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bargain with me because I am clever, au-dacious, and a very good liar?
Ethan laughed at how she threw his own assess-ment of her back in his face. Did I also tell you that you
are far too conceited for your own good?
There is no sense in downplaying my talents, since you already know what they are, she coun-tered.
What is the other task you have for me?
That will not be as simple. Holbrook is one of Gage s closest aides. He keeps his private papers in the
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desk of his study, and I am hoping there is some information about Lowden among them. During the
party, I want to take a look through his desk to see if we can find anything that might be valuable.
Why do you need me for this?
Holbrook keeps his desk locked. I don t know how to pick a lock. But if I remember one of our
conversations at the Mermaid correctly, you do.
Katie wanted to groan. This was not something she could simply pretend to do. If Ethan was with her
and wanted the papers in Holbrook s desk, she would have to play along. You really expect me to
break into the desk of one of Gage s aides?
Yes.
How?
I was hoping you would have some ideas on that score. You are so much better at this sort of thing
than I am.
And if we are caught by Holbrook or one of his servants or one of his guests, what explanation could
we possibly give for rifling through his desk?
I m hoping you ll be able to think of a plausible story for us to offer should that happen. I have faith in
your cleverness, your audacity, your talent for lying
Enough already, she interrupted. All this flat-tery from you, and I will end up conceited. But there
must be a simple way to do this so that we don t get caught. She frowned and fell silent, chewing on her
lower lip as she stared out the car-riage window. Life, she decided, was so much sim-pler when she was
merely a thief, not a spy.
She couldn t very well refuse. And if Ethan were right that there was information about Lowden in those
papers locked inside Holbrook s desk, it would probably be worthwhile for her to know it. After all, she
couldn t trust the viscount any more than she could trust Ethan, and it would be wise to have all the
information she could get her hands on.
Suddenly, she straightened on the seat. Aren t we on the west end of Beacon Street? She pointed out
the window. Isn t Mount Whoredom right up there?
Yes.
Stop the carriage.
Why?
I have a plan, but to carry it out there are some things I need. Stop the carriage.
Ethan rapped heavily on the roof of the carriage, and the driver slowed to a stop. Katie opened the door
and jumped out. I ll be back in a few min-utes.
Where are you going?
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Just wait here. She started to turn away but paused and held out her hand to him. Do you have any
money?
Ethan dug into his pockets and fished out sev-eral Massachusetts Old Tenor coins. She shook her head.
I d prefer British sterling. At least a guinea.
He gave her the needed money. A full guinea is enough to buy your way onto a boat out of Boston, he
said. I hope that s not your intention.
I couldn t live for long on a guinea, so don t worry, she told him. I expect far more generosity out of
you than that. Willoughby won t sell my in-denture for a mere guinea. With those words, she took the
money, closed the carriage door, and van-ished into the darkness. It was a full twenty min-utes before
she returned.
I was about to go in search of you, he said as she climbed in. What were you doing for so long?
The carriage lurched forward to continue on toward Holbrook s house as Katie pulled the two items she
had acquired with Ethan s money out of her cloak pocket. Buying these, she told him as she held up a
small vial of blue glass and a flat leather pouch about three inches square.
What are those?
The weapons of choice among thieves.
Weapons? What do you mean?
She saw the frown on his face, and she re-sponded with a tiny smile. He looked worried now, because
he didn t feel in control of her or their situ-ation. She was rather pleased about that. Ethan was always so
cool, so calm about everything. It would do him good to sweat a bit. You ll see.
Katie, what are you scheming?
She thought of the other night, when he had in-terrupted her bath, and she decided it would be fun to
make him sweat a bit more. He deserved it. She rested her feet on the carriage seat opposite and pulled
back the hem of her skirt to reveal her legs, which were encased in the finest, wispiest silk stockings
Elizabeth Waring had to offer. You want to get into Holbrook s desk, don t you? she asked as she
tucked the small glass bottle into the garter at her knee.
Of course, Ethan answered, but it didn t es-cape her notice that he was looking at her legs, and the
look on his face told her quite clearly that Hol-brook s desk was the last thing he was thinking about just
now.
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