Read Online The Gentleman and the Rogue by Bonnie Dee, Summer Devon - Free Book Online
Authors: Bonnie Dee, Summer Devon
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Alan. “Surprised you'd allow me a knife. After all, I might be prone to violence. You don't know about me.”
“I know you have very little in the way of manners, but that's not my concern.”
Jem dropped the silver back onto the table with a clatter. He selected a fork and a knife, and sawed away at the slice of ham.
“Tell me, Jem, what would you steal in this room?”
His words stung. Jem felt a flash of anger. He put down the fork he clutched and drew in a long breath to steady himself. First Lord High-and-Mighty mocked his manners, and now he reminded him of his stupidity the night before. The gent was obviously tolerant, but Jem suspected he wouldn't stand being called a buggering bastard.
“I'd steal naught from you, sir, especially now, for should anything go missing, you'd know where to hunt. Easy enough to set your badger or the watch after me. No, thank you. I don't court hanging—leastwise not for thievery,” he added as an afterthought.
He prodded the ham with the point of the knife to avoid looking at the handsome man who leaned on the arm of his chair and watched. Jem gave the ham a particularly sharp poke. “Last night I musta been dicked in the nob to take from the likes of you. I'm a half-a-loaf man.”
“You are offended,” Alan said. “I'm honestly curious, I assure you. I've never had a conversation with a thief.”
Oh. Now he understood. Jem decided he might sing for his breakfast, but he wouldn't tell a tale on any of his mates. He looked around the room, then examined the handle of the knife. “The silver don't have letters on it, so that'd do if I'm feeling lucky.”
He pointed the knife at a large silver thing with pedestals, bowls and strange silver animals perched all over it. A monkey hung from the side, and an elephant stood at the very top. “That thing is too bulky and too what-you-may-call-it. Distinct-like. Jimmy wouldn't care to take such a thing.”
“That thing's an epergne. Jimmy's the merchant you'd sell to?”
Jem nodded. “Runs a stalling ken, or he's a fence, we'd call it.”
Alan smiled suddenly. A real smile with white teeth.
Jem narrowed his eyes. “Don't tell me you know Jimmy, sir, because I changed his name.”
“I'm amused because you're teaching me your words, and I'm teaching you mine. Epergne for stalling ken.”
Jem chuckled. He liked this Alan when the man shrugged off that mantle of sorrow that hung about him like a fog. Hell, he liked him even when he was Lord Gloom.
“Anything else you'd take?”
Jem waved a hand airily. “The whole of it. 'Cept maybe that epergne thing. 'Tis too silly and wouldn't fit my dining room.”
“Ah. But this is the breakfast room.”
Jem hooted with laughter. “Naw, you're pulling my leg, sir. Truly? You have a special room for each meal? What if you grow peckish between the meals? Do you stand in the corridor between 'em?”
The corners of Alan's mouth twitched, and he leaned back in his chair. “After breakfast, would you care to see the other rooms?”
“So I might tell you what else I'd pinch?”
“Certainly.”
“If you want God's honest truth, there's not much I would lift from this place.”
Alan's eyes narrowed in obvious disbelief.
“Not because I'm an upright cull, but I'd wager your possessions are too costly.” Jem shook a finger at Alan and slipped into cant. “You got to be awake on all counts if you're to be an angler or crack a crib. Don't be caught with more 'n a pound in your dabblers, or the beak will pass the cramp word, and it'll be the hemp for you, lad. Better to be a clouting lay.”
“And what is that?”
“Those who dive for handkerchiefs on the sly. A humble trade, yet if you're nabbed, you still end up a lag and perhaps get some air and exercise.”
Alan nearly smiled. “You get air and exercise in prison?”
“Nay man. No real airing in the trib. Means to be drubbed at the cart's arse. A good basting.”
“Beaten behind a cart?”
Jem nodded.
Alan's
“I know you have very little in the way of manners, but that's not my concern.”
Jem dropped the silver back onto the table with a clatter. He selected a fork and a knife, and sawed away at the slice of ham.
“Tell me, Jem, what would you steal in this room?”
His words stung. Jem felt a flash of anger. He put down the fork he clutched and drew in a long breath to steady himself. First Lord High-and-Mighty mocked his manners, and now he reminded him of his stupidity the night before. The gent was obviously tolerant, but Jem suspected he wouldn't stand being called a buggering bastard.
“I'd steal naught from you, sir, especially now, for should anything go missing, you'd know where to hunt. Easy enough to set your badger or the watch after me. No, thank you. I don't court hanging—leastwise not for thievery,” he added as an afterthought.
He prodded the ham with the point of the knife to avoid looking at the handsome man who leaned on the arm of his chair and watched. Jem gave the ham a particularly sharp poke. “Last night I musta been dicked in the nob to take from the likes of you. I'm a half-a-loaf man.”
“You are offended,” Alan said. “I'm honestly curious, I assure you. I've never had a conversation with a thief.”
Oh. Now he understood. Jem decided he might sing for his breakfast, but he wouldn't tell a tale on any of his mates. He looked around the room, then examined the handle of the knife. “The silver don't have letters on it, so that'd do if I'm feeling lucky.”
He pointed the knife at a large silver thing with pedestals, bowls and strange silver animals perched all over it. A monkey hung from the side, and an elephant stood at the very top. “That thing is too bulky and too what-you-may-call-it. Distinct-like. Jimmy wouldn't care to take such a thing.”
“That thing's an epergne. Jimmy's the merchant you'd sell to?”
Jem nodded. “Runs a stalling ken, or he's a fence, we'd call it.”
Alan smiled suddenly. A real smile with white teeth.
Jem narrowed his eyes. “Don't tell me you know Jimmy, sir, because I changed his name.”
“I'm amused because you're teaching me your words, and I'm teaching you mine. Epergne for stalling ken.”
Jem chuckled. He liked this Alan when the man shrugged off that mantle of sorrow that hung about him like a fog. Hell, he liked him even when he was Lord Gloom.
“Anything else you'd take?”
Jem waved a hand airily. “The whole of it. 'Cept maybe that epergne thing. 'Tis too silly and wouldn't fit my dining room.”
“Ah. But this is the breakfast room.”
Jem hooted with laughter. “Naw, you're pulling my leg, sir. Truly? You have a special room for each meal? What if you grow peckish between the meals? Do you stand in the corridor between 'em?”
The corners of Alan's mouth twitched, and he leaned back in his chair. “After breakfast, would you care to see the other rooms?”
“So I might tell you what else I'd pinch?”
“Certainly.”
“If you want God's honest truth, there's not much I would lift from this place.”
Alan's eyes narrowed in obvious disbelief.
“Not because I'm an upright cull, but I'd wager your possessions are too costly.” Jem shook a finger at Alan and slipped into cant. “You got to be awake on all counts if you're to be an angler or crack a crib. Don't be caught with more 'n a pound in your dabblers, or the beak will pass the cramp word, and it'll be the hemp for you, lad. Better to be a clouting lay.”
“And what is that?”
“Those who dive for handkerchiefs on the sly. A humble trade, yet if you're nabbed, you still end up a lag and perhaps get some air and exercise.”
Alan nearly smiled. “You get air and exercise in prison?”
“Nay man. No real airing in the trib. Means to be drubbed at the cart's arse. A good basting.”
“Beaten behind a cart?”
Jem nodded.
Alan's
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