“I was wearing it yesterday.” She paused, traveling through the evening in her mind. “There was a moment, when a lad was aiding me with my wrap and gloves… I was in such a rush to flee, I fairly ran from Lady Fortune.”
She had thrown on her wrap, then bundled herself into her waiting carriage, still a tangled knot of emotion and embarrassment. The lad had been grinning. Standing nearer to her than she was accustomed. None of her servants had ever encroached upon her, and in her discomfiture, she had supposed it had been down to his youth and lack of experience. But now…
“Do you suppose he was a pickpocket?” her sister asked, before Mirabel could complete the thought within her mind.
“I do not know.” She squared her shoulders. “All Idoknow is that I am going to have to return to Lady Fortune.”
“Splendid,” Octavia pronounced.
“Not splendid.” A grim sense of portent filled her. “Not splendid at all.”
* * *
For the secondevening in a row, Demon found himself ensconced in a private room withnumber one hundred four. On this occasion, however, they were not alone. Instead, they were accompanied by Davy, the sometime pickpocket his brother Dom had taken under his wing. When Gen had opened Lady Fortune, she had inherited Davy. And now that Gen was a married woman, dividing her time between being the wife of a marquess and the hell’s secret owner, troublesome young Davy had been bequeathed upon Demon.
Last night, followingnumber one hundred four’sabrupt flight from this chamber, Davy had helped her into her wrap. Whilst doing so, he had apparently helped heroutof a valuable gold and ruby ring. Now, Demon was tasked with making amends to the lady in question and hoping to hell she wouldn’t run about the tables informing every masked lady in attendance there was a pickpocket in their midst.
The little shite was going to get a tongue lashing from Gen, and that would be after Demon made certain he was returned to chamber pot removal duties as penance for thievery. The scamp loved filching. No doubt, it was in his blood. But fleecing fine ladies at Gen’s hell was akin to a bird with a broken wing. It wasn’t going to fly.
“I understand you have something of mine in your possession,” saidnumber one hundred four.
And here was the part that made Demon itchy. Which was damned odd. He’d never felt a hint of guilt at past deceptions. How bloody lovely for it to happen now, before the woman he’d scared off the night before. It had been the first time in his life that offering to bed a woman had sent her running in the opposite direction.
“Aye,” Demon forced himself to say, knowing it was in the best interest of Lady Fortune yet still feeling like an arse for what he was about to do. “There is a reason I invited the lad here to our meeting, my lady. After I received your message concerning the ring, I went directly to everyone here, didn’t I, Davy?”
Davy tucked his head, nodding. “Aye, Mr. Winter. That you did.”
“We all agreed we must search the hell for your ring,” Demon carried on smoothly, hating himself for the impending lie. “Our search turned up naught.”
“Naught?”Number one hundred fourwas frigid, unyielding. “You claimed to have my ring. Sir, if you have brought me here for no reason, I will be most displeased.”
She had the airs of a duchess, this one.
He flashed her a smile. “Patience, my lady. Davy is a right hero. He had the notion to search for your ring in this room, and this is where it was found. Give it up to the lady, lad.”
He nudged young Davy betwixt the bony shoulder blades.
Davy moved forward dutifully, holding the ring out for her ladyship.
She took it, inspecting it hastily before nodding. “Thank you, Master Davy. I appreciate your dedication, and I cannot convey how happy I am to have the ring back in my possession.”
Demon was relieved the bauble was indeed hers. One never knew with the young rascal; Davy likely had a horde of stolen jewels hidden somewhere. But Demon also found himself curious about the ring and its importance to the lady. It was a simple enough gold band, ornamented with a ruby. Hardly equal to the value she had placed upon it, storming into Lady Fortune this evening and demanding a reckoning.
Her sudden appearance had taken him by surprise. After the manner in which she had fled the night before, he had not expected her to reappear.
Davy bowed, the scamp. “Happy I found it for you, my lady.”
“That will be all, lad,” Demon told Davy firmly. “Return to your post.”
“The bleedin’ chamber pots? But I ain’t—”
“You are in the presence of a lady,” Demon reminded the lad.And one you have recently thieved.
“Pardon,” Davy said, hanging his head again and shuffling his feet as he tugged at his forelock. “Never intended to pay insult.”
Number one hundred fourslid the ring back on her finger before lowering herself to Davy’s height. She settled her hands on his thin shoulders. “My dear sir, pray do not tell me you are being asked to perform a task so unpleasant?”
Davy cast a sly glance in Demon’s direction before turning his attention back to the lady whose compassion was likely to make her a mark for a second thieving of that cursed ring. Demon settled his eye upon it, praying Davy would not make another attempt.
