Annabel realized she was so fascinated with what he was doing that she was not keeping guard as she was supposed to do. She turned and cracked the door slightly and peered out of it. The lobby was empty.
Her pulse continued to race. She heard a click from behind. It seemed ominously loud in the silence of the night. Pierce had opened the safe. The horn had disappeared back into the satchel. He was groping through the vault's dark interior.
Annabel heard a footstep. She whirled, but saw no one, and only silence greeted her now. And then there was a tap on her shoulder from behind.
Annabel almost jumped out of her skin, but she faced only Pierce. He was smiling at her, holding out the largest ruby she had ever seen. It dangled from a strand of glistening, perfect pearls.
"Oh, my God," she heard herself whisper. And then she heard the footfalls outside in the lobby again.
Pierce heard them, too, because the necklace disappeared. A small pistol had appeared in his hand in its stead. He shoved Annabel behind him.
The door began to open.
Annabel was so tense she thought her body would snap. Sweat poured down her face and limbs in streams.
A slender man stepped into the room.
As he did so, Pierce grabbed him, clapping a hand over his mouth and pressing the muzzle of the gun to his head. "Louie." He released him.
Louie glared at Pierce, and then at Annabel. If looks could kill, Annabel would be dead.
Annabel wanted to tell him how sorry she was, but on the other hand, she wanted to throttle him for scaring her to death. But she could do neither. Pierce was signaling to them and his meaning was clear-it was time to go. He shoved first Louie and then Annabel from the room. They melted against the wall, waiting to hear any sounds from the front desk. The clerk was now snoring.
Annabel could not believe that their good fortune continued unabated. Her eyes met Pierce's.
He smiled at her and waved them forward. And as one, the trio raced across the lobby and upstairs to the safety of his room.,.
The clock in Pierce's room read three fifty-five. Pierce was grinning and holding up a bottle of champagne. As he popped the cork, he said, "I seem to recall that you are fond of champagne, Annabel."
They had done it. They had burglarized the countess, and escaped without mishap. She laughed in delight. "I am..
He handed her the bottle, sliding his arm around her. His tone low, he said, still smiling, "Even if it is warm?"
"Even if it is warm," she said, her smile fading.
His also dimmed. Annabel forgot to think. He bent and kissed her, long and slow, tongue to tongue.
"Now hold on," Louie cried, arms folded across his chest. "She's got some explaining to do."
Pierce released her. Annabel felt drugged from the kiss and what they had just done. It was hard to think, for all she wanted to do was to jump back into bed with Pierce and touch him everywhere, allowing him the very same liberties. &.
"Here," he said softly. "Ladies first."
Annabel accepted the bottle and took a long swig of champagne. How delicious it was, even at room temperature. And then she thought again of what they had done, and her part in it, and she grinned. Living dangerously was definitely in her nature.
"You seem very pleased, Annabel," Pierce said softly.
She met his blue gaze. "I am."
His gaze was probing!
"An' I got a headache you couldn't believe." Louie scowled at Annabel.
"Louie, I do believe the lady meant no harm," Pierce said, handing him the bottle.
"I'm sorry," Annabel said, meaning it. "But I was so afraid for the two of you and I wanted to help." Suddenly her elation died. They had done it, pulling off the burglary with ease and even aplomb, but what would happen now? Her heart lurched with sickening intensity. She turned to Pierce, only to find him watching her extremely closely, and he was no longer smiling, either- as if he could read her thoughts.
"Now what?" she asked with real trepidation.
"In a day or so we will check out," Pierce said easily. "After the ruby is discovered missing, after the police come, question everyone, and fail to find either the thief or the jewel."
"You will stay here?" Annabel was aghast.
"Yes. If I leave now, in the thick of the night, I will be the obvious culprit. You are the only one who knows who I am, Annabel." He was smiling.
Annabel was ill. So much so that for a moment, all words failed her. She sat down hard on his bed. Where, so recently, they had been passionately entwined. She looked at the mussed covers, recalling the intimacy they had shared.
"What is it?" His tone was sharp.
"Oh, God. I should have told you this before." She looked up. "Adam and Lizzie know who you are, Pierce. Adam recognized you and told my sister."
Pierce stared.
Annabel rubbed her temple. "She agreed not to say anything, but I do not think she can keep her silence once this theft is discovered. And Adam, why, I am certain he will come forward." Pierce cursed.
Annabel had never heard him use an epithet before, and oddly, it seemed incredibly out of character. "We are blown," he said grimly to Louie. "And we must leave right now."
Annabel started.
"An' how are we going to do that?" Louie said. "The staff’ll be up in another two hours, we won't even be out of town by then."
Pierce was grim. His gaze found Annabel.
And ridiculously, she felt as if this were her own fault. "You knew the risks," she said defensively.
"I knew the risks," he agreed.
"There wasn't time to tell you sooner," she said. Thinking about why there hadn't been time-because they had been in bed together.
"They're going to catch us," Louie said, pacing. "Even if we make the next train out, when they finger us, they'll be stoppin' the train to arrest us."
"Actually, I am in agreement with you, Louie."
The situation was horrid, and getting worse with every moment. "I will beg them not to say a word," Annabel cried.
"Adam Tarrington has too much integrity. He will point his finger at me the moment Guilia cries theft."
Annabel was of the exact same opinion. "So what will you do?"
"I will run. And with a little luck, Louie and I shall escape."
She was frozen. His words echoed. Unable to restrain herself, filled with dread, she asked, "And what about me?"
He hesitated. "History seems to be repeating itself, does it not?"
She told herself she would not allow even a single tear to fall. "I am an accomplice."
Pierce gave her an odd look and Louie snorted in disbelief.
He wasn't even going to suggest that she run away with him. Annabel could not move. She loved him, dear God, she did, but he did not return her feelings, or not to the same degree. So, once again, he would abandon her, and in doing so, kill her heart another time.
"Annabel."
She looked up.
"It would never work."
She inhaled. "Why not?"
His jaw flexed. "The risk of being caught is high now. I cannot let you take that risk, Annabel."
"You are taking that risk," she said, her tone oddly fragile.
"I am. But I am different from you. You belong here, with these people, with your family, your own kind."
And tears filled her eyes. Her own kind. The kind who preferred the drudgery and predictability of marriage and society fetes, the kind who loved nothing more than to point and whisper, judge and condemn. Poor, poor Annabel Boo the. Why couldn't he see that he was her kind? Not those other, horrid, gossiping folk?
They were one of a kind! How blind could he be?
"Annabel. One day you will fall in love with some proper but brilliant fellow, and you will marry. I am certain of it." He knelt before her. "I know you do not understand. But you are young, and one day you will thank me for what I have done."