Chapter 6

Chapter Six

The Next Day

" I love you."

He pulled the sensual redhead into his arms and claimed her luscious lips in a searing kiss. She purred like a contented cat as his mouth traveled down her neck. He had never known anyone like her—someone who needed him as much as he needed her. She understood him like no other woman ever had. She knew how to bring him to the heights of ecstasy. And he knew what set her on fire.

As a Tower of London guard, Rosco Black was privy to nefarious opportunities for the right price. It was easy to make extra coin by doing certain tasks, such as acquiring opium for a certain lord or looking the other way when another toff's favored footman paid a nocturnal call. Usually , he spent the bribe on a night at The Rooster and squirreled the rest to fund his own unique hobby. But since meeting her , he'd begun to purchase trinkets and other items to ease her life in the Tower . All he wanted was to make her happy. It had become the driving force in his life. He'd even curtailed his monthly habit of prowling the streets of London hunting for his next trophy.

One day I'll take Lady Endora Deville away from this hell. We'll go where no one can find us and live our lives as they were meant to be — together .

When the right opportunity presented itself, he would find a way to steal Endora away—and make her his forever…

" I love you," he said again after he'd brought her to the pinnacle as only he knew he could do.

She gave a feline stretch and lay back on the pillows. " Hmm …how wonderful, Rosco , darling," she said, running her finger along his lips. " Did you bring me something today?"

" I did." He rose from the bed and retrieved a small box and a folded newspaper from his satchel. " Your favorite newspaper, The Tattler , and a treat for my lady," he said, presenting them to her with a bow.

" Oh , I so love marzipan! Thank you," she gushed, reaching for the box.

" No , allow me," he said, feeding her a red marzipan treat.

" Mmm ," she said, chewing on the bonbon as she shook out the newspaper, flipping through the pages. " What a perfect way to spend the afternoon."

He wished he could lie abed and watch her all day, but he had other duties that he had to attend to. He smiled to himself as he pulled on his trousers, knowing that one day they would spend every day in such ease.

A high-pitched screech from the bed made him jump. He turned to find the love of his life red-faced with fury.

" That skinny bitch!" she snarled, throwing the box of marzipan to the floor. " I can't believe it!"

" What is it, my love? What is the matter?" he asked, rushing to her side.

" Why didn't you kill her?"

" Kill who?"

" The Latham chit! She's all over the Tattler —parading about London , going to balls, attending the theater. I wanted her gone so the perfect Viscount Thomas Latham and his precious Viscountess , Frankie , would suffer," she spat. " What woman goes by a man's name? Frankie !" she said the name again with a sneer. " If only I could have done away with her—then Latham would have lost his mind for certain." She flung the newspaper aside. " The next best solution was to do away with Latham's sister. And you failed!"

Rosco sighed. This was not the first time his lady love lost her temper over the botched robbery last year. For months, he'd managed to mollify her with regular reports of the young woman's self-imposed imprisonment. He'd kept watch on the Latham's townhouse and only ever saw her venture into the garden, her face a mask of pain and sorrow. Endora had loved hearing him describe how the girl sat on a bench under a tree and sobbed for hours.

" Why oh, why didn't you kill that simpering twit when you had the chance?" Endora shouted, bringing his attention back into focus. " It was meant to be a robbery gone wrong. The perfect crime and completely unconnected to me. How many times do you have to be told things? And now, everything is all ruined!"

" I told you. The Latham chit screamed, and men came running to help her. I didn't have time to do it, my love…" Roscoe said, trying to appease her.

" Nonsense ! You messed it up. Admit it. When I get out of here, I will have my vengeance. They will all feel my wrath. I will see to their demise— Latham , his wife, and the Dowager Duchess of Clarence ," she muttered with a scowl.

" Yes , my love," he soothed, plumping up the pillows and easing her back against them.

" Why didn't you want to kill her?"

