To Trust a Thief (11 page)

Bryant froze. “Min,” he cautioned, a slight tremble running across his bottom lip.

Min paused, a jolt of empowerment shooting through her. Hmm. Interesting what a few little buttons could do.

She reached inside the neckline and pulled out the locket on its silver chain. Bryant’s face revealed nothing. He reached over to open the locket. Min held her breath, hoping he wouldn’t inspect it too thoroughly. Maybe it was wrong, but she had no intention of sharing the paper she’d found beneath the portrait. At least not yet.

Min tried to ignore the thread of guilt tugging at her heart. She would bet her two front teeth and a good portion of the rest of them that Bryant knew more than he was sharing. Keeping a little back herself was the only wise thing to do.

“An eye portrait. Very interesting.” He turned it over, inspecting every angle. “I’ve heard of these. Never had the pleasure of receiving one, though.” He gave Min a smile she couldn’t quite match. “Where did you get this?”

“Does it matter?”

“It could,” he said, tugging the necklace, and Min, closer to the candle. “A.B.”

“Anne Benton.”

“It could be—” Bryant looked up, his voice cutting off. His face was only a fraction away from hers. His eyes devoured her, dark and hungry.

“Did that doctor give this to you?” he asked, his low-pitched voice nearly a growl that rumbled through every inch of her.

Min didn’t answer while she weighed the disadvantages of telling him more.

“Did he?”

“Yes.”

“Where did he get it?”

“His grandmother. She was a servant for Edward Courtland.”

“Anything else?”

“According to his grandmother, it belonged to Edward’s mistress.”

Bryant stared at her long enough that she grew uncomfortable, but she wouldn’t let herself squirm under his gaze. “So I suppose the papers, the gallery portrait, eyewitness accounts, and now the locket all prove Anne Benton did exist. And if she existed then surely the necklace—”

“Do you love him?”

“What?” Min breathed, scarcely daring to believe he’d ask such a personal question.

He grasped her chin, making her look at him. “Do you love him?”

“We are engaged to be married.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

“I… My…my feelings for Dr. Carmichael are none of your concern, Mr. Westley.” Min forced her eyes to meet his glare for glare.

He held her for half a heartbeat longer. Then he released her. “We had better get you to bed before anyone notices that you are missing.”

Min nodded, dazed at the turn the night had taken. Bryant pulled back the drapes a few inches to look at the horizon. It was still night, but the sky had already begun its inexorable change from black to violet. Not much time remained.

“Meet me again tonight, same time,” Bryant said. “We’ll look over the portrait again. Perhaps we’ll find something. I’ve searched most of the estate grounds and haven’t found anything to speak of.”

“Is that what you were doing in the greenhouse?”

“What?”

“When I found you in the greenhouse, you said you were looking for something. Did you think the necklace was buried in there?” Min tried to keep the smile from her lips but didn’t quite manage.

“It was the only place I could search with students and staff crawling all over the house during the day. It seemed as good a place as any. It’s removed from the main house but still close to it. Not a place many people would frequent.”

Min’s smile faded. She hadn’t even considered the greenhouse, but now that he pointed it out, she could see the merits.

“Besides,” he continued, “I don’t like to leave any stone unturned. I’ll be able to explore much more thoroughly during the summer break.”

Min’s amusement died completely. She knew it was a sound plan. The girls would all return to their homes. Her aunt was planning a long holiday, traveling to visit friends. Min, of course, was expected to accompany her. But she didn’t like the thought of Bryant being here all alone…to find the necklace.

“Perhaps I should stay here and help you search,” Min suggested, trying to keep her tone casual.

“And how would you manage that? Surely your aunt wouldn’t leave you here unattended.”

“Perhaps Charlotte could stay. Mrs. Potter and the rest of the staff will be here, so we’d hardly be on our own.”

“I don’t think that would be wise.”

“It’s a large house. Much too large for one person to search alone.”

“I’m sure I’ll manage.”

Min wasn’t going to back down. She opened her mouth to speak again but he held up a hand.

“If we are going to be in this together, you are going to have to trust me. At least a little bit,” he said, a smile tugging at his lips.

“Certainly. About as much as you trust me?”

Bryant chuckled, his genuine amusement lightening his features.

Min knew she couldn’t walk away and just trust him. She also knew she wasn’t going to win this argument now. But if he thought she was going to sit by and let him find the necklace without her, he was crazy.

“Here,” he said, grabbing the papers off the table and handing them to her. “Why don’t you take these and go through them. Maybe you’ll find something useful before tonight.”

She raised an eyebrow at him but accepted them. They still had a few weeks until the summer break, after all. Maybe they’d find the necklace before she left. They had to. She and Arthur were running out of time. And so, apparently, was Bryant.

