Sinfully Yours (Hellions of High Street 2)

Devlin didn’t budge. In the fire-kissed light, his torso had a smooth, classical beauty, as if it were sculpted out of marble.

Hermes, the ancient Greek god of thieves.

No, no that wasn’t quite fair. He hadn’t stolen her heart. She had given it freely. The fact that he didn’t want it wasn’t his fault.

Swallowing a sigh, Anna jammed one leg, then the other into her breeches. “Have you seen my stockings?”

“Now who is upset?”

“Oh, never mind. Here they are.”

“Anna, there truly isn’t time to continue this discussion right now,” Devlin pointed out. “But be assured, we haven’t finished with the subject.”

“On the contrary, as you so eloquently put it, what more needs to be said?”

“This.” He pulled her close and kissed her. Quite thoroughly. “I’m not as clever with words as you are. Give me some time to compose my thoughts. But first we have a pair of cunning criminals to catch.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

Despite a fitful few hours of tossing and turning, Anna rose early and was already at her dressing table unplaiting her hair when Josette came in for her morning duties. With her she brought a cup of steaming hot chocolate.

“I thought you might like some sustenance to start the morning, mademoiselle. You have seemed a little peaked of late.”

“Thank you.” Anna set it aside, her stomach too jumpy for food or drink. “How very thoughtful.”

“Smudges.” Her maid was not eyeing any of the clothing in the armoire. “You’ve even darker smudges under your eyes this morning.”

“I…”

“Amour,” intoned Josette with a knowing nod. “Oh, a bit of rice powder can hide the signs of love for now. But you ought to think of the future, and decide whether it’s wise to trust your heart to a rogue.”

Shifting uncomfortably in her chair, Anna found herself wishing that Josette was not quite so clever. “Are you sure that you are not a Gypsy in disguise? You seem to have an uncanny knack for seeing beneath a person’s skin.”

The maid turned abruptly, spilling a bit of the powder. “Pardon,” she muttered. A quick swipe of her handkerchief dusted the tabletop clean. “I have no supernatural powers, nor do I possess the Evil Eye, mademoiselle. Moving from place to place has taught me to be observant, that is all.”

Anna bit her lip. She seemed to be offending everyone around her. Josette’s tumultuous childhood had slipped her mind. The maid’s loss of her well-to-do family, the upheaval of her way of life…the poverty that had forced her into service…Ye gods, the Gypsy remark had been a clumsy and careless reminder that she too, was a homeless vagabond.

“Please forgive me, Josette. It was meant as a jest, but my tongue seems to be tripping over itself lately.”

“Perhaps I should learn fortune-telling,” said Josette with a shrug that signaled no umbrage had been taken. “I hear that reading the cards is just as popular in England as it is in France. I could make some extra pin money.”

“I daresay you would be very good at it. And think of the wonderful costumes you could design…” To Anna’s relief, the rest of the dressing interlude passed in friendly chatter.

“Oh, excellent! I was hoping you were up and dressed.” Caro entered the bedchamber just as Josette fixed the last few hairpins into the place. “I…I have something I wish to discuss with you.”

“I shall take these shifts and chemises down to the laundry room,” said Josette, quickly gathering up an armful of garments from the floor of the armoire and discreetly withdrawing.

As soon as the outer door closed, Caro perched herself on the edge of the dressing table. “Well? Did you meet with Davenport after we all had retired?”

“Yes.”

“Oooo, how exciting. I wish that I could experience a midnight adventure.”

Before her sister could demand any details of the encounter, Anna hurriedly confided the outline of Devlin’s plan and her assignment to lure Lady de Blois to the remote automata gallery. “But first I need to meet Dev—Davenport in his room at ten, when it’s least likely for anyone to be moving through the corridors. He is going to lend me his pocket pistol, just in case.”

Caro leaned forward expectantly. “In case of what?” Her glance fell on the cup of chocolate. “By the by, are you going to drink that?”

“In case of trouble,” she answered. “And no, I’m not,” she added. “You are welcome to have it.”