with Danton’s oblique written admission in that note he sent to Emmy, Mancini’s testimony should be enough to convict him. Good.”
“So all you have to do now is catch him and retrieve the sapphire,” Benedict said happily. “Easy.”
Seb frowned. “What will you be doing?”
Benedict slapped his palms on his knees and stood. “I’ll be getting back to my wife. It pains me to miss an adventure, boys, but I promised Georgie I’d escort her to the theatre. You’re going to have to do this one without me. Remember not to get shot, all right?”
Chapter 39.
Alex swallowed the rest of his brandy and frowned into the fire as Benedict took his leave. “Danton’s expecting Emmy to meet him—alone—at ten o’clock, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Then we’ll go with her and take up position close by. I don’t want her near that murderous bastard any longer than absolutely necessary. She’s a witness. There’s no chance he’s going to let her live. He’ll try to shoot her, just as he did Andretti. As soon as either of us gets a clean shot, we take it, understood?”
“We can’t kill him,” Seb said, his expression grim. “I know it’s tempting, but we need him alive to face trial.”
Alex scowled. “I know.”
“If you want her to have some extra protection, why don’t we borrow that guard dog from the British Museum? He certainly looks fearsome enough.”
“Brutus? Good idea.”
“So, assuming we succeed in capturing Danton, what are your plans for the fair Miss Danvers? A carriage straight to Newgate?”
Seb’s expression was pure mischief. He and Emmy would get on extremely well, Alex thought. He tried to school his features into revealing absolutely nothing, but his old friend knew him far too well.
“I know that look!” Seb said, suddenly incredulous. “It’s the one you get when you’re about to do something stupid but heroic. Like when you leapt in front of me and saved me from that sniper’s bullet in Spain.” His smile widened. “You’re not going to turn her in, are you? I knew it! What are you going to do? The prince demands a culprit.”
“He’ll have one. Danton.”
“You’re going to claim Danton’s the Nightjar? Conant won’t believe that.”
“No, but the prince will.”
“You’re going to lie to him?”
“Danton’s the reason the Nightjar went after the gems. The most recent ones, at least. If we hand the jewels over to the prince and tell him the perpetrators have been dealt with appropriately, it won’t be a lie. Danton can stand trial and receive his just punishment for murdering Andretti. And I’ll personally vouch for Emmy’s continued good behavior to Conant if she’s spared prosecution. Case closed.”
Alex stared into the fire. Emmy wouldn’t like Danton taking credit for her heists. She was proud of her talents, and rightly so. But if this solution stopped her from being imprisoned, he would do it, her pride be damned. Danton would hang for the Italian’s murder. He might as well take the blame for the thefts too, and let the Nightjar die with him. Emmy would be free from her father’s legacy once and for all.
Seb wrinkled his forehead. “Vouch for her? How are you going to do that? Sail her off around the world? Keep her chained up at the Tricorn for the next sixty years?”
“By keeping a close eye on her for the rest of my life. I’m going to marry her.”
Alex derived a great deal of satisfaction from the way Seb’s mouth dropped open in shock.
“You’re going to what?”
“Marry her.” It got easier every time he said it out loud. Alex smiled. “I’ll swear to Conant to keep her out of trouble. I’ll keep her so busy, both in bed and out of it, that she won’t have time to steal.”
Seb slouched back in his chair and took another sip of brandy. “Does she know about this brilliant plan of yours? You’ve actually asked her to marry you? And she’s agreed?”
“Not yet. I was going to tell her, once tonight was over with.”
Seb gave a bark of laughter. “Tell her? Good God, man! I might not be married, but from everything I know about the fair sex, you don’t just tell a woman you’re going to marry her. You ask. You grovel, in fact. You get down on your knees and beg. And then you pray she’s either foolish enough, desperate enough, or pitying enough to say yes.”
Alex shifted in his seat. “She won’t refuse me.”
Seb’s disbelieving chuckle made him want to punch him in the face. “This is the same woman who