the palm of my hand with his fingertips. “It’s a lonely life, India, living a lie, hiding the truth from people. You grow so accustomed to keeping people at arm’s length that you fail to recognize a kindred soul.” He gazed at me earnestly. Damnation, but he was good at this.
“I should have told you the truth when we met,” he said.
“I don’t see why you should. The truth is a valuable commodity. You never know when someone might use it to your disadvantage.”
“You wouldn’t have.”
Poor man. If he believed that, he was a terrible judge of character.
Philip edged closer to me and put an arm around my shoulders. “You know I care for you, India. The more I became acquainted with you, the more certain I was that you wouldn’t give a toss whether I was a merchant or a thief or a bloody bishop. I thought more than once of taking you into my confidence before we went to White’s house, but I didn’t. I wanted you to be completely ignorant of the situation in the event something went wrong. It was for your protection that I withheld the truth. As it turns out, I’m glad I didn’t tell you that I was there to steal the jewel, for if I had told you the truth you’d surely be in gaol right now.”
“I’m surprised you’re not. Ashton was kind enough to point out that you must have been the thief as you disappeared during dinner. You then proved his theory by scuttling away from there.”
“Bloody Ashton. The minute he walked in the room I knew my plans were spiked.”
“I knew you recognized each other when you met. Who is Ashton?”
Philip smiled bleakly. “The second best jewel thief in Britain.”
I rose and fetched us each a glass of whisky. “Why don’t you tell me what happened down there. Or, what was supposed to happen.”
Philip accepted the glass and patted the sofa. I sat next to him and leaned into his embrace, just to show him there were no hard feelings. I must have been convincing, as he sighed with contentment. “The last few weeks have been hell, India. White set the hounds on me and I’ve been running ever since.”
“From the beginning, Philip.”
“Right. Well, you know that I intended to steal the Rajah’s Ruby. It should have been a simple enough job. All I needed was a diversion—” And here he stole a glance at me, as clearly I had been intended as such, but my gaze didn’t falter and, reassured by my docility, he continued. “After we’d persuaded White of our bona fides, I planned to crack the safe on Saturday night, hide the ruby in my case and we’d have left the next day with no one the wiser. But when I saw Ashton, I knew I had to snaffle the ruby that night or risk losing it.”
“Well, even if Ashton foiled your original plan, the important thing is that you succeeded. Tell me, what kind of price did you get for the jewel?”
He stiffened. “I don’t have the bloody thing. Didn’t you know?”
I sat up. “What do you mean, you don’t have it? Where is it?”
“I reckon Ashton has already flogged it.”
“You mean
he
stole the jewel from White?”
“No, I stole the jewel from White. Ashton stole it from
me
.”
I shook my head. “Talk sense, Philip.”
“I told you that when I saw Ashton there I knew I’d have to move quickly. So I came down with a case of dyspepsia and hightailed it up to White’s room before dinner. I had a deuce of a time with the combination but I finally cracked it and nipped off with the jewel. I tucked it away in my kit and came back downstairs, blowing and sweating like a racehorse, but I fancy that just convinced everyone I’d had a sticky time and no one would be impolite enough to question my appearance. When the maid told me you wanted me, I came to your room but I didn’t want to linger, not with Ashton swanning about the place. I checked my case when I returned to my room and the bloody thing had disappeared!”
“Ashton?”
“Too bloody right. He must have known I’d stolen the jewel while
“I should have told you the truth when we met,” he said.
“I don’t see why you should. The truth is a valuable commodity. You never know when someone might use it to your disadvantage.”
“You wouldn’t have.”
Poor man. If he believed that, he was a terrible judge of character.
Philip edged closer to me and put an arm around my shoulders. “You know I care for you, India. The more I became acquainted with you, the more certain I was that you wouldn’t give a toss whether I was a merchant or a thief or a bloody bishop. I thought more than once of taking you into my confidence before we went to White’s house, but I didn’t. I wanted you to be completely ignorant of the situation in the event something went wrong. It was for your protection that I withheld the truth. As it turns out, I’m glad I didn’t tell you that I was there to steal the jewel, for if I had told you the truth you’d surely be in gaol right now.”
“I’m surprised you’re not. Ashton was kind enough to point out that you must have been the thief as you disappeared during dinner. You then proved his theory by scuttling away from there.”
“Bloody Ashton. The minute he walked in the room I knew my plans were spiked.”
“I knew you recognized each other when you met. Who is Ashton?”
Philip smiled bleakly. “The second best jewel thief in Britain.”
I rose and fetched us each a glass of whisky. “Why don’t you tell me what happened down there. Or, what was supposed to happen.”
Philip accepted the glass and patted the sofa. I sat next to him and leaned into his embrace, just to show him there were no hard feelings. I must have been convincing, as he sighed with contentment. “The last few weeks have been hell, India. White set the hounds on me and I’ve been running ever since.”
“From the beginning, Philip.”
“Right. Well, you know that I intended to steal the Rajah’s Ruby. It should have been a simple enough job. All I needed was a diversion—” And here he stole a glance at me, as clearly I had been intended as such, but my gaze didn’t falter and, reassured by my docility, he continued. “After we’d persuaded White of our bona fides, I planned to crack the safe on Saturday night, hide the ruby in my case and we’d have left the next day with no one the wiser. But when I saw Ashton, I knew I had to snaffle the ruby that night or risk losing it.”
“Well, even if Ashton foiled your original plan, the important thing is that you succeeded. Tell me, what kind of price did you get for the jewel?”
He stiffened. “I don’t have the bloody thing. Didn’t you know?”
I sat up. “What do you mean, you don’t have it? Where is it?”
“I reckon Ashton has already flogged it.”
“You mean
he
stole the jewel from White?”
“No, I stole the jewel from White. Ashton stole it from
me
.”
I shook my head. “Talk sense, Philip.”
“I told you that when I saw Ashton there I knew I’d have to move quickly. So I came down with a case of dyspepsia and hightailed it up to White’s room before dinner. I had a deuce of a time with the combination but I finally cracked it and nipped off with the jewel. I tucked it away in my kit and came back downstairs, blowing and sweating like a racehorse, but I fancy that just convinced everyone I’d had a sticky time and no one would be impolite enough to question my appearance. When the maid told me you wanted me, I came to your room but I didn’t want to linger, not with Ashton swanning about the place. I checked my case when I returned to my room and the bloody thing had disappeared!”
“Ashton?”
“Too bloody right. He must have known I’d stolen the jewel while
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