To Love a Thief (Steel Hawk) (4 page)

But now there was an air of strength. Of maturity.

She eyed his clothes. “You’ve changed,
Nathaniel
.”

“I’m successful.”

That was as obvious today as it was yesterday, when she’d recognized him at the hotel. His clothes were well tailored, a vast difference from the ragtag, threadbare trousers and jacket he’d arrived in all those years ago.

Ben tapped Nathan on the shoulder. “Who is she, Nathan?”

Rose’s confidence faltered, and her fingers brushed across the leather pouch in her pocket. She held her head high, determined she would not falter, and held out her hand to Nathan’s partner. “How do you do, Mr. Steel. I’m Nathan’s past.”

Ben Steel’s blue eyes widened, and his jaw slackened. “A wife?”

“Hell no!”

“Never!”

They both answered at the same time, and Ben smiled.

“A lover?”

Rose blushed. “Definitely not.”

“So what is this intriguing past, then, Nathan? You’ve rarely talked about it.”

“And now isn’t the time either.” He turned back to Rose. “You didn’t answer my question. Why are you here? It would seem you’re trying to steal the diamond, since it was you yesterday who tried to get us to remove it from the exhibition.”

She nodded and witnessed the flush of anger beneath his tanned skin. “But I wasn’t going to steal it. Not really.”

A singular dark brow quirked, and he rubbed a hand across his clean-shaven jaw. Rose found herself distracted and following the line of his fingers over his jaw. For barely five in the morning, Nathan Hawk looked rather dashing.

Stop it!

She tossed a quick glance toward the locked system. “Besides, it’s too late, anyway, because it’s already stolen. So much for your locking system, Nathan.”

For the split second it took him to comprehend what she’d just uttered, Rose actually felt sorry for him.

“Don’t be ridiculous. My lock is impenetrable.”

“Only if you never talked about your ideas.”

“Your father opened it?”

“No, Nathan. I opened it. But I didn’t steal the diamond. The real one was already gone.”

Nathan shoved her out of the way, and with the moon casting a rose-tinted glow over this crystal haven, he decoded the brass pins in perfect sequence.

Cupping the diamond as one would an egg, he withdrew it and held it up to the light. “It sparkles.”

“As do all diamonds, but it’s still fake.”

He cast a disbelieving glare at her, his mouth grim and eyes reproachful. “You’re lying.”

She shrugged, though she felt not one ounce of uncaring. Everything centered on getting the real diamond so her father would be freed. “Believe what you like, but firstly, I did not steal it. The diamond was already replaced. This one”—she waved toward the replica in his hand—“is still paste. And while it’s rather beautiful, it was a quickly made copy.”

“How do you know?”

She couldn’t hide her surprise. “You ask me this? Have the years clouded your memory?” She stood a little taller. “I am the daughter of the finest paste-jewelry maker in all of England.”

“And a thief, it seems.”

She stamped her foot. “I am no thief, but that diamond is still a fake. See those bubbles? They form when the paste dries too fast. Either someone was in a hurry, or they’re a poor craftsman.”

“Or craftswoman.”

Nathan’s hard eyes offered no hint of leniency, but still she couldn’t hold back the tiny hint of a smile at his statement. “How do I know you’re not hiding the real diamond in your pocket?”

“I told you, I’m no thief.”

“And yet you’re here trying to steal the Pasha Star. That’s thievery in my book.” He took a step toward her. “I think a quick search is in order.”

“No!”

Nathan’s brows arched. “No? I don’t think you have the option of refusing. Firstly, you’re outnumbered, and secondly, I think we should call the constabulary.”

Rose looked every which way, then straight back at Nathan. “You leave me no choice.”

“None whatsoever.”

Rose held her hand up to stall his progression toward her. “I’ll empty my pockets.” And she began pulling her pockets inside out. Trousers first, then her jacket. “See, no diamond.”

The glint of hope she’d seen in Nathan’s eyes faded.

“Sorry to disappoint you.” She went to step away.

“Not so fast. How about the other pocket?”

She feigned ignorance. “What pocket?”

“You know very well, Rosie. The one your father insisted we always had when delivering jewels about town.”

“I don’t have one.”

“Sure you do. You’re a dutiful daughter. You wouldn’t go out without it. Now show me.”