Min jumped at the sound of a soft, almost inaudible scratching coming from the hidden gallery door.

Bryant grabbed her candlestick and started toward the door. Min followed close behind, her hand grasping the back of his shirt.

Just before Bryant reached the door, it reverberated with two sharp knocks. They stopped in their tracks and listened carefully for any other sounds from beyond the door. Bryant straightened. “Oh, this is ridiculous.”

He reached out to open the door, but as he did, it swung open. The slight breeze its movement created extinguished the candle, and Bryant jumped back, pushing Min farther behind him. He raised the candlestick like a club and held it in midair. Min covered her mouth to stifle the terrified scream that was trying to fight its way from her throat.

“Min?” a voice called softly. A lit candle seemed to float into the room of its own accord before Min recognized Charlotte holding it above her head. Charlotte’s eyes widened as she caught sight of Min, who stood shaking behind Bryant.

“Charlotte,” Min said, releasing a breath of relief. “What are you doing up here?”

“I came to get you. You’ve been gone for hours. You told me you would be back before now… I got a little concerned.” She regarded Mr. Westley out of the corner of her eye.

Min would have laughed at the two of them eyeing each other if there hadn’t been so much tension in the air. Bryant looked far less than pleased at Charlotte’s presence.

“It’s all right,” Min hastened to explain. “Charlotte was my lookout.”

The look he flashed at Charlotte was not friendly. “Miss Kensington is proving to be a rather adept spy.” He ignored Charlotte’s outraged gasp. “Does anyone else know?”

“No. No one else,” Min promised.

“Keep it that way.”

“Look, what happens between the two of you is none of my business,” Charlotte said, glaring at Mr. Westley. “My only concern is protecting Min. A rumor can do more damage than the truth and if she’s going to go gallivanting about in the middle of the night, she needs someone to keep an eye out for trouble. I am not a spy,” Charlotte snapped at him.

Bryant didn’t relax.

“Come on, Minuette.”

Min nodded her head and clutched the papers to her chest. “Until later, then,” she said to Bryant.

Charlotte fidgeted, her lips pinched, her eyes looking anywhere but at Bryant and Min. With a small huff of disapproval, she opened the door and checked to ensure the hall was clear before she ducked outside the room.

Bryant handed Min her candlestick and gazed down at her. “Tell no one else, Min.”

She bristled. “I know better. But I couldn’t
not
tell Charlotte. She already knew that I was searching for the necklace, and she’s my best friend. I tell her everything. Besides, she has a point. It is a little safer if I have someone who can help keep watch. Charlotte would never betray me.”

“If you say so.” Bryant’s air of irritation disappeared as he looked down at her, his face illuminated by the soft glow of the candle. He stroked her face with his thumb. “We are going to have to start trusting each other,” he murmured.

“One of these days,” Min answered.

He took her wrist, pressed a kiss to the inside of it, and then gave her a little push through the door.

Chapter Seventeen

Bryant waited several minutes before leaving, careful to give the girls enough time to reach their destination before he left. Then he quietly entered the gallery. Someone had been prowling through the estate at night and he needed to find out whom. Min was safer thinking it had been him she’d heard in the attics, but she was right; no thief worth his salt would be so careless. Bryant was the best in the business. He didn’t make mistakes. But he knew someone who did.

Bryant paused in front of Tabitha’s portrait, staring at the artist’s rendition of the magnificent jewels. They seemed to flash in the glow of the candlelight. Tabitha held an ornate mask in her hands, apparently dressed for a costume ball in a long-sleeved, Turkish-style brocade jacket that was open to reveal a gauzy green tunic. The tunic fell in folds over matching satin trousers. The turban on her head boasted a grand peacock’s feather fastened by an enormous emerald. The emerald, diamond, and sapphire necklace was at her throat, the pearl-strung pendants encircling her neck and spilling over her chest, reaching to the low-cut neckline of her costume.

He looked up at Tabitha’s face, struck by the expression she wore. The artist had captured an unmistakable sadness emanating from her eyes.

Bryant froze, suddenly aware of someone breathing right behind him. He spun about, grabbed the man by the shoulders, and tackled him to the floor. He found himself staring down into a pair of wide, unblinking eyes, their blood-shot whites completely surrounding black irises.

“Gage,” he growled, leaning on the man’s throat for a second before releasing him. Bryant stood, jamming his fingers through his hair. He prayed Gage hadn’t been there long, hadn’t seen him and the girls slipping from the secret room. The last thing he wanted was Rellik’s pet henchman knowing about Min. “I knew I smelled your repulsive stench. What are you doing here? Besides crashing about the attic in the middle of the night.”

