“Oh, the villain, the blood!” she cried, swaying dramatically and falling into the path of the footmen hauling Tommy. With no free hands to catch her, they watched helplessly as she staggered and fell heavily against their captive.
“My love!” Aubrey cried out, and she willed him not to move too swiftly as she slid her hands into Tommy’s pockets. Her heart thudded hard as the fingers of her right hand closedaround the velvet pouch and pulled it free. “Come away from the villain!”
Alice, now all too happy to come away, fainted into Aubrey’s arms this time, keeping the lockpicks hidden beneath the cloak as Aubrey lifted her with ease.
“For God’s sake, let us get out of here,” came Hawkney’s clipped tone as the two men hurried through the servant’s door.
Alice cracked her eyes open to see Aubrey was carrying her down the servants’ stairs.
“You’re a terrific sport, Hawk,” Aubrey said quietly, sounding a little breathless as they hurried down the stairs.
Hawkney glanced over his shoulder at Aubrey, his expression unreadable. “Oh, believe me, cousin, you are going to be repaying me for the rest of your ill-begotten life, you damned fool.”
Alice groaned inwardly, wondering if Aubrey would still think she was worth the trouble once the dust had settled. She suspected not. Lifting her hand, she tugged the hood of the cloak across her face, ready to exit via the kitchen, and lay still. The moment they got out into the chill night she shivered, though she knew it was a delayed reaction to all the excitement rather than the cold, as her body got used to the idea that they’d done it. They’d bloody well done it!
Aubrey practically hurled her into a carriage, not that she cared, as he and the duke climbed in after her. The carriage set off but had hardly gone more than a dozen yards before Aubrey hammered on the roof.
“Stop!”
“Now what?” the duke demanded crossly, as Aubrey leapt down, sprinted across the road to the side of the house Alice hadjust robbed, picked up Alfie’s discarded clothes and shoes, and hurried back again.
Once inside, the carriage lurched into motion again and there was an icy silence as the duke looked from her to Aubrey.
“Which one of you is going to tell me what in blazes is going on?”
“It’s her brother, Alfie. He’s a thief!” Aubrey spoke before Alice could even open her mouth. She gazed at him, wondering if he’d lost his mind, but Aubrey ploughed on. “Alice went there, disguised as a footman, to stop him because she’d heard that some very dangerous criminals were targeting the same house.”
Hawkney frowned, glaring at Alice suspiciously. “Wait, I know you. You were are at my grandmother’s ball. You’re Miss… Miss…”
“Marwick,” Aubrey supplied, once again cutting in before Alice got the chance. “The thing is, Hawk, Alfie was only trying to help. He heard some villain had sold Mama’s jewels to Lord Jefferson, and knowing Alice was sweet on me, he decided to get them back. For Alice could not bear to consider my suit because her brother is a bit of a rogue, but in his odd way, he thought this might make things right.”
Both Hawkney and Alice stared at Aubrey in appalled silence. Alice thought she had never heard such a ridiculous fairy story in all her life and could not believe an astute man like the duke would swallow a word of it, but she held her tongue all the same. This was Aubrey’s party. He had kept faith with her, letting her retrieve the lockpicks and trusting her not to mess it up, she owed him his chance. If Hawkney didn’t believe a word of the tarradiddle, she would take the blame. Seeing as it all fell on her anyway, it was only fair.
Hawkney folded his arms, leaning back against the squabs. “So, I am to understand that Miss Marwick’s brother has just robbed Lord Jefferson to retrieve the diamonds that were stolen from your uncle.”
“That’s it,” Aubrey said, smiling. “I knew you’d understand.”
“I do not understand a benighted thing!” the duke exploded, banging a fist on the seat beside him. “What I do know is that I have just embroiled our entire family in a scandal that will delight every gossip in the country and make my life exceptionally uncomfortable, and all for a woman I know nothing about and who appears to be involved in criminal activity.”
Alice glanced at Aubrey, who had gone very still, his face suddenly devoid of emotion.
“No,” he said coolly. “You did it for me, and I did it for the woman I love.”
The duke groaned and sat back again, covering his hands with his eyes. “Damn me,” he muttered savagely. “Damn me.”
“Your grace,” Alice began, only to fall silent as his piercing green eyes skewered her.
“No,” Hawkney said, his tone implacable. “Wewillspeak, Miss Marwick, let me assure you. But I have had enough for one evening. I know that my cousin here thinks me well cast as the villain of the piece, but I have done serious damage to our name and I am…not… pleased.”
The words were bitten off, announced with such precision that his white teeth seemed to snap in the air. Alice sat back, deciding that in the circumstances, discretion was definitely the better part of valour.
They arrived at the duke’s town house a few moments later and Alice hesitated. “I can’t stay here,” she whispered to Aubrey.
“If I can do anything of service this evening, it is to assure you of my staff’s discretion,ifyou are worried for your reputation,” Hawkney replied, a touch of acid behind the words.
Alice blushed, and Aubrey glared at his cousin. “Pack it in, Hawkney. You and I have a good deal to say to each other, but you can leave Alice out of it.”
“Oh, if only I could,” the duke replied with a snort, and stalked off into the house.
