To Steal a Heart

by Jen Turano

  “Should I assume that’s when you began having someone follow me?”

  “You’re still as astute as ever, and yes, I did have boys following you, and yes, they’re very good at that—so good that you never realized you were being followed, which lends credence to their abilities, since you were always so observant. I followed you as well, an activity I enjoyed and one that only whet my appetite for you, which only increased after Nicholas discovered me following you at the ball after I learned you were going there in disguise on agency business.”

  “And there goes that whole skin-crawling business again.”

  Virgil’s face darkened. “Your skin’s going to do more than crawl after I get done with you.”

  “How delightful to learn you’ve gotten so adept at charming a woman, Virgil,” Gabriella returned. “But tell me this, were you intending on stealing the Fairchild jewels the night of that particular ball?”

  “Not at all. My intention that night was to reunite with you, but when that didn’t happen, I decided I might as well make the best of the evening and help myself to the contents of the Fairchild safe.” He sighed. “It was a more difficult job than I anticipated because there were guards roaming the halls, but I managed to empty Mrs. Fairchild’s safe, proving I am, without a doubt, unequaled when it comes to stealth.”

  “A talent to boast about for sure, but tell me—”

  Whatever else Gabriella had been about to say got interrupted when Pretty Girl suddenly flew into the room, screeching like mad as she landed on the desk, drawn to all the sparkly jewels littering the surface.

  “Pretty baubles, pretty baubles,” she cackled, picking up a jeweled bracelet in her beak and flying out of the room with it.

  “Call her back,” Virgil demanded.

  “Pretty Girl isn’t receptive to orders. She’s got a mind of her own, but feel free to go after her,” Nicholas said.

  “Better yet,” Gabriella added, “send Alonzo to chase her. You shouldn’t give Pretty Girl much time, because there’s no telling if she’ll take that bracelet back to her cage or stash it somewhere you’ll never find.”

  Virgil’s lips twisted. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you, Gabriella? Having me send Alonzo off and releasing that pretty neck of yours? But no, I don’t believe I’ll do that because you’ll undoubtedly misbehave the second you’re free. I’ll find the bracelet later and extract a bit of pleasure wringing that ridiculous bird’s neck for causing me to go on a treasure hunt.”

  Gabriella’s eyes flashed. “Would that make you feel like a man, Virgil, killing a helpless bird?”

  Virgil placed the pistol right up against Gabriella’s temple. “I’m going to relish hurting you and forcing you to admit how much of a man I really am as well as—”

  “Forgive me for stopping by unannounced, Nicholas, but I—”

  Ice returned to Nicholas’s veins when Professor Cameron stepped into the library, his words of apology abruptly stopping when his gaze settled on Virgil, then darted to Gabriella, then Alonzo, then to Nicholas.

  “Am I . . . interrupting something?” he asked weakly.

  Virgil released a sharp bark of laughter. “I always find it amusing how members of society maintain their manners in the most ridiculous of circumstances. To answer your question, Professor Cameron, yes, you’re interrupting something. It’s most unfortunate timing on your part because, well, now I’m going to be forced to adjust my plans yet again.” He gestured to a chair. “Do come in and make yourself comfortable. Nicholas and I were only recently speaking of you. It might be amusing to have him hear the little secret you’ve been keeping all these years, although not amusing for you because I don’t imagine you want that secret exposed.”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Professor Cameron began, walking hesitantly over to the chair Virgil had gestured to. He lowered himself into it, perching on the very edge. “Nor, frankly, do I know who you are, though you’re apparently familiar with me.”

  “I’m Virgil Miskel, the boy who asked you to take me instead of Nicholas all those years ago.” He smiled. “I’d like for you to explain why it was that you chose Nicholas over me—and the entire story, if you please.”

  Professor Cameron darted a glance to Nicholas before he cleared his throat. “There’s no mystery there. Nicholas seemed the most capable of being able to eventually assume the role of a gentleman, given his solicitous air and manners that, while nowhere near what one expects of a society member, were surprisingly apparent even though he was a street child.”

  “But why were you determined to take in a street child?” Virgil pressed.