Gage just chuckled, a quiet but menacing sound. “I’m workin’ in the kitchens, mostly, for the moment. The old bat Courtland felt sorry for me and ’ired me to lug around ’eavy pots and such, and do a few other odds and ends,” he answered, his tone mocking and insolent. “Lord Rellik wanted to make sure you’re doing what you were sent to do. Yer takin’ so long, ’e thought you might be gettin’ ideas ’bout making off with something what don’t belong to you.”

Bryant glared at the man, angry and more than a little alarmed. Gage’s next words made his blood run cold.

“Got yerself a secret whore, hmmm? Lord Rellik ain’t a patient man, Westley. ’E won’t be none too ’appy when I tell ’im that you’ve been spendin’ your nights dallyin’ with your little trollop instead o’ lookin’ for the necklace like yer supposed to. Quite a tasty little morsel, though, ain’t she. I’ve been watching ’er, last couple o’ days.” He laughed, running his tongue over cracked lips.

“Minuette Sinclair. Silly name. Maybe I should take ’er to Lord Rellik until you’ve done yer job. Her ladyship would probably pay a fortune to get ’er niece back, hmmm? Get the necklace and a nice ransom to boot. Not a bad plan, if I do say so meself. Lord Rellik, ee’s got a way with the ladies. E’d know what to do wi’ ’er.”

Bryant’s temper boiled.

“Clever little spot you’ve got there, too. ’Idden away like. I wonder, are you playing with just the one, or does the friend play, too, hmmm? ’Course, she weren’t in there too long. Long enough, though, I reckon. No fair taking both and leavin’ none for ol’ Gage. ’Ow about I keep your trollops busy for you while yer finding the necklace. I’ll take good care of ’em.”

The thought of this disgusting creature even laying eyes on Min filled Bryant with a rage so terrible the edges of his vision flickered black. He seized Gage by the throat and slammed him up against the wall, his hand tightening around Gage’s windpipe. Gage’s insolence slid off his face in a flood of fear and he clutched at his throat, trying desperately to remove the vise of Bryant’s hand.

Bryant kept his grip on the man’s thick, greasy neck. He brought his face close to Gage’s, his stomach reeling at the stench coming from the man’s decaying teeth. “I will warn you just once, Gage. Stay away from Miss Sinclair. If I catch you even looking in her direction I will kill you and send your stinking corpse back to the rotten bastard you work for. Am I making myself clear?”

Gage nodded weakly and Bryant released his hold. The shorter man stumbled away, hands clutching his throat.

Bryant stared at him in icy contempt. “You tell your employer that I should have the necklace soon. Until then, I do not want to see your ugly face. Now get out of my sight.”

Gage turned and hastened from the gallery, his face a mask of fury. Bryant stood for a moment, shaking with rage—and a touch of fear. He had no doubt Gage would report everything to Rellik, which of course meant that Min was in danger. And his mother and sister were in danger, as well, especially if Rellik suspected Bryant’s change of heart and was searching for a way to motivate him to find the necklace more quickly.

It was time to have Julian get his family to safety. And he was going to have to keep an even closer eye on the lovely Miss Sinclair.

Chapter Eighteen

Min woke the next morning and dressed in the plain skirt and blouse her aunt preferred for lessons. Charlotte took her time getting dressed while Min waited impatiently. She wanted to get breakfast over and done with. She had a free hour before classes began and the papers hidden at the bottom of her drawer were screaming out to her. And the thought of seeing Bryant again awakened a frenzy of anticipation that embarrassed her.

Min’s stomach erupted in a loud growl, announcing a more physical need than her near painful desire to see Bryant.

“Please, Charlotte, let’s go. We’re late as it is, and you know that if we don’t get down there by eight o’clock, we won’t be allowed in to breakfast.”

Charlotte finished straightening her skirts and narrowed her tired eyes. “It’s your fault I was up so late last night,” she grumbled.

Min crossed the room to give Charlotte a quick hug. “I know, and I appreciate it ever so much. But I am also huuungry.” She laughed, wrapping both arms around her stomach for emphasis as she headed toward the door.

Charlotte broke into a bright smile. “You and that appetite of yours,” she teased, following Min down the hall.

“Actually, food has been one of the last things on my mind lately.”

“Well, that is certainly true enough,” Charlotte agreed. “I wouldn’t be thinking much of food, either, if I had been closeted away with a man half the night.”

“Charlotte!” Min spun to face her friend, her face erupting with heat. She glanced around them to make sure no one had heard Charlotte’s remarks.

“Oh, calm yourself! No one is about. Besides, if you don’t want it talked about, you probably shouldn’t be
doing
it.”

“Charlotte,” Min pleaded.

“Very well,” Charlotte said, shrugging her shoulders. Min knew she wasn’t appeased, but at least she seemed willing to drop it.

