Devin stayed low as he moved past her, and Cecilia used the broad hoop-skirts of her ball gown to block him from view. She slipped out behind him and closed the door.
“Hurry,” she said as she moved past him. “One of the policemen is sure to have noticed the door open. They’ll come to investigate,” Cecilia said.
He took her hand and ran down the garden path. “We need to go back inside,” Devin said, glancing up at the sides of the buildings that surrounded the small interior garden. “It would be too easy for us to be trapped in here.” He pushed open the next door, but Cecilia moved in front of him.
“Wait,” she said. She pressed her hand against his chest, blocking his way. “You can’t risk being seen.”
She poked her head inside the room and glanced from side to side before lowering her hand. “It’s safe.”
They stepped into a large, dark, empty room that appeared to be used as a dining room for private parties. Cecilia didn’t pause, but darted across the room to a door leading toward what was probably the main corridor. She pulled it open just an inch, but after peeking through it, she quickly closed it again. “Not that way,” she said, “too many people.” Then she turned toward the plain-looking servants’ entrance. She scurried over to it and repeated the same check she’d performed at the last door. This time she waved him forward. “This way.”
They hurried down a servants’ hallway, and when they came to a staircase, Devin pulled her to a stop.
She gave a quick nod. “This way should be safe,” she said, and tried to lead the way again.
Devin stepped forward, blocking her way. “I can’t let you put yourself at risk,” he protested.
“What do you expect me to do? Let them arrest you for something you didn’t do? I’ll be fine. They aren’t searching for me. It’s you they want.” She ducked past him and into the narrow staircase, leading the way yet again.
They continued up the stairs until they ended on the top floor. Cecilia was breathing quickly as she pulled the door open and peered into a hallway. Devin recognized the corridor leading toward the guest rooms.
“No one’s here.” Cecilia abruptly stood more erect, as though suddenly filled with confidence. “My room is just over there,” she said, pointing down the corridor. “We did it,” she said, and grinned broadly.
Some of the tension wicked away from Devin’s shoulders. She’d be safer in her room than she currently was with him, sneaking around the hotel. It would be for the best if she were to keep her distance from him. “Do you have your key?”
She frowned, shaking her head. “But Evangeline is terrible about locking the door when she leaves.” She moved to the door and it sprang open to her touch. “Et voila,” she said with a grin. “Let’s hurry before someone sees you.”
“Let’s hurry?” he repeated. Surely she didn’t mean for him to enter her bedroom. “What are you saying?”
Cecilia’s eyes widened. “Be reasonable, Devin. You’re in danger. Surely that trumps any risk to my reputation. What does it matter, anyway? I plan to marry you either with Father’s permission or without it.” She pushed her way into the room, clearly assuming he’d follow her.
4 - Of Ledges and Traveling Trunks
Cecilia wouldn’t let herself look back.
Would Devin follow her inside? He could be so blasted respectable. Normally it was something she admired about the man, but today wasn’t a normal day. She could only hope he wouldn’t be too honorable for his own good. If he didn’t enter the room with her, his misguided morality would be his downfall.
Being alone with him in any room, let alone in a bedroom, was an unforgivable breach of propriety. Her reputation would be irrevocably ruined if they were found together. But what other choice did they have? She’d stand by Devin and help him find his way through this. She couldn’t let him face these accusations alone.
Cecilia crossed to the far side of the room, willing Devin to follow her. Even though she kept her back to him, she could sense him hesitating at the doorway. She was afraid to turn and face him, so she held her breath and listened intently. A moment later, she heard the door click shut. She closed her eyes as she whirled around. Would he 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, so perhaps it had blown itself out.
Devin looked surprised and then slowly nodded. “Is there a ledge?”
Cecilia opened the set of doors leading out to the small balcony that was barely a foot deep. She leaned forward and peered over the railing, assessing the situation. “The room below us has a similar balcony. I’m afraid that if you dangle off the side, your legs could be seen through the window below us.” She leaned a bit farther out to inspect the exterior wall below her. “I think you could rest your feet on the top ledge of the window beneath us, but it’s narrow. You’d have to hold firmly to this railing,” she said, sliding her hand along the black-painted metal. She bit at her lip as she peered down. They were four floors up, and the hotel gardens were a long way down. If Devin fell…
Devin joined her on the balcony and peered over the side as well. “The ledge looks solid,” he muttered. “But what if someone down below sees me dangling off the side of the building?”
