To Steal a Heart

by Jen Turano

  “We’re not parting company until I get answers to the myriad questions I have.”

  Gabriella’s brow furrowed. “Myriad is not a word I ever expected to hear coming out of your mouth, which has me wondering how it came to be that you know such a word in the first place.”

  Since it was hardly the moment to disclose how he’d acquired an impressive vocabulary, Nicholas bent over and scooped Daphne into his arms again. He ignored the blood that was dripping from his chin and strode for the stone wall, relief washing over him when he spotted Gus, his coachman for the night, already sitting on top of the wall.

  “Don’t think I’m going to forget the myriad business,” Gabriella said, matching him stride for stride.

  “I’m sure you won’t, but you seem to have forgotten to explain who Ann and Elsy are.”

  “They’re sisters who are driving the carriage Daphne and I are using tonight.”

  “Dare I hope they’re more proficient with driving a carriage than Daphne is with being your lookout?”

  “Proficient is yet another word I’m surprised to hear you use. However, to answer your question, proficient with driving might be a stretch for Elsy and Ann. They’re paid companions by day and don’t have many opportunities to drive carriages, although Elsy once drove a pony cart, which is why she volunteered for the job tonight after Ivan came down with a nasty stomach ailment and kept tossing up his accounts. Eunice refused to let him leave the house.”

  “And doesn’t all that demand more than a few explanations, ones I expect you to give me at some point tonight,” he said, stopping directly beside the wall.

  “Nasty business having that rope break, Nicholas,” said Gus, patting binoculars that were hanging around his neck, which looked out of place with his formal dark livery and top hat. “Sure wasn’t expecting to see you leaving the window with someone thrown over your shoulder. Imagine that extra weight is what had the rope breaking.” Gus’s gaze traveled over Daphne, his eyes widening. “Didn’t realize it was a woman, but what’s wrong with her? I hope you didn’t have to knock her out because she caught you in the act.”

  “I think I’ve had just about enough of people insulting me tonight, what with Gabe thinking I wouldn’t abide by the code of thieves, and now you apparently believing I’d ever knock a woman out,” Nicholas said. “How about you do something more constructive, like help me get Daphne over the wall?”

  To Nicholas’s annoyance, Gus, instead of helping him with Daphne, turned and peered closely at Gabriella, his mouth making an O of surprise. “You ain’t suggesting this gentleman is the Gabe who was part of our street family back in the day, are you?”

  Gabriella’s eyes widened as she took a step closer to Gus. “Gus Croker, is that you?”

  Gus’s lips curved into a grin. “It sure enough is me, Gabe, but bless my heart, I never thought I’d lay eyes on you again. Where’ve you been all these years?”

  Before Gabriella could respond to a question Nicholas was certainly interested in learning the answer to as well, someone began shouting from the vicinity of the house.

  “We have to go,” Nicholas said. He lifted Daphne up to Gus, who grabbed hold of her and, after a few grunts, disappeared with her over the wall. Nicholas turned and knelt to the ground, cupping his hands, and then Gabriella was stepping onto his makeshift lift and disappearing over the wall as well. Following her a second later, Nicholas landed on the ground, finding Gabriella not already in the carriage but backing away from it instead.

  “You need to get in,” he said, moving up beside her.

  “No.”

  “What do you mean, no?”

  Gabriella looked at his carriage. “There’s a dog in there. A vicious one from the looks of him.”

  Nicholas shot a look to the carriage and found Winston, his decidedly less-than-vicious dog, looking out the door with a big, sloppy grin on his furry face. “That’s Winston. He won’t hurt you.”

  “Why’s he in your carriage?”

  “He’s needy and doesn’t like to be left alone. But he’s also harmless, so get in the carriage.”

  Gabriella shook her head. “Dogs don’t like me, something you should remember since you’re the one who pried that poodle off my arm when I was ten.”

  Gus took that moment to dart out of the carriage. “Got the lady settled on the seat. She ain’t movin’ a’tall, but can’t worry about that now. Trouble’s coming. I can feel it.”