They reached the dining room with time to spare. Min tried to squelch the disappointment that seeped through her when Bryant failed to appear at breakfast. She also needed to see Arthur again soon. But she wasn’t quite sure how to behave around him anymore. Their easy friendship had been irrevocably changed by that kiss…and Min wasn’t certain she was comfortable with how things stood between them now.

She and Charlotte hurried through the buttery scrambled eggs with bacon and Min’s favorite, lime marmalade on toast. Deciding to bypass the hearty porridge that normally accompanied their breakfast, they waited impatiently for permission to be excused.

One of the maids entered the dining room and came to stand behind Min. “Miss Sinclair,” she said, “Lady Courtland would like to see you in her office.”

Min’s stomach dropped. “Did she say why?”

“No, Miss.”

“All right. Thank you.”

Charlotte stood with Min and they hurried out of the room. “Do you have any idea why she wants to see you?” Charlotte asked.

“No.”

“Well…it can’t be too bad, right?”

“Right.” Unless someone had seen her wandering the grounds with Arthur in the middle of the night. Or if Mr. Westley had turned her in for any number of the infractions she’d committed in his presence. “Best see what the trouble is,” she said, straightening her back as she headed to her aunt’s office.

The door stood open, waiting for her. Charlotte gave her hand a squeeze and turned toward the staircase. “Come find me later.”

Min nodded, took a deep breath, and went inside.

Lady Courtland sat at her desk. Several of the instructors stood flanking her. Including Bryant.

A sense of foreboding filled every step but Min made herself continue until she’d reached the chair in front of her aunt’s desk. Bryant gazed at her with a strange expression on his face. Min thought it might be pity. What on earth was going on?

“Sit down, my dear,” Lady Courtland said. Min’s dread increased as her aunt stood and came to sit beside her in the other chair.

Lady Courtland took her hands and patted them over and over. “My dear girl, we’ve had a letter from your uncle.”

No
, Min thought.
Oh no, no, no, no, no.

“I’m afraid I have some bad news. Your father succumbed to his illness, child. He passed away a few weeks ago. I’m so very sorry.”

Her heart pounded in her chest, anguish piercing her through and through. A strangled sound escaped her throat. Her eyes burned with tears. Lady Courtland folded her in a hug, murmuring words of comfort Min didn’t hear. Mistress Kellar and Mrs. Potter surrounded her and offered their condolences. Min nodded at each of them, not hearing a word they said.

Then Bryant was there, with such a tortured look in his eyes that Min thought he must be feeling every slash of agony that burned through her heart. He didn’t try to touch her. She was grateful. If he touched her, she wouldn’t be able to hold herself together. She’d shatter into a million pieces.

Min muttered something. Everyone nodded.

“Perhaps you should go lie down for a moment,” Lady Courtland suggested.

“No!” Min tried to rein in her growing panic. She needed air. She needed to get away. Now. “I…I think I’d like to go for a walk for a bit. If that’s all right?”

“Of course, my dear. Some fresh air will do you good,” Lady Courtland said.

Min took the letter her aunt held out to her and left the room, not caring if her exit was rude or not. She had to get away from everyone. Tears were falling in hot rivulets down her cheeks before she’d made it to the terrace doors.

Her father was dead. She was too late.

The door to the greenhouse opened but Min didn’t need to look to know who was there. She’d known he would follow her. She waited for him, clutching her letters in her hand, both the one her uncle had written to Lady Courtland and the personal note he’d written to her.

Bryant sat on the bench beside her and some of the tension in her body eased as his warmth enveloped her.

“It’s not over,” she whispered. “The victim’s family is demanding compensation. If they can’t exact it from my father, they insist my mother should be held responsible as his widow.”

Min turned to look at Bryant, sorrow nearly choking the words from her throat. “Why didn’t she leave when she had the chance? What if I can’t help her in time? What if I lose both of them?”

Bryant didn’t say anything. And when the tears began anew, he gathered her in his arms and let her weep like a child.

Min didn’t know how much time had passed before her sobs quieted. Bryant continued stroking her hair, his hand smoothing the wild curls that had escaped their pins. Somewhere in her consciousness she knew she should make Bryant release her. He was her enemy; he was dangerous.

But she didn’t care. He was giving her what she needed most. And for this one moment in time, there was nowhere else in the world she wanted to be.

She curled into him, releasing her breath with a shuddering sigh. “What am I going to do?”

“Shh,” he murmured, his lips grazing her hair. “It’ll be all right. It’ll be all right.”

He kissed her forehead, her temples, her cheeks. He smoothed her hair back from her face, his thumb brushing away the remnants of her grief.

He bent his head slowly toward her. His lips met hers and Min sank into him, taking the comfort he offered, no matter what consequences might follow.

The rest of the world be damned.