How did she know he had hesitated? When he saw Miss Latham , a familiar feeling took over but ended just as quickly. She wasn't his type. The chit had dark hair and he had only ever liked blondes until Endora . When he remembered what Endora wanted, it was too late. Help was coming and he had to run. By the time he was sufficiently on his way home to Endora , he no longer felt that need. She was all he needed.

" I want you to contact your two buffoons and have them return to London . We need another plan to do away with her."

" I promise, my love. I will do it right away," he said, running his hand down over her naked flesh.

She moaned and pulled him down on top of her. " Tell me again how you felt when you killed Colborne ."

" It was like a bolt of lightning surged through me…" he rasped in her ear.

Only I know what she needs, what she craves. Only I can make her happy.

How he wished he had killed the Latham girl. Letting her live was disturbing his life, causing him more trouble than he'd imagined.

" You love me, don't you?" he asked, gazing into her eyes.

" Yes , my darling," she said, driving her nails down his back and smiling with wanton pleasure. " You know how I feel. You've always known."

Yes , always…

Sebastian arrived at the dowager duchess' promptly at ten o'clock. His curiosity was piqued by the dowager's request to meet with him.

" Your Grace , Lord Soren , is here to see you," Franklin intoned, stepping into the drawing room doorway where the dowager duchess and her two charges were having tea.

" Lord Soren , thank you for paying me a call," the dowager said and then nodded to the two young ladies. " You know Miss Latham and Miss Gowans ."

" It's a pleasure to see you both this morning," Sebastian said, giving a deferential nod of his head.

His gaze riveted to the brunette beauty in an olive-green dress to the right of the duchess. Her smile was warm and welcoming and made him wish they were alone.

" Good morning, Lord Soren ," Katie said, followed by Paula .

Paula was there, which offered a good opportunity to bring up the sketching idea. He made a mental note to mention it.

The duchess smiled. " We were just having tea. May I offer you some? It'll warm you up."

" I'd like that, Duchess ."

She gave a respectful nod and poured him a cup. " Help yourself to cucumber finger sandwiches and biscuits."

" Lemon biscuits are a favorite; you don't have to ask me twice," he said with a grin as he chose a lemon biscuit and took a bite.

They spoke of various pleasantries for a few moments until the duchess cleared her throat. " I asked you to stop by to ask you two favors." She glanced at Katie and Paula . " This is nothing I cannot say in front of my girls."

" I am at your service, Duchess ." He had known the duchess since leading strings and felt comfortable using his pet name, Duchess , when not in a social setting.

She smiled. " As I mentioned, there are two favors, which I hope you won't find odious of me to ask of you. We plan to attend several of the balls during the holiday season, and I wondered if you would escort us—so that I may ensure the safety of my charges.

Sebastian didn't hesitate. He was going to attend in any case, but this made his promise to Latham all the easier. " I would be happy to accommodate as many outings as I can."

The duchess sat back and smiled. " Excellent ," she said, clapping her hands. " My next request might seem strange at first, but I think you will agree—a necessary one." She glanced at Katie and then turned her gaze back to him. " I have heard of your extensive talent in the art of self-defense. And I wonder if you might give fencing lessons to Miss Latham . At least enough to help her feel more confident. She has expressed an interest in knowing more about the art and, were his countess not on the verge of delivering their first child, I know her brother, the viscount, would have taught her himself."

" Is this true? You'd like to learn to fence?" he asked.

Katie nodded, and he recognized the same determined glint in her eyes he had seen years ago in the eyes of a young female informant in Paris . Given the danger she had undertaken, Sebastian had planned to teach his informant how to defend herself, but she was killed before he could help her. " I would be delighted to be of service."

" Excellent ! Perhaps we can begin this afternoon?" the dowager said.

" I am happy to do that. But I have one request to make," Sebastian said, looking at Katie . " Miss Latham and I were discussing her recurring dreams where she has recalled various details of the night of the attack?—"

" I saw the faces of two of the thieves," Katie interjected.

He nodded. " Yes . Miss Latham also mentioned that Miss Gowans is an excellent artist and perhaps could be of assistance in sketching the faces of the thieves based on Miss Latham's descriptions."

