Sweet Revenge

to envy him that.”
    “We’re keeping an eye on the more posh parties and dos around Europe. Having an agent who’s accepted as part of the inner circle is helpful.”
    Philip only smiled and examined his manicure.
    “It appears Lady Fume is planning a gala.”
    “Yes, I’ve been invited.”
    “And accepted?”
    “Not yet. I didn’t know if I’d be in town.”
    “You’ll be here,” Spencer told him, sucking on his pipe.“Place will be full of baubles. We’d like to have you inside, keeping your eyes on and your hands off.”
    “Captain, you know you can trust me.” He grinned. It was a particularly engaging grin that caused women to think reckless thoughts. “How is that sweet daughter of yours?”
    “There’s something else you’re to keep your hands off.”
    “A purely platonic question, I promise you.”
    “You’ve never had a platonic thought about a female in your life.”
    “Caught.” Philip balled up the empty bag and tossed it in a trash can. “I’d like the report on this last incident.”
    Rogue, Spencer thought, sticking his pipe in his mouth to hide a smile. “You’ll have it tomorrow.”
    “Good. You know, I begin to see how you might have felt a few years back. It’s like an itch….” His eyes, smoke-gray, looked out over the bars. “I find myself thinking about him at the oddest time, his next move, where he lives, what he eats, when he makes love. I’ve been where he is, and yet … well.” With a shake of his head, Philip rose. “I’m looking forward to the day we meet.”
    “It may not be a meeting of the minds, Philip.” Favoring his heel, Spencer rose as well. “He could be a very dangerous man.”
    “So could we all, under the right circumstances. Good afternoon, Captain.”
    Adrianne checked into the Ritz in London several days before Lady Fume’s gala. She preferred the Ritz because it was unashamedly grandiose and because it had been her mother’s choice during the one happy trip they’d taken there. The Connaught was more distinguished, the Savoy more grand, but there was something wonderfully extravagant about gilt angels climbing the walls.
    The staff members knew her well, and because she tipped generously and treated them with warmth, they didn’t have to pretend a pleasure in serving her. She took a suite overlooking Green Park and spoke casually to the bellman about spending a few days shopping and relaxing.
    The minute she was alone she did not saunter to the plush bath to soak in salts and bubbles. Nor did she change to see and be seen at tea. All she unpacked was a silverValentino gown with a plunging neckline. Folded with the tissue paper protecting it were blueprints, floor plans, and the specs for a security system. They’d cost her more than the gown. Taking them into the sitting room, Adrianne spread them on the table and prepared to see if she’d spent her money as well as she believed she had.
    The Fumes’ town house was elegant and Edwardian, tucked quietly in Grosvenor Square with a pretty view of the green. Adrianne thought it was a pity the Fumes weren’t having their gala in their country house in Kent, but beggars, and thieves, couldn’t be choosers. She’d spent a particularly boring weekend in Kent with the Fumes and could have drawn detailed floor plans herself. The house in London was relatively unknown, and therefore she would have to depend on the information she’d purchased and her own observations on the evening of the gala.
    Lady Fume’s emeralds would bring in a pretty penny, she mused. The stingy and snobbish Fumes would, indirectly, contribute to widows’ and orphans’ funds in several cities. And the emeralds really were wasted against Lady Fume’s sallow skin.
    The beauty was the Fumes were so tightfisted they had spent only the minimum on security. They had nothing more than a standard wire system running on the doors and windows. Scanning the specs, Adrianne decided even an average thief could bypass the alarm and gain entrance. And she was much better than average.
    The first order of business was the neighborhood, the proximity of other houses, and the habits of the residents. Adrianne replaced her papers in the tissue, unearthed a black cape, and went out to take a first-hand look at the layout.
    She knew London well, the streets, the traffic, the clubs. If she’d chosen to dip into Annabel’s or the clandestine La Cage, she would have been recognized and welcomed. Another night she would