still be there? Or had he fled down the corridor?
She opened her eyes. There he was, standing next to the door, looking as uncomfortable as a chimney-sweep standing on a white rug.
She forged ahead, ignoring the obvious issue of propriety regarding being alone with him in a hotel room, and addressed the urgent issue at hand. “How could this happen?” she asked. “How did that necklace end up in your pocket?” She stared down at the floral design on the ruby-hued rug, completely perplexed. “None of this makes any sense.” She glanced at him. “What do you think?”
Devin looked momentarily relieved by her question. Had he wondered if she would doubt him? He should have had more faith in her. Or maybe he was simply relieved because she’d asked the right question. The corners of his mouth drew down in a frown as he shook his head in bemusement. “Someone must have put it there.”
As she watched him, he rubbed his hand through his dark hair, making it stand on end. The disheveled look seemed to suit his mood. She was tempted to move closer and try to soothe him, but she was afraid of spooking the man. Right now, he reminded her of a cornered tomcat, bristling with fury and ready to fight.
How would she ever convince him not to fight, but to flee?
“It’s obvious that someone wanted to make you a suspect. It certainly worked. No one is trying to find the real thief. They’re all searching for you.” She paced the floor, tugging fretfully at her lower lip as she tried to find a solution. “The hotel is swarming with policemen. You’ll never be able to slip past them all without being caught. I think you should hide here until they’re gone.”
“Hide? I can’t simply hide. If I’m the only person they’re searching for, the thief will escape. I can’t sit by and allow that to happen.”
“I don’t see that you have a choice. They won’t believe you if you protest.”
Devin pressed his lips together in a thin line. “Then I’ll have to find him myself.”
Cecilia’s mouth fell open. “How can you possibly do that? You’re trapped in a hotel with all of London searching for you.”
“I’ll have to escape.” He moved toward the window, his gaze intent.
At least he’d said “escape.” That was a big step in the right direction, and she was glad Devin had been the first to mention it. Thank goodness he wasn’t talking about confronting the police and trying to convince them of his innocence anymore. Cecilia moved closer to him and peered out the window to the ground four floors below. “You can’t leave that way. We’re much too high. You’ll have to sneak out.”
“Sneak out?” He scrubbed his hand over his face. “That isn’t a gentlemanly solution.”
“Being arrested for theft isn’t gentlemanly either.” She gave him a lopsided smile in an attempt to soften her words. “I think it’s the lesser of two evils.”
Devin grunted noncommittally.
“Let’s find a place for you to hide until we can devise a plan for you to escape.” She glanced around the hotel room she shared with Evangeline. There were two beds, a folding screen that hid a low tub, two traveling trunks belonging to her and her sister, and a tall wardrobe cabinet.
As Devin’s gaze met hers, he shook his head. “I can’t hide in here,” he said, as if reading her mind. “They already said they’d be searching the guest rooms.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll distract them.” She glanced around the room. Having him hide under one of the beds was out of the question. If the police were to come in here, that would be the first place they’d look. The room wouldn’t take long to search. Her gaze returned to the window and she narrowed her eyes.
“Perhaps you could climb out the window after all,” she suggested. “Temporarily, I mean.” She glanced at the dark sky. Would the storm that had been threatening all night arrive soon, or would it bypass them completely? The wind seemed to have eased,
She opened her eyes. There he was, standing next to the door, looking as uncomfortable as a chimney-sweep standing on a white rug.
She forged ahead, ignoring the obvious issue of propriety regarding being alone with him in a hotel room, and addressed the urgent issue at hand. “How could this happen?” she asked. “How did that necklace end up in your pocket?” She stared down at the floral design on the ruby-hued rug, completely perplexed. “None of this makes any sense.” She glanced at him. “What do you think?”
Devin looked momentarily relieved by her question. Had he wondered if she would doubt him? He should have had more faith in her. Or maybe he was simply relieved because she’d asked the right question. The corners of his mouth drew down in a frown as he shook his head in bemusement. “Someone must have put it there.”
As she watched him, he rubbed his hand through his dark hair, making it stand on end. The disheveled look seemed to suit his mood. She was tempted to move closer and try to soothe him, but she was afraid of spooking the man. Right now, he reminded her of a cornered tomcat, bristling with fury and ready to fight.
How would she ever convince him not to fight, but to flee?
“It’s obvious that someone wanted to make you a suspect. It certainly worked. No one is trying to find the real thief. They’re all searching for you.” She paced the floor, tugging fretfully at her lower lip as she tried to find a solution. “The hotel is swarming with policemen. You’ll never be able to slip past them all without being caught. I think you should hide here until they’re gone.”
“Hide? I can’t simply hide. If I’m the only person they’re searching for, the thief will escape. I can’t sit by and allow that to happen.”
“I don’t see that you have a choice. They won’t believe you if you protest.”
Devin pressed his lips together in a thin line. “Then I’ll have to find him myself.”
Cecilia’s mouth fell open. “How can you possibly do that? You’re trapped in a hotel with all of London searching for you.”
“I’ll have to escape.” He moved toward the window, his gaze intent.
At least he’d said “escape.” That was a big step in the right direction, and she was glad Devin had been the first to mention it. Thank goodness he wasn’t talking about confronting the police and trying to convince them of his innocence anymore. Cecilia moved closer to him and peered out the window to the ground four floors below. “You can’t leave that way. We’re much too high. You’ll have to sneak out.”
“Sneak out?” He scrubbed his hand over his face. “That isn’t a gentlemanly solution.”
“Being arrested for theft isn’t gentlemanly either.” She gave him a lopsided smile in an attempt to soften her words. “I think it’s the lesser of two evils.”
Devin grunted noncommittally.
“Let’s find a place for you to hide until we can devise a plan for you to escape.” She glanced around the hotel room she shared with Evangeline. There were two beds, a folding screen that hid a low tub, two traveling trunks belonging to her and her sister, and a tall wardrobe cabinet.
As Devin’s gaze met hers, he shook his head. “I can’t hide in here,” he said, as if reading her mind. “They already said they’d be searching the guest rooms.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll distract them.” She glanced around the room. Having him hide under one of the beds was out of the question. If the police were to come in here, that would be the first place they’d look. The room wouldn’t take long to search. Her gaze returned to the window and she narrowed her eyes.
“Perhaps you could climb out the window after all,” she suggested. “Temporarily, I mean.” She glanced at the dark sky. Would the storm that had been threatening all night arrive soon, or would it bypass them completely? The wind seemed to have eased,
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