The Debutante's Ruse by Linda Skye Page A

cloth was heavy and thick with an unmistakable luster; it had obviously been the garment of an ancient emperor. As she let the silk slide over her skin, Isabella imagined that it was the caress of a lover—for surely a lover’s hands would feel as splendidly smooth.
    And then, with the slightest whisper of silk, Isabella—the most notorious thief of Hong Kong—slipped away, vanishing into the shadows.

Chapter Two
    The summer ball was already in full swing when Isabella reached the grounds of Mountain Lodge, the British Governor of Hong Kong’s summer residence. Light from the ballroom spilled from tall sash windows, casting rectangles of light onto manicured lawns. Isabella picked her way up the hill, darting from shadow to shadow, until she reached the edge of the manor house. Pressed up against the stone outer wall, she tugged carefully at the silky gauze that concealed the lower half of her face, gently checking that the knots were tight. It simply would not do to be caught so close to the end of her mission.
    Choosing the dark window of a guest room she knew to be unoccupied, she slipped into the great house silently. She carefully adjusted the precious bundle at her side and crept stealthily toward the corridor. But when she pushed the heavy oak door open, sudden and unexpected light from the corridor spilled across her face, and her eyes squinted immediately in response. Silently cursing her luck, she slid out of the guest room and into the guest-wing hallway, quietly padding toward the family wing. Just as she was about the turn the corner, the sound of voices reached her ears. They were yet far off, but she still crouched and tensed, straining to hear.
    “They say the Lord Henry James is a wild and unapologetic womanizer.” It was a deep bass voice, easily recognized as the voice of the governor.
    “Yes, that is the rumor,” his son, Arthur, answered with a chuckle, “But his father, the good duke, has threatened to disinherit him if he catches word of one more scandal. In fact, I have it on good authority that Lord James has been tasked to find a suitably marriageable debutante while here in Hong Kong.”
    “And you think he would be interested in our family?” The governor asked doubtfully.
    “Why not? We’re of decent lineage, and securing ties with us would give the duke a foothold in the East.” Arthur rejoined, “And let’s not forget; my sister is an uncommon beauty.”
    “A profitable match for both parties, no doubt,” the governor agreed. “Shall we see if the young Lord James can be roused from his sleep to join our ball?”
    Their voices grew louder as their footfalls approached, and Isabella could hesitate no longer. Heart hammering at the grave possibility of being discovered, she took off at a run in the opposite direction, going deeper into the guest wing of the manor. Her feet slid on the plush carpet as she rounded another corner—and into the chest of a man. Isabella staggered backward, thoughts of the men behind her completely forgotten as she took in the unexpected sight of the man in front of her.
    He stared at her in open shock, his moist lips parted in surprise and his fingers still lingering on the lower buttons of his open shirt. Dark hair mussed and breathing heavy, he seemed to have just finished some strenuous—and perhaps, lewd—activity. Involuntarily, Isabella’s eyes dropped from his strong jaw to the bared plane of his chest, where his taut muscles were chiselled in sharp relief. Frozen, the two stared at each other until the startling creak of a floorboard forced them back to the present.
    Hemmed in on both sides, Isabella felt her chest tighten in panic. And when her unsuspecting pursuers showed no sign of slowing their approach, she decided to make a mad dash past the stranger. Before she could even tense to spring forward, she felt strong fingers wrap around her upper arm. A firm tug pulled her off balance and she tumbled to the side, quickly finding