couldn’t break himself of the fear that all this bounty would simply disappear.
“Where is your husband this morning? Out harassing good, law-unabiding criminals?” he asked.
Maddie untangled a lock of her hair from Susie’s fist and addressed her daughter. “Papa liked Mama’s idea that the robberies in Highgate might be linked by the locksmith that arrived to sell them new doors afterward, didn’t he?” She stood and plopped the girl-creature on Ian’s lap. “Watch her for a moment, so I can eat?”
This wasn’t his area of expertise. The child patted his waistcoat with sticky fingers. A feeling rather akin to panic started in his chest. What if he broke her? He needed the child removed, so he smiled charmingly. “Shall I tell you the story of Buxom Betty? She was a friend of mine. She worked a brothel named— Do you know what a brothel is, little one?”
Rather than snatch the child back as he’d hoped, Maddie glared. “Do remember I once castrated a man with butter knife.”
Ian shrugged and started to bounce the child, then stopped. Perhaps that was too much for a little baby. But Susie cooed and giggled so he tried it again. “Adventurous like your mama? Well, when you are older you’ll have to come visit me. I will take you to all the fun areas of London your stuffy father won’t allow.”
“What won’t Huntford allow?” a deep voice asked. “I am definitely in favor of it.”
Ian turned as the last member of the Trio, Clayton Campbell, strode into the breakfast room, his elegant blond bride on his arm.
Maddie smiled. “Clayton. Olivia. What brings you here this morning?”
Olivia smiled at the other woman for a moment, but then her face creased with concern. “We were going to ask for your help finding Ian, but apparently that won’t be necessary. We found something odd in the paper this morning.”
“ You found.” The pride in Clayton’s eyes would have been nauseating if Ian didn’t take complete credit for the two of them being together. They’d been rather hopeless in St. Petersburg until Ian stepped in and gave them the nudge they needed.
But still there was only so much a man could take. Ian spoke before they could get lost in each other’s eyes or some other poetic nonsense. “What did you find?”
Clayton spread a newspaper in front of him and pointed. “Here.”
Ian read aloud the small advertisement. “Juliana offers information on the Trio for sale to the highest bidder. Wednesday evening. Seven o’clock. At the previous meeting place.”
Olivia frowned. “It can’t be the Trio, can it?”
Ian stared at it. What the devil was the woman playing at? The message had to be for him. But what did she want? He had spent all day yesterday confirming that, yes, she had been in Brighton as she’d claimed. Why was she inviting trouble back into her house?
Into her bedroom?
Maddie took her daughter back. “Do you understand this, Ian?
Ian stood, the anticipation in his blood banishing the rest of the effects of another poor night’s sleep. “I believe a certain princess can’t wait to see me again.”
Chapter Six
J uliana paced the length of her room one more time, stopping at the window to survey the deepening shadows in the garden below. What if he hadn’t seen her message? It was a gamble—the man might not even be able to read—but it had been the only way she could think of that might reach him. She’d no other ideas.
Well, if he didn’t come, he wasn’t the man she needed for the job regardless.
She turned to look at her clock again and gasped.
He was here.
Lying in her bed.
In his shirtsleeves. Looking like every naughty fantasy she’d never, ever admit to.
Her eyes darted to where his coat hung over the chair.
How had he—
She hadn’t been looking out the window for that—
But she had a more pressing concern. “What are you doing in my bed?”
He lifted a lazy eyebrow, the rugged planes of his face merry with amusement. At her