" A capital idea!" the dowager said. " Paula , what say you to this?"

Paula nodded enthusiastically. " Of course, I would do anything to help Katie ."

" Excellent !" the dowager proclaimed. In the meantime, I took the liberty of having an area of the ballroom prepared for a fencing lesson, complete with epees, masks, gloves, plastrons, and jackets. They used to belong to my dear husband. And Katie , dear, I've included the fencing jacket I used when my husband gave me lessons. I've noticed you are also right-handed, so it should suit. We can begin with your first lesson today."

" T -thank you, Your Grace ," Katie replied.

Sebastian noticed Katie looked surprised, although she had not seemed so about the lessons. Was there nothing the dowager could do? The woman had truly thought of everything.

Do you fence, Your Grace ?" he asked.

" Oh , my goodness," the elderly woman replied with a dismissive flick of the wrist. " I was quite good back in the day before you were even born. As I mentioned, my dear George taught me all those years ago. I had won a wager, you see, and the duke had to, despite his reservations. But he was a wonderful teacher," she said with a mischievous smile.

Sebastian noticed Katie's lips twitch in humor and her eyes danced with merriment at the dowager's story.

" That is remarkable, Your Grace ," Sebastian said. " You must have caused quite a stir back then."

" I never stopped causing a stir, young man. Now , I do hope you will join us for dinner, Lord Soren ."

Sebastian opened and closed his mouth, feeling much like a fish. " My apologies, but I have a dinner engagement with Sir Nelson? —"

" Nonsense ," the dowager interjected with a thump of her cane. " We will invite Sir Nelson to join us here for dinner. Afterward , we can begin sketching Katie's recollections. Franklin will see that Sir Nelson is informed of the change in plans."

Is that a sparkle he saw in the dowager's eyes? Hopefully , she wasn't scheming again. She was known for her penchant for matchmaking. Sebastian readily acknowledged his attraction to Katie , but marriage was another matter entirely. His work took him from place to place, certainly not conducive to having a wife and family. At least not at this juncture of his life.

Sebastian's eyes met Katie's and her expression was one of bemusement. He gave a little shrug and grinned. The dowager Duchess of Clarence was an unstoppable force of nature.

" Then you appear to have removed every obstacle," Sebastian quipped. " We can begin when you are ready, Miss Latham ."

" I am ready to begin as soon as possible," Katie said.

With the look of excitement on her face, Sebastian had a feeling it would not take Katie long to gain her footing in the sport.

Tapping her cane once more, the dowager stood. " Good . Everything is settled. I think we should get started. Come with me."

The dowager exited the parlor, clearly expecting them to follow her. Which they did.

The dowager led them to the ballroom where she had indeed thought of everything, including a screened-off changing area for Katie . Her maid Millie was there to assist as well.

Sebastian would do without wearing the fencing jacket. He did not require it in any case for their first lesson.

" My dear, I feel that if I hover, it may impede your success," the dowager said to Katie . " There are things you must know to learn the sport, and I trust Lord Soren to show those without compromising you. I shall leave the ballroom door open, and Millie will sit just outside the door in case you need anything."

A blush stole over Katie's face. " Thank you, Your Grace ," she said.

" Please , we know each other so well. You may call me Duchess ." The dowager glanced up at Lord Soren . " As he does. We can be more formal in public." She looked at Paula . " Come Paula . Let me show you my collection of silk scarves," she said, dragging a bemused Paula behind her. Millie followed close behind.

Even though the doors to the ballroom were open and Millie was sitting just outside, Sebastian could not help but be aware of the fact that they were alone. Katie took a step toward him, her gaze meeting his. How beautiful she looked and how tempting it would be to take her in his arms and kiss that luscious mouth. He pushed those thoughts aside. He was there to teach Katie how to fence, not indulge his secret whims.

He could read the excitement in her lovely face, along with nerves, and he wanted to help ease her anxiety.

Clearing his throat Sebastian picked up an epee. " There are different rules for scoring depending on the different weapons used. But since you are learning for self-defense, we will focus on the movements and not the scoring aspect. That way, most of what you learn is transferrable to the foil."

