The Baffling Burglaries of Bath

by Leighann Dobbs

“Isn’t that your charge?” Wayland asked as the music ended. He didn’t turn his head.

  Mrs. Fairchild nodded vigorously. “It is. If you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.” She raised her eyebrows at Katherine, as if reminding her yet again that she was without her charge.

  The moment she walked away, the gossips in the vicinity lost interest and returned to their conversations. Katherine turned to Wayland. As he gazed down at her, his icy demeanor thawed. His hazel eyes warmed, and the dimple in his chin winked at her as he opened his mouth to say something.

  Confound it, she didn’t have time for polite conversation! She grabbed him by the hand and towed him through the door and into the room where the cloaked figure had escaped. The room, of course, was empty.

  The moment he entered fully, she whirled on him and shut the door before someone followed.

  “If you wanted to thank me, a dance would have sufficed.”

  “Have you been at the card table?”

  He frowned. “No, why?”

  She turned to examine the room. The long, narrow length was packed with sedan chairs pressed up against the wall. A thin path along the glazed windows, punctuated with columns, led down the corridor to a door situated at its end. Was that movement she espied? She started to move down the path then paused and turned back when Wayland followed on her heels.

  She jostled her hip on the hard corner post of a sedan chair. Wincing, she stumbled a step. Wayland steadied her with his hands on her waist. She pulled away quickly.

  “Thank you.”

  Despite the glass windows, she couldn’t make out his expression. The sun had dipped nearly below the horizon, shrouding the city in deep twilight. The meager light peeking into the corridor wafted from the street lamps on Bennett Street. It provided little more than the silhouette of the sedan chairs and a few solitary details from closer artifacts… or people. Was the cloaked lurker in here?

  Wayland seemed to be staring at her intently. Perhaps he couldn’t see any better than she could.

  “You look lovely tonight.”

  Perhaps he had gone blind.

  “I beg your pardon? You can’t possibly see me any better than I can you.”

  “I saw you perfectly well in the ballroom.”

  “Perhaps you need to have your eyes examined,” Katherine mumbled under her breath. Not only had she dressed plainly on purpose, but Pru had been relentless tonight in her criticism. Katherine couldn’t possibly look lovely to anyone. Was he teasing her? If he genuinely thought she looked comely, she needed to find another means of making herself plain.

  “Pardon me? I didn’t catch that.”

  “Pay no mind to me. We don’t have time to tarry.”

  As she started to turn away, he laughed. With a frown, she turned back to him.

  “What amuses you?”

  “You weren’t precisely subtle, my dear. If you’re worried that the ballroom will notice our absence, I assure you, they already have.”

  Dang! He was right. She had less time to investigate than she thought.

  “I’m a chaperone. I’m practically on the shelf. They’ll think nothing of it as long as you don’t make a fuss.” At least, so she hoped. Granted, she’d never been so bold before. She should have left him in the middle of the ballroom, no matter how rude it would have been. Even if he would have been dogging at her heels in any case.

  “You are nowhere you don’t seek to put yourself. You could be a diamond of the first water, if you chose. In fact, you could have any man in here with you. Why this sudden change of heart?”

  Katherine frowned. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “You were outright antagonistic to me at Northbrook’s party. Now you’re pulling me into secluded rooms to steal a kiss? That qualifies as a change of heart, if you ask me.”

  “I am not!” Steal a kiss? He was the last person with whom she would seek to do so. He might have charmed Lyle, but he hadn’t fooled her. Stepping back, she turned and scanned the corridor. Not that she had much hope of finding the cloaked figure now. Wait, was that a trick of the light, or did she catch movement in the shadow near the last sedan in the line?

  Wayland caught her arm, turning her back toward him. “If not for a… private moment, why did you bring me here?”

  “I spotted a cloaked figure, and I didn’t want you to draw attention to us when I left. Though it seems I overestimated your investigation abilities.”

  He mumbled something under his breath that sounded vaguely like, “So did I?” The warmth faded from his stance, replaced by something urgent. His voice deepened with disapproval. “Were you planning to slip away from the ballroom on your own?”