  “Get in the carriage,” Nicholas said between clenched teeth, irritation running through him when Gabriella’s nose shot into the air.

  “I won’t. I’d rather get caught than get in—”

  He moved fast, hoping the element of surprise would work in his favor. Throwing Gabriella over his shoulder, he strode to the carriage, threw her in it, then climbed in after her, calling to Gus to get them on their way.

  As the carriage jolted into motion, Nicholas lurched forward, steadied himself, then held out a hand to Gabriella, who’d landed on the floor. He wasn’t surprised when she ignored the hand and pulled herself onto the seat beside an unconscious Daphne.

  Sitting down beside Winston, he smiled when the dog plopped his head directly onto Nicholas’s lap. “See, he’s perfectly harmless.”

  “He’s snarling at me.”

  “That’s Winston’s happy look.”

  “Why’s he wearing an eyepatch?”

  “He lost an eye sometime before I found him. I thought he seemed self-conscious about that, so I got him an eyepatch. He now seems to feel much better about himself and really enjoys when people call him a pirate dog.” He caught Gabriella’s eye. “If you talk to him like a pirate, he’ll be your best friend for life.”

  “Talk like a pirate?”

  “You know, give him an Argh or a Matey.”

  “I’m not talking like a pirate to your dog.”

  “Suit yourself, but it’s your loss, because Winston makes a very loyal friend.”

  “I’ll take your word for it. Where did you find him?”

  “Outside Delmonico’s. He wandered up to me as I was returning to my carriage.”

  “What were you doing at Delmonico’s?”

  “Having dinner with friends.”

  “You can afford a meal there?”

  “Ah . . .”

  She interrupted him with a wave of a hand. “Never mind. That’s really none of my business. So, Winston just wandered up to you and you decided to take him home?”

  “I couldn’t very well have left him there. He was the scrawniest dog I’d ever seen, missing an eye and trembling up a storm.”

  “You don’t seem to be bothered by the fact I’m trembling right now—and trembling harder than ever because Winston’s licking his lips.”

  “He often does that because he’s always hungry.”

  Gabriella reached for the door. “And here’s where I really must insist you tell Gus to stop the carriage, because I have every intention of getting out of here before your dog decides to turn me into his next meal.”

  It took a great deal of effort for Nicholas to refrain from rolling his eyes, something his etiquette instructors had told him time and again was to be avoided at all costs because it was considered common.

  “We’re not stopping the carriage.” Nicholas reached up, flipped open the small window located directly underneath the driver’s seat that allowed him to converse with his coachman, and told Gus to take them home.

  “I’m not going to your home,” Gabriella argued. “I have a carriage waiting for me out front.”

  “We’re certain to get caught if you’re seen unloading an unconscious lady from this carriage. It’ll be best for you if we go to my home, where I’m sure we’ll be able to bring Daphne around, and then we’ll talk about returning you to your carriage.”

  Gabriella’s eyes narrowed. “It’s awfully high-handed of you to decide what’s best for me.”

  “All the ladies I know prefer when a gentleman makes decisions for them.”
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  Her eyes narrowed another fraction. “How lovely for those ladies, but I don’t need any gentleman to decide what’s best for me, and frankly, I find such a notion insulting. I’m perfectly capable of seeing after myself.”

  “Be that as it may,” Nicholas countered, “returning to my residence makes more sense than returning you to your carriage.”

  She lifted her chin. “If you don’t tell Gus to take me to my carriage, I’m prepared to leap out of here, which will draw all sorts of attention your way, especially if I start yelling that I was abducted by the Knickerbocker Bandit after I caught him in the act.”

  “You wouldn’t dare.”

  “Try me.”

  “I don’t remember you being this difficult in our youth.”

  “There’s apparently much you don’t remember about our youth.”

  “Such as?”

  Instead of answering, Gabriella crossed her arms over her chest and sent him a look that almost scorched his face.

