Page 132 of Heartbreaker

“—this ain’t about that, though, Addie. This is about you not really being one of them, and you know it. They do too, girl. I see you, livin’ in rooms above that place in Covent Garden and attendin’ balls like they’re fancydress parties, pretendin’ all the time that you weren’t christened here, in my dirt.”

“I know exactly where I came from,” she said, lifting one end of the pew and pulling it forward, revealing the panel cut into the floor beneath it, a lock inlaid in the wood. “It’s impossible to forget it.”

“Good,” he said. “You shouldn’t forget it. I give you the world, and you run the first chance you get? Where’s my gratitude?”

She looked up from fiddling with the pendant of her necklace, to attach one of her skeleton keys. “Gratitude! For what? For making me work for food, for clothes, for—”Love.She held back the last word. “For selling me to John Scully as a bride?”

“Come now, Addie. Ye can’t be angry at that. That’s ’ow it works! I was consolidatin’ power!”

“You went to war on my wedding day!”

“Turned out he thoughthewas the one consolidatin’ power,” Alfie said with a shrug. “And what are you complainin’ about? You cut and run that day. Left your poor da all alone. How do you think I felt?”

Adelaide rolled her eyes and rounded the pew. “I think you were grateful for the newly free room in the house.”

Alfie shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “Well, now. A man does like his space. But the important bit is this—I didn’t bring you home then. I could’ve done. I could’ve made you a proper example—shown people wot they get when they leave me wivvout permission. But I didn’t. I let you join that Duchess who don’t act like any lady toff I’ve ever met, and her feckin’ army.”

How did he know about Duchess?

“You surprised? You think I wouldn’t keep tabs on you? My own blood?”

“I am, as a matter of fact,” she said, turning to crouch over the hatch. “You never showed any interest in me when I lived here.”

“That’s coz when you lived ’ere, you weren’t a fucking legend.” He waved a hand toward the doors to the chapel. “Half my turf is filled with little girls dreamin’ of bein’ just like Addie Trumbull.”

“Gone from here.”

“Do you know how much work I ’ad to do to make it so it sounded like I willed your toff Mayfair life into bein’ for you? Christ, Addie. You owe me. And we was fine, but I can’t have you comin’ back here and makin’ trouble.”

“Let’s consider my lesson learned, then, Alfie,” she said searching for the proper key to open the hatch.

He paused, watching her work the necklace. “You’re still the best thief in Lambeth, Addie Trumbull.”

“I have better tools now,” she said, ignoring the pride in her father’s tone. Knowing it for what it always had been—manipulation. She inserted the key into the lock and pulled open the hatch. Looking into the small room below the sanctuary, she noted a half-dozen crates markedExplosives, and another stack that were likely weapons.

And there, sitting on the packed-dirt floor along with the munitions, was a young white woman, pretty as a picture in a lovely pink dress, matching bonnet on her wrist. And next to her, a handsome, blond man with a wicked black eye and a swollen cheek. The two of them looked up, eyes wide and worried.

She looked to Alfie. “Why does this man have a shiner, Alfie?”

“I can’t be held responsible for what happens when my packages are... disagreeable.”

With a disgusted look to her father, she returned her attention to the hole. “Jack and Helene?”

The couple nodded, and Jack pushed Helene behind him, or, as much as he could. “Who are you?”

Protecting her. Just like his brother would.

“I’m . . .” There were a dozen ways to introduce herself,so why did she choose, “An acquaintance of the Duke of Clayborn’s.”

His brow furrowed. “Henry?”

“Trumbull!” The shout came from a distance outside the church, and Adelaide closed her eyes, recognizing Henry’s voice, deep and loud and angry, reverberating off the stones of the narrow lane at the end of which sat St. Stephen’s Chapel.

She closed her eyes.No.He couldn’t be there. Once he was here, Alfie had all the power.

“Sounds like he’s here!” Jack said, looking to Helene, who smiled for the first time since Adelaide had opened the hatch. “I told you he’d come. And if I were to wager, he’s furious.”

“I would not take that wager,” Adelaide said, adjusting her spectacles, willing her heart to cease its pounding.He was there.

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