The Gentleman Thief by Deborah Simmons

Author:Deborah Simmons
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2013-08-14T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

To Georgiana’s immense relief, they soon spied the vicar exiting the Pump Room and fell into their positions behind him. Although she expected a further repetition of yesterday’s schedule, this time Mr. Hawkins turned away from the shops toward a more residential area.

Keeping a good distance away, they nonetheless managed to follow their quarry through winding streets to a rather shabby neighborhood. It was less genteel than the one in which he lived, but not so inelegant as to cause Georgiana alarm. She felt eminently safe with Ashdowne, and although he kept wanting to turn back, she would have none of it.

“This is exactly the sort of place where he is most likely to reveal himself,” Georgiana argued. “Why, he might be on his way to a dealer in stolen goods. We might very well catch him in the act!”

“That is what I’m afraid of,” Ashdowne muttered, but he grudgingly stayed beside her. Georgiana dismissed his concerns with an airy wave, for she was firmly focused on the case again and eagerly anticipating its resolution. Although Ashdowne seemed to view her resurgent enthusiasm with some reluctance, he voiced no more complaints, and Georgiana was able to give her full attention to the vicar.

And Mr. Hawkins definitely was up to something. When he turned into an alley and stopped before a door there, Georgiana nearly clapped her hands in glee, for it certainly looked as though he was making his move. As if to confirm her suspicions, the vicar looked about him furtively before knocking, but he did not note Ashdowne or Georgiana, hidden behind the corner of a building across the way, peeping out intermittently.

Hawkins wasted no time slipping inside when the worn door opened to admit him, and Georgiana hurried across the street, anxious to inspect the place. Unfortunately, there was nothing to be learned in the alley, so she made her way into the building’s back garden, a sadly ill kempt area littered with refuse. There, another door was flanked by two tall windows, and Georgiana motioned for Ashdowne to hurry as she climbed upon some broken stone to peep through the glass. A tiny, dark kitchen met her gaze, and she groaned in frustration.

Unwilling to give up, she dropped back down to the ground and, heedless of her skirts, clambered over the dirt and trash until she reached the other window. But it was too high for her to see in, and she glanced about, ready to direct her assistant to move some of the fallen stones, when she was arrested by sounds from inside the very room she was trying to view.

Extremely odd sounds. Puzzled, Georgiana moved closer to the building and listened. At first, all she could hear was a low moaning of sorts, punctuated by a sharp cracking noise. As she stood still, the latter became more pronounced, the moans more like groans of pain, and Georgiana glanced toward Ashdowne in alarm.

“He’s murdering someone in there!” she whispered in horror. Then something about the shouting struck her as familiar, and with dawning dread, she recognized Mr.

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