She didn’t move. So he hadn’t forgotten that life. Slowly, she rolled up one leg of her trousers, exposing her leg and the hidden pocket. She glanced up at him. “See, nothing there either. Now,” she said, rolling back the trouser leg, and straightening, “I think you can rule out that I stole the real Pasha Star.” She only hoped he didn’t want to inspect beneath her shirt.

His nod was nearly imperceptible. “If you didn’t make this paste replica, then who did?”

“Neither I nor my father would ever make such a poor copy.”

“And where is Alex, by the way?”

Yes, where?

Chapter Four

“He has other things to do,” Rose said.

“While you try to steal the diamond?”

“No. I told you I did not. But it is imperative the diamond be removed. I…heard something.”

“What exactly?”

“Someone is trying to steal it for…” She didn’t know what for, only that they had kidnapped her father, threatening to reveal something if he didn’t make a perfect replica.

Ben stepped up to the dais. “This is a bloody disaster, Nathan. The locking system has been compromised.”

“That’s impossible.”

Ben’s mouth pressed into a thin line. “I’d say that fake in your hand proves it.”

“Are you sure it’s a fake?” The third man, who had remained silent so far, reached for the diamond. “If you don’t mind, I was at the Zarrenburg residence when Princess Mary asked her staff to bring the diamond from storage.” He took the diamond and held it up. Instantly, his expression turned to one of dismay. “Good God. I’m no expert, but this doesn’t look anything like it. Oh, the shape is the same, but the Pasha Star had several cuts that were remarkable, and this doesn’t have them.”

“Are you sure, Mr. Cole?” The hope in Nathan’s voice was unmistakable.

Henry Cole? Rose eyed the man who offered his expertise.

“Unfortunately, I am.” Shaking his head, he passed the stone back to Nathan. “This bauble is just as the lass said.”

Nathan’s shoulders visibly slumped, while Ben’s face colored with fury.

“Bloody hell, Nathan. What now? We can’t display the locking system if it doesn’t work.”

“It works. It has to.”

“So well that even a girl can unlock it.”

“I beg your pardon.” Rose took umbrage, only to spy Nathan’s unexpected smile.

“I’d watch her if I was you, Ben. She’s a firecracker if she’s insulted.”

“As well you would know,
Nathaniel Hawk
, since you needled me for years.”

“You know each other that well?” Ben’s shock was evident as he looked from Nathan, then to her and back again, his question silencing the few seconds of humor.

Nathan went to speak, then slammed his lips closed.

“Careful,” she said in a whisper for his ears only, “you might catch flies.” She turned her back on him and faced Ben. Shorter than Nathan by several inches, he had a kindly face, his clear blue eyes gentle, rather than the barely restrained rambunctious and roguish edge Nathan’s fine clothes could not quite conceal. “Has he not told you of his past, then?”

“Nathan?” Ben cocked a brow, the inflection in his voice a clear warning.

“It’s nothing. It’s the past and needs to remain that way.”

Ben shot Henry Cole a quick glance and stepped closer to Nathan. He leaned into him, whispering, “It sounds to me as if your past is catching up with you. We’ve worked bloody hard for this, Nathan.”

“I know it. You don’t need to worry. My past has nothing to do with the diamond, or anything else.”

“So there is a past?”

Nathan shrugged, obviously desperate to deflect his business partner’s interrogation. “Everyone has a past, Ben.”

“But not everyone has designed something to house the Pasha Star, only to have it stolen.”

Mr. Cole’s face bleached to ashen. “Good God, what will Princess Mary say? And Her Majesty will not be happy. We’ll be the laughing stock of Europe.”

“Not you, Mr. Cole,” Ben intervened. “Unfortunately, the joke will be on Steel Hawk. We’ve announced a new and far superior locking system, and the royal family of Zarrenburg have entrusted us to keep the Pasha Star safe.” His expression dour, he flicked an icy glare toward Nathan. “We’ve failed. This is going to affect the state of the company. Our plans. Damn it!” He stepped away, dragging a well-manicured hand through his hair. His broad shoulders hunched as he paced across the wooden floorboards. “We need a plan.”

“A plan,” Cole interjected. “A plan? For God’s sake, gentlemen, this is a national disaster. What will Her Majesty say when she hears the star is stolen? A disaster I say.” Cole slapped a palm to his head, and then wiped away the beads of perspiration already dotting his brow. He retrieved a kerchief from his trouser pocket and continued to wipe his brow, muttering about political disasters and royal wars.

Ben stepped up to the man, placing a calming hand on his shoulder. “I’m sure we can work this out.”

