Alex swallowed the rest of his brandy and frowned into the fire as Benedict took his leave. “Danton’s expecting Emmy to meet him—alone—at ten o’clock, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Then we’ll go with her and take up position close by. I don’t want her near that murderous bastard any longer than absolutely necessary. She’s a witness. There’s no chance he’s going to let her live. He’ll try to shoot her, just as he did Andretti. As soon as either of us gets a clean shot, we take it, understood?”
“We can’t kill him,” Seb said, his expression grim. “I know it’s tempting, but we need him alive to face trial.”
Alex scowled. “I know.”
“If you want her to have some extra protection, why don’t we borrow that guard dog from the British Museum? He certainly looks fearsome enough.”
“Brutus? Good idea.”
“So, assuming we succeed in capturing Danton, what are your plans for the fair Miss Danvers? A carriage straight to Newgate?”
Seb’s expression was pure mischief. He and Emmy would get on extremely well, Alex thought. He tried to school his features into revealing absolutely nothing, but his old friend knew him far too well.
“I know that look!” Seb said, suddenly incredulous. “It’s the one you get when you’re about to do something stupid but heroic. Like when you leapt in front of me and saved me from that sniper’s bullet in Spain.” His smile widened. “You’re not going to turn her in, are you? I knew it! What are you going to do? The prince demands a culprit.”
“He’ll have one. Danton.”
“You’re going to claim Danton’s the Nightjar? Conant won’t believe that.”
“No, but the prince will.”
“You’re going to lie to him?”
“Danton’s the reason the Nightjar went after the gems. The most recent ones, at least. If we hand the jewels over to the prince and tell him the perpetrators have been dealt with appropriately, it won’t be a lie. Danton can stand trial and receive his just punishment for murdering Andretti. And I’ll personally vouch for Emmy’s continued good behavior to Conant if she’s spared prosecution. Case closed.”
Alex stared into the fire. Emmy wouldn’t like Danton taking credit for her heists. She was proud of her talents, and rightly so. But if this solution stopped her from being imprisoned, he would do it, her pride be damned. Danton would hang for the Italian’s murder. He might as well take the blame for the thefts too, and let the Nightjar die with him. Emmy would be free from her father’s legacy once and for all.
Seb wrinkled his forehead. “Vouch for her? How are you going to do that? Sail her off around the world? Keep her chained up at the Tricorn for the next sixty years?”
“By keeping a close eye on her for the rest of my life. I’m going to marry her.”
Alex derived a great deal of satisfaction from the way Seb’s mouth dropped open in shock.
“You’re going to what?”
“Marry her.” It got easier every time he said it out loud. Alex smiled. “I’ll swear to Conant to keep her out of trouble. I’ll keep her so busy, both in bed and out of it, that she won’t have time to steal.”
Seb slouched back in his chair and took another sip of brandy. “Does she know about this brilliant plan of yours? You’ve actually asked her to marry you? And she’s agreed?”
“Not yet. I was going to tell her, once tonight was over with.”
Seb gave a bark of laughter. “Tell her? Good God, man! I might not be married, but from everything I know about the fair sex, you don’t just tell a woman you’re going to marry her. You ask. You grovel, in fact. You get down on your knees and beg. And then you pray she’s either foolish enough, desperate enough, or pitying enough to say yes.”
Alex shifted in his seat. “She won’t refuse me.”
Seb’s disbelieving chuckle made him want to punch him in the face. “This is the same woman who still thinks you’re about to lock her away and throw away the key? That one?” He shook his head.
“I’m doing it for her own protection,” Alex growled, inexplicably feeling the need to justify his decision with rational argument. “As my countess, she’ll be far better off, both socially and financially. That alone should convince Conant that she won’t need to steal anymore.”
“She never stole for profit in the first place,” Seb pointed out, with irritating logic. “That’s the worst excuse I ever heard. Why don’t you just admit the real reason?”
Alex felt heat creep up his neck. “What reason?” Seb’s teasing smirk made his hands itch to close around his neck. He clenched them into fists.
“That blind spot of yours is an extremely good metaphor, you know,” Seb drawled. “Physically, you can’t see to your right. Mentally, you can’t see what’s been bloody obvious to everyone else around you for weeks. You can’t take your eyes off her. You can’t stop thinking about her. You can’t stop talking about her. You can’t stop chasing her. You are, in fact, one hundred percent in love with her.”
Alex opened his mouth to deny it, but Seb raised his hand.
“Admit it. You’re head over heels in love with her, and you’re too much of an idiot to tell her so.” He shook his head mock mournfully. “Oh, how the mighty have fallen.”
“It’ll happen to you too, someday,” Alex growled.
“Not in a month of Sundays. Love is for fools.”
“You don’t need to tell me. I know. We’re from opposite ends of the legal and—might I add—ethical moral spectrum. I’m sworn to uphold the law. She’s committed heaven knows how many crimes and shown not a shred of remorse for any of them. In fact, she seems to exhibit an unholy glee at having outwitted us all for so long.”
“She brings out the best in you. And just think, life will never be boring.”