  “Of course. I don’t know why you’re in Bath, but I’m here to find the thief and bring them to justice.”

  “Alone.”

  “Yes,” she spat, pulling her arm away. “I’m perfectly capable of solving a case on my own.”

  He drew himself up, separating the distance between them. “Perhaps I overestimated your sensibilities. Think, Katherine. There is a felon on the loose. What do you think he would do if he found himself alone in here with you, and you were moments away from arresting him?”

  “There is a thief on the loose, not a murderer. And that’s Lady Katherine to you. We are not at all familiar, Captain Wayland.”

  “We’re more familiar than you care to admit. I could be an ally to you, not an enemy.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “You sound as though you intend to find the Burglar of Bath yourself. Is that why you’re here, to claim the reward and the glory this time?”

  “You can’t possibly be angry that I gave your friend the credit for arresting the Pink-Ribbon Murderer. Or did you want me to expose you for a detective?”

  Katherine didn’t have any answer to that. She still couldn’t fathom why he’d done it. If word got out that she made a habit of trying to solve crimes, she’d be shunned by every member of the aristocracy. That would certainly put a damper on any future investigating.

  When she didn’t answer, he added, “As I suspected. And what nonsense is this about a reward? Lord Bath hasn’t posted one.”

  “Not to my knowledge,” she answered, her voice weak. In fact, why hadn’t the marquess posted a reward for the capture of the thief? It would keep his town safer.

  Perhaps he hoped to minimize the cost by hiring the most bumbling fool in existence.

  Silence charged the air between them once more. After a moment, Wayland murmured, “There’s no one here but us. Will you return to the ballroom now, or do you mean to go haring through the streets in pursuit of anyone keeping warm on this frigid night? You probably saw a servant checking on his master.”

  Katherine hadn’t considered that. She’d caught no more than a glimpse of the figure, enough to tell that they were of a height comparable to hers and wore a hood. Berating herself, she followed Wayland to the door once more.

  By the time he reached for the latch, she shook off her momentary doubts. If the figure had been a servant, why had they run and hid when Katherine had entered the corridor? No, something more suspicious must be afoot. Her instincts wouldn’t lead her so astray.

  She stopped Wayland with a hand on his arm before he opened the door. “I’ll go first. It wouldn’t do for us to be seen emerging together, as you’ve pointed out.”

  He blew out a gusty breath. “I don’t see why not. It’s probably already circulated the building that we entered together. You know how the gossips like to wag their tongues.”

  “Be that as it may,” Katherine said through gritted teeth, “I must go check on Miss Burwick. Promise me you’ll stay here until I cross the room, at the very least.”

  He nodded, opening the door. “As the lady wishes.” The light from the ballroom spilled onto his expression, but it didn’t illuminate what she’d hoped to find. Wayland’s expression was impassive, the same bored mask any man wore for entertainment in polite society.

  She turned away
and stepped into the much warmer room. Although the fires had been extinguished, the heat of so many bodies filled the air, wafting up into the high ceiling. Katherine kept her head down as she strode across the room.

  Her gaze caught on Mr. Salmon, who started to guzzle a glass of lemonade and spilled on his precious notebook. With a look of panic, he waved the sheets in the air as if trying to dry them. That buffoon hadn’t even noticed the cloaked figure to begin with. If he was her only opponent in hunting the Burglar of Bath, then she would win handily.

  As she reached the threshold of the Octagon, she glanced over her shoulder in time to notice Wayland slip into the room. For all his rakish confidence tonight, he was a clever investigator. He might prove more difficult to outwit. However, she had some hope that, if he did have his eye on the Burglar of Bath, he would soon leave. With no reward and no compensation from the Marquess of Bath, why would a man like Wayland possibly stay in town?

  Chapter Five

  The clock struck eleven of the evening without a further glimpse of the cloaked figure, the person Katherine suspected to be the Burglar of Bath. With a sigh, she collected Pru from the card table, waiting as the triumphant woman collected her enormous pile of fish-shaped metal tokens. One of them, at least, seemed to have done well for themselves.

