Page 70 of Her Scandalous Pursuit

Thisbe grabbed her warm cloak and ran out to hail a hansom...though this time she remembered to grab a handful of coins as she left. As the hack carried her toward the optical shop, she brooded, stoking her anger. How could he? How could she have been so mistaken about him? Even when she knew Desmond had wooed her in order to get the Eye, she had hoped deep down that it hadn’t been entirely a sham with Desmond, that he had some feeling for her, at least a kindness.

Desmond had played her for a fool once again. Well, he wouldn’t anymore. She was done with being gullible and naive. She was contemptuous of trust in anyone but her own family. She was impervious to Desmond’s dark eyes and sweet smile.

After paying the driver and telling him to wait, she marched into the optical shop. The middle-aged man behind the counter widened his eyes and stepped quickly around the counter, holding his hands out as if to stop her. “No, miss, please, I beg you, not another fight. My shop—”

“I have no intention of doing anything to your shop. I’m after just one man.” She directed a gaze worthy of her grandmother at him. “Step aside.”

He moved back with a moan, hands to his head. “Another morning lost.”

Thisbe shoved aside the curtain, and her eyes went straight to Desmond sitting at the back, his dark head bent over his work. Around her, everyone froze for a moment, then scrambled to their feet and turned toward Desmond, ready for another round of entertainment. Desmond’s head came up at the clatter, and his eyes went to Thisbe. An expression flashed across his face—in the past Thisbe would have interpreted it as pleasure; now she wouldn’t even try to guess at his emotions.

“Thisbe.” In the utter silence of the shop, his word was clear. He started toward her, and Thisbe rushed toward him.

“How could you!” Thisbe had intended to be cold, hard and relentless, but she couldn’t hold back this hot rush of anger. “I trusted you! Of all the things you’ve done, the lies, the deception, the—the betrayal, I didn’t expect this of you.”

Desmond stopped. “What? I don’t kno—”

“Don’t you dare deny it!” She came to a halt a yard away from him. She had meant to slap him, had contemplated it with eagerness all the way over here, but now, looking into his face, she could not. Nor could she stop the tears that welled in her eyes. “You stole it. You stole the Eye, and I want it back.”

His jaw dropped. “What? I... The Eye—it’s missing?”

“Did you think I wouldn’t know it was you? Did you think I was such a love-struck ninny I’d not go to the police? Well, you’re wrong. That’s exactly where I’m going if you don’t return it this instant.”

Desmond grabbed his jacket and took Thisbe’s arm, starting for the door. “I think this is better taken up outside, don’t you?”

Thisbe said nothing but went with him. Now, with the first spate of rage over, she was aware of all the curious eyes and ears in the room.

“Desmond, where are you going?” the owner of the shop exclaimed as they walked past. “Are you leaving again? Blast it, Desmond, you can’t—”

Desmond closed the front door behind him, cutting off his employer’s words. He turned to her. “Thisbe, I did not take the Eye. I swear to you, I didn’t.”

“I can’t take your word anymore. You lied to me!”

“I did not lie to you.”

“Omitting the truth is a lie.”

“You did the same thing!” Anger flared in his eyes. “Damn it, Thisbe, I was not solely to blame. You hid your identity from me. How was I supposed to know who you were? Who your grandmother was? I don’t know the family tree of every blasted peer in the realm.”

“Even if that is true, which I doubt, the fact remains that you didn’t tell me after you found out who I was.” Thisbe slashed her hand through the air. “This is pointless. I’m not here to argue about who is to blame for what. I am here to get back the Eye. I have no desire to air our family matters to the world, so I would prefer not to have to turn this over to the authorities. I would think you would rather not be investigated by them, as well. Give me back the Eye, and we can go our separate ways.”

“I. Don’t. Have. The. Eye,” Desmond said through clenched teeth. “Why are you so bloody determined to put the worst possible connotation on everything I’ve done? Stop being bullheaded and think about it for a moment. Why would I take the Eye, knowing I would be the most obvious suspect? Why wouldn’t I have taken it before?”

“You didn’t know where it was until I stupidly showed you its location.”

“Oh, for—” He broke off and glanced around at the passersby, who were slowing their steps and watching them. “Is that your hack?”

Before she could answer, he took her arm and steered her toward the vehicle. Thisbe jerked her arm from his grasp, sending him a baleful look, and marched off to the carriage.

“Where to, miss?” the driver asked.

“I don’t know.” She hesitated, glancing back at Desmond.

He spread his arms wide in a manner she found immensely annoying. “Do you want to search my room? Will that satisfy you?”

“Very well.” Thisbe climbed into the carriage, leaving Desmond to give the man their destination. It apparently required a good bit of explanation, but Thisbe didn’t mind. It gave her a chance to calm down. However satisfying it had been to spew out her rage at Desmond, it would serve no purpose to let her emotions rule her. She must be calm. Logical. Make him see that hers was the correct course. Desmond was, despite all else, a man of reason and intellect.

He climbed in and sat down beside her. The hack was small, with only one seat, and he was uncomfortably close to her. Their arms almost touched. She looked down at his long legs, stretched across the width of the carriage and still looking too cramped. Why did she find that so endearing? And why did she still feel this way when she looked at him? How could she want to smooth back the lock of hair that fell across his face, or place her palm against his cheek? How could she want to kiss him? Thisbe turned quickly away, looking out the window.