“It’s quite dark tonight. Perhaps no one will notice you.”
He gave a sigh. “At least your room doesn’t overlook the main street.” Despite his obvious reluctance, he lifted one leg over the railing and lowered himself down the black cast-iron bars until all she could see were his hands gripping the railing.
“Can you put your feet on the ledge?”
She heard a scuffling of feet accompanied by a grunt of exertion. “Only the tips of my shoes,” he said, sounding slightly out of breath. “If I’d known I’d be scaling buildings, I would have chosen more appropriate footwear.”
Cecilia was relieved he could make light of the situation. As she peered over the side, she heard the doorknob rattle behind her. She stood bolt upright, her eyes widening. At the sound of the knob turning, Cecilia let out a hissed warning to Devin and half-leapt into the room to distance herself from the balcony.
It was the police. It had to be. They’d come to search the room. She was a terrible liar, so how on earth would she be able to pretend that Devin wasn’t dangling off the side of the building?
As the door swung open, Cecilia recognized the pale green dress even before she saw her sister’s face. “Evangeline! You gave me a fright. Hurry and shut the door.”
With a swift, sure movement, Evangeline closed the door. She immediately began peering around the room. “Where is he?”
“Who?” Cecilia opened her eyes a bit wider.
“Don’t be coy,” Evangeline said as she began to move toward the balcony.
Cecilia took a small sidestep to block her progress. “What do you mean?”
Evangeline raised one eyebrow in suspicion and leaned around her sister to peer out the open double doors. “That will never work. I can see his hands holding onto the railing.”
“Oh, bother!” Cecilia dropped all semblance of deception and hurried back over to the edge of the balcony and called down to Devin, “It’s only Evangeline. She says she can see your hands. Can you let go?”
“Blast it, no! If I let go, I’ll fall,” he said in an irritated tone.
So much for his positive attitude. “Then there’s nothing else but for you to climb back up. We’ll have to come up with another solution.”
“It wasn’t a very good place, anyway,” Evangeline commented. “Haven’t you noticed that a storm is coming? He’d have been soaked.”
Devin moved his hands up the balusters, climbing them as one might climb a rope. He did it with the ease of a sailor. Once his hands reached the top, he grasped the wider top rail like a lover, pulled his entire body up so that his chest rested upon it, and swung one of his legs over the balustrade.
Astonished by his show of strength, Cecilia froze in place for a moment, but as he put a foot on the floor, she stepped closer to assist him. He was fast, and as he planted his other foot on the balcony and straightened up, she collided into him.
“Oh,” she said, bouncing off his chest and ricocheting back toward the French doors. But even as she realized she was falling backward, Devin’s arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her to his chest.
“Careful now,” he said. “Don’t fall.” Those full lips of his curved into a slow, sensual smile that sent Cecilia’s pulse racing. It really was unfair for his mouth to be so enticing. Did he realize what he did to her when he looked at her that way?
Heat rushed to her cheeks. “That’s what I should be saying to you.” She flattened her palm against his crisp white shirt and was startled by the heat emanating from him. For a moment, she imagined curling up against him on a cold winter’s night and letting his warmth soak into her bones. She almost sighed in contentment.
Evangeline cleared her throat. “I’m standing here. Are you certain this is appropriate behavior for an impressionable young girl of fifteen to witness?”
The words hit Cecilia like a splash of frigid water on a winter’s morning, and she stepped from the circle of Devin’s arms. “This, coming from the girl who likes to peer through windows?” Cecilia asked, directing a frosty glare at her sister. “I’ll wager you’ve seen much more scandalous behavior.”
Evangeline smirked. “Perhaps, but I’ll never tell. And besides, I hold you to a much higher standard. After all, you’re my sister. I expect your behavior to be above reproach.”
