The year is 1806. Bastard-born jewel thief David Lambert has few rules in his personal life. Never bed the staff, never more than once with the same man, and never, ever, kiss. Attending an aristocratic party and relieving some of the wealthy of their possessions should be easy, but in the space of a weekend, one by one all his rules are shattered by a footman with a secret.<br><br>Jeremy Naylor thought he had found the man of his dreams, the one man who might understand him. Someone passionate, handsome, and respectable. But in one shocking moment his world is destroyed, and he is forced to run for his life.<br><br>Flung together to escape the hangman’s noose, the passion between David and Jeremy burns fiercely. But Jeremy yearns for respectability, and David refuses to admit what lies in his heart. Will they find a way together, or will their differences lead them to the very brink of disaster and the shadow of the gallows?

Thief of Hearts

“Beg pardon,” she said. “Will you be travelling with Spencer?”


David shook his head. “No. Not this time. Bentley will go with him.”


Mrs. Crawford nodded and glanced at Jeremy’s back. She smiled softly as she left.


As the door clicked shut, Jeremy put his hands over his face. “I am so terribly sorry,” he whispered. “She must have seen.”


“She did, but it really doesn’t matter.”


Jeremy looked shocked. “Doesn’t matter? She saw me stroking your face.”


David sighed. “In my house, everyone understands my preference is for men. It will come as no surprise that we are…close.”


“Close. Intimate.” David pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes for a moment. “Jeremy, my entire life outside this place is a lie. I need to have somewhere where I can simply be myself. You will find many of the staff here have different preferences, but they are all good people. Here, we can simply be who we are. That includes you.”


“They know we are…” Jeremy gestured vaguely.


Chapter 42