“Unless he has angered the wrong people and he fears for his life.”
“There is that,” Xander agreed.
“But you are most worried about what would happen to Juliet if he were to flee.”
“That is part of my concern, yes,” Xander admitted. “We have no idea where she fits into his plan. We need to get this done. One of us needs to keep a watch on Wilington. If we can get him out of his room and wait for a time the valet is otherwise occupied, then we can go ahead and try to get in through the passageway door.”
“That is where Juliet could be of help,” Damien noted. Xander agreed with him, and yet he was loath to involve Juliet any further in this scheme than they already had to. But what other choice did they currently have?
Suddenly a rustling came from their right, and Xander and Damien exchanged a look. There was no wind that evening, and he doubted there were many creatures about. Not on these manicured lawns.
“What do you suppose that was?” Damien murmured, and Xander shook his head, unsure.
“I’ll go take a look.”
He crept along the hedgerow as stealthily as possible until he reached it, then stood abruptly — and found himself face to face with Juliet.
“Xander!” she exclaimed, placing a hand over her heart. “You nearly scared the wits out of me. Again.”
“I did?” he asked with some astonishment. “And just what do you think you are doing out here?”
“I am…” She seemed to struggle for an appropriate response. “I am—”
Before she could answer, a voice sounded from just beyond where they stood. “Juliet, where are you? It’s hard to see within these trees. I—”
Annabelle emerged, her mouth remaining open but her words gone when she came face-to-face with Xander. Her blond hair was pulled back away from her face, her dress dark as she was obviously trying to hide in the darkness of the night. As Damien quickly flanked her other side, she looked over to Juliet for direction, but there wasn’t much she could say, for in her hands she held a valise that seemed to be rather heavy.
“Going somewhere?” Xander asked, his voice mild, although he couldn’t help the inquiry within it.
“Nowhere at all. Just out for a night stroll,” Juliet said, her attempt at duplicity obvious. She could be rather good at it, but she had never been able to get anything by him — he always knew when she was trying to hide something.
He remembered the time that Calli had tried to surprise him for his twentieth birthday. She had convinced Juliet to distract Xander — that, of course, had not been particularly difficult — but he had known, from the moment she asked him for some time alone, that she was planning something.
He had been right, of course, although he had never told her, preferring instead to see the joy on her face when she thought she had so expertly helped surprise him. That night, with all of his family and friends, and, of course, Juliet, together celebrating with him had been one of the best nights of his life.
“Annabelle, a pleasure to see you again after our ride atop the carriage together,” Xander said, flashing Juliet’s friend his most alluring grin, and Juliet narrowed her eyes at him, which he enjoyed a little too much. He stepped closer to Annabelle, who tried to hide the heavy valise behind her back. “Tell me, what do you have there?”
“New gowns for Juliet,” Annabelle said, but her assurance was quite obviously wavering.
“They seem awfully heavy,” Xander noted. “Why don’t you allow me to carry them for you?”
“Oh, I couldn’t,” Annabelle said, shaking her head. “You must have much to do. Juliet and I are fine, we—”
“I insist,” Xander said smoothly, and before Annabelle could argue any further, he reached out a hand and took it from her as she gasped.
A smug smile crossed his face as he hefted it and walked over to one of the benches that dotted the landscape of the baron’s green.
He already had most of the latches open before Juliet could even say anything.
“Now, see here, that is my personal property, and I will not have you—”
But there they were, all the jewels glistening even in the dim light. Xander looked up at her with incredulous eyes before turning his forced smile on Damien.
“Well, well, looks like we have ourselves quite the haul.” When he addressed Juliet, he tried not to let her see his hurt that she had so deceived him. She had made him a promise, but it was obvious she had planned to betray him. “Juliet, you forgot to let Damien know about the plan.”
“This plan was in place far before the two of you came along,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest as though defending herself from him. “Annabelle and I worked hard for this — far too hard.”
“And here I thought we were always going to share.”
Juliet lifted her chin defiantly. “You cannot tell me that you were actually planning to share everything equally with us.”
Xander didn’t answer her accusation. He couldn’t.
“Well, the real question is,” he said instead, “what are we going to do from here?”
Xander was well aware that the only thing Juliet was concerned about was the fact that she had been caught.
Here he had thought that they had reached an understanding. He tried to ignore the fact that she was right and, in the end, he actually was going to take most of it for himself and his family, but that was beside the point.
Now he needed to determine just what he was going to do, for if Arie found out that Juliet had absconded with most of the jewels, there would be hell to pay.
“I know the baron’s health isn’t well, but isn’t he going to notice when half of the pieces of jewellery he has loaned you have suddenly gone missing?”
Juliet shared a triumphant smile with Annabelle.
“That’s the beauty of our plan. No one will know — at least, not right away.”
“Why is that?”
“You’re looking at one of the most skilled jewellers in all of England.”