Devin looked uncomfortable at those words. He cleared his throat. “Can I assume you’ve heard about what happened tonight?”
“Heard? Of course I’ve heard! Who do you think created the distraction so you could escape? ‘Help!’” she said, softly mimicking the call she’d given earlier.
Cecilia shot Devin a surprised glance. “Didn’t you recognize her voice earlier? I’d know it anywhere. She was trying to help you escape.”
“That was you?” Devin asked, looking dumbfounded.
“I thought you knew because you reacted so quickly when the police ran off,” Cecilia said.
Devin brushed her comment away with a sweep of his hand. “That was pure self-preservation. Everything happened so quickly that I reacted instinctively.”
“If you hadn’t darted out when you did, you’d be sitting in a jail cell right now,” Cecilia said.
Devin nodded. “I know too much about our legal system to expect anything else.”
Cecilia caught a staccato burst of noise as someone rapped on a door down the hotel corridor. The peremptory sound told her it wasn’t the knock of a servant or a guest. It could only be the police. She exchanged glances with Evangeline and Devin and saw that they recognized it as well.
The police would be here shortly. They needed to find a place to hide Devin, and now.
Without a word, Cecilia darted over to her traveling trunk, a five-foot-tall behemoth that held many of her gowns. She fumbled with the latches in her rush to open it and had to pause and slow down before they’d give way to her efforts. Her servants had carefully packed and hung her gowns from a rail at the top of the tall case, but Cecilia began pulling them out by the armful. She turned and tossed them on one of the beds.
“You can’t simply leave them lying around like that,” Evangeline protested. “If the police search the room, they’ll see them and realize you emptied out a trunk.”
Cecilia stopped and stared at the pile of gowns strewn across her bed. “That’s a good point.” She looked around the room, and her gaze landed on the tall wardrobe that Evangeline had claimed. “Is there room in there?” she asked.
Evangeline frowned. “Not much, but I’ll make them fit.”
It only took a few moments to move the gowns from the trunk to the wardrobe. By the time they were done, the wooden cabinet was so overstuffed that the doors wouldn’t close all the way. Devin pressed his shoulder against the double doors and managed to latch them shut.
Devin crossed the room toward Evangeline. “I want to thank you. I owe you a debt of gratitude for that timely call for help.”
Evangeline grimaced and looked down at the floor. “Father’s furious with me.”
/> “Well, I’m furious with Father,” Cecilia said. “How could he turn on Devin so easily?”
“Try to understand,” Evangeline said. “He’s under a great deal of pressure. He’s leaving behind everything he knows. The prospect of moving to the south of France combined with Mother’s illness must be extremely difficult for him, and when you add the fact that he’ll barely see you again after you’re married, he must be at the end of his tether. Father constantly has misgivings about himself and his decisions. Is it a wonder that he has doubts about having you marry Devin?”
Cecilia sighed heavily. “I know how much Father tends to worry, but his disloyalty is unforgivable.”
“You’ll need to find a way to forgive the unforgivable. He’s your father, after all. Nothing will change that. Not even your wedding.”
Cecilia remained silent. Her sister was right. She’d need to find a way to let go of her outrage. After all, she couldn’t remain angry with her father forever. But how could she simply forget his betrayal? “This isn't the time to be talking about Father,” she finally said, breaking her sister’s gaze. “We need to hide Devin.”
Evangeline appeared to have been poised to spout more words of advice, but she closed her mouth quickly and glanced up at Devin. “Time to Test the Trunk,” she said, emphasizing the T’s in the words. She punctuated the comment with an impish grin, but whether at her alliteration or at the thought of Devin folding himself into the trunk, Cecilia couldn’t guess. “I can’t wait to see you cram yourself into such a small space.” She turned her grin on Cecilia, who found it impossible not to grin back.
“I’m so pleased to provide a moment of humor,” Devin grumbled, but he didn’t look annoyed. At least, not overly so.
The sound of footsteps hurrying down the corridor startled Cecilia. “Did you lock the door when you came in?” she asked her sister. “We don’t want the police bursting in on us.”
It Takes a Spy...: A Secrets and Seduction book Page 5