To Steal a Heart

by Jen Turano

  “I most certainly will not apologize to the lady, especially after I told her she needed to apologize to Gabriella and she flatly refused to do so, saying that a lady of her station never apologizes to the common people.”

  Professor Cameron raked his hand through his hair again. “In all honesty, I’m at a loss how it came to be that you and Miss Goodhue are becoming so incredibly close. The last time we spoke, you were merely interested in resuming your friendship, but your staunch defense of her against Mrs. Allen’s insults suggests that you might be considering something more than friendship.”

  Nicholas sat back in his chair. “That thought has crossed my mind.”

  “A mind you’ve apparently lost,” Professor Cameron shot back. “Your standing in society will not survive if you continue on with this woman. Are you really prepared to lose the lifestyle you enjoy? You must know that society will never accept her.”

  “Which is exactly why, as I was escorting Gabriella home from the ball last night, she suggested we discontinue seeing each other.”

  Professor Cameron frowned. “Why would she have done that?”

  “Because she’s a true friend. She knows that my standing in society is important to me and didn’t want to be the reason that standing suffered.”

  “May I dare hope that you’re at least considering her suggestion?”

  “There’s nothing to consider. I won’t turn my back on her.”

  “She’s a seamstress.”

  “Not anymore, although she does still help Monsieur Villard on occasion, not wanting to leave him in the lurch until he can hire another seamstress to take her place.”

  Professor Cameron sat forward. “Do not say you’ve taken it upon yourself to take care of her, because that would suggest Mrs. Allen was spot-on about the type of relationship the two of you share.”

  “I fear you’ve allowed the gossip of the day to cloud your thoughts because you’ve just leveled a grave insult not only on me, but on Gabriella. And, no, I’m not taking care of her. Gabriella is perfectly capable of taking care of herself, especially now that she’s involved with the Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency.”

  “You’ve never mentioned a word to me about the Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency, but before you get into that, I think I may need a bracing cup of tea. I’m suddenly feeling very unsettled.”

  Relieved for the distraction since he knew Professor Cameron was not going to like anything else he disclosed, Nicholas bent over and pushed a button on the annunciator kept under his desk that would alert Minnie in the kitchen. He smiled when his gaze settled on Winston sleeping under the desk, small snores escaping him. Straightening, his smile faded when he found the professor patting the lapels of his jacket and looking somewhat confused.

  “Is something wrong?” he asked.

  “I swear I put on a jeweled stickpin before I left the house this evening.” Professor Cameron looked up. “I hope I didn’t lose it at the Metropolitan Opera, but perhaps it merely fell off when I sat down.” The professor bent over and began scanning the floor.

  Nicholas immediately pushed another button on the annunciator, because, clearly, Billie was up to his old tricks again.

  Professor Cameron stopped scanning the floor and settled back in his chair. “I’ve just noticed Winston under your desk. Is something the matter with him? It’s not like him to neglect to greet me when I visit.”

  “The only thing wrong with my dog is that he’s suffering from exhaustion. His lady love, Precious, is a great deal younger and, need I add, friskier than Winston. I think she wore the poor old boy out yesterday when he spent the day with her while I attended the wedding and ball.”

  “I wasn’t aware Winston had a lady love.”

  “I haven’t yet mentioned anything about Precious?”

  “You’ve obviously not mentioned much of anything to me of late, including the antics of your lovestruck dog.”

  Before Nicholas could explain further, Minnie entered the room, pushing a tea cart. “I took the liberty of adding a few biscuits and cakes,” she said as she poured the tea, handed a cup to Professor Cameron and then to Nicholas, then returned to the cart to make up two plates of treats. “Bridget made the cakes, so do be sure to tell her if you enjoy them. She was very excited by how they turned out.”

  “I’m sure they’ll be delicious,” Nicholas said as Billie slouched into the room, an overly innocent smile on his face.

  “You rang?” Billie asked.