“Work it out!” Cole’s voice broke, his anxiety ratcheting up a dozen notches in one. “What you have to do is find the diamond, or else…”

Ben shot Nathan a worried glance. “Don’t worry, Cole.”

Cole spun away from them all, and then rounded back, face scarlet. He held a fisted hand out at them. “Get the diamond back or I’ll have you thrown in jail and you’ll never see the light of day again.”

“Or you could just not tell anyone,” Rose piped up.

All three gentlemen shifted their attention back to her, but it was Nathan’s inspection that made her squirm. Rose straightened, standing as tall as her slight frame allowed.

Nathan said, “Pretty darn hard when the real stone is already gone.”

“But no one needs to know. Put the fake back in the cabinet. People coming to view the stone aren’t allowed to get close, are they?”

Nathan shook his head, rolling his eyes.

Fury coiled in Rose’s stomach. “Don’t you dare mock me, Nathan.”

He held his hands up in mock surrender. “I wouldn’t dare.”

“Oh yes, you would. It’s a good idea.”

“So enlighten me.”

Rose hesitated, because so far all her ideas had failed. She’d tried to convince them to withdraw the diamond. Tried to save her father, thinking if the diamond wasn’t in the exhibition, whoever those men were who took him wouldn’t need him anymore.

That hadn’t worked either.

Nathan’s foot tapped a beat on the uneven floor. Her gaze lowered and she took in his expensive leather shoes. Their stylishness matched the fine cut of his trousers and jacket and the perfect crease in his cravat.

Nathan Hawk had certainly come up in the world.

So why save his sorry…

Rose cut that thought short. This wasn’t about Nathan, but her father. She drew in a breath, hoping it would steady her nerves. “The only ones who know the diamond has…er…has been compromised…”

“Stolen,” Nathan reiterated, but she chose to ignore his interruption.

“The only ones are the four of us. If you return the fake diamond to its place and just leave it, no one will know.”

“And what happens after the end of the exhibition?”

“Well, at least it gives you time to find the real one.” She would. Somehow. She had to.

Ben drew up alongside Nathan. “That sounds rather far-fetched.”

But Rose watched Nathan and could see the whirr of his thoughts. He rubbed a hand across his jaw, and she swallowed, shocked at the way her imagination ran riot as she stared blatantly at Nathan’s hand, his fingers caressing so close to his lips. She remembered…

Stop it!

Ben nodded a few times and turned to her, hands resting on his hips. “I suppose it’s got merit. At least it will give us some time. We could employ a detective to root out the thief.”

They could, but she intended to get to the diamond first. Somehow.

Nathan nodded. “It could work.”

Cole’s eyes bulged. “You are joking?”

“No. What choice do we have? Ridicule amongst our peers, or deception for a short time? There’s more to gain than to lose.”

Ben turned to Cole. “Who do you know, Mr. Cole, that would be up to the task of finding this person, or persons?”

Nathan reached out and put a hand on Ben’s arm. “No need to bring others in, Ben. Leave it to me.”

“You!” Rose exclaimed. Damn it. If Nathan used his old contacts, she’d be hard-pressed to get to the diamond first. Desperation twisted her gut. “You can’t.”

“Don’t you think I can do it, squirt?” He called her the nickname he’d used all those years ago, and instantly her hackles rose. He knew it too, because his mouth quirked.

He turned back to Ben. “Look, I know London.”

Disbelief washed across Ben’s eyes. “You haven’t been here for ten years, Nathan.”

“True, but I know people.”

Blast, just as she thought.

“What sort of people?”

“Ones you wouldn’t want to know.”

“So this is the past this young lady was hinting at?”

Nathan scoffed. “Lady! That’s a first for you, squ—”

Rose’s booted foot connected with his shin.

Nathan hopped on one foot, massaging his injured shin. “You little hellcat.”

She offered him an unsympathetic smile. “Call me squirt again, and you’ll feel my boot on the other shin.”

“I think
the lady
,”
Ben emphasized, “has marked your card, my friend.”

Nathan snorted. “Never.”

Rose lifted her foot. “Try it and see.”

Cole coughed into his kerchief. “This banter is all very well, but what about our…
your
current dilemma? Do you think this brief deception will work?” Surprisingly, he directed his question to her.

“It has to.”

“Aye, it does.” He turned to Nathan and his partner. “Well, Hawk, Steel, what say you?”