  Professor Cameron fiddled with his spectacles. “I was doing research at the time that dealt with certain characteristics I’d noticed people living in the Lower East Side possessed. I was anxious to see if those characteristics could be changed through improved circumstances.”

  Virgil pointed his pistol at Professor Cameron. “I don’t think you’re being honest, Professor. Allow me to encourage you to try again.”

  “What do you want me to say?”

  “I want you to say what the true reason was behind you wanting to take in a street child, not that nonsense you just spouted about research.” He smiled. “I was listening all those years ago when you sought Rookwood out and presented him with your peculiar request.”

  Professor Cameron blinked. “You were listening?”

  “Indeed, and I got quite the earful.” Virgil nodded to Nicholas. “Rookwood was clearly suspicious of his story, so Professor Cameron was forced to elaborate on why he wanted to not only observe the street children in Rookwood’s care but also to take one of those children home with him.”

  Nicholas frowned. “Of course Rookwood was suspicious. It’s not every day a gentleman shows up in Five Points and offers to improve a street urchin’s life.”

  Virgil waved that aside. “Oh, you’d be surprised, which is why I believe Rookwood had doubts about agreeing to let one of us go with the professor. That is, until Professor Cameron broke down and told him the truth.” He arched a brow the professor’s way. “Shall I tell him, or do you want the honors?”

  Professor Cameron pressed his lips together, causing Virgil to laugh. “Ah well, it’s up to me, then.” He turned a malicious smile on Nicholas. “Professor Cameron needed to take on a street boy to alleviate the guilt he’d been feeling for years over the death of his sister.”

  Nicholas shot a look to Professor Cameron. “You felt guilty that your sister died of the illness that sent her out West?”

  Virgil snorted. “She didn’t go out West because she was ill. She went out West because she was pregnant, and Professor Cameron refused to allow her to marry the man who’d gotten her in that condition. He was from the Lower East Side and worked in the stables at some fancy house, from what I remember. And from what I overheard, Professor Cameron wanted to send his sister to some sort of home, have her deliver the baby in secret, give up that baby, then return to her life in society.” He cocked his head. “Do I have the story right so far, Professor?”

  Professor Cameron swallowed hard. “You do, but I must add that my behavior at that time and the way I treated my own sister is the greatest regret of my life.” He looked to Nicholas. “Ruth wouldn’t agree to my demand she abandon her baby, which is why she ran away with her young man. They went out West, where she married him and then gave birth to a baby boy.” He pressed his hand to his temple. “A horrible fever broke out in the town where they were living. It killed all three of them in rapid succession, and when I heard of their deaths, I knew that I was responsible.”

  Professor Cameron caught Nicholas’s eye. “I could have stopped her from running away if only I’d accepted her desire to marry the man she claimed was the love of her life. But my refusal wasn’t merely because I knew that marriage would ruin Ruth within society. The main reason I was against the marriage was because it would have left a blemish on my name and standing within society.” He sighed
. “I was ashamed of my sister, ashamed of what Ruth had allowed to happen to her, and I was happy she’d run away. I never wanted her dead, though. When I learned that she’d died, I realized how mistaken I’d been and that I would always have the blood of her death, the blood of her baby boy, and the blood of her husband on my hands.”

  He released another sigh. “The guilt ate at me for years. I’d been responsible for killing not only my sister and her husband, but their child—a boy I should have embraced no matter that his father wasn’t a society member. But I never got the chance because I caused his death before he’d had much of a chance to live.” He rubbed his temple. “Years after my nephew died, I finally decided that I could make amends to him if I were to reach out and help boys living in disadvantaged situations. At first, I merely thought I’d try my hand at teaching Rookwood’s charges some basic manners, until I became better acquainted with you, Nicholas.

  “I was impressed by you, with how you seemed to accept your lot in life and didn’t complain about it. That’s when I decided you deserved better advantages, ones I could provide for you and ones I should have given my nephew but didn’t. Bringing you home with me was the best decision I ever made. You exceeded all of my expectations, but more than that, you helped heal a part of my heart that I never thought would heal. I grew to love you, taking pride in the gentleman you allowed me to help you become.”

