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

Jeremy was the first to speak. “If you and your friends ever want help with garments, you only need ask. I am entirely at your disposal.”


“You will charge a proper rate,” she said, suddenly quite firm and pragmatic again. “I have a feeling you are going to be quite busy.”


“Oh, and when it’s just us, my name is Josephine. You can call me Jo.”


She nodded. “When I was young, I made everyone call me Jo. Of course, they thought it was Joe with an e, short for Joseph, but I knew it was just Jo. Short for Josephine.” She smiled. “It wasn’t much, but it helped.”


“David said he has to live a lie all the time so when he comes to his home he needs to be himself.”


“It’s true. Here, we can all be who we are. We’re all weird one way or another.”


Jeremy nodded solemnly. “That’s why I fit right in.”


Jo stared at him for a moment, and then laughed.


Chapter 54