" Oh , I have a foil," Katie said, retrieving a parasol hooked on the back of a chair. " The duchess gave it to me the other day while she and my mother were having tea. It seems my mother approves of my learning as well."

She pressed the underside of the frilly white parasol and slid out a foil. " Voila !" She grinned, waving the foil in the air with a flourishing motion.

Sebastian couldn't help but smile at her endearing enthusiasm. " Did she show you the foil she has hidden in her cane?"

" Yes ," she said, handing him the foil to examine. " I thought it was a secret though."

He laughed. " If it is, it's the worst kept secret in London ." He handed the foil back to Katie . " It's finely made. I'm glad the dowager and your mother realize that learning to defend yourself will help you in the long term to vanquish some of your fears."

Katie nodded, her face solemn, her eyes glistened with tears. " Forgive me," she said in a husky voice, blinking furiously.

Damn ! The last thing he wanted was to make her cry. He reached out and took her hand in his. " No , it is I who should ask for forgiveness. I am sorry, Katie ." He took a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her.

" Thank you, but it was not your words," she said in a soft voice, dabbing her face. " I am truly happy that you are helping me vanquish my fears."

Her extraordinary blue eyes met his and it was all he could do to keep from taking her in his arms and kissing her tears away. God help him, but it was getting harder to resist those bow-shaped pink lips.

He glanced at the open door, reminding himself that Millie was sitting out there, and while there was a significant distance between them and the door, and he knew Millie could not hear most of what they said, the young maid could walk in at any moment, as could the dowager. " I am glad you are happy about learning to fence," he said, clearing his throat again. " Shall we begin?"

" She nodded, a wobbly smile on her face.

" There are common terms to learn—many of which you have probably heard. The first is en garde —a phrase that means ready and summons both opponents to the fighting stance, which is thus." He demonstrated the stance with his foil. " You face your opponent with your fighting side forward. Allow me to show you." He stepped behind her. " We are both right-handed, so we will face each other with our right sides, thusly." He eased her into position, showing how to use the left arm for balance. Warmth spread through him as soon as he touched her. It had been this way from the first moment he'd met her. And he wondered if she felt it as well. " Now you try," he said, his voice sounding ragged to his ears. He stepped back to give her room.

Katie quickly sprung into the en garde position. She had done it perfectly. " How did I do?"

He swallowed. She looked beautiful, even with the silly fencing jacket covering her slender curves. " Well done. You look like you are ready for the next step." He nodded as he picked up his foil. " As I mentioned, we'll dispense with the scoring rules, as that differentiates the weapons in this sport. This is for self-defense, so you must strike from any angle possible."

Sebastian taught her the meaning of riposte, parry, block, and thrust, demonstrating each move first and then helping her parrot each stance. They spent the next two hours practicing each move over again until she knew each one by heart.

Katie had moved past her tears and was completely engrossed in learning each stance. Sebastian was impressed by her endurance and strength of will. Never had he enjoyed fencing more than he had with Katie —not only sparring with swords but verbally sparring with her as well. Her humor was quick and her eyes gleamed as she parried him word for word.

" Let's try it once more. En garde !"

Once they assumed their position, Katie thrust with a look of sheer determination on her face. Then she stopped. " You're certain I cannot hurt you," she said, panting from the last half-hour of exertion.

" Yes , I am certain." He laughed and blocked her, showing her one of his many blocks.

He reposted, and she parried.

" How often can we practice?" she asked, thrusting once again in his direction.

" How often do you want to see me?" he asked, failing to realize what he'd said until he said it. He blocked her and reposted.

" I … I enjoy seeing you very much," she stammered as she parried.

There it was. What he shouldn't want to hear. Only he did want to hear it—she enjoyed spending time with him. " I can come by tomorrow for another lesson, but I wanted to make sure you were up to it," he said, parrying.

" I would love that," she said, stepping back. She beamed at him, her blue eyes sparkling.