  “Professor Cameron is missing his jeweled stickpin.”

  Billie’s eyes widened. “That’s a shame. Would you like me to see if Pretty Girl might have nabbed it?”

  “Unless you currently have a pin stashed in your pocket, yes.”

  As Billie immediately began looking rather guilty, Minnie marched up to him and began patting his pockets, withdrawing a jeweled pin a second later. Giving Billie a swat, she hurried over to Professor Cameron and handed him the pin. She then pinned Billie with a stern eye. “What do you think you should say to the professor now?”

  “Ah, that I don’t know how that got into my pocket?”

  “Try again.”

  “That Pretty Girl has gotten incredibly crafty and has learned how to frame people for her habit of stealing pretty baubles?”

  “Billie . . .” Minnie warned.

  “Fine. I took it.” He nodded to the professor. “Sorry about that. I wasn’t going to keep it. I was going to drop it right by the front door and point it out to you when you took your leave.”

  Professor Cameron began reattaching his pin. “Why go through the bother of taking this if you were going to make certain I got it back?”

  “I just wanted to see if I could get away with it. Gabe showed me up the other day, and I needed to prove, at least to myself, that I still have a few skills.”

  The professor’s eyes widened. “Did Miss Goodhue steal something from you?”

  “’Course not. Gabe’s turned her back on crime these days and is working for the other side. But she knew right off that I’d taken her pocket watch, which had her suggesting I put more effort into embracing my role as Nicholas’s butler because I was certain to land myself in jail if I didn’t.” He smiled. “It sure is nice to have her around again. Gabe was always dispensing practical advice, even as a child.” He nodded to Nicholas. “Was there anything else?”

  “I think that’s all for now.”

  As Billie and Minnie walked to the door, Nicholas returned his attention to Professor Cameron, who was frowning as he watched the two leave the room.

  “I have no understanding why you put up with the odd antics of the members of your staff.”

  “They’re loyal to me, and they don’t mean any harm. Besides, they needed jobs and I was able to provide them with employment.”

  “Your butler steals from your guests, Gus has a decidedly dangerous air about him, which one usually doesn’t see in a valet and part-time driver, and your cook used to work in a brothel.”

  “I couldn’t very well have not taken Minnie and Bridget in. They were practically starving after Madame Maxine tossed Minnie out on her ear.”

  “And while it was commendable of you to save them, I doubt your future wife will allow them to continue living under your roof, not when she learns about the brothel connection.”

  “I have no intention of marrying any woman who would ever consider removing members of my staff because of their pasts.”

  “Your current staff will not fit in once you move to the fashionable side of Fifth Avenue.”

  Nicolas took a bite of cake before he set down his plate. “I’m sure you’ll be disappointed to learn that I’ve changed my mind about building a new house. I enjoy this house and have realized that promising to move to the most fashionable address of the day shouldn’t be a way to win over a lady.”

  Professor Cameron took a sip of his tea, then another. “Forgive me for being blunt, but I fear your relationship with Miss Goodhue is unduly influencing you. How
ever, since you’ve yet to tell me everything that’s transpired between the two of you, perhaps now would be the time to do that, since the tea has settled my nerves.”

  “They’re certain to become unsettled again after you hear my story.”

  “I’m willing to chance that, so . . . from the beginning, if you please.”

  It took Nicholas almost an hour to get through everything, during which Professor Cameron finished his first cup of tea, drank a second, and then a third, his hands shaking ever so slightly when he finally set aside his cup.

  A sense of guilt settled over Nicholas because he knew he was upsetting the professor, something he tried to avoid at all costs. Professor Cameron was far more to him than merely an honorary uncle—he was a father figure, taking the place of Humphrey Rookwood, the man who’d raised Nicholas until he’d given over his care to the professor.

