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“It was snowing out and rather chilled. I went out to quickly dispose of some rubbish and when I lifted the lid, a pair of enormous, round eyes greeted me. I screamed.”

Evelyn laughed.

Ollie couldn’t help but grin and there was a strange but pleasant warmth that rushed over him.

“After I recovered, I looked closer into the bin, expecting a rat or something, but instead, I found a cat. And it was the filthiest cat I’d ever seen.

Despite this fact, and probably because I was drunk, I lifted her out and she swiped a claw at me and hissed.

It took me a moment to realize I had interrupted her dinner.

Inside the bin was an entire Christmas ham she had lifted from someone and had been trying to eat before I rudely interrupted. ”

Evelyn laughed again, quite heartily this time. “She stole an entire ham?”

Now, he grinned ear to ear. “Oh, yes. Anyway, like I said, I was in my cups and brought her and her prized ham back into the pub. It was the highlight of the evening, and we placed wagers on whether or not she’d eat the whole thing.”

Evelyn’s eyes were wide with interest. “And?”

“Well, no. It was nearly the size of her. But I did bring it home with me.” Ollie thought back to that day.

“Christmas morning, I awoke quite fishy about the gills and a bit sick to my stomach. There had been a terrified scream. Mrs. Chapman found the cat gnawing on the smelly, old ham in front of the tree.” He chuckled to himself.

“Anyway, with the help of the lads at the pub, we decided her name should be Hambone. I told Mrs. Chapman this, too, in the midst of my begging that she stop screaming because I was too ill to think of another name.”

Evelyn gave him a wry look. “Is that all true, or are you jesting?”

Ollie placed a hand over his heart. “On my honor, despite her fancy look today, Hambone came into my life while eating a whole ham in my rubbish bin on Christmas Eve.”

Evelyn was smiling as she glanced at the door the cat had moments ago exited, but as the moment ticked by, the grin melted away. “Thank you, Ollie, for letting me stay here. Taking in strays seems to be a weakness of yours.”

The mood in the room shifted. “Of course.”

Evelyn let out a long sigh. “I keep thinking about my job.”

“At the museum?”

“Yes. I feel awful that I left them in the lurch like that, and I’m sure with it being nearly evening now, they’ve seen the morning paper. The evening edition will be out soon and I’m sure there’ll be even more in there.”

“You think so?”

“I know so. There was a journalist at my house earlier. Did you see him?”

Ollie had not and shook his head.

“He took at least one photograph I’m sure will be printed tonight. Or would that be out already now? I’m dreading that quite a bit.” Evelyn fell back on the sofa. “I keep digging myself deeper and deeper. I can’t run forever. I know that! But I can’t make myself succumb to my fate, either.”

“I know.”

She sat up from her slouch to see him better.

“The earl paid my father for me, and they signed a contract. An actual contract! That is not a normal occurrence. It’s usually a verbal agreement, and usually, the father pays the groom.

Not the other way around.” She paused. “Papa was determined to get me into the earl’s hands today.

They will stop at nothing to get me back, I can assure you. ”

Ollie pressed his lips together and looked away.

There was a knock on the doorframe, and Mrs. Chapman appeared with an envelope in her hand. “I found this slipped under the front door. Did you hear anyone?”

Dread curled through Ollie’s stomach as he quickly rose to his feet. A letter slipped under his door?

He looked at the face of the white envelope. Curiously, there was no name written there, but instead was a word written in the swirliest calligraphy he’d ever seen. But all it read was Hello .

It was quite unsettling.

“What is it?” Evelyn appeared at his side.

“I’m not sure.” Ollie opened the envelope and inside was a single piece of folded paper that, in the same flourished calligraphy, read:

The National Gallery

10:00 P.M.

Ollie turned it over, sure there had to be more information, but the back was blank. He thanked Mrs. Chapman and when she’d left the room, he handed everything over to Evelyn. “Do you recognize that handwriting?”

Evelyn furrowed her brow. “No, I don’t. It’s quite unique, though, isn’t it? Whom do you suppose it’s from?”

“I don’t know. It didn’t even occur to me it would be something like this. But if they want to meet us at the museum, surely, it’s for you? Or might it be for me, as it is my house?”

“Or it’s a trap.” Evelyn frowned as she stuffed it back in the envelope. “Who knows I’m here, though?”

