Thick as Thieves: Bexley-Smythe Quintet, #3

By Catherine Gayle

David Hounslow, the Marquess of Preston, will not stand aside while those he loves are hurt. Preston determines his brother-in-law’s guest is up to no good, so he scrutinizes every move of the would-be thief. Not that he minds—Lady Frederica is as beautiful and intelligent as she is enigmatic. Considering her wastrel brother and her proclivity for the less-than-savory, Preston never expected to be won over to the lady’s charms. Yet she just might steal his heart.

Desperation has become Lady Frederica Bexley-Smythe’s constant companion due to her brother’s affinity for gambling. With the fate of her family resting upon her shoulders, the time has arrived for Freddie to bend the rules. How else can she secure their future? Unfortunately, Lord Preston’s scrutiny complicates her task. Far more perplexing than his perusal is his caring nature, which is more than merely a distraction. But desperate times call for desperate measures…

***This novella of approximately 25,000 words was originally published in the anthology A Pact Between Gentlemen.***

• Language: English
• Publisher: Night Shift Publishing
• Release date: May 8, 2014
• ISBN: 9780989674492

Book preview

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

Thick as Thieves

Copyright © 2013 by Catherine Gayle

Originally published in the anthology A PACT BETWEEN GENTLEMEN

Cover design by Adrienne Thorne

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by any electronic or mechanical means—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without written permission.

For more information: [e-mail]

For Mom.

Because of you, I know how important it is to follow the rules, but I also know that sometimes it is even more important to break them.

David Hounslow, the Marquess of Preston, will not stand aside while those he loves are hurt. Preston determines his brother-in-law’s guest is up to no good, so he scrutinizes every move of the would-be thief. Not that he minds—Lady Frederica is as beautiful and intelligent as she is enigmatic. Considering her wastrel brother and her proclivity for the less-than-savory, Preston never expected to be won over to the lady’s charms. Yet she just might steal his heart.

Desperation has become Lady Frederica Bexley-Smythe’s constant companion due to her brother’s affinity for gambling. With the fate of her family resting upon her shoulders, the time has arrived for Freddie to bend the rules. How else can she secure their future? Unfortunately, Lord Preston’s scrutiny complicates her task. Far more perplexing than his perusal is his caring nature, which is more than merely a distraction. But desperate times call for desperate measures…

***This novella of approximately 25,000 words was originally published in the anthology A Pact Between Gentlemen.***

THICK AS THIEVES is the third novella in the Bexley-Smythe Quintet. The first two are FLIGHT OF FANCY and RHYME AND REASON. The release dates for the final two have not yet been set. The Bexley-Smythe Quintet is also linked to the Cavendish Brothers novellas, AN UNINTENDED JOURNEY and TO ENCHANT AN ICY EARL.

The Falcon & the Philosopher Inn, Cambridgeshire – December 1814

FLICKERING LIGHT FROM the hearth at the far end of the taproom cast a warm glow across the floor, wooden beams, and six very serious gentlemen gathered in a circle around one of the tables. Only an occasional pop or crackle from the fire made any sound in the otherwise vacant tavern.

Richard would want us to drink to his name, Rowan Findley announced, lifting a glass of whiskey out before him.

Robert Hurst, the Earl of Northcotte, snorted. Richard would want to be alive, he grumbled under his breath, but the others heard him clearly. And on that point they were all in agreement.

Richard Hollace, the late Lord Arrington, had lived life to its fullest. He embodied the sentiment eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we may die. And unfortunately, the latter was true in his case. It was the way Lord Arrington had passed that had caused such a pallor to be cast upon the taproom. No man liked to think about his own passing, and certainly not passing before one’s time, but to be killed so viciously, and by one’s own wife…

Which is why we should drink to his name, David Hounslow, the Marquess of Preston said softly, lifting his glass of whiskey as well.

Here, here. Sebastian Stanwick raised his glass.

The other three men followed suit as Findley said, To Richard Hollace, a damn good friend.

With a generous heart, Preston added.

And a wicked sense of humor, Nicholas Beckford, Lord Edgeworth tossed in.

The life of every party, agreed Everett Casemore, the Marquess of Berkswell.

Knower of all things equine. Northcotte smiled sadly.

Knower of all things female. Stanwick frowned.

That last bit swirled about the room, each man ruminating over the truth of it. Had Arrington known fewer females, he might very well be alive this night. He wouldn’t be lying six feet under with a hole in his head in the shape of a fire iron. The six of them wouldn’t have driven through the snow to Cambridgeshire on short notice. And they wouldn’t have sat through their old school chum’s funeral, wondering how such a tragedy could have befallen the man.

One by one, they swallowed the contents of their glasses, each wondering how the world had stopped making sense. Ladies didn’t murder their husbands. They just didn’t do such things, except… Well, except one did. Something the lot of them would have thought unfathomable a fortnight earlier had become a tragic and quite frightening truth.

What’s going to happen to her? Preston asked, his voice just loud enough to be heard over the crackling fire.

She’s been taken to Newgate, Edgeworth replied. I expect they’ll hang her.

Richard should have been more careful of her sensibilities, Stanwick said, raking a hand through his midnight black hair. He should have taken care that she not find out about his paramours.

I doubt he thought his wife was capable of such a thing, Berkswell returned.

I doubt any man thinks so. Findley sighed.

And yet women are very clearly capable of such things, Northcotte began, One only has to look as far as Richard for proof.

Again, silence befell the six men. One only did have to look as far as Richard to see that women were very clearly capable of murder. Northcotte had never spoken truer words.

Well, that settles it then— Findley broke the silence, slamming his glass on the table in front of him a little harder than was necessary —I’m never getting married. That’s the best and only way I can think of to avoid Richard’s fate.

It only took half a second for Preston to say, I couldn’t agree with you more.

Well, then, what about you? Findley glanced from Berkswell to Northcotte to Edgeworth to Stanwick.

Berkswell scrubbed a hand across his jaw and shook his head. Certainly not worth the risk. My brother can inherit.

As can my cousin, Northcotte added solemnly.

Never planned on marrying anyway. Edgeworth shrugged.

Nor I, Stanwick agreed.

Then we’re agreed, Findley announced, lifting his glass in the air once more. I, Rowan Findley, hereby solemnly vow to never take a wife.

The other five lifted their glasses and repeated the vow in unison.

Famous last words, most assuredly…

December, 1814

Hampshire

THE WIND WHIPPED past him, brisk and bracing, sending fallen leaves and twigs whirling like a dervish along the road as he traveled towards the town of Greywell. Travel in December could always prove problematic, but the chill in the air today was the sort that grabbed hold of one’s bones and launched an assault on the body from the inside out.

If David Hounslow, Marquess of Preston could have made the journey to visit his sister and brother-in-law at Padmore Glen immediately after the close of the Little Season as he’d initially intended, the traveling conditions would have been far more agreeable…and he wouldn’t be shivering to within an inch of his life. For that matter, if he’d been able to leave as planned, he could have traveled with them