  Having no idea what else to say, since she clearly believed he should be remembering something he wasn’t, Nicholas reached up and opened the small window beneath Gus again. “Gabriella wants us to take her to her carriage. It’s parked out front, and . . .” He glanced over at her. “How’s he to know which carriage is yours?”

  “It has two coachmen sitting on the seat, both dressed in purple livery.”

  “Did she just say her coachmen are dressed in purple?” Gus called as the carriage slowed to a stop.

  “She did.”

  “It’s awfully dark out here,” Gus called back. “Not sure I’ll be able to tell the difference between black and purple under the dim gaslights.”

  Gabriella leaned forward. “One of the coachmen will probably be knitting.”

  “Beg pardon?” Gus asked.

  “Knitting, you know, with needles and yarn.”

  “Don’t believe I’ll miss that,” Gus said, and with a snap of the reins, the carriage lurched into motion as Nicholas closed the window.

  “Why would one of your coachmen be knitting?”

  “Because as I mentioned, Elsy and Ann spend most of their time as paid companions to society matrons. One of the society matrons Elsy is currently working for has recently taken an interest in knitting, and she believes Elsy needs to take an interest in her latest endeavor as well. Unfortunately, Elsy is not very good at knitting, and uses any spare moment to practice in order to avoid unwanted criticism from her employer.”

  “I imagine that maintaining paid companion positions is a wonderful cover for Elsy and Ann, because I doubt anyone would suspect them of getting up to shenanigans at night.”

  “Elsy and Ann haven’t been getting up to shenanigans.”

  Nicholas opened his mouth to dispute that point because, clearly, the sisters were in cahoots with Gabriella, but before he could speak, the carriage pulled to a stop. A few seconds later, Gus opened the door, but only wide enough to where he could stick his head in.

  “I stopped a few carriages back from the one where there’s a coachman knitting because I’m not sure it would be wise for you to return to your carriage right now, Gabe,” he whispered. “There’re guests from the ball strolling about, and I bet they’d notice us trying to haul an unconscious lady around.”

  Gabriella gave Daphne’s face a pat, biting her lip when Daphne didn’t so much as twitch. “She seems to be in a remarkably deep swoon, which means I’m going to have to ask you to drive us to Bleecker Street, where we reside. If you’ll pull the carriage next to mine, I’ll tell Elsy we’ll follow her and Ann.”

  “Will do,” Gus said, shutting the door.

  The carriage rocked as Gus returned to his seat, and then it moved forward, stopping a moment later. Gabriella opened the door and stuck her head out.

  “Elsy,” she whispered.

  Nicholas looked out the door and found the coachman not paying them any mind, her attention squarely fixed on her knitting.

  “Elsy,” Gabriella tried again, this time a little louder.

  Elsy looked up, dropped her knitting needles when she caught sight of Gabriella, and wrinkled her nose “What are you doing in that carriage?”

  “Shh,” Gabriella returned. “We’ve run into a complication. I need you to drive away as nonchalantly as possible. We’ll wait for you up ahead. You’ll need to pass us, and then we’ll follow you back to Bleecker Street.”

  “I’m not sure I’m up for passing another carriage on the road. That might be beyond my skill level.”

  “You’ll be fine,” Gabriella said briskly. “Just make sure you keep a firm grip on the reins.”

  “I don’t think the strength of my grip has all that much to do with being able to steer the carriage.”

  “I’ll pull over so you won’t have to pass us,” Gus said.

  Elsy sent Gus a bright smile and a nod, which had Gus setting the carriage into motion again. Gabriella pulled the door shut and settled back on the seat, where she immediately began riffling through the large bag she’d had the presence of mind to sling over her shoulder before she’d jumped out of the window.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Looking for Daphne’s smelling salts again. I can’t very well let her linger in a senseless state for too long.” Gabriella pulled out a notepad and a large book and set them aside. “As has obviously been proven, she’s not a lady possessed of steady nerves, which is another reason why I didn’t want to repair to your house. There’s no telling what might have happened if she’d come out of her swoon in the midst of the chaos that’s always happening in Five Points.”

