Seduced at Midnight

something.'

Sarah patted Emily's hand. 'I know it seems shocking now, but you'll understand after you fall in love.'

Emily shook her head. 'Oh, no. I've no intention of falling in love. Look at this poor girl.' She waved her hand in Julianne's direction. 'Look what love has done to her. She's miserable.'

'I am miserable,' Julianne agreed.

'I'm in love, and I'm not miserable,' Sarah said. 'Neither is Carolyn.'

'You seem to be forgetting something,' Julianne said. 'Mr. Mayne has not said anything about loving me. Nor has he expressed any interest in marrying me.'

'Well of course a Bow Street Runner would never think to ask an earl's daughter to marry him,' Emily said with a sniff.

'I wonder what would happen if he did think to do so?' Sarah mused.

And suddenly Julianne wondered the same thing. Would Gideon want to marry her? Yet even as hope flared in her chest, it was instantly extinguished. Her parents would never agree. The banns would have to be posted for three weeks… she'd be long since married to the duke by then.

Unless she simply refused to marry the duke. Yet if she did, she could well imagine her father forcibly dragging her before the vicar. If she ran away… but where could she go? She couldn't involve Sarah in such a scheme. It was one thing for Sarah to recognize a friend who married below her family's expectations but quite another to house a runaway bride. The scandal would then affect Sarah, Matthew, their unborn child…

Yet, here she was, wasting energy on all these useless thoughts. Gideon hadn't expressed any desire to marry her. Hadn't said he loved her. She knew he cared, knew he desired her. But that didn't mean he wanted to marry her. And unless he did, there wasn't any decision for her to make.

She turned, her gaze seeking him out. He stood in the drawing room, now deep in conversation with Logan Jennsen, Matthew, and Daniel. All four men looked extremely serious. Gideon, especially, seemed very tense.

What on earth could they be talking about?

Chapter 23

After ascertaining that Julianne was safely ensconced in the small sitting room chatting with her friends-away from the windows and where he could see her through the open door-Gideon pulled Charles Rayburn aside and told him about the kidnappers' plan to kill him.

'Appears you've stepped on someone's toes,' Rayburn said when he finished.

'Yes,' Gideon agreed. 'The question remains, whose?' Just then he spotted a familiar face across the room and he nudged Rayburn. 'That woman, with the dark hair wearing the rose gown. Who is she?'

Rayburn craned his neck. 'The one standing with Walston and Penniwick?'

'Yes.'

'That's Lady Celia. She's Walston's sister, visiting from Dorset.'

Gideon froze. For several seconds it seemed as if he couldn't even breathe. Snippets of conversation and facts of the investigation flashed through his mind: pieces of a puzzle that he hadn't yet been able to put in the proper formation. And then, like gears turning in perfect unison, those snippets and facts clicked into place. He took a moment to carefully review, to make certain he wasn't mistaken. Then his gaze settled upon the person he sought. The last clue to the puzzle. Standing across the room, looking elegant, chatting with friends. And Gideon knew he was right.

'Is something amiss, Mayne?' Rayburn asked. 'You look as if you've seen a ghost.'

Gideon turned toward him. 'I have,' he said, his voice grim. 'Now I all have to do is catch it.' And now was the perfect time. But he had to act quickly. His mind racing, he swiftly formulated a strategy. 'I have a plan. But we'll need help.' Once again he scanned the room, halting when he saw who he was searching for. 'Follow me.'

He walked to the far end of the room, Rayburn on his heels, halting when he reached the trio standing there. 'I know who the murdering ghost robber is,' Gideon said in an undertone to Matthew, Daniel, Logan, and Rayburn. 'We have the opportunity to catch the person here. Now. I have a plan. Do you want to help?'

'Yes,' Logan said without hesitation.

'Count me in,' said Matthew.

'Me, too,' added Daniel.

'Good,' said Gideon. 'Here's what I want you to do.'

* * *

Gideon approached Lord Haverly. 'A moment of your time, Haverly, if you don't mind,' he said, nodding toward the corner to afford them some privacy.

'What do you want?' Haverly asked, looking none too pleased at being pulled away from his conversation.

Gideon held out his hand. 'I believe this belongs to you.'

Haverly's eyes widened, and he reached for the gold pocket watch resting in Gideon's palm. 'Where did you find it?'

'In the pocket of one of the men who kidnapped Lady Julianne.'

'Indeed?' Haverly's eyes shifted. 'Then what makes you think it's mine?'

'The fact that your name is engraved on the inside was a rather telling clue,' Gideon said dryly.

Haverly's skin turned a mottled red. 'Bastards. Not only are they kidnappers but thieves as well.'

'They claim they didn't steal it. They say it was given to them. As partial payment for kidnapping Lady Julianne.'

Now all the color drained from Haverly's face. 'Surely you don't believe it was I who commissioned them.'

'Wasn't it?'

'Certainly not! Why would I want to kidnap Lady Julianne? I want to marry her.'

'Perhaps because she's going to marry someone else?'

'That is a reason to be disappointed. Not to kidnap her.'

'Then how do you explain how the kidnapper had your watch?'

'Obviously, he stole it from me.'

'When did you see it last?'

Haverly frowned. 'Earlier this evening. When I first arrived. I consulted it just before entering the party.'

Haverly's answer only served to confirm to Gideon that his theory was correct. He nodded toward the man approaching them. 'The magistrate is interested in speaking with you.'

Without another word, Gideon walked away. Scanning the crowd, his gaze fell on his next quarry, who, he noted, was watching Haverly and Rayburn. Gideon crossed the room, halting in front of the