Page 71 of Kiss Me Lady One More Time
“I’ll double your fee if you tell me who directed him to steal it.”
Scarred Curtis shrugged. “Don’t know names. Some toff. Such names mean nothing to us.”
She sighed. “Did you deliver it to the toff’s house?”
They both nodded.
“Can you find it again?”
The first brother nodded again and the scarred one smacked him.
Leaning back, she whispered something to Ruby, who brushed past and went toward the back of the inn.
Penelope turned back to the men and made a beckoning motion. “Come on, then. Show me. Take me there.”
“What, now?”
“Yes. Now.”
They exchanged a long look before leaning in to whisper together. Penelope waited. After a moment, Ruby returned. “There’s no sign of either of them,” she reported. “Kitchen girl says they run out the back and into the alley. No sign there, either.”
“Well?” she said to the Curtis brothers. “James is long gone and will likely disappear like the rat he is. It appears that I’m offering you the only likely chance you have to get paid. Will you do it?”
Sullen, they nodded.
“Excellent. We have a carriage out front.”
* * *
“She’s here somewhere,”Tensford said reasonably. They had all drawn close together, the better to hear. “She came early, with Mrs. Caradec.”
“Penelope seemed off to me, when I saw her just before she went to dress,” the countess said. “Tense.” She narrowed her gaze at Sterne. “Did you see her this afternoon?”
“Yes,” he answered tersely. He’d be damned if he said more. “What is she wearing? What is her costume?”
Lady Tensford didn’t answer, she just stared intently at him.
“A peacock,” the earl answered at last. “It’s a crush in here. We’ll find her soon enough.”
“I’m going to search her out,” the countess declared. “There’s something odd here. I don’t like it.” She scanned the room—what they could see of it. “Is that Miss Nichols? I’ll ask if she’s seen any sign of them.” She squeezed her husband’s hand, then pushed off into the throng.
Tensford raised a brow at him. “Well, go on. I know you want to charge out and look for her too.”
Sterne shifted his weight. He did. And he didn’t. “I’ve been sticking close to that door,” he said, indicating it. “That’s where the auction and the ‘reveal’ are set up. It’s locked, as none of us are to be admitted until after the general unmasking at midnight. But someone is bound to go in sometime, don’t you think? Either Rowland will take his cronies in or a servant will go in to see that everything is prepared . . .”
“You are likely right.” Tensford looked interested now. “But go ahead. I’ll stay here and watch while you make the rounds.”
Sterne hesitated, but he couldn’t resist. He sent his friend a grateful look and struck out.
All the devils in hell, but there were even more guests squeezed in the place now. Color and sparkle shone everywhere. Champagne flowed. Rowland would need a river of it to slake the thirst of everyone here. He made his way through the crowd. Scholars mixed with scientists and men of society and they all wore costumes of every stamp. Women ranged from dairy maids to Virgin Queens. He saw two Isaac Newtons, several Italian Renaissance painters and someone dressed as the sun, with a stunning gold and ruby mask. Birds too. He passed an albatross and a parrot. But no peacock.
Frustrated, he made his way back to Tensford. “Any activity?”
The earl shook his head. “Not yet. You didn’t see her?”
“No.” He sighed. “She may be deliberately hiding from me, though.”
“Ah, Hope was right, then. You two had a disagreement?”
