was a portrait of her beloved mother, but on the other was an image of Marcus, as he had been a few months before he disappeared. Young and handsome, his face filled with hopes for the future.
“This is your brother?” Nicholas asked, his voice suddenly more gentle as he took the frame from her shaking palm.
On reflex, Jane lifted her hand to cover her heart, hoping the ache of losing this last vestige of her lost family would fade quickly.
“Yes,” she whispered.
“You share his eyes,” he murmured, though he did not look up to verify the statement. “Is this woman your mother?”
She nodded, blinking back more tears. “She was. She died when I was just a girl. My lor—” She cut herself off when Nicholas’s stare came up to hers. His brow arched in warning. She sighed. “In the four years since my brother’s disappearance, I have never let these miniatures leave my possession. Please…” She hesitated. “…take care of them. I would like them back when you have no further need for them.”
He snagged her gaze with eyes so bright and blue that they almost hurt to look at. Then he nodded, as solemn and serious as she had ever seen him.
“I swear to you, I will be careful. And I will return these to you as soon as I am able.” He closed the frame and placed it on the table beside his drink.
“Very good,” she said softly, forcing herself not to stare at the silver circle that held so much of her heart. “Now I should return to Lady Ridgefield’s home. I do not want to rouse any suspicion. Shall I return tomorrow night for our first lesson?”
Nicholas nodded. “Yes, I am agreeable to that. If you give me a moment, I will have a carriage brought around to the servants’ entrance for you.”
She nodded wordlessly and watched as he departed the room. Once he was gone, she let out her breath in a whoosh. Finally she had someone on her side in her search for Marcus! Now she was certain she would find the answers she had sought for so long.
And if those answers came at a price, then that was the way of the world. She was willing to pay it, no matter how high, no matter how tempting.
Chapter 5
“I heard your little mouse returned. Your charm is commendable. It seems it stretches beyond opera singers and courtesans, after all.”
Nicholas started. He had been staring out the window to the street down below where Jane had disappeared more than an hour before. He’d been so focused on his musings, he hadn’t even heard the entrance of his best friend, Ronan “Rage” Riley.
He turned with a smile. “She did, indeed, Rage. Walked back into my lair like she wasn’t even afraid of me. Fascinating creature, that one.”
Rage tilted his head. “Fascinating. Who ever would have thought that a virginal fallen debutante would inspire you to look her way, let alone call her fascinating. She must be a pretty little mouse, indeed.”
Nicholas shrugged, dismissing the comment as if he hadn’t noticed Jane’s appearance. But the truth was that he couldn’t get her beauty out of his mind. It was so strange. Innocence didn’t normally attract him, but there was something about this girl. Something about her full, red lips, her dark, haunted eyes that he found himself wanting.
“I can only assume she returned tonight because she changed her mind about helping you,” Rage continued, interrupting Nicholas’s thoughts.
He nodded. Since he had returned to London, Rage had been staying in the town home, acting as Nicholas’s confidant, affairs manager, even sometimes-valet. In short, his best friend was the only person Nicholas could fully trust.
Rage poured himself a drink. “How dreary, to have to take gentleman’s lessons.”
Again, Nicholas shrugged wordlessly. Actually, the thought of Jane being the one to teach him made the idea of lessons far less unpleasant. She would be here, alone with him, close to him. It could actually be quite entertaining, especially since she was so bent on
“This is your brother?” Nicholas asked, his voice suddenly more gentle as he took the frame from her shaking palm.
On reflex, Jane lifted her hand to cover her heart, hoping the ache of losing this last vestige of her lost family would fade quickly.
“Yes,” she whispered.
“You share his eyes,” he murmured, though he did not look up to verify the statement. “Is this woman your mother?”
She nodded, blinking back more tears. “She was. She died when I was just a girl. My lor—” She cut herself off when Nicholas’s stare came up to hers. His brow arched in warning. She sighed. “In the four years since my brother’s disappearance, I have never let these miniatures leave my possession. Please…” She hesitated. “…take care of them. I would like them back when you have no further need for them.”
He snagged her gaze with eyes so bright and blue that they almost hurt to look at. Then he nodded, as solemn and serious as she had ever seen him.
“I swear to you, I will be careful. And I will return these to you as soon as I am able.” He closed the frame and placed it on the table beside his drink.
“Very good,” she said softly, forcing herself not to stare at the silver circle that held so much of her heart. “Now I should return to Lady Ridgefield’s home. I do not want to rouse any suspicion. Shall I return tomorrow night for our first lesson?”
Nicholas nodded. “Yes, I am agreeable to that. If you give me a moment, I will have a carriage brought around to the servants’ entrance for you.”
She nodded wordlessly and watched as he departed the room. Once he was gone, she let out her breath in a whoosh. Finally she had someone on her side in her search for Marcus! Now she was certain she would find the answers she had sought for so long.
And if those answers came at a price, then that was the way of the world. She was willing to pay it, no matter how high, no matter how tempting.
Chapter 5
“I heard your little mouse returned. Your charm is commendable. It seems it stretches beyond opera singers and courtesans, after all.”
Nicholas started. He had been staring out the window to the street down below where Jane had disappeared more than an hour before. He’d been so focused on his musings, he hadn’t even heard the entrance of his best friend, Ronan “Rage” Riley.
He turned with a smile. “She did, indeed, Rage. Walked back into my lair like she wasn’t even afraid of me. Fascinating creature, that one.”
Rage tilted his head. “Fascinating. Who ever would have thought that a virginal fallen debutante would inspire you to look her way, let alone call her fascinating. She must be a pretty little mouse, indeed.”
Nicholas shrugged, dismissing the comment as if he hadn’t noticed Jane’s appearance. But the truth was that he couldn’t get her beauty out of his mind. It was so strange. Innocence didn’t normally attract him, but there was something about this girl. Something about her full, red lips, her dark, haunted eyes that he found himself wanting.
“I can only assume she returned tonight because she changed her mind about helping you,” Rage continued, interrupting Nicholas’s thoughts.
He nodded. Since he had returned to London, Rage had been staying in the town home, acting as Nicholas’s confidant, affairs manager, even sometimes-valet. In short, his best friend was the only person Nicholas could fully trust.
Rage poured himself a drink. “How dreary, to have to take gentleman’s lessons.”
Again, Nicholas shrugged wordlessly. Actually, the thought of Jane being the one to teach him made the idea of lessons far less unpleasant. She would be here, alone with him, close to him. It could actually be quite entertaining, especially since she was so bent on
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