“Does this intense euphoria ever fade?” she asked. When would lust’s flames stop burning so brightly? Would the inner agony dull over time?
Theo shrugged. “What exists between us is unlike anything I have experienced before. Our relationship is unique.”
“Oh.” What did that mean? She was too afraid to ask.
When you secretly loved someone, there was still hope.
The pain of shattered dreams was hard to bear.
Seeking a distraction from her wayward thoughts, she glanced at the pretty reticules in the shop window and nearly fell off the leather seat.
She pointed at the sign. “Tell me my eyes deceive me.”
He read the name painted in red script on the pale blue background. “Franklin’s Emporium? Franklin? Any relation to the silversmith?”
“I don’t know. Might it be a coincidence?”
“There’s only one way to know for sure.”
They alighted. With Finch Lane being a five-minute walk from Fortune’s Den, Theo instructed Godby to return home.
“I thought you might appreciate the exercise,” he said to her, a teasing glint in his eyes. “Perhaps we might dine with Aaron tonight. He will be glad of the company. You can wait in my room while I assist him at the club.”
The thought of dining with Aaron filled her with dread. He didn’t want her there, but Theo loved his brother, and so she would smile and be polite.
“While I wait, might I sleep in your comfortable bed?”
His smile turned sinful. “Sleep while you can. When I return, I doubt we’ll keep our hands off each other.”
A vivid scene entered her mind. Them kissing until breathless.
I’m so in love with you, she wanted to say.
“You know how to appeal to a woman’s fantasies.”
“I know how to appeal to yours. I don’t care about anyone else.”
They locked gazes for a heartbeat.
No words were needed.
Upon entering the emporium, they were greeted by the tinkling of a tiny bell and an enticing display of costume jewellery filling the glass cases.
A woman of thirty approached them, her dark hair fixed in an elegant coiffure, a pretty lace choker fastened around her neck. “Good afternoon.”
Eleanor stepped forward. “Good afternoon. Might I look at the emerald-green reticule in the window? The one with the gold embroidery?”
“Of course.” The assistant removed it from the window and placed it on the velvet pad on the counter. “The colour matches your eyes perfectly.”
Eleanor could sew something similar in an hour, but she studied the stitches and the tiny glass beads. The design reminded her of something she had made to complement Lady Beckett’s new carriage dress.
“It’s beautiful.”
Theo moved to stand beside her. “It’s yours if you want it.”
She looked at him, tempted to say yes so she could thank him later. “You’ve spent enough money already.” She turned to the assistant. “Are they made by a local seamstress?”
“They’re made by my cousin. She’s a budding designer.” The lady explained she was the proprietress and introduced herself as Miss Franklin. “Those in the window are the first Anna has had the courage to sell.”
“Anna?” Eleanor feigned curiosity. “I’m quite sure I know her, assuming her surname is Franklin. I live in New Bridge Street and taught my neighbour Anna Franklin to sew.”
The lady clapped her hands in surprise. “You must be Miss Darrow. How wonderful. Anna speaks so highly of you. You’re her inspiration.” Her smile faded. “There’s been some terrible business in the street lately. Thieves running amok. It’s bound to ruin livelihoods.”
“Anna believes the men on the merchant ships are to blame.”
“I fear it’s a problem throughout the city. Anna’s friend had me make a paste version of her grandmother’s diamond necklace.” She gestured to the display of costume jewellery in the cabinet. “The poor lady was terrified to wear the original in case someone snatched it from around her neck.”
The cogs in Eleanor’s mind began turning. There would be an uproar if Lady Lucille’s family knew she’d sold her jewels. The only way to avoid detection was to have copies made.
“Ah, you speak of Anna’s friend Lucille.”
The proprietor tapped her finger to her lips. “It’s supposed to be a secret. Anna is quite protective of her new friend. Different social backgrounds can be a problem. Few members of the aristocracy are accepting of the working classes.”
“Of course. Lucille asked me to deliver a letter here for Anna, but a thief stole it when he ransacked my shop.” Eleanor slapped her hand to her chest as if she had spoken out of turn. “Forgive me. I swore my involvement would remain a secret.”
The lady offered a reassuring smile. “Yes, Anna was expecting the note. Her brother Geoffrey is very protective and would have bombarded her with questions if it had been delivered to the house. He would assume someone of Lucille’s standing was mocking Anna and then tear up the missive.”
“I’m sure that’s not the case,” Eleanor said. But how had the women fostered an unlikely friendship? It can only have been when they met at her modiste shop. “But you have my word. I’ll not mention our conversation.”
