to admit such a thing in the outside world.
‘I remember,’ Sovay replied. ‘Although you look somewhat – different.’
She remembered his delicate face, the long dark lashes, the pale blue eyes. She really had thought that he was a girl.
‘Out of me molly clothes, you mean?’ He grinned, his white teeth bright in the darkness.
‘What are you doing here?’
‘When I ain’t mollying, I’m a sneaker. A snakes-man.’ He searched for a word she’d know. ‘A burglar, but I come in through upstairs windows. I’m small, see? Good wi’ locks, too. Get in and out of anywhere. Pride myself on it. Don’t do no rough work, though. Leave that to the others.’
‘Others?’ Sovay looked slightly more wary. ‘You mean there’s a whole gang of you?’
Toby sat on the bed. ‘On this occasion, no. Just me and one other. But he’s enough.’
‘What are you after? Jewellery? Silver? Plate?’
The boy shook his head. ‘Nothing like that. He’s after a wallet. Leather. Front latches. About that big.’ He described the shape with his hands. ‘He’s doing the downstairs, I’m doing the up. Ssh!’ He put his finger to his lips. ‘He’s coming! He’s a big man. I heard a creak on the stairs. You pretend to be asleep. I’ll say I ain’t found nothing, but there’s no telling if he’ll believe me.’ She thought he’d left but then his voice was there, little more than a breath in her ear. ‘Get rid of the thing he’s after, as soon as may be, or he’ll come looking again and if he don’t get it one way, he’ll try another and some of his methods ain’t what you’d call gentle.’
He stole away, as silently as he had come. Sovay did not pretend to be asleep. She sat bolt upright, pistol clutched to her chest. She would blast the first man through the door, even if it was that charming boy. She heard them move along the corridor to search her brother’s room. Having found nothing there, they went on to her father’s apartment on the next floor. From the time they took, they were thorough. At last she heard their tread on the stairs. The boy as quick as a cat with hardly a creak. The other one moving more slowly, with the caution of a heavy man trying to be silent.
When they left, they went empty-handed. She had the wallet safe under her pillow.
She would go to her father’s lawyers first thing in the morning and deposit the wallet into their safe keeping. It was clear that she could not keep it here. Who had known that she had it in her possession? Who had betrayed her? What had Greenwood said? Trust no one. How right he had been.
CHAPTER 10
B y the morning, her fear had turned to anger. Someone had betrayed her.
By the time Gabriel was announced, Sovay had decided that there were only two possibilities. Either Gabriel had gone against her instruction and confided in Fitzwilliam, or the culprit was Greenwood. Sovay did not like to think it of him, but the evidence was not in his favour. He knew about the wallet. He knew the whereabouts of her house in London. He consorted with rogues and thieves. He knew what they should look for, and it did not take a mind of great subtlety to determine where in the house the papers might be kept.
She conducted Gabriel into her father’s study where he expressed horror at the danger that she had been in and denied most vehemently that it had anything to do with him. He had said nothing to Fitzwilliam, he swore, and was upset that Sovay could even think such a thing. Sovay apologised for ever doubting him. Which only left the highwayman. Greenwood must be the culprit.
‘He’d likely sell his grandmother for a handful of silver,’ Gabriel remarked. ‘Let that be a lesson. Such men are like that.’
‘The involvement I had with him was none of my choice!’ Sovay flared back.
‘I never suggested otherwise.’ Gabriel put his hands up to ward off her anger. ‘Let us not quarrel, Sovay.’
Sovay was slightly placated, but still thoroughly out of
‘I remember,’ Sovay replied. ‘Although you look somewhat – different.’
She remembered his delicate face, the long dark lashes, the pale blue eyes. She really had thought that he was a girl.
‘Out of me molly clothes, you mean?’ He grinned, his white teeth bright in the darkness.
‘What are you doing here?’
‘When I ain’t mollying, I’m a sneaker. A snakes-man.’ He searched for a word she’d know. ‘A burglar, but I come in through upstairs windows. I’m small, see? Good wi’ locks, too. Get in and out of anywhere. Pride myself on it. Don’t do no rough work, though. Leave that to the others.’
‘Others?’ Sovay looked slightly more wary. ‘You mean there’s a whole gang of you?’
Toby sat on the bed. ‘On this occasion, no. Just me and one other. But he’s enough.’
‘What are you after? Jewellery? Silver? Plate?’
The boy shook his head. ‘Nothing like that. He’s after a wallet. Leather. Front latches. About that big.’ He described the shape with his hands. ‘He’s doing the downstairs, I’m doing the up. Ssh!’ He put his finger to his lips. ‘He’s coming! He’s a big man. I heard a creak on the stairs. You pretend to be asleep. I’ll say I ain’t found nothing, but there’s no telling if he’ll believe me.’ She thought he’d left but then his voice was there, little more than a breath in her ear. ‘Get rid of the thing he’s after, as soon as may be, or he’ll come looking again and if he don’t get it one way, he’ll try another and some of his methods ain’t what you’d call gentle.’
He stole away, as silently as he had come. Sovay did not pretend to be asleep. She sat bolt upright, pistol clutched to her chest. She would blast the first man through the door, even if it was that charming boy. She heard them move along the corridor to search her brother’s room. Having found nothing there, they went on to her father’s apartment on the next floor. From the time they took, they were thorough. At last she heard their tread on the stairs. The boy as quick as a cat with hardly a creak. The other one moving more slowly, with the caution of a heavy man trying to be silent.
When they left, they went empty-handed. She had the wallet safe under her pillow.
She would go to her father’s lawyers first thing in the morning and deposit the wallet into their safe keeping. It was clear that she could not keep it here. Who had known that she had it in her possession? Who had betrayed her? What had Greenwood said? Trust no one. How right he had been.
CHAPTER 10
B y the morning, her fear had turned to anger. Someone had betrayed her.
By the time Gabriel was announced, Sovay had decided that there were only two possibilities. Either Gabriel had gone against her instruction and confided in Fitzwilliam, or the culprit was Greenwood. Sovay did not like to think it of him, but the evidence was not in his favour. He knew about the wallet. He knew the whereabouts of her house in London. He consorted with rogues and thieves. He knew what they should look for, and it did not take a mind of great subtlety to determine where in the house the papers might be kept.
She conducted Gabriel into her father’s study where he expressed horror at the danger that she had been in and denied most vehemently that it had anything to do with him. He had said nothing to Fitzwilliam, he swore, and was upset that Sovay could even think such a thing. Sovay apologised for ever doubting him. Which only left the highwayman. Greenwood must be the culprit.
‘He’d likely sell his grandmother for a handful of silver,’ Gabriel remarked. ‘Let that be a lesson. Such men are like that.’
‘The involvement I had with him was none of my choice!’ Sovay flared back.
‘I never suggested otherwise.’ Gabriel put his hands up to ward off her anger. ‘Let us not quarrel, Sovay.’
Sovay was slightly placated, but still thoroughly out of
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