  “I don’t reside in Five Points. I live by Washington Square Park.”

  Gabriella lifted her head. “What do you mean, you live by Washington Square Park?”

  “I’m not certain how you’d like me to elaborate since it seems fairly self-explanatory.”

  Her eyes narrowed before she dipped her head and began rummaging through the bag, the intensity of her search suggesting she was furious—and at him, if he wasn’t mistaken.

  Nicholas leaned forward. “Why are you so angry with me? Does it have something to do with your earlier comment about me not remembering what happened in our youth?”

  Her head shot up. “It has everything to do with your not remembering. And the most important matter you’ve apparently forgotten is this—you abandoned me, hence the reason behind my longing to punch you for years.”

  Nicholas stilled. “I did no such thing.”

  Gabriella released a snort. “Don’t try to deny it because, obviously, you didn’t rush to my assistance when the police grabbed me all those years ago, nor did you ever come for me after I was apprehended.”

  “I did try to help you get away from the police,” Nicholas argued. “After they swarmed the room we were robbing and grabbed you, I tried to get back through the window to help you. If you remember, I was exiting first so that I’d be available to catch you if you fell. A policeman saw me and rushed my way, but as he and I struggled, I lost my grip on the windowsill and plummeted three stories to the ground. I think I only survived the fall because I landed in a shrub.”

  “And you were able to walk away from such a fall?”

  “No. I was knocked out, but I rolled underneath the shrub, which is why the police didn’t catch me. They evidently assumed I’d run away.” Nicholas shook his head. “Rookwood is the one who found me the next morning. After he realized you weren’t with me, he immediately set out to find you, but with no success. It was as if you’d disappeared.”

  “I didn’t disappear. I was taken to an orphanage after I spent a few hours in jail.”

  Nicholas nodded. “Rookwood got a tip a few days later that you’d been sent to an orphanage, but when he went there to fetch you, he learned that you’d already been put on an orphan train and sent west.”

  “What?”

  Dread settled in Nicholas’s stomach. “You weren’t put on an orphan train?”

  “I never left
the city.”

  “No wonder you think I abandoned you.” He reached out and took hold of Gabriella’s hand, which she immediately tugged away from him.

  “Why would an orphanage tell Rookwood I was put on an orphan train when I wasn’t?”

  “I have no idea.”

  “You’ll have to question him about that the next time you see him.”

  “I haven’t seen Rookwood since I went to live with Professor Lawrence Cameron a month or so after you disappeared.”

  “Professor Cameron?”

  “He’s from the society set, and we’re talking old society—in that he’s a Knickerbocker. He’d been studying what he calls ‘the human condition’ for years and sought Rookwood out because Professor Cameron wanted an opportunity to study street children to see if there was a way to help them improve their circumstances in life. After mingling with us for a few weeks, he came to the conclusion that he could improve circumstances through extensive educational efforts. However, he wasn’t certain how extensive those efforts would have to be, so he decided it would be best to begin those lessons with a single street boy.”

  “You were that street boy?”

  Nicholas nodded.

  Gabriella frowned. “Why would Rookwood, after losing me, his best thief, hand over his second-best thief relatively soon after?”

  “Rookwood suggested the professor take Virgil Miskel at first, but after Professor Cameron balked, probably because Virgil was never what anyone could call a pleasant sort, the decision was made for me to go.”

  Gabriella tilted her head. “I bet Virgil didn’t react well to being overlooked.”

  “Frankly, all the children were disappointed to have not been chosen, since leaving with the professor was a way to get out of the Lower East Side. Virgil, however, was especially enraged, so much so that Rookwood was forced to step in and assure Virgil that his time would come, especially if the professor found success with me.”

  “And did Virgil’s time come?”

  “Not with the professor. He eventually told me that he’d gotten a bad feeling about Virgil the moment he met him and certainly didn’t care to seek Virgil out again.”