“Well, that’s true. I never know what the hell she’s going to do next.”
Seb sighed. “I wish you luck, my friend. That woman has been one step ahead of us for months. You might have the upper hand right now, but she has a lifetime of tricks up her sleeve.”
Deciding to give Emmy a little space, Alex made sure her letter was delivered to her grandmother, checked that her request for food had been accommodated, and joined Seb in the Tricorn’s private dining room for a meal provided by the wonderful Monsieur Lagrasse.
When he finally entered his rooms, it was to find Emmy looking ridiculously attractive in a moss-green velvet dress he hadn’t seen before. She’d obviously had a bath—her skin was pink and rosy, and her hair had been put up in a complicated-looking twist. That damnable perfume of hers swirled in the air.
Instead of striding over there and kissing her senseless, which he very much wanted to do, he frowned and took a seat behind his desk to hide the telltale bulge in the front of his breeches. “Where did you get that dress?”
“Sally sent it over.” She took the chair across the desk from him and placed her hands neatly on the top. “She thought I might need something clean and warm for tonight. So, do we have a plan?”
“We do. Danton wants you to meet at Kew, in the grounds of the castle King George has been constructing for the past decade.” He glanced over at the mantel clock. Eight thirty. “It’s about eight miles as the crow flies, across the river from Brentwood. It should take about an hour with the carriage, so we need to be leaving soon. Dan will drive you, but when you reach the gatehouse, you must get out of the carriage and go on alone with the jewels. Don’t worry. Seb and I will be hidden in the undergrowth. We’ll always have you in our sights.”
“That’s reassuring,” she said dryly. “I’m sure I’ll feel much more relaxed knowing you’re tracking my progress with the barrel of a Baker rifle.”
“It’s not you we’ll be aiming for. It’ll be Danton. And you won’t be completely alone. Seb spoke to Franks at the British Museum. He’s lent us Brutus, the dog, as extra protection.”
Emmy bit her lip to prevent a smile, but he saw it anyway.
“Considering your success at the museum, I’m assuming you and Brutus have an understanding?”
Emmy nodded. “He’s particularly fond of steak.”
“All right. We’ll ride with you until we’re almost there, and then we’ll flank you and lie in wait. Do whatever Danton says. As soon as an opportunity presents itself, we’ll run in there and arrest him.”
Her face was pinched with worry, but she pasted a brave smile on, and Alex impulsively leaned over the desk and squeezed her hands. “It’s all right. We’ll get Luc back unharmed, I swear.”
She nodded.
He stood, and she did the same. “All right, let’s go.”
She disappeared into his bedroom and returned, pulling on a velvet pelisse. Its many buttons fit snugly over her breasts and fastened up her white throat. All completely proper, but just the hint of those feminine curves had Alex thinking dissolute thoughts. He gave himself a mental slap on the head. He needed to concentrate. There would be time enough to do all the things he wanted to do to her after tonight’s trial was done.
He ushered her out and down the stairs. Mickey stood in the yard, feeding a delighted Brutus a strip of Chef Lagrasse’s finest sirloin. The dog bounced around and barked in excitement at the end of his leather leash. When he saw Emmy, he leapt forward, almost pulling Mickey’s arm out of its socket, and reared up on his hind legs to give her an enthusiastic greeting.
Emmy yelped in alarm and stepped back so the enormous animal’s paws fell back to the cobbles.
“Down, Brutus!” she commanded, half-laughing. “Yes, it’s good to see you too, but do stop licking me. It’s disgusting.”
Mickey managed to coax the giant beast to jump into the carriage and secured the leash to one of the sconces. After an investigative sniff of every inch of the carriage, the beast sat down on the threadbare seat, facing forward just like a human passenger, ears pricked and ready to go. Alex was intensely glad they were still using the run-down vehicle he’d purchased in Lincolnshire. It didn’t matter if the monster shredded the seats or drooled on the upholstery.
He’d already packed his trusty Baker rifle in his saddlebag, and he knew Seb had done the same. He’d sent a message over to Benedict’s town house to see if he’d changed his mind about coming to help, but Alex didn’t expect it. Benedict adored adventures like this, but he enjoyed the company of his wife even more. He and Georgie were a rarity amongst the ton—a couple who genuinely liked each other.
Alex hoped he and Emmy would be able to emulate their example. He’d do everything in his power to make sure she’d be happy married to him.
With that thought, he handed her into the carriage and accepted the box of jewels from Mickey. He placed it on her lap, then fished in his jacket pocket and withdrew the Carrington ruby. Her eyes widened in surprise as he opened the tin and added it to the glittering pile.
“Just in case Danton wants to see it,” he explained. “What? Did you think I was going to keep it for myself? Some of us have principles, Miss Danvers,” he couldn’t resist teasing. He closed the carriage door with a snap. “Just remember, when you meet him, keep him talking. That way, he’ll be focused on you.”
She nodded again, and he left her and mounted Bey. The Tricorn’s coachman clambered up in front of her, and Seb mounted his own horse.
“Let’s go.”