“Certainly.”
“It will not matter. Miss Waverly must be bored, imprisoned here. She will be glad to go and be reassured that if the affair is discovered all of society will not scorn her.”
“She isnota prisoner.”
“I refer to her isolation in this house for the sake of discretion. I will leave you so you can entertain your guest. I will tell Clara that you will call tomorrow.”
“I did not say I would call tomorrow. I said I would try to do it sometime. I am a busy man, Stratton. Duties abound.”
Stratton grinned. “She will expect you tomorrow.”
“She will be disappointed.” He did not answer summons from anyone except the king. He would do nothing to encourage the duchess to think she could demand his attendance.
“As you wish. You were warned,” Stratton said.
Warned, hell. He sat at a writing table after Stratton left. He began a letter to Thomas Stillwell, the worried curator at the British Museum.
* * *
Amanda held the dagger while she examined it. She sat on a divan with Langford. He had handed her a box as soon as she returned to the library. Inside lay this rarity, wrapped in a fine handkerchief. “Brentworth gave this to you?”
“He loaned it as a favor.”
“He must have asked why you wanted it.”
“Men who are friends do not demand explanations of each other about favors.”
“Women do. We always want the particulars.”
“That is why you are such fine gossips.”
“Men gossip too.”
“True, but we do not ferret out the details. We rely on women to do that for us.”
She rubbed her finger over the engraved lines. “I worried I would have to teach you how to purloin this. I did not have faith you would be a good student.”
“I expect I could steal as well as anyone.”
“You would make the worst thief. You are too notable. Even in rags, you would stand out. Thieves must appear so ordinary you do not even see them.” She stood and went to the writing table. “I should pen the note.”
He joined her there and hovered while she set out a sheet of paper. “How long will it take to receive directions?”
“Last time it took a week. Then he demanded a delay before I handed over the buckle. I do not know why. It was faster the first time, with the museum’s brooch.”
“Perhaps he needed to arrange the receipt of it. It could happen faster this time.”
She was not sure whether to pray it did, or hope it did not. She wanted this over, of course. She wanted to know her mother was safe. When this sad story completed its final chapter, however, she and Langford would part forever.
They did not speak of that, but it affected this time together. Last night, while she lay on him, feeling his essence around and in her, she had calmly, even lazily acknowledged that fate had been kind in a way, because she had this time to love him.
The word had just emerged in her thoughts, accurate and true. It had been in her heart for a long while.
Pen poised, she looked up at him and allowed herself a moment to embrace that love. He noticed her hesitation. “Do you not know what to write?”
She forced her attention to the task at hand. “I was wondering if I should make it clear that there would be no more deliveries after this. I do not want him thinking he can go on and on. I would not mind taking the upper hand in some way.”
“Restrain yourself for now. We do not want him getting suspicious. He may then do something that will complicate matters further.”