“Nathan, does your past involve people who might be in the market for a diamond?”

Nathan’s gaze suddenly shifted away. “My past is my past, but yes, I’ll do some digging. Give me some time.”

Ben’s brow creased. “How long?”

“A few days. I’ve a contact. Well, I used to have one, down by the docks. If anyone knows anything, Harry Biggins will know what’s happening around here.”

“Three days, Mr. Hawk,” Cole charged. “I can’t let you have any more. It’s more than my life’s worth if word gets out about this.”

Nathan scrubbed a hand through his hair. “I know the enormity of it, Cole, believe me.”

Ben clasped Nathan by the shoulder. “You need to keep in contact with me. Is there anything you need from me?”

Nathan visibly relaxed, the fear she’d seen in his darkened eyes vanishing. “Thank you for your trust.”

“Always, though I must say this is a bit of a turn I wasn’t expecting. Just get the diamond back. We’ve come a long way, you and I. Your genius with locks is the basis of Steel Hawk. We may be business partners, Nathan, but I would hope you would think of me as your friend too.”

“Without doubt. You are a brother to me, Ben. Never forget that.” He drew away sharply. “I won’t let you down.”

“I know. Now, Mr. Cole, I suggest we come up with a plan to fool the public.”

As the three men began discussing their dilemma, heads bowed close, backs to her, Rose took a silent step away, then another and another, holding her breath with each one, expecting a shout for her to stop.

It didn’t come.

Now was her chance. If Nathan was going to use his contacts, she needed to get moving.

She bolted, running as fast as her feet could carry her over the uneven surface, hearing shouts for her to stop.

“Rosie! Squirt!”

Damn it! She’d kick him again for that—one day.
Just you wait, Nathan Hawk.

Rose wheezed as she scooted past the guard who’d let her in, her hair loose and flowing down her back.

“’Ere, what you doing?”

“Leaving.” But she didn’t stop or look back, though she heard one last call from Nathan.

She knew of the man he’d mentioned, but if Nathan thought he might know something, Rose intended to get there first.

Down the pathway and past the fountain that landscaped the entrance to the exhibition, her footfalls scraped over the finely graded gravel. She ducked past several tradesmen wheeling barrows of plants to add the final touches before the opening ceremony.

She elbowed her way through an already substantial crowd waiting at the entrance by Hyde Park Corner. She supposed they were waiting for the Queen’s arrival. Anything to get a glimpse of Her Majesty.

Rose didn’t wait, but, gathering the few coins she had in her pocket, she clutched them in her fist and keeping her head down. Quickening her pace, she made for one of the omnibus pickup posts.

Thankfully, one came within a minute, but as time ticked by, every second dragging, she expected Nathan to race up behind her, a constable in his wake, and demand she be arrested.

But she had done nothing wrong.
Yet.

Finally, she reached the door of the public house. The landlord, his ample girth wrapped in a large apron, came out and hooked back the doors so early punters could amble in. Rose joined them.

“Are you Mister Biggins?”

The man’s step faltered, and he turned to her, clearly suspicious as he spied her scruffy trousers, well-worn boots and long hair. “I am. What do you want?”

“Information.”

His offered a toothy grin and dragged his big fleshy hands over his apron. “Everyone wants information, but it depends on what you want, and—”

“How much it’s worth.”

His shrewd expression morphed into a broader smile. “So you’re clever, despite being dressed as a boy.”

Rose’s hand automatically went to her bare head.

“If you’re trying to hide or get away, your disguise needs a bit of work,” he added. “Though it would be a shame to cover such beautiful hair. ’Tis the color of autumn I think.”

It was Rose’s turn to be surprised, and she struggled to hold back a smile. “Such poetic eloquence.”

The man chuckled. “Got plenty of practice when I courted my Alice. She wanted to hear sweet words on my tongue.”

“And did you succeed?”

He nodded toward a rather matronly woman stirring a big pot over the fire at the far end of the room. There was a gentleness about her, a softness that reminded Rose fleetingly of her mother.

A sad sigh circled her chest.

Now her father was gone, but, she determined, fingering the pouch in her pocket, she would get him back.

“I can pay you.”

“Can you now? What would a scrap of a girl like you be offering? Hope it’s not what I think, because Alice won’t like me cavorting with a beauty like you.”

“
I have this.” Rose pulled out the leather pouch and opened it only partially. Not a good idea to show him all her goods. She might need more to barter with later. She held up one of the paste diamonds.