When he’d stopped writing to her.
Ian threw a hand at the street. “What happened back there wasn’t an opportunistic crime. Those men came here because of that promise. They came for me.”
Diana staggered to her feet. “Then we’ll go to the police—”
“They won’t get in the middle of this.”
She refused to accept the defeat in his voice. He was starting to frighten her, more than the toughs. “Tell me what this is all about, and we’ll find a solution. Your father—”
“This isn’t something he’d want you involved in.”
The arrogant dismissal stoked her temper. If he thought she would give up that easily, he knew nothing about her. “If that were the case, he wouldn’t have asked me formypromise.”
Ian carefully removed her knives from his pocket and wiped them clean with his handkerchief. As he handed them to her, he avoided brushing his fingers against hers.
“You’re mistaken,” he said in a soft voice. “The promise Father asked of you was to marry Jared. For your protection. From the promise he asked of me.”
Chapter Four
PresentDay
In the carriage, Diana waited an interminable length of time for Ian to capitulate to her plan.
She hadn’t calculated on him hesitating, and she chided herself for it. One of the few things she’d been able to rely on in her life was his wariness of surprises.
Her hands itched to release the nervous energy that had been building in her muscles since he’d led her through the tunnel. She reached for the throwing knife sheathed in the pocket of the cloak Amelia had placed in the coach. Its twin was strapped to the satin blue garter around her thigh.
The message she’d received with the dubious flowers had warned Diana to be cautious. The flagrant reminder made her bristle; she’d no need for it. She’d spent the last eight years carefully concealing the White Stags and their work to protect the women they served.
She forced herself to push her troubling thoughts aside to focus on the journey ahead. Ian hadn’t mentioned the address, but she knew where they were going. And where their trail would ultimately end.
But she didn’t know the route that would lead them there. For that, she’d have to depend on Ian.
The possibility terrified her.
And thrilled her.
The coach traversed Mayfair at the promised fast clip. Ian should have been relieved that Diana didn’t pepper him with questions about Jared that he didn’t want to answer. But her sudden reticence made him nervous.
She must have known he wouldn’t let her get far without asking questions of his own. Like whether she was truly concerned about Jared’s welfare, as she claimed, or if she was using the search as her excuse to escape.
Her serene expression gave no hint of the truth as she peered out the window, with the most dangerous set of gems in the world curled around her neck.
For twenty years, they’d occupied a safe deposit box in Westminster Bank. When Ian’s father first fell ill, and he’d told Ian about his legacy, he’d promised Ian the necklace. But after his father’s death, the ownership of the box had transferred to Jared, and his brother had refused to surrender it. Ian feared Jared would foolishly try to sell the emeralds. Until he learned his father had left Diana the key.
Ian had contrived a hundred different ways of breaking into the bank itself and blackmailing one of the bank’s employees to get him access to the vault, so he could make off with the necklace. There was no scenario where he’d escape.
So he’d waited for the day of the wedding, knowing he’d eventually find an opportunity to swipe the gems with little fanfare or notice.
Now, that plan was in danger of being irretrievably compromised.
He cleared his throat and reached for the lace scarf on the seat next to her. “You should put this on.” He gestured to her throat.
She darted a look at the necklace, and the corner of her mouth tipped up. “There are so many stories about these emeralds. Are any of them true?”
“What did Jared tell you?” He had no intention of revealing what she didn’t already know.
When she flapped a dismissive hand, he issued a long exhale. “The two of you never spoke about it?”
