Oxfordshire, England
1827
Dear Lord, how did I manage to get myself into this?
Clinging to a tree branch at least ten feet above the ground, Lady Emily Knight squeezed her eyes tightly closed and rested her cheek against the rough bark, restraining the hysterical urge to giggle. She had to admit, the situation would have been funny if it hadn’t been so dire.
She was well and truly caught. And the Tuttlestons were due home at any moment.
Up until this point, everything had gone according to plan. Having known the Viscount and Viscountess Tuttleston for years, she was well aware of their weekly Wednesday-night sojourn to the home of Lord Tuttleston’s sister. Being a frequent visitor to the estate, she was also aware which suite of rooms belonged to the master and mistress of the house, and the secured window had proven no barrier to someone who had learned to pick locks at the young age of fourteen. Once inside, she had wasted no time in claiming her prize.
It was upon her escape that the trouble had started. As she was shimmying back down the large oak tree she had used to access the upper floor of the building, her breeches had snagged on a protruding branch, and no subtle maneuvering was enough to loosen its grasp. She could see no way to free herself without risking a very dangerous fall.
It served her right, she reflected, biting her lip. Surely she deserved this for what she was doing, no matter her reasons. She felt a sharp tug of guilt as she recalled how kind Lord and Lady Tuttleston had always been to her.
Who would have ever thought that her past would come back to haunt her after all this time?
“Seem to ’ave gotten yourself into a spot of trouble, ’aven’t you?”
The voice coming from directly below her caused Emily to gasp and tighten her grip on the branch before looking down at the figure who stood at the base of the tree.
Leave it to Jenna to state the obvious.
“What are you doing?” she hissed at the younger girl. “You’re supposed to be keeping watch.”
“I was.” Jenna shrugged and glanced back over her shoulder. “There’s a carriage coming.”
Fear, cold and stark, raced through Emily’s veins. Sure enough, in the distance, she could hear the approaching clatter of carriage wheels. “And you didn’t think to tell me sooner?”
“I’m telling you now.”
Emily gritted her teeth. “I have to get down from here.”
Her face a pale oval in the moonlight, Jenna tilted her head to study her companion’s predicament from a different angle. “You’re caught,” she supplied helpfully.
“I’m aware of that. What am I going to do?”
There was a pause as Jenna considered the question. “You’ll just ’ave to give it a good tug,” she said finally. “But be quick about it. They’re getting closer.”
Her friend was right. There was nothing else for it. She couldn’t get caught. If she did, this would all be for naught.
Reaching back, Emily grasped the material of her breeches and gave it a hard yank. It ripped free with a horrible rending sound. At the same time, she lost her balance and tumbled from her precarious perch, taking Jenna to the ground with her.
They landed in a tangle of arms and legs.
“Bleedin’ ’ell,” Jenna grumbled, struggling to extricate herself. “You’re ’eavier than you look.”
Ignoring her, Emily scrambled to her feet and lunged for the bag she’d dropped at the base of the tree. The bag that contained the very thing she’d risked so much for.
“You ’ave it?” Jenna spoke from behind her.
Yes, she had it. But at what cost?
Opening the bag, she peered inside. The many facets of the diamond necklace nestled within winked up at her mockingly.
At that moment, the sound of harnesses jingling and the clip-clop of horses’ hooves from the courtyard at the front of the house announced the arrival of the Tuttlestons.
“We ’ave to go,” Jenna warned, laying a hand on her arm. “Miles is waiting with the ’orses.”
Emily nodded and glanced back at the manor one last time. For better or worse, her fate was sealed.
She turned and followed her friend off into the surrounding darkness.