  “It’s almost too much to take in,” Professor Cameron said when Nicholas finally finished and sat back in his seat. “You were remarkably stingy before with your disclosures about Miss Goodhue. You never mentioned a thing about how the two of you were reunited under questionable circumstances, or that both of you were at the Birkhoff ball to break into Mrs. Birkhoff’s safe.”

  “I was afraid those specific details would worry you.”

  “They do worry me. You’ve evidently been involving yourself in sketchy endeavors, even if one of those was done at the request of a Pinkerton agent, although what that man was thinking involving you in one of his cases is beyond me.”

  “He was thinking I had skills that could be useful with solving his case.”

  “From what it sounded like to me, Gabriella and her fellow Bleecker Street agents were mostly responsible for solving the case of the missing Linwood jewels.”

  “The ladies are turning out to be incredibly competent and resourceful.”

  “Women taking on the role of inquiry agents is not becoming behavior. They should be content to work their jobs as seamstresses and paid companions.”

  “I don’t believe they find much contentment in those positions.”

  “Be that as it may, you must realize that you’re placing your position within society at great peril by involving yourself in their agency.” Professor Cameron caught Nicholas’s eye. “Your position is shaky enough after your quarrel with Mrs. Allen. It truly won’t survive if word about your dealings with the ladies on Bleecker Street come to light.”

  “I’m not that concerned about my position in society.”

  “You should be, because not only do you stand to lose your position within society, you could very well lose future investment opportunities.” Professor Cameron sat forward. “The men who allow you to invest in their companies might not be so receptive if you’re at odds with members of the New York Four Hundred.”

  “With the extent of the fortune I’ve already made, I’m not worried that I may not be presented with more opportunities to invest in companies held by members of society. A few years ago, I decided to change my strategy with my investments, which is why I invest in companies owned by men such as John Rockefeller.”

  “You’ve invested in Rockefeller’s companies?”

  “I’ve made quite the profit from doing so.”

  “But he’s rumored to be ruthless, which is one of the reasons why he’s excluded from polite society.”

  “I don’t believe a man’s social position should have anything to do with business deals.” Nicholas smiled. “Just this afternoon I paid a visit to Mr. George Stewart at his house near Irving Place. Mr. Stewart is an incredibly wealthy industrialist, but he’s never been accepted by the elite because he made his initial fortune in mining, being so crass as to not have inherited it from long-standing members of society.”

  “Why would you pay a visit to George Stewart?”

  “I was in possession of two paintings I knew had been stolen from him.”

  “How did you know that?”

  “Gabriella and I were the ones behind the initial theft.” He shook his head. “Rookwood sold the paintings to an interested party, and then I took note of them at Archie Belmont’s house. When Archie noticed my interest, he offered to sell them to me, and I didn’t hesitate to buy them.” He blew out a breath. “Gabriella, when I told her about my acquisition, was disappointed that I purchased them for myself instead of to make restitution for a misdeed from our youth. After giving it some consideration, I decided she was right, so I returned the paintings to Mr. Stewart today.”

  “Did you tell him you were behind the theft so many years ago?”

  “I wasn’t willing to be that forthcoming because that would have caused problems for you. I merely told him someone mentioned to me that my paintings were similar to ones they’d heard had been stolen from the Stewart house.”

  “And he accepted that explanation?”

  “I doubt he believed my story, but he didn’t press the matter. Frankly, he was simply happy to have his paintings returned to him, especially when I refused compensation for them. That’s why he then set up a future meeting with me to discuss investment opportunities with his company. So, you see, I have no reason to worry that my standing in society will affect my bottom line.”

  Professor Cameron waved that aside. “I, however, have reason to worry about your standing in society. I didn’t work so diligently to turn you into a gentleman to sit back and watch you throw all of your achievements away because of some woman you haven’t seen in years.”

  “Gabriella’s my oldest friend.”

  “Perhaps, but she’s not the type of woman a man of your standing should be associating with. Why, you don’t even know who her family is, although I’m going to assume she has what can only be considered questionable parentage.”

