The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes (London Highwaymen, #2)(76)

“Kit let me share the fun,” he said.

“It sounded like you weren’t the only one having fun,” said Marian. “Why am I not surprised that you charmed her already.”

“She’s the charming one.” He turned Eliza face out, as if to demonstrate how charming she was. When Eliza saw Marian, she made a happy burbling noise that made Marian want to laugh.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Eliza grabbed Rob’s hand and shoved a surprisingly large portion of it into her tiny mouth with more determination than Marian might have thought possible. And then she bit down with all her might. As she had only one tooth, she likely didn’t do much damage. Evidently dissatisfied with her experiment, Eliza let Rob’s hand drop. Across her little face passed an expression of high consternation that Marian at first thought she must recognize from Percy, but which she then realized she knew from the looking glass.

“You poor darling,” Marian said, trying not to laugh. “You’ll have more teeth soon and you’ll be able to do plenty of mischief with them. Just you wait.”

“You aren’t supposed to encourage her cannibalistic tendencies,” said Percy, who was looking back and forth between Marian and Rob with a curious expression. “I’m certain parents aren’t meant to do that.”

“She’s been attempting to devour us for an hour now,” Rob said. “Kit’s forearm is covered in very adorable bite marks.”

“For heaven’s sake. Give her a crust of bread,” said the woman Marian assumed was Betty. She stood in the doorway to what must have been the kitchen, carrying what looked like one of Percy’s swords in one hand and a Bath bun in the other. She tossed the bun to Rob, who gave it to Eliza to gnaw on, and handed the sword to Percy. “Got the emeralds out of the hilt and I’ll bring them to a couple jewelers tomorrow.” She turned to Marian. “So you’re her ladyship’s mother.”

“You shouldn’t call babies rude names,” said Rob, covering Eliza’s ears.

Betty rolled her eyes.

“I’m so glad to finally meet you,” Marian said, trying and probably failing to sound warm. “I’ve heard so much about you.”

Betty pinched Rob’s arm. “How am I supposed to make your new friends like me if you fill their ears with malice?” She shot an exasperated look at Marian and then went over to talk to Kit and Percy.

Eliza began wriggling in Rob’s arms and making grabbing motions at Marian, so Rob passed her over. She settled against Marian’s chest with a sigh.

“I have something for you,” said Rob. “I spent last night drinking with one of the footmen from Fanshawe’s London house and I learned all kinds of interesting things. And that’s in addition to the information we have from my mother.” He drew a paper from his coat pocket. “I drew up a map of the entrances to Fanshawe’s town house. That’s the mews behind it, and you can see Jermyn Street over there.”

He presented this paper to Marian with the air of a man presenting his lover with a posy. And that’s almost what it was, she realized—a courtship present.

“Let me see,” said Mr. Webb, crossing the room to bend over the map. “Who are we burgling?”

“Oh, are we doing burglaries now?” asked Percy, looking over Mr. Webb’s shoulder.

“I am doing the burglary,” corrected Marian.

“He cheated Marian’s father and stole some fancy old pieces of paper. She means to get them back and then some,” said Rob.

“If you expect me to fence old pieces of paper, you can guess again, lads,” said Betty.

“She’ll bring you something lovely,” Rob assured Betty.

“No fucking diadems,” Betty said.

“I really don’t think it was a diadem, Marian,” Percy supplied in a loud whisper. “Just a tiara. I don’t know why they keep calling it a diadem. I suppose they think it sounds fancier.”

“You’re all mad,” said Marian. “I’m taking some things that belong to my father and a bit extra to cover the amount Fanshawe raised my father’s rent. There will be neither diadems nor tiaras.”

“I really don’t see how this is supposed to be any fun at all,” said Percy.

“What I don’t see is how you mean to burgle a house you’ve never set foot in,” said Mr. Webb. “A map of the neighborhood is all fair and well, but you need to know the inside of the house—that way you can get what you want and make an easy exit.”

They all frowned at the map. “I could call on Fanshawe,” suggested Percy. “As far as he knows, I’m the Duke of Clare. For two more days, at least. He’ll receive me. I’ll get lost in the house a few times and report back.”

“There’s really no need,” began Marian, but stopped when she found four pairs of eyes trained on her.

“Nobody’s talking about need,” Mr. Webb said gently. “It’s an offer.”

Marian realized that Rob was doing precisely as he had promised at the inn the previous day: he was showing her how they could go on together. He was showing her that there was a space for them—not her old world or even his, but something new, something they could build together.

She didn’t know if it could work. She didn’t know if she was capable of the trust it would require to build a life with anybody. But she found that she wanted to try.