It was only now, with hindsight, that he realised how damned bored he’d been for the past years. Doing what was expected of him, living the life he’d been raised for, well, it was fine, obviously. Indeed, he knew he was an ungrateful devil for finding the least fault in it when so many were scrabbling for survival. Yet there had been this nagging question at the back of his mind, one he’d refused to consider too closely, for he had no answer for it.
Is this all there is?
Aubrey was no philosopher, and yet he’d known there must be more than this shallow existence. There must be a reason for being put on this earth other than just following the respectable, narrow path before him—marrying, producing an heir, and turning up his toes, preferably leaving his heir in good financial shape when he did so. Yet he’d been too afraid to step out of line, even if he’d had the first idea of what he wanted.
Alice hadn’t let fear stop her. Perhaps Alfie had been born out of fear, out of a desire to live safely in a world where an unprotected female was fair game, perhaps she would have discovered him anyway. Either way, she could have set him aside, could have taken a different path once she had money enough to live a respectable life. She hadn’t. Alfie answered a deep need inside her to be everything she was, to be free and bold and go wherever she wished, to speak as she pleased. Admiration for her—for Alfie too, filled his heart and made him want to find that freedom too. They could do it together. They could make a life for themselves unlike anyone else’s.
They’d be shunned, naturally, by some at least. But what did they care for that? They’d not have to talk to a lot of stuffy people and go to a lot of mind-numbing society parties and talk nonsense. Hardly a great loss.
Hawkney would be the biggest hurdle.
“Ah, Aubrey. There you are,” his grandmother said as Aubrey entered the breakfast parlour, surprising him with her presence as she usually broke her fast in her room. “Howard tells me there is post for you. Ask him for it when you have finished eating.”
“I will, thank you, Gee-Gee, and might I add you are looking in prime twig this morning,” he said, admiring her outfit, an ensemble in deep violet which she had adorned with a magnificent set of amethyst and diamond jewels.
He smiled as he wondered what Alice would think of them. If he married her, he’d be able to buy her the kind of beautiful things she clearly longed for. The idea delighted him a ridiculous amount.