  Together, they joined the stream of people leading down the length of the Assembly Rooms to the entrance, where the carriages awaited on schedule. She craned her neck, searching the crowd.

  “What are you looking for?” Pru asked.

  “Lyle. I told him to ride with us back to the hotel in the carriage.”

  Pru smirked. “If you say so.”

  “What are you smiling about?”

  Her grin widened. “I happened to see Captain Wayland here earlier. Did you offer him a ride, as well?”

  Katherine gritted her teeth. That confounded rumor must have reached the card table! Through clenched teeth, she said, “I did not drag Wayland into the corridor to… become familiar with him. I thought I spotted the thief.”

  At this pronouncement, Pru straightened, growing serious. “Did you catch him?”

  “No,” she informed her. The word tasted sour. She hadn’t so much as gotten a better look at the figure’s face or form.

  “A pity. If you had, we might have escaped this drudgery and spent a week or two in one of the small towns we passed along the way before we crawled back to Mother in disgrace.”

  Katherine raised her eyebrows as they squeezed out of the doorway and into the cool open air. “You just schooled every man in Bath in the game of loo. Tell me you didn’t enjoy yourself.”

  The other woman colored up. “Perhaps I did, a little. It was nice to win. I didn’t know all men were such poor hands at loo.”

  Perhaps Pru underestimated her abilities.

  Her heels clicked on the stone steps as they descended to the row of carriages. Katherine paused in front of hers, searching again for Lyle. She smiled as he appeared.

  That smile dissolved instantly when her gaze lingered on the abnormally tall figure by his side. With an easy lope, Wayland kept pace with the Bow Street Runner as they approached the carriage.

  Once they were within earshot, Wayland offered a debonair smile and an explanation. “I hope you don’t mind the intrusion, but Murphy indicated there might be room in your carriage. The friend with whom I’m staying seems to have departed without me.”

  Katherine had half a mind to turn him away, but she didn’t want to put Lyle on the spot for having offered. No doubt, after hearing of the rumor that had spread through the Assembly Rooms like wildfire, he had assumed that Katherine and Wayland were now on friendlier terms.

  “Where are you staying?” she asked in a clipped voice. “We’re going to the Sydney Hotel.”

  “What luck, my friend is letting a townhouse on Sydney Place not far from there. There’s no need to go out of your way.” He caught her gaze, his eyes dark in the light of the streetlamp. “Besides, it might be providential to have me along in case of unforeseen interruptions.”

  Katherine understood his pointed words altogether too well. She released an exasperated breath. “Come along if you will, but we are not going to be waylaid by a band of cloaked highwaymen. Even if we were, we have Lyle for protection.”

  Wayland smiled. “I’d rest better knowing that you have added protection. Besides, Lyle and I make a smashing team.”

  Since her friend made no move to protest that announcement, nor the prudence of having him along for protection, Katherine had no choice but to admit defeat. Biting her cheek, she turned and climbed the steps into the closed carriage. After a moment’s pause, Pru followed next. Much to Katherine’s consternation, she chose the spot directly across from Katherine. Lyle wedged himself beside her, leaving the last open position at Katherine’s side for Wayland.

  Katherine laid her head back on the squabs and pretended to ignore Wayland’s presence. After a moment’s delay, the driver lurched into motion. She counted the seconds until they reached the hotel and she could be rid of her unwanted companion. Meanwhile, Lyle filled the silence.

  “What is that bag filled with, stones?”

  “Fish, actually,” Pru answered with a sniff. “I didn’t have time to change them for coin, but I’ll do that on Monday during the next dress ball. I won them at loo.”

  “Loo?” Lyle made a musing noise. “You know, I’ve never understood the mechanics of that game.”

  “It’s different if you play with three cards or five, but essentially…” Pru launched into an enthusiastic explanation of the mechanics and merit of the game. To Katherine’s surprise, Lyle seemed interested in the topic.