Xander studied at her with an eyebrow crooked and she sighed as though he was an idiot. While he wasn’t entirely following, she didn’t have to look at him quite like that.
“Not I,” she said with exasperation before motioning toward her friend. “Annabelle.”
“Your lady’s maid?” Damien chimed in, and Xander nearly laughed when Juliet rolled her eyes at him now.
“Annabelle is not actually a lady’s maid. She and I worked together at a jewellery shop when she discovered that I was a thief. As it turned out, she was willing to overlook the fact and we became friends. Then she was interested in helping me with this scheme.”
As the plan made itself clear, Xander had to admit that it was actually ingenious. Not that he was going to admit it to Juliet.
“So you have been making copies of the jewels and returning them while keeping the true pieces?”
“Basically,” Juliet said with a nod, and Xander crossed his arms over his chest as he admired her plan.
“My only question is, why you wouldn’t have told me of this?”
“I told you why I was here,” Juliet said in that defiant way of hers that had always drawn her to him. “I never told you what my plan was. Nor have you told me much of yours.”
Xander snorted at her words before turning to Damien. His brother knew him well enough to understand what he was thinking, and Damien slightly inclined his head to let him know that he was in agreement.
“How about this, Juliet?” he began. “Why don’t we all be completely honest with one another? The only way I see this going forward is by working together.”
Juliet similarly looked toward Annabelle, who shrugged, obviously willing to trust whatever Juliet decided about the proposition.
“Very well,” she agreed. “Where do we go from here?”
Chapter 9
Xander regarded Juliet for a moment, wondering whether or not he could trust her.
Finally he decided that he didn’t ha
ve much choice.
“Very well,” he said. “I have something to show you.”
She tilted her head. “And I am interested. But first, Annabelle and I must hide the jewels.”
“Damien can help her,” Xander said, and he didn’t miss the way Juliet narrowed her eyes at him for what he was sure she would call ordering her about. “We best go before anyone misses us.”
“I hardly think—oof!”
Xander knew she wouldn’t appreciate it in the least bit, but he was done with all of her protestations. He knew eventually she would decide to go with him anyway, for she wouldn’t be able to help her curiosity. But he didn’t have time for any more of her arguments.
He hauled her against his side, interlocking their elbows as though they were a couple leisurely strolling down the street, which they had been, many times and many years ago. This, however, was far from leisurely as he gripped her tightly against him.
“I can walk by myself,” she said indignantly, trying to wrench her arm away, but when she slipped it out of his hold, he only grasped her fingers between his.
“What are you doing?” she asked, looking up at him with a glare.
“Leading you to what I promised to show you.”
“I can follow you just fine.”
“I know. What if I told you that I liked holding your hand?”
He grinned at her, teasing her, knowing that he was only annoying her, but she seemed to quickly understand the game he was playing and instead smiled up prettily at him.
“Very well,” she said, squeezing his fingers so tightly that he nearly winced, although he managed to keep his expression blank. “Lead the way.”
They actually didn’t have far to go, which was rather unfortunate, for he could admit to himself that he enjoyed having her hand in his. It reminded him of the past. A past in which the two of them had thought they would spend the rest of their lives together, when they had pledged their love to one another and vowed that nothing would ever pull them apart.
He closed his eyes, remembering the moment he had declared his love for her, the joy that had filled him when she had returned the sentiment. It had been one rare evening they had to themselves. He had insisted on cooking for her, and she had perched on the counter and watched him with amusement as he tried to remember everything Calli had taught him. He had been flustered, but thought he had hidden it well — until they both tried his meal and he had determined it fit for only a dog.
Xander had imagined they would fill the rest of their lives with such memories.
Until she had been injured. Because of him. And his vow changed to one that wanted to see her safe over anything else.
“Where did this come from?” Juliet asked, stopping abruptly and pulling him out of his reverie.
“This is what I wanted to show you.”
He opened the door of the small building, which looked like a gamekeeper’s cottage, although it had no business being here on the estate of a baron, especially when the surrounding land was used for agriculture and no hunting whatsoever.
“Is this one of those useless buildings that the aristocracy places on their land to try to achieve some sort of medieval fashionable style?”
Xander grinned at her description, but shook his head, even though she likely couldn’t see it in the dark. He kept a grip on her hand as he led her into the cottage, before finding this way to the fireplace by memory and sweeping his hand over the shelf until he found the tinder box.
He lit a flame in the hearth, just enough for them to see their way around the room.
“What is this place?” Juliet asked, beginning to inspect it for herself.
“From what I can tell, it’s a hideaway,” Xander said, crossing his arms over his chest. “Damien and I discovered it and thought it would be the perfect place for us to convene and keep all of the items we needed, but we soon discovered that someone else obviously had the same idea. There were provisions, a valise packed for a quick escape, as well as money and identity papers.”
Juliet turned to him in consternation. “But who would be wanting to do such a thing?”