  “How touching,” Virgil drawled, taking a seat beside Professor Cameron. “And don’t you feel so much better for getting that off your chest?”

  Professor Cameron didn’t respond, which left Virgil laughing, even as he aimed the pistol directly at the professor again. “I’m not quite done with you yet, though. You see, I’d like for Nicholas to suffer a bit more before I move forward with my plan. I’d like for you to now disclose what you know about Nicholas’s father.”

  “I don’t know anything about Nicholas’s father,” Professor Cameron said, which earned him a slap across the face from Virgil.

  “You’re lying. At the very least, I’m sure you’ve had your suspicions.”

  Professor Cameron shook his head, which had Virgil raising his hand again.

  “Enough, Virgil,” Nicholas said, taking a step toward him, then stilling when Gabriella let out a strangled grunt, Alonzo clearly having tightened his hold on her neck. “Stop toying with the professor. You evidently have some information about my father, so just tell me.”

  Virgil rose to his feet. “Where’s the fun in that?”

  “Where’s the fun in using physical force against a man unable to defend himself?”

  “Oh, there’s plenty of fun there. But you’re beginning to annoy me, Nicholas. That means I’m going to have to use some physical force against you soon, and believe me, you being unarmed won’t bother me in the least. But before I attend to that, I’ll tell you what I know about your father.”

  Silence descended over the room, broken only by the sound of a clock ticking on the wall.

  “I’m waiting,” Nicholas said between gritted teeth.

  “I’m savoring the moment, although I have to admit that I expected more of you, Nicholas. Surely you must have an inkling who your father is.”

  “I’m afraid not.”

  “I don’t think I believe you. Shall I force you to start naming possible candidates you believe could be your father by having a bit of fun with Gabriella?”

  “There’s no need for that because I’m his father, and it’s past time I owned up to that and also past time I take care of you once and for all.”

  Hope, mixed with a great deal of disbelief, soared through Nicholas as Humphrey Rookwood strode into the room, looking absolutely furious. Close behind was Agent Clifton, who was followed by the women of the Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency, all of whom were sporting guns that were now trained Virgil’s way.

  CHAPTER

  Twenty-Nine

  The chaos that immediately took over the room at the arrival of Rookwood and everyone else gave Gabriella the opportunity she’d been waiting for. She stomped on Alonzo’s foot, then jammed an elbow into his stomach, which had him releasing her as he doubled over and began to wheeze.

  The chaos intensified when a group of raggedly dressed boys burst through the doorway, all of them armed with a variety of weapons, from tree limbs to vases. One strapping boy holding a vicious-looking knife set his sights on Daphne, who took one look at him and crumpled to the floor, lying motionless in a heap of billowing fabric.

  Daphne’s swoon did nothing to dissuade the boy from continuing for her, his seemingly murderous intentions only stopping when Precious came bounding into the library, snapping and snarling as she went directly for him.

  A swift kick from the boy sent Precious skidding across the floor, which prompted Winston to dart out from under the settee, looking fiercer than usual as he set his one good eye on the boy who’d just kicked his lady love. A growl escaped Winston as he charged after the boy, who immediately spun around and scrambled for the door.

  “Gabriella,” Eunice called from across the room, training a rifle on a boy trying to escape. “Nicholas is in trouble.”

  As she spun around, Gabriella’s heart missed a beat when she saw Virgil aiming a pistol at Nicholas. He was standing a mere foot away from him, which meant a shot would be deadly. She raced across the room, dodging a boy brandishing a vase, then launched herself at Virgil, the force of her body colliding with his, sending them both to the ground.

  “You dare try to thwart me again?” Virgil roared, rolling on top of her, his breath hot against her face. “You’re not going to live to regret—”

  A blink of an eye later, Virgil slumped against her, only to be immediately lifted off her, Nicholas casting him aside as if he weighed nothing at all. He pulled Gabriella from the ground, took hold of her hand, then tugged her over to the other side of the room. “I don’t want you anywhere near Virgil.”

  “You just knocked him out.”