He almost forgot himself as he beheld the warmth in her smile. And before he knew it, she thrust her epee and scored a touch at his midsection. " I did it! I did it!" she said gleefully, jumping up and down.

" You did. I must have fallen asleep not to have seen that coming," he jested. " You're an excellent student and a quick learner." Sebastian grinned. " You win."

A tap on the floor drew his attention to the opened doors. " I say, you've done well in one day!" said the dowager. " I hope the next lesson is soon, so you can build on that success!"

" Would tomorrow be too soon, Duchess ?" Katie asked.

" Tomorrow ?" She laughed. " Of course not. I want you to learn. If Lord Soren has time for us, we will make time for him!" She thumped her cane as if to change the subject. " I have sent an invitation to Sir Nelson for dinner."

" I should leave so that I may change for dinner. I will return with Sir Nelson . I feel sure he won't be able to refuse your invitation, Duchess ." He placed his mask, glove, and epee on a table. " Thank you for providing the opportunity to teach Miss Latham … Katie has already proven to be a most apt pupil and has done better in her first lesson than many men I know who've had years of practice."

" When you have the motivation Katie has, my dear Sebastian ," the dowager drawled, " You learn things quickly."

Sebastian gathered his hat, coat, and gloves at the door. " This has been an unexpected and most delightful afternoon, ladies, Your Grace . I shall return for dinner."

Once outside, Sebastian turned back to see Katie watching him from the parlor window. He winked and turned back to the drive where his coach awaited.

" Why don't we step into the drawing-room, now that dinner is over," the dowager duchess said, standing. " Franklin has set up an easel with paper, and there are charcoals." She turned to Paula . " Will that suffice, my dear?"

They stepped into the cozy room. Books lined two walls, with gliding ladders that slid to the various stacks. A roaring fireplace was built into the wall across from the bookshelves. A painting of the dowager hung over the mantel. The fourth wall featured portraits of her son, the duke, her children, the duke's family, along with the duchess and her late husband hanging on both sides of the window. " I miss him," the dowager whispered, glancing up at her husband.

Katie heard the heart-felt remark, and her own heart squeezed. She knew the feeling, having lost Wendel . And yet the sharp pain she'd felt for months after Wendel's death had lessened to an ache and she didn't know how she felt about that.

" I thought it might be helpful if Miss Latham and Miss Gowans sat next to each other," the duchess suggested, pulling Katie from her thoughts. " Lord Soren , Sir Nelson , you may sit across from the young ladies to offer advice. I will sit here on the chair."

A footman walked in with a small tray of drinks and set them down beside the duchess.

" Please , help yourself to an after-dinner drink. We have brandy and sherry."

Katie and Paula chose a sherry, and Katie suppressed a smile as the duchess took a brandy, as did the men. " I'm ready. I've been giving this thought all afternoon, so there's some anxiety to see if we can put my jumbled thoughts to paper and have them make sense."

" Katie , tell us what you recall," Sebastian said. " Miss Gowans , perhaps you can interpret her thoughts onto the paper."

" Please call me Paula , Lord Soren ," Paula suggested. " I'm already nervous enough." She chuckled. " I hope I can rise to the challenge."

" Very well, but I insist you call me Sebastian . And I am certain you will do very well. Katie has told me how talented you are."

Paula blushed becomingly, and Katie couldn't help but notice the slight frown on Sir Nelson's face as he glanced between Paula and Sebastian .

" And I insist that you both call me Nelson ," Sir Nelson said abruptly. " Everyone else does."

" Thank you, Nelson ," Katie said with a smile.

" Very well," Paula added in rather a stiff tone.

Katie caught the irritated look Paula shot at Nelson . Nelson was Sebastian's friend and Sebastian trusted him completely, and yet for some reason, Paula , who was usually so affable and quick to smile had been rather prickly toward him at dinner. The dowager had placed Paula next to Nelson and Katie had seen them exchange only a few stilted words but not much else.

She took a sip of her sherry and thought it best to begin with her description. Perhaps as the evening progressed, Paula would soften her view of Nelson .

