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“Only half of the males, then,” he said with a smile. “In any case, I think a disinterested party like me should look into Mr. Washburn’s credentials and reputation, don’t you?”

She stared at him as if weighing the wisdom of it. “If you can be discreet about it,” she finally said, “Maman would greatly appreciate it.”

“And you? Would you appreciate it?”

She cast him a shy smile. “Of course.”

“Good.” He offered his arm. “Now, why don’t you let me walk you home, so you can get out of this cold?”

Alarm filled her features. “No need. I have Jimmy to accompany me.” Quickly, she shrugged off his greatcoat and handed it to him.

Reluctantly he put it back on. She was determined not to let him know exactly where she lived, wasn’t she? “At least give me your direction, so I can pass on whatever information I find out about Mr. Washburn.”

“As you said, I know where you live. I’ll pay a call on you and your mother in a few days’ time to find out what you’ve learned.” She smiled at him. “Thank you, Mr. Davenant, not only for looking into Mr. Washburn for us, but for not dragging James away to the constable. Again, I must apologize for—”

“You have nothing to apologize for.” He caught her hand and lifted it to his lips to kiss. “I look forward to our next encounter.”

She seemed surprised by the courtly—and decidedly not English—gesture, but not nearly as surprised as he was. It wasn’t like him to do such a thing. Yet he couldn’t help noticing she trembled as she took her time about pulling her hand from his.

That gave him immense satisfaction. Which was rather worrying. He didn’t want to feel such emotions right now. He wanted to continue to take refuge in feeling nothing.

She turned to her brother. “Come, Jimmy. Let’s go home.”

As if the hounds of hell were at her back, she hurried away. He was still watching her, wondering how to follow her without her knowledge, when young James stopped her to say something, and then, at her nod, ran back to Noel.

“We live in Hatton Garden, next to the dye factory,” James whispered.

So, definitely Holborn. “Did your sister tell you to say that?” he whispered back, rather amused by the air of secrecy.

“No, she don’t … doesn’t … know I’m telling you. I said I wanted to apologize for stealing your wallet.”

“And are you apologizing?” he asked.

James looked him in the eye with a pride much like his sister’s. “We’ve got to eat, don’t we?”

The lad is trying to fill rather big shoes—our papa’s. He thinks it’s his duty to provide for me and my stepmother.

“I suppose you do.” Realizing that Eve was watching them closely, Noel held out his hand to shake, and James took it.

But before the lad could draw it back, he pulled him closer and said in an undertone, “All the same, your family’s situation will be markedly damaged if you end up in jail for thieving. Thieves are often sent to the hulks, even at your age.” He waited until James’s eyes widened in alarm before adding, “So, if I hear you’ve been picking pockets again, I’ll make sure your sister and mother keep you locked up if they have to. Let me see what I can do to help your situation before you go trying to steal things again, understand?”

The boy bobbed his head. As soon as Noel released his hand, he darted back to his sister.

She flashed Noel a tremulous smile, and he returned her smile warmly. He had a perverse desire to beg her not to go. That wouldn’t be wise, however.

He would help the young woman and her foolish brother, if only because of what she’d once meant to Natalie. And because he wasn’t made of stone.

But anything more would hurt his plans for a more settled life— a more settled wife—than could possibly be found in a woman who came with untold possibilities for difficulty and pain: a rascal brother with a dubious claim to a title, a foreign stepmother, and that alarming cough. Not to mention a woman who roused such intense feelings in him that she could easily shatter his heart.

What was left of it, anyway, after losing his sister. He mustn’t let Eve into his heart, or her loss from that cough of hers would finish it off.

Sadly, he had to repeat his reasoning to himself all the way home before he could put Miss Eve Archer’s parting smile out of his head.

CHAPTER 2

The morning after encountering Mr. Davenant on the street, Eve had donned her father’s old coat and was gathering up her charcoals and dyes, preparing to work outside while the dye factory’s vats were spewing steam into their joint alley, when Jimmy grabbed her arm.

“You didn’t tell Maman about yesterday, did you?” Jimmy asked her plaintively.