  Katherine was not. She never gambled.

  Wayland leaned closer to murmur in her ear. “How is Emma?”

  Katherine laughed. “Your more enthusiastic female admirer, you mean? She’s in perfect spirits.”

  “Is she getting up to the same mischief?”

  The diamond earring in her reticule suddenly weighed twice as much. Should she confess the matter to Wayland? He had interrupted her and Mrs. Fairchild during that unpleasant exchange. If he’d eavesdropped before approaching, he might already know the severity of the matter. Could he help?

  What was she thinking, asking help from her father’s greatest rival? No. One way or another, she would find the owner of the earring herself.

  “If you mean to ask whether she is shamelessly begging for attention from any man who walks past, I’m sorry to say that you’re only one in a long line. She’s likely forgotten you.”

  He chuckled. “I should hope not.” A passing streetlamp illuminated his expression as his gaze wandered across the carriage to the pair on the opposite bench. “You’re in Bath to match Miss Burwick with her future husband?”

  “Yes.” That was her cover, after all. “Though it isn’t my primary aim.” Wayland ought to know her well enough after their previous encounters to be able to extrapolate that much.

  “I did think the thefts more likely to hold your interest. You managed to make your last matchmaking job a success despite catching a murderer in the process.”

  “I did…”

  “Precisely why I have every confidence that you’ll be able to do anything you put your mind to do while in Bath, as well.”

  Katherine narrowed her eyes at him. Was that a compliment? Coming from him, it was as baffling as when he’d called her comely. They were not friends. At best, they were rivals — at worst, enemies. If he meant to use his silver tongue to convince her to share the details of the thefts as she learned them, he was destined to be disappointed. That approach hadn’t worked at Lord Northbrook’s house party, and it would earn him no more victories here.

  Had he known that she intended to make the thief in Bath her next case so soon after the last had been solved? If so, who had informed him of that secret? Her gaze drifted to Lyle, still deep in conversation with Pru. Despite his apparent good opinion of Wayland, she didn’t think h
e was likely to have spilled her secrets to the man. Lyle was a stalwart friend.

  Perhaps Wayland’s appearance here was mere coincidence.

  Unaware of her thoughts, the blackguard asked, “With whom has Mrs. Burwick asked you to pair her daughter?”

  Absently, Katherine answered, “The Marquess of Annandale.”

  “Oh?”

  The interest and enthusiasm in Wayland’s voice caught her full attention once more. What had she said?

  “As it so happens, Annandale is the friend in whose rented townhouse I am staying. Why don’t I put a good word in his ear regarding Miss Burwick? Perhaps I’ll be able to speed the matter along.”

  “No—” Katherine choked on the word. Tarnation, that was precisely what she and Pru didn’t want.

  The carriage stopped. Wayland moved to get the door before Katherine could protest further. She pressed her lips closed, not wanting to alert Pru of the blunder. Perhaps she would have a few more hours of investigation time to herself before the other woman turned the matter into a test of their abilities. If the thief was so desperate for more jewels as to linger in the shadows of the Assembly Rooms, then perhaps they had already made a grievous error that she might exploit. All she needed to do was dig a little deeper.

  Cold night air penetrated the carriage as Wayland disembarked to help the driver lay the steps for the rest of them. As he handed Katherine out of the carriage, she leaned closer, hoping to dissuade him from mentioning anything to Annandale. Unfortunately, Pru hunched behind Katherine, close enough to hear and no longer distracted with a conversation of her own. Sard it! If Wayland managed to somehow spark Annandale’s interest in Pru despite her unladylike behavior that evening…

  Then Katherine and Pru would work doubly hard to turn him away from the match. Surely the marquess was discerning enough in the woman he wanted for a wife for that to be an easy matter. If Katherine could arrange matches, she could certainly undo them as well.

  The moment Wayland handed them both down the stairs and onto the cobblestone street, he tipped his hat to them. “Thank you for the ride, Lady Katherine. Now that I’ve seen you to your destination unmolested, I will continue on my way.”