" It might help if you close your eyes," Sebastian suggested, his voice kind.

Katie nodded and closed her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she waded through her memories and tried to focus on what she remembered. " I recall a tall, substantially sized man. He had black, almost obsidian eyes. His eyes haunted me for the longest time—and then in a recent dream, I saw the rest of his face."

With her eyes closed, Katie heard the scratching sounds of charcoal on paper.

" Do you remember the shape of his face, Katie ?" Sebastian asked.

" I think he had a round face," Katie said, her eyes still closed.

" Any distinguishing features or marks on his face," Nelson asked.

" A scar—a thick white scar below his mouth, shaped like a moon." Katie's eyes flew open. " I just remembered that. It wasn't in my dream. How strange."

" It could be this process of sitting and actively visualizing the attacker's face while someone sketches beside you that may have nudged your memory in the right direction," Sebastian said with a smile. " I've seen this happen before."

" Remarkable ," Katie said.

" How is the sketch coming along, Paula ?" Nelson asked, leaning forward. He was sitting directly across from Paula and was clearly angling to see the sketch.

" It's coming along just fine, thank you very much, and I'd thank you not to peek," she huffed, shifting in her seat to hide the drawing from his view.

" Well , it's a very good start," Sebastian said, with a quick wink at Katie . " Do you recall any other distinguishing features?"

Katie nodded. " Thick eyebrows. They looked like one large, furry eyebrow."

" So , one brow across his face?" Paula asked.

" Yes ." Katie shivered involuntarily.

" All right, give me a moment to catch up." Paula bit her lower lip as she sketched furiously, the charcoal scratching loudly on the paper. When she finished, she turned the pad toward Katie . " Like this?"

Katie tilted her head and stared at the picture. " Hmm …something isn't quite right."

" You've made his face heart-shaped, if you ask me," chimed Nelson , who'd stood up and was now looking over Paula's shoulder.

" I didn't ask," Paula said, smiling tightly. " But I'll make it rounder." She reached for a small scrap of cloth on the table and gently smeared the edges of the drawing.

" His face was longer, not round like a circle, more like an egg shape, and he had a wide forehead with heavy lines across."

" What about his eyes, Katie ? What shape do you see?" Sebastian asked.

Katie closed her eyes again and pushed herself to remember. This is for Wendel . " His eyes were beady, dark, scary."

Paula sketched quickly. " What about this?"

Katie opened her eyes again and examined the sketch. " Yes ! That looks like his eyes. Well done, Paula ."

Paula smiled and shot Nelson a smug look.

Nelson arched a brow and shot a challenging look back.

Katie was becoming even more curious about their exchange.

" What about his nose?" Sebastian asked, clearing his throat. " Noses can be a very distinguishing feature."

" He had a bumpy nose," Katie said, touching her own nose. " And it was crooked as if it had once been broken," she added. " And at the bottom, it lifted a little with wide nostrils."

" How close did he get to you, Katie ?" Paula asked.

An involuntary shiver skittered down Katie's spine at the thought. She shook her head. Too close. He rubbed himself on me . " If only I had heeded Wendel's order to hand over the pearls." She wiped a tear from her eye. " Perhaps he would not have been killed."

" Are you all right?" Sebastian asked solicitously.

" Dear , we can stop this if it's too much for you," the dowager said suddenly.

" Thank you, Duchess , but I would like to forge ahead. We have to do this," Katie said. " So that we can catch him and his cohorts."

" That nose looks more like a camel's hump than crooked," Nelson said, causing Paula to glare in his direction.

" I know what a crooked nose looks like," she snapped. " If you think you can do better, be my guest…" She held out a piece of charcoal.

Nelson held up his hands. " It was a mere suggestion and not meant as a criticism."

Katie looked between the bickering pair. For the life of her, she couldn't reconcile their sniping. It was so unlike Paula .

" What about the mouth, my dear? That's a very important thing," the dowager piped in.

