Not Quite A Gentleman

search will go twice as quickly.” When he seemed about to argue further, she added, “You might as well agree, because if you don’t, I’ll simply follow you. So the only question that remains is whether you think it better to depart now and conduct our search under cover of darkness or wait until dawn.”

“I’m surprised you’ve deemed to leave that decision up to me,” he muttered in a disgruntled tone.

She cast her gaze demurely downward. “You’re much more experienced in these matter than I.”

“Yes, I am. Which is why-”

“You’ll choose when it’s best for us to depart.”

A muscle ticked in his jaw. “Have you always been this headstrong?”

“I think I must have been, but until recently I’ve kept the trait hidden.”

“I think you should have kept it hidden a bit longer.”

“No you don’t. You told me that discovering new aspects of my nature was good. I recall precisely what you said-that my past experiences haven’t allowed me enough freedom to know my true nature. That I’ve done what’s expected of me rather than what my heart desires. That speaking my mind, acting on my impulses, can be very liberating. And that I should feel free to say anything to you that I wish.”

He muttered something under his breath that sounded like “hoist on my own petard,” and she bit the insides of her cheeks to keep from smiling at his displeased expression.

“You will not, for any reason, wander away from me.”

“I swear. And let’s not forget the lady’s pistol in our tool bag. I wouldn’t hesitate to use it if necessary,” she said, praying that was true.

That reminder didn’t cheer him nearly as much as she thought it should. Indeed, his frown deepened. “But you might not be able to get to the pistol in time, and I don’t want you to actually carry it on your person. You might shoot someone.”

“Wouldn’t that be the point?”

“I meant like yourself. Or me.”

“Oh. Well, then I’ll just load my reticule with rocks and keep it at the ready.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. “A reticule? Filled with rocks?”

She raised her chin. “Yes. Surely there’s something about such a thing in your Official Spy Handbook.”

“I assure you there is not.”

“Well there should be. A reticule is small, easy to handle, and looks nothing like a weapon. And I won’t hesitate to cosh any brigands, believe me.” She hiked up a brow. “Hopefully you won’t make me start with you.”

She fancied she heard his teeth grinding in annoyance. “We’ll depart at dawn,” he said in a voice that resembled a growl.

“That would have been my choice as well.”

“How delightful that we agree on something this evening.”

“I’d wager that we could agree on something else.”

“I wouldn’t be too certain. I’m not feeling especially agreeable.”

She slid her arms around his neck. Raising up on her toes, she pressed herself against him and lightly bit the side of his neck. “I’d wager we could agree that there are more interesting ways to pass the hours before dawn than arguing. Do you not think so?”

His hands slid to her waist, the heat of his palms warming her through the thin satin of her robe. “I don’t know.” A low groan rumbled in his throat as she nibbled on his earlobe. “I’m going to need some more convincing.”

She skimmed one hand down his chest, over his abdomen, then lower, to boldly fondle him through his silk robe. He sucked in a quick breath, his eyes glowing like twin braziers.

“Better than arguing?” she whispered, stroking his hardening length. “I’m convinced,” he said, and crushed her to him.

They silently left the house just as the first mauve smudges of dawn touched the sky. Her heart pounding in anticipation, Victoria hurried along next to Nathan, who held her hand in a warm, comforting grip. In her other hand she carried her dark blue velvet reticule-filled with rocks.

“We’ll walk rather than take the horses,” he said in a hushed tone as they bypassed the stables. “That way we can more easily survey the area surrounding the ruins without risking detection.”

Victoria nodded her agreement, and then concentrated on the path in front of her. They moved along rapidly, passing the lake then continuing on a trail that veered off to the right. She judged a half hour passed before Nathan slowed their pace. Sullen gray streaked the sky, and the air felt cool and heavy with approaching rain. She could hear the sound of water gurgling over rocks, indicating a nearby stream. He pulled her behind a huge elm and, keeping one arm firmly around her shoulders, pointed. “The ruins,” he whispered next to her ear.

Peering through the trees, she saw the crumbling trio of roofless walls. She could feel his tension, knew his every nerve was alert as his gaze carefully scanned the area. Finally, clearly satisfied they were alone, he led her toward the cottage.

They stepped into the U shape formed by the three remaining tumbledown stone walls. Nathan slowly surveyed the area, then pointed toward the remains of the fireplace in the center wall. “Let’s begin there,” he said, pulling their chisels and hammers from the tool bag. “The stones are set in a more irregular pattern, making it easier to conceal any that might be out of place.” He handed her the tools with a grim smile. “You take the right side and I’ll take the left-and good luck.”

For more than an hour the only sounds besides the usual birdcalls and the gurgling of the stream were the chinks of hammers striking chisels. A heavy gray mist saturated the air, dampening their clothes. Victoria noticed that Nathan had stopped hammering and she looked over at him. He’d turned so his back was to the fireplace. His gaze, narrowed and alert, scanned around them. Her stomach jittered at his tense expression.

“Is something amiss?”

“No. I just don’t like this heavy mist. I don’t think the rain will hold off much longer. Another hour or two at the most.”

“I’m not afraid of getting wet, Nathan.”

He looked at her and gave a small smile. “I know, my brave warrior. But rain would make us vulnerable. Make it easier for anyone to sneak up on us.”

“Well, then let’s just find the jewels and leave before anyone does.” Without waiting for his reply, she turned back to the fireplace. A quarter of an hour later, kneeling on the ground, she tapped her chisel into a bit of mortar surrounding a stone close to the ground and the plaster crumbled differently than before.

“Nathan,” she said in an excited whisper. “I think I’ve found something. The mortar around this stone feels softer.”

He dropped to his knees beside Victoria and looked at the stone she indicated. “And the mortar is a slightly different color,” he said.

Together they chiseled around the stone. When they’d loosened it, Nathan worked his fingers into the narrow side openings and pulled, rocking the stone back and forth, up and down. Slowly, slowly, he inched the heavy stone forward until it landed on the ground with a dull thud. He reached his hand into the dark opening, and Victoria held her breath. When he withdrew his hand, he held a dirt-encrusted, battered leather satchel.

She exhaled her pent-up breath in an awed gasp. “Are the jewels inside?”

He loosened the drawstring top and their heads bumped as they both looked into the bag. Even the gray mist couldn’t dull the sparkling glitter of the contents. Reaching in with an unsteady hand, she reverently lifted the first thing she touched-an exquisite strand of creamy pearls. Delving back in, she lifted an emerald necklace, tangled with a sapphire bracelet.

She tilted her hand so the jewels slid back into the bag then looked at Nathan. “Even though I’m seeing this with my own eyes, I can scarcely believe it.”

“Neither can I. But we can dwell on that later.” He pulled the drawstring closed, then tucked the cache under his arm. “Let’s gather our things and get out of here.”

While Nathan hastily shoved the hammers and chisels into the tool bag, Victoria scanned the ground for her rock-filled reticule. Spying it several feet away, near Nathan’s feet, she was about to reach for it when a familiar