Sarah’s mouth dropped open slightly.
“Do not even think about that man. At least not in such a favorable manner.”
At this, Julia snatched for her dressing gown and stood before draping it around her.
“Yes, teawouldbe lovely, thank you,” she said, tartly. “Is the dining room set for breakfast, or did I miss it?”
“He isnota handsome fellow,” Sarah persisted.
Julia lifted an eyebrow at her sister’s blatantly false statement.
“Yes, all right, he is,” Sarah continued, dropping the little bouquet onto the pile of posies Julia had on her dresser, “but he’s also reputed to be a rake, a libertine, a buck of the first head. Far more of a licentious earl than a rum duke, as you put it.”
“Fascinating,” Julia said, sliding her feet into some comfortable slippers.
“No, he’s not. You were supposed to be safe with that overbearing viscountess and her milksop son, or I would never have let you go anywhere near Marshfield’s party.”
“Iwassafe. I even left early, so no harm was done.”
“I think we must find you a dedicated chaperone for the rest of the Season,” Sarah decided.
“What about you? Don’t you want to come with me?”
“I’ll go out sometimes,” Sarah said vaguely, “but I don’t want to get in your way.”
“You mean now that you’ve met that viscount, you don’t want to waste your time.”
Sarah blushed. “I was partnered with him at a single dinner. Don’t exaggerate. Anyway, I’ve had one marriage already and am in no hurry for another. Let’s get a fiancé for you, instead. ButnotMarshfield,” she added with a shudder. “And you didn’t do anything else last night, nothing disagreeable, did you?”
Julia’s thoughts flew to kissing Marshfield, despite knowing her sister was not referring to any such behavior. She had made the mistake of telling Sarah how easy it would be to relieve an aristocrat of a piece of jewelry, and how much good use could be made of it.
Sarah hadn’t seen the rightness of it. Indeed, she’d been aghast at the notion, and thus had no idea Julia had become adept at stealing and pawning and charitable donations.
“Don’t get in the suds, dear sister,” Sarah said. “Nothing that will end up in a trial with your getting put in the pillory, if you please.” She laughed at her own words, never suspecting Julia had the Earl of Marshfield’s cravat pin that very moment in the bottom drawer of her chiffonier.
“No, dear sister. I won’t.”
“And stop buying so many posies,” Sarah added, but with no vehemence to her words. They both knew it was one of Julia’s ways of supporting the poor, by buying from the youngest flower girls who stood on London’s street corners. “No, don’t stop,” she amended, crossing the room to give Julia a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll see you at breakfast.”
***
“THE DEUCE!” JASPERswore. “It can’t have simply vanished, Blumsey. It is vexing, to be sure.”
His valet blinked. “Yes, my lord. Vexing.”
“You know I have a particular fondness for that pin.” His father had given it to him. And now, when he thought of it, the stunning sapphire reminded him of Miss Julia Sudbury’s equally stunning eyes. If only he could find the damnable thing.
“I know, sir.” Blumsey was so particular, too, always putting everything in its place. And entirely trustworthy, to boot.
Moreover, Jasper had brought on no new staff for over a year, no one he might doubt as being light-fingered. There’d been an incident with a frisky maid two months earlier, trying to tempt him in some scheme she’d cooked up. He’d been too smart to fall into that muddy puddle of trouble. And no one else had been in his bedroom since last autumn when he’d allowed a willing widow to come home with him, usually preferring to do the deed at the lady’s home so he could leave when ready.
Tonight, he wanted that particular pin, front and center on his perfectly tied cravat when he met up with—
“Miss Sudbury!”
“I beg your pardon, sir?” Blumsey asked.
“A young woman was in my bedroom. And I wasnotwearing the pin that night. Remember last week for the concert?”