" His lips were thin. The white scar was bigger than his lips. I remember that because I barely knew he had lips beneath his large black mustache." She gasped and her eyes widened. " Oh my, he had a black mustache!"

" Well done!" Sebastian said.

" I can't believe that I just remembered that."

" I have seen that before too," Sebastian said. " Sometimes what is buried in the mind suddenly comes to the forefront when one is in the process of describing a traumatic event."

" It is extraordinary," Katie said, feeling encouraged by Sebastian's smile. She took another deep breath and closed her eyes as she recalled the leader's face. " I think the mustache looked crooked—as though it might have been fake."

" So , he was possibly wearing a fake mustache. Did you say his hair was dark?" Sebastian asked.

" Yes . It was black. And stringy. To his collar."

Paula continued to sketch and after a few moments turned the pad toward Katie again.

" That's him!" Katie said with a shudder. " It's him." Her eyes met Paula's . " You did it, Paula ! You sketched him. That is the leader of the trio of thieves who attacked Wendel and me last year." Katie embraced her dear cousin. " Thank you, Paula . Thank you so much."

Paula hugged her tightly. " You're welcome, Katie . I'm so happy I can help."

" Here , here!" the dowager said. " I second that. Well done, Paula and Katie ."

" May we see the sketch?" Sebastian asked.

" Of course," Paula said, handing the pad to him.

Sebastian stared at the sketch and then passed it to Nelson .

Nelson's eyes narrowed as he examined the drawing. " Hmm …this bloke looks familiar to me, only I cannot recall where and when I saw him."

" I hope it will come to you, my friend, it would be of immense help."

Nelson nodded. " Can you describe his stature, Katie ?"

" Yes , he was big and tall, with broad shoulders."

" Didn't you mention there was another man?" the dowager asked.

" Yes , Duchess . There was. The leader called him Doogan ."

They worked on the sketch of Doogan . Nelson drew closer to Paula's easel and Katie noticed she sketched faster, almost as if she were hurrying so she could get away from him. Paula's behavior around Sir Nelson was so unlike her friend. She made a mental note to ask Paula about it later.

In a short time, they produced a drawing they could use in their search for the killer.

" Looking at these sketches, both of these miscreants have struck a chord with me," Nelson said.

" They are the sort one might see at an alehouse in Covent Garden ," Sebastian added.

" That's it!" Katie's thoughts lit up like a flash of lightning.

" What is it, Katie ? Do you remember something else?" Paula asked.

" The Rooster ," she exclaimed. " I remember one of the thieves suggested they head to The Rooster ."

" That's wonderful, Katie ," Sebastian said, taking her hand in his. " I'm so proud of you."

Katie's breath caught at his words. His dark eyes were filled with such warmth, she could have gazed into them for hours.

" Yes , of course," Nelson interjected. " The Rooster is a well-known public house that is frequented by the criminal element."

" And how would you know that?" Paula blurted.

" I'm a man who knows a great many things," Nelson countered, arching a dark brow.

" Bravo , Katie ," the dowager said, setting her empty brandy glass on the side table. " I think that is enough for today. We've accomplished a great deal. Well done to all of you."

The dowager was right. They had accomplished a lot today—first, the fencing lesson, where she'd learned so much, and now the sketches. She suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion wash over her. And a sudden worry that nightmares would plague her again now that she could see those faces.

" Do you think the sketches will help?"

" I am positive that between the sketches and knowing the alehouse the thieves frequent, we will find these men, Katie ," Sebastian said.

" And not to worry. Soren's virtually unkillable," said Nelson .

" What does that mean?" asked Katie .

" Sebastian has honed his fighting skills on the battlefield and his work as a security expert. He's probably the best hand-to-hand fighter in the land," explained Sir Nelson . " He is almost unstoppable in combat."

" Pay no attention to him," Sebastian said, frowning at his friend.

Nelson shrugged. " I was only offering reassurance."

Sebastian turned back to Katie and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. " I promise, Nelson and I will be careful in our search for these men."

Katie's nerves felt raw, as a strange sense of foreboding swept over her. " I — I hope so," she said.