had for Winnie. Another reason he couldn’t let her become important to him.
He knew he didn’t really have an option. Not if he intended to remain with Mack and the Bedford Street Brigade. He couldn’t divide his time being an investigator by day, and trying to fit in with the titled nobility by night. He knew it would be impossible.
And he couldn’t expect Winnie to settle for someone without a title when she was the daughter of a man who held one of the highest titles in England.
No, from this moment on, he wouldn’t allow her to have any effect on him. Because there were still the crimes the Duchess of Townsend had committed. She couldn’t be allowed to go unpunished for the people she’d murdered. And what he had to do would destroy Winnie, and any feelings she had for him.
A heavy pressure weighed against his heart. Even though he knew giving her up was the right decision, it was a decision that would haunt him for the rest of his life.
“What do you want me to do?” Jack asked, drawing Nick’s attention back to their discussion.
“Keep an eye on The Dove . Watch who goes in and who comes out. Note any delivery schedules, and what entrance they use. Perhaps we’ll get lucky and our third partner will show up and we’ll recognize him.”
After finalizing their plans, Nick left the Bedford Street Brigade office and walked down the street. He’d come on foot, and started to make his way back to the rooms he rented in a small boarding house. He’d gone a few streets over, then turned the corner and stopped. He stepped back around the corner of the nearest building so he wouldn’t be seen.
The woman who’d consumed his thoughts was exiting a shop across the street. Thankfully, she wasn’t alone, but had her maid with her. This wasn’t the safest section of London for a single young lady to visit.
He watched her until she was out of sight, then walked across the street and entered the shop she’d just exited.
A small, balding man with a paunch belly and thick spectacles, came out from a back room.
“Good day, sir,” he said, rushing forward. “May I be of assistance?”
Nick looked at several items beneath the glass in the counter. “Yes. The lady who just left. Did she bring something in to sell?”
“Why, yes, sir. She arrived with these items.”
The store owner brought out a small tray with three pieces of jewelry on it: a diamond bracelet, a ruby and diamond necklace, and ear bobs to match.
“Excellent quality, sir. I paid her handsomely for them.”
“Did you?”
“Oh, yes, sir.”
“Is this the first time the lady has brought something she wanted to sell?”
“Oh, no, sir. The lady is a regular customer. She’s been coming for nearly a year. And I always pay her an honest price. Her jewels are exquisite.”
Nick took another look at the jewels Winnie had brought to sell, then gave the owner a nod in farewell, and left the shop.
Winnie was either selling her own jewels, or jewels that belonged to her mother. And the reason was obvious—she needed money. Money she no doubt needed to keep her mother locked away so she could not be turned over to the authorities.
Nick thought of how helpless she considered her situation, and how alone she felt. Cruel fingers of dread squeezed his heart until it hurt, because…
…he’d played a part in her desperation.
CHAPTER 10
Nick leaned against the corner of an alcove in the wall of the Hagarty ballroom and watched her. She wore a gown of deep emerald satin that showed off every luscious curve of her body. Her shoulders were bare, and the cut of her gown showed more of her bodice than he thought should be exposed.
Nick was jealous of every male fortunate enough to stand near her. More envious of the man who was dancing with her. So resentful that he wanted to walk across the ballroom floor and pull her from the man’s arms. Instead, he took another glass of champagne from a passing footman’s tray and downed half of it in
He knew he didn’t really have an option. Not if he intended to remain with Mack and the Bedford Street Brigade. He couldn’t divide his time being an investigator by day, and trying to fit in with the titled nobility by night. He knew it would be impossible.
And he couldn’t expect Winnie to settle for someone without a title when she was the daughter of a man who held one of the highest titles in England.
No, from this moment on, he wouldn’t allow her to have any effect on him. Because there were still the crimes the Duchess of Townsend had committed. She couldn’t be allowed to go unpunished for the people she’d murdered. And what he had to do would destroy Winnie, and any feelings she had for him.
A heavy pressure weighed against his heart. Even though he knew giving her up was the right decision, it was a decision that would haunt him for the rest of his life.
“What do you want me to do?” Jack asked, drawing Nick’s attention back to their discussion.
“Keep an eye on The Dove . Watch who goes in and who comes out. Note any delivery schedules, and what entrance they use. Perhaps we’ll get lucky and our third partner will show up and we’ll recognize him.”
After finalizing their plans, Nick left the Bedford Street Brigade office and walked down the street. He’d come on foot, and started to make his way back to the rooms he rented in a small boarding house. He’d gone a few streets over, then turned the corner and stopped. He stepped back around the corner of the nearest building so he wouldn’t be seen.
The woman who’d consumed his thoughts was exiting a shop across the street. Thankfully, she wasn’t alone, but had her maid with her. This wasn’t the safest section of London for a single young lady to visit.
He watched her until she was out of sight, then walked across the street and entered the shop she’d just exited.
A small, balding man with a paunch belly and thick spectacles, came out from a back room.
“Good day, sir,” he said, rushing forward. “May I be of assistance?”
Nick looked at several items beneath the glass in the counter. “Yes. The lady who just left. Did she bring something in to sell?”
“Why, yes, sir. She arrived with these items.”
The store owner brought out a small tray with three pieces of jewelry on it: a diamond bracelet, a ruby and diamond necklace, and ear bobs to match.
“Excellent quality, sir. I paid her handsomely for them.”
“Did you?”
“Oh, yes, sir.”
“Is this the first time the lady has brought something she wanted to sell?”
“Oh, no, sir. The lady is a regular customer. She’s been coming for nearly a year. And I always pay her an honest price. Her jewels are exquisite.”
Nick took another look at the jewels Winnie had brought to sell, then gave the owner a nod in farewell, and left the shop.
Winnie was either selling her own jewels, or jewels that belonged to her mother. And the reason was obvious—she needed money. Money she no doubt needed to keep her mother locked away so she could not be turned over to the authorities.
Nick thought of how helpless she considered her situation, and how alone she felt. Cruel fingers of dread squeezed his heart until it hurt, because…
…he’d played a part in her desperation.
CHAPTER 10
Nick leaned against the corner of an alcove in the wall of the Hagarty ballroom and watched her. She wore a gown of deep emerald satin that showed off every luscious curve of her body. Her shoulders were bare, and the cut of her gown showed more of her bodice than he thought should be exposed.
Nick was jealous of every male fortunate enough to stand near her. More envious of the man who was dancing with her. So resentful that he wanted to walk across the ballroom floor and pull her from the man’s arms. Instead, he took another glass of champagne from a passing footman’s tray and downed half of it in
Similar Books