Xander shook his head. “Either someone else is trying to do the same thing we are, or the baron himself is up to no good.”
Juliet hummed to herself in the way she always did when she was thinking.
“I could see it. Lord Wilington does not seem to go about his business dealings in the most legitimate of ways. I think most of the jewels were likely bought unfairly as well.”
“They were.”
Juliet’s head snapped up at that. “How do you know?”
“I know because Arie knows the man who was cheated out of their fair value.”
A look of understanding flooded over Juliet’s face. “So that’s why you’re here.”
“Partially, yes. Arie promised that he would get the money back for him. The rest is ours to keep.”
“And how is Arie going to feel about you splitting that with me?” Juliet asked, advancing toward him. Xander swallowed hard at her nearness as well as the fact that she was closing in on the truth.
“Arie will understand.”
She snorted before chuckling as she turned away from him.
“Yes, because Arie has always been the understanding type.”
Xander ran a hand through his hair. “Sometimes I am disconcerted when I remember how well you know my family.”
Juliet looked down, and when she returned her gaze to him, he could read the sadness swimming in her eyes as she reminisced. “How are they? Especially Calli. I always liked Calli.”
He smiled as he remembered how close Juliet and his sister had become. How often had he actually been jealous of his sister for the amount of time that she and Juliet had spent together? He reckoned that Juliet knew Calli nearly as well as she did him. Nearly.
When he had left Juliet, Calli had been devastated, insisting that he go find her. She tried herself but found that Juliet was gone, vanished, someone else living in her rooms. Xander wasn’t sure if Calli had ever fully forgiven him for his decision.
“Calli is doing better than ever, actually. She is married now.”
“Married?” Juliet asked, her eyes widening. “To whom?”
Xander grinned, a true grin. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
“You must,” she insisted.
“The Duke of Hargreave.”
“A duke? An actual duke?”
He laughed, truly laughed, pleased at her reaction. “Yes. It’s a long story, but she is incredibly happy.”
“You know what? Now that you say it, I heard something about that,” Juliet said, her expression turning thoughtful. “And how does this duke feel about your family?”
Xander shifted from one foot to the other as he leaned back against the bare wall behind him.
“Let’s just say that he and Arie reached an understanding. Calli will not have any more participation in our… business interests.”
“I see,” Juliet said, her expression contemplative. “She never seemed to enjoy the life much, anyway.”
“No, she didn’t,” Xander said, shaking his head. “I drew her into it.”
She looked into his face knowingly. “There is no reason to feel guilty for it. Calli always had a good life with your family.”
“She did, but…” he couldn’t look at Juliet anymore. “She nearly lost everything because of it.”
Juliet stepped toward him, concern on her face. “Well, it seems that all ended well for her.” She lifted a hand, pressing it against his cheek, and he couldn’t help but lean his head into it. “But what about you?”
* * *
Juliet didn’t know what had possessed her to touch him. But he seemed so sad, so upset with himself, that she couldn’t help but try to provide him with some comfort. As much as she found it difficult to forget how he had hurt her, her memory was equally filled with all of the time they had spent together, and how much love had been between them. It was ha
rd to let that go.
“What about me?” Xander asked gruffly, turning his countenance toward her.
“What is going to make you happy? Another theft? Doing Arie’s bidding once again?”
“It’s the same thing you are doing, is it not?” he asked, and she knew he was only doing so to deflect her attention away from him.
“I am doing this to earn enough to be done with it all — for good,” she said. “Although now that you’re involved, I might have to rethink that. I hadn’t planned on splitting the spoils.”
“Sorry,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair. “Nothing to be done about it, though.”
“No,” she said, smiling sadly. “I suppose not.”
“I will find a way to help you, though, Juliet, I promise. I don’t want you to have to continue this. Whatever you are doing — be it here or in the future…” he began rather gruffly. “You are careful, are you not?”
“Of course,” she said somewhat indignantly. “I can look after myself.”
“I know you can,” he returned, inclining his head. “I haven’t been able to decide whether you are better off with or without me around.”
Where was this coming from, now? Juliet had spent five years trying to convince herself that she was, in all actuality, better off alone, and now here he was, suggesting that he may think otherwise?
He must have read her expression, for he reached out an arm to draw her near. “Look, Juliet, I—”
“I’d better go,” she said, cutting him off, knowing that if she stayed, she might do something she would regret, in this gamekeeper’s cottage or hideaway or whatever it happened to be. At the moment, she didn’t entirely care. She didn’t care about the jewels or the baron or this plan she had concocted. All she cared about was her heart and about shielding it from the only man who had the power to completely break it again. Once was enough. If she let him in, if she kissed him again… all would be lost.
He was silent for a moment as he studied her, his jaw set tightly, but then he nodded and held out his arm. “I’ll walk you back.”
“I know the way.”
A Jewel for the Taking: Thieves of Desire Book 2 Page 7