Rogues, Rakes & Jewels

She sighed. “You are making me blue. We are almost out of the suds, and no one knew who I was—not the marquis who wasn’t interested in me or faro, and not Ryker, who lost interest when I snubbed his offer …”

“That’s the rub—I mean really, Jewel. They will see you during the day now, after they have been with Babette, and you—she will seem familiar. It won’t take them long before they realize …”

She frowned. “Babette moves differently than I …” She pulled a face at him. “I made Babette’s walk purposely vulgar. Babette’s voice in French is different—sing song—but I do agree, you have a point … eventually a connection might be made … so one more time should do it.” She sighed heavily. “I have one piece of jewelry I have been loathe to part with—it was Mama’s emerald necklace. She scarcely wore it, said it was too heavy, but the sum it would bring if I sell it would cover the entrance fee, so what we rake in from faro would pay off Omsbury and we can be done.”

“I am so sorry, Jewels …” Ben reached over and touched her arm.

She shook her head. “’Tis only cold gems—my mother is in here.” She touched her heart.

They had reached Henshaw land, and she stopped her horse and said, “Now, don’t tell me you mean to see me to the door, especially when I have told you I don’t mean to use any doors …”

He laughed in spite of himself. “Very well, get thee home, minx!”

She clucked softly and urged her horse forward and into a trot. She had left her horse in the back paddock in the afternoon so the stable boy would know nothing of her coming and going, telling him she meant to leave her saddle on the hitching post for an early morning ride. She put her

gelding into the paddock, undid his bridle and saddle, and hoisted them onto the hitching post before quietly making her way towards the house.

*

“You were some cold customer, old boy.” Robby leaned forward in his saddle to adjust his seat. “You dropped money on that faro table without caring about the outcome!”

“Think I begrudge a few guineas when I’m after game?” said Ryker, his mind alive with his thoughts.

“Eh? The masked chit? Odd that … you don’t usually go for that sort …”

“Don’t I?” Ryker laughed.

“Well … as to that, you don’t get besotted by any sort that I know of, but from what I saw, you seemed, very nearly …” Robby stopped here and appeared to choose his words carefully. “Yes, very nearly … well, engrossed with her.”

“I find this Babette … intriguing,” Ryker answered, still grinning.

“Well, that is all good and fine, but when the deuce are we going to sit the family down and tell them we have been at a prank with our names? Have to do it soon, before it goes too far … besides, don’t want this Lyla chit fawning over me anymore. Time she switched and fawned over you!”

“Damn, and I thought you a friend. Don’t want her fawning over me either …” His lordship sighed. “But sorry, Robby, I did mean to tell them, but now … we can’t.”

“What … eh? Now … we can’t? Why?”

“Matters have changed.”

“Changed? Matters? How?” Robby was very distressed. He had desperately hoped they would put an end to their charade.

“You must trust me in this …”

“Is it because you are after this Babette chit? Well, you might as well forget it—I saw the little hellcat go into the office with that Clay fellow, and they left together. Fairly certain I saw them take the backstairs together.”

“Ah, stands to reason,” Ryker said thoughtfully.

“Does it bother you?”

“A bit, but it fits …”

“I’ll say it fits … but, what it has to do with our problem and why we shouldn’t tell the Henshaws who we are …”

“They might ask us to leave, and I don’t wish to yet …”

“You don’t wish to return to London, yet?” Robby was stunned.

“Are you not enjoying yourself?”