Page 66 of Thief of the Ton
“You wound me, Miss de Grande!” he cried. “A man may wish to be many things—butforgettableis not one of them.”
“Do not underestimate the power of anonymity.”
“Anonymity is for cowards,” he said. “Such as the Phoenix.”
Lavinia stumbled against him. He caught her, and their eyes met.
“Do you wish to stamp on my other foot, Miss de Grande? Or have I discomposed you by speaking of the infamous thief?”
She averted her gaze, her cheeks warming. If he looked into her eyes, would he discern her thoughts? Did he suspect her? Perhaps he knew, by some devilish means, of the picture frame concealed in her trunk, ready to set her plan in motion.
“Why should I be discomposed by talk of a thief, Lord Marlow?” she asked.
“This particular thief has a penchant for striking in country houses,” he said. “His next victim might be Lord Hythe.”
She forced a laugh. “His next victim might beyou.”
“He’d be a fool to steal from the very man who’s been engaged to catch him.”
“Perhaps he doesn’t know that.”
“Oh no, Miss de Grande,” he said, fixing his gaze on her. “I’m sure that hedoes.”
She swallowed her fear. Was he toying with her?
“Wh-why do you say that?”
“Because he’s a clever fellow, and he’s a member of theton. He steals for a very particular purpose. I merely need to ascertain that purpose, and I’ll be one step closer to catching him.”
“He could just be stealing on a whim, with no thought attached to the items he takes.”
He shook his head. “No, Miss de Grande. There’s a pattern, I know it.”
“If he’s as clever as you say, he might be toying with you, making youbelievethere’s a pattern, to outwit you.”
“No man has outwitted me,” he said. “I will catch that slippery devil—it’s only a matter of time.”
Fear rippled through her at the determined set to his jaw. Did he already suspect her? Would he, at any moment, expose her in front of the whole company?
The dance concluded and the music stopped, followed by a collective sigh of relief. Lady Hythe stood to polite applause.
“Another dance, perhaps?” she asked.
Lord Hythe rushed to her side. “I think, my dear, you should take your rest. Let me fetch you a brandy.”
Lavinia suppressed a giggle. The man may be losing his wits, but even he had the presence of mind to act when his guests’ ears were under threat of further assault.
Her partner steered her toward the edge of the room. “Forgive me, Miss de Grande,” he said. “I was overly harsh. You are not to blame for my frustration.”
“Your frustration?”
“I’d hoped to have caught the Phoenix by now, but he continues to elude me. Perhaps I should take a lesson from your philosophy, Miss de Grande, and consider the Phoenix to be a woman.”
Her heart leaped in her chest, and she caught her breath.
“Do I shock you, Miss de Grande?”
“A-a little.”