  “I have questionable parentage as well. For all we know, my real family is comprised of scoundrels and rogues.”

  “True, but no one knows that. All everyone knows is that you’re my nephew and heir.”

  “I’m beginning to get the distinct impression you may be considering using that to convince me to abandon Gabriella.”

  Professor Cameron reached for his tea again. “I never said anything about changing my mind in regard to you being my heir.”

  “Not out loud, but I need you to understand that I won’t be disappointed or angry with you if you do decide to change your mind. If society turns its back on me, they could very well do the same to you. I won’t be responsible for depriving you of your society friends and events, not when I know how much that life means to you.”

  “It also means much to me knowing how far you’ve come within society, and how you’ve turned yourself into a true gentleman. I’ve always been delighted by how eager society matrons are to include you in all of their planned events.”

  Nicholas refused a sigh. “I cannot continue whiling away my days known as a gentleman who can lunch.”

  “I’ve spent my entire adult life known as a gentleman who can lunch.”

  “Yes, but you enjoy being a gentleman of leisure. I, however, don’t.”

  Professor Cameron opened his mouth, but before he could say anything else, Billie stuck his head through the door.

  “Beggin’ your pardon, Nicholas, but there’s a fancy Frenchman here to see you. Says his name is Monsieur Something-or-other.”

  “Villard?”

  “Yep, that’s it. What should I do with him?”

  “Show him in here.”

  “Ah, right. Wasn’t sure if Frenchmen were supposed to be given special consideration and shown to a fancier room, but . . . I’ll just be off to fetch him.”

  Professor Cameron rose to his feet. “I believe this is where I’ll take my leave because I’m expected at a late supper at the Harris house. Besides, you and I are obviously not going to come to any agreements tonight. Perhaps after a good night’s sleep you’ll be in a different frame of mind. May I expect you tomorrow at, say, ten?”

  Nicholas rose to his feet as well. “I’m afraid I ha
ve plans with Gabriella tomorrow. I’m not expecting to be free until late afternoon. I could stop by your house then.”

  “I’m meeting gentlemen at the Knickerbocker Club tomorrow afternoon, and then we have plans to enjoy dinner together.” Professor Cameron frowned. “What are your plans with Gabriella?”

  Knowing the professor wouldn’t care to hear that he and Gabriella were going to attempt to track down Rookwood in Five Points, Nicholas shrugged. “We’re doing some agency business, which is why I’ve spent most of today catching up on my paperwork after returning Mr. Stewart’s paintings to him.”

  “What type of agency business?”

  “Are you certain you want to hear the answer to that?”

  “Probably not.” Professor Cameron fetched his walking stick and made his way to the door, inclining his head to Phillip, who was being ushered into the room. Billie immediately headed out of the room again, telling the professor he’d see him out, even though Professor Cameron began protesting, saying something about not caring to have his stickpin go missing again.

  “I’m sorry if I interrupted something,” Phillip said, moving to shake Nicholas’s hand before he took the seat Nicholas gestured to.

  “It was an interruption I actually welcomed. The professor and I weren’t seeing eye to eye.”

  “I imagine Professor Cameron is concerned about what happened between you and Mrs. Allen at the Linwood ball last night.”

  “You heard about that?”

  “If you’ll recall, I was in attendance.”

  “Oh yes, I forgot.”

  “Society is certainly proclaiming themselves scandalized by your behavior. However, I only just heard about another scandal after I was asked to travel to the Metropolitan Opera House to fix the sleeve of Mrs. Abrams, who tore some lace off during intermission.”

  “You went to the Metropolitan Opera House to fix a bit of lace?”

  “Mrs. Abrams is one of my best customers, so yes, I didn’t hesitate to hop in my carriage and trundle to her aid.” Phillip sat forward. “It was while I was fixing the lace that I overheard a most concerning bit of gossip surrounding another scandal, one that’s most assuredly going to take attention away from your situation, although it’s going to settle that attention directly on Gabriella.”