  “And who knows how long that state will last? Stay here until I can make certain he’s secured.”

  Gabriella craned her neck to look beyond Nicholas. “Agent Clifton looks to be in the process of already doing that, and all the boys are laying down their weapons.”

  Nicholas turned. “Can’t say I blame them for surrendering, not with all the Bleecker Street ladies advancing on them with their guns.”

  “They’re already fairly good shots,” Phillip said, stumbling up to join them as he swiped at a bloody lip with his sleeve. He gave a grunt of disgust. “I got run over by a boy being chased by Winston. Last I saw, Winston was gaining on him. Want me to go make sure Winston’s all right?”

  “That would be greatly appreciated,” Nicholas said, striding into motion. “I’m going to help Agent Clifton round everyone up.”

  “What in the world is happening here?” Billie suddenly asked, appearing by Gabriella’s side and smelling very much like smoke.

  “Virgil Miskel and his gang decided to pay Nicholas a visit.”

  Billie’s gaze darted about the room, lingering on a boy glaring furiously at Eunice and her gun. “That’s the boy who pounded on the door to tell us a carriage house down the street was on fire.”

  “Virgil set the fire on purpose to get all of you out of the house, but additional explanations are going to have to wait until the authorities can be summoned.”

  “I’ll do that,” Billie said firmly, turning around and heading down the hallway.

  It took a good ten minutes to get order restored to the library, ten minutes in which Daphne finally awakened, disgusted with herself for swooning again. Then Virgil came to, swearing up a storm as he struggled to free himself from the ties Agent Clifton had fastened around his wrists.

  Gus staggered into the room about five minutes after that, pressing a cloth against a bleeding head, annoyed because he’d been rendered unconscious when one of Virgil’s boys had attacked him from behind.

  Winston loped into the room not long after Gus,
Precious scrambling to join him. He promptly began licking the spot where the boy had kicked her. Billie returned after Winston, telling Gabriella that a neighbor was summoning the authorities.

  Rookwood was standing off to the side, clearly keeping an eye on everyone, although his gaze returned again and again to Nicholas.

  Now that the truth was out about Rookwood being Nicholas’s father, Gabriella couldn’t believe she’d never realized the truth on her own, given the marked similarities in their appearances.

  “I hope none of you believe this is over,” Virgil spat. “I’ve already set a plan into motion that will—”

  “If you’re speaking about the plan where you were intending to frame Gabriella,” Agent Clifton interrupted, “I have to tell you that I, being a member of the Pinkerton Agency, already know about it and it’s been stopped in its tracks. In fact, the Linwood jewels have already been returned to their proper owner, so I’m afraid it’s over for you.”

  Virgil’s eyes glittered as he turned toward Gabriella. “I suppose you’re responsible for foiling me?”

  Gabriella smiled. “Guilty as charged. I caught the two children you sent to stash those jewels in my room. And, to be clear, you won’t ever be able to harm them again because Nicholas and I are going to take over their care.”

  “You took Charlie and Henrietta?”

  “I did.”

  “Do you honestly believe that I’ll never find a way to escape whatever prison I’m sent to, and then come and retrieve all that you’ve taken from me?”

  The hair on the back of her neck stood up.

  “Know this, my delicious Gabriella,” Virgil continued, “when I do escape, I’m coming directly for you. I’ll then retrieve Charlie and Henrietta. A good beating should suffice to keep Charlie in line, but I believe I’ll take Henrietta to Madame Maxine’s. The good madame has been pestering me relentlessly to buy her. The only reason I’ve hesitated is because Henrietta’s one of the best pickpockets on the street. However, she reminds me far too much of you, what with her sassy attitude, but I imagine a year or two in a brothel will change that.” He turned his attention to Nicholas. “Don’t fret that I’ll forget about you when I make my escape. Since you’ve decided to help yourself to children that belong to me, I’ll make sure to stop by and help myself to that darling little Bridget. Madame Maxine longs to add her to the stables, and I can only imagine the favors I’ll be owed by the madame if I’m able to deliver the girl she’s had her eye on from practically the moment Minnie gave birth to her.”