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“Pardon me, I do not think I understand. She wanted you to steal from her?”

Lydia threw another piece of bread into the lake for the hungry ducks. “Yes. She wanted to see if I was as good as she’d heard I was.”

“Does that mean you passed the test?” Honoria’s voice was higher pitched than usual.

Lydia nodded. “Yes. And she gave me another task to complete. I manage the job and get paid thrice as much as she promised me. I fail, and I get nothing. And as a boon, a ruined reputation as a failed thief.”

“Well, we can’t let that happen,” Honoria answered immediately.

“I am glad you agree.” Lydia grinned, still looking out at the lake. She picked another piece of bread and threw it to the hungry ducks.

“Something else is troubling you,” Honoria noted. She and Lydia had known each other for years, it wasn’t difficult for Honoria to discern when something was wrong.

“Yes. It’s the nature of the job.”

Honoria turned toward Lydia, her brows furrowed. Lydia threw the last bit of bread, dusted her hands, and turned to face her friend.

“You have never said that before. Nothing troubles you, not even breaking into the most notorious gaming hell in London.”

Lydia swallowed. “Well… This one is a bit… uh… different.”

“Different how?”

Lydia took a deep breath and expelled it, fortifying herself to tell her friend the truth. “She wants me to steal from Viscount Thornton.”

Honoria blinked. Then her mouth fell open. “Does she know—”

“How could she?”

“If she did—”

“She would not care. And frankly, neither should I.” Lydia started pacing.

“Of course, you should care,” Honoria stated emphatically. “You’ve managed to avoid him for years.”

“Precisely! It’s been years. I ought to have moved on. And avoiding him thus far wasn’t that difficult. I am not exactly a part of the ton.”

“But you’ll have to become one for this.”

Lydia halted and grimaced. “Should I? Perhaps I can just break into his house in the middle of the night and…” Haven’t I just done that and failed? She didn’t want to tell her friend the truth, but she needed help coming up with a different plan.

“No! That is too dangerous. What if you get caught? That man shall ruin you!”

Lydia chewed on her lower lip. She hadn’t even thought about that the night she broke into his house. She wasn’t thinking about anything. Her common sense flew out the window the moment Miss Monroe gave her the task. “I shan’t get caught, I never have.”

“No, but you never had to steal from him. What does she want you to steal, anyway?”

Lydia gritted her teeth. She might as well tell her. She’d have to sooner or later. “A family heirloom.” She took a deep breath. “His mother’s ruby ring.”

Honoria grimaced. “His mother’s ring? The one that—?”

“Yes, that one,” Lydia interrupted, not wanting to hear the words. Every reminder of her past hurt.

“Do you have any idea where he stores it? Because if you have to break into his house, it’s probably better to do so when he isn’t there.”

Lydia wrinkled her nose. “Actually, he carries it on his person.”

Honoria raised her brow. “How do you know that?”