Olivia Twist(85)

Olivia perched on the edge of a hardwood seat, her leg muscles quivering like jam.

The judge sat and removed his own wig, revealing thin spikes of reddish-gray hair. “Well, let’s hear it.”

In a deluge of words, Olivia explained how she’d followed Monks to Tellson’s and what she’d seen inside his safe box.

The judge leaned forward. “How can you be sure these earrings were Miss Lancaster’s?”

“Your Honor, they were her favorites. She wore them at least once a week.” Olivia had to swallow before she could continue. “The ones I saw in Monks’s safe had square amethysts and rose-cut diamonds. They were identical to Fran’s. The very same ones I saw her wearing at the Grimwig Ball.”

The judge sat unmoving, his face an impassive mask. Olivia waited, butterflies the size of crows rioting in her stomach.

“If we can prove that your half brother is in possession of your cousin’s jewels, the case against Mr. MacCarron will be thrown out.” The judge tapped a finger against his chin. “But a warrant to break into a personal box at Tellson’s could take time.”

Olivia pulled the safe key from her pocket and held it out with a grin. “That’s precisely why I alleviated Monks of this when he was otherwise occupied.”

Judge Perkins stared at the key dangling from her fingers and then shook his head, his lips curling into his red muttonchops. “I’ll pretend as if I did not hear that last bit.”

Olivia stood and handed the key to the judge, lifting her chin in challenge. “The tag says it’s for box number 160. Surely, a man of your great esteem could get the bank to reopen tonight.”



Jack hunched on the edge of his cot, his elbows on his knees, hands supporting his aching head. Although he couldn’t see outside, he sensed that the sun would be up soon. He tried to pray for his soul, but he didn’t know if he had one. Everything inside him felt hollow, his heart cracked open like an empty safe. Olivia hadn’t even come to see him. Perhaps he’d misinterpreted her feelings for him. Likely she’d already reconciled with that git, Grimwig, and they were planning their wedding.

He should’ve been happy for her, but he couldn’t help wishing he hadn’t returned the Grimwigs’ precious emeralds before turning himself in. When he’d dropped the anonymous package in the post, it had felt like the right thing to do. One final act of good. And he had to admit, once she married into the family, those jewels would look lovely against Olivia’s honeyed skin.

Heck, she looked good enough to eat with a ratty wig on her head and soot smeared on her face. Jack sighed, the visual bringing back all the emotion he’d locked away. If he could have kissed her lips one last time, he would feel absolved from everything he’d done wrong in his short but eventful life. He pushed the heels of his hands into his burning eyes. “I’m sorry, God. If I had another chance, I’d do it all so much differently.”

“Well then, today’s yer lucky day, isn’t it?”

Jack jerked upright as the key rattled in the lock and a guard opened the door with a screech. A wig-free Judge Perkins, what was left of his reddish hair sticking out in disarray all over his head, stood in the open doorway. “Took half the night and one very angry bank owner, but you’re free to go, Mr. MacCarron.”

Jack rose, his legs trembling beneath him.

“I try to run a just court, so when someone confesses to a crime they did not commit, I’m bound by the law to find the truth.”

Jack stood rooted to the spot. “And what would the truth be in this case?”

“That a heinous criminal plotted to frame his own sister for murder, in order to claim her inheritance for himself.” The judge paused and ran a hand over his sparse strands of hair, meeting Jack’s eyes. “And it would seem one extremely noble individual sacrificed himself to save an innocent young woman.”

Jack couldn’t speak, couldn’t move. Was he dreaming?

“If you don’t mind, Mr. MacCarron, I’d like to spend an hour or two in my bed this night.” The judge swept his hand in an ushering motion.

Without a backward glance, Jack rushed from his cell. “How did you know, sir? That it wasn’t me?”

Judge Perkins clapped Jack on the shoulder as they walked through the maze of dank prison corridors. “Let’s just say you’re in love with one tenacious little lady.”

“Olivia,” Jack said under his breath.

The judge chuckled as they emerged into the darkened administrative wing. “Miss Brownlow’s methods may be a bit unconventional, but I can’t deny that they are effective. She appeared in my office this afternoon dressed as a gentleman.” The judge shook his head with an incredulous laugh. “She was right, though. That Monks character had Miss Lancaster’s missing earbobs, and a copy of a will that gave him motive for framing his sister. All of it was stashed in a personal safe that Miss Brownlow discovered and brought to my attention.”

Jack walked in stunned silence. The realization that she hadn’t abandoned him, but had been working to free him, sparked a warmth inside his chest that seemed to grow larger by the second.

They rounded a corner, entering the prison lobby and the judge continued, “A warrant has been issued for Monks’s arrest. With all the evidence against him, it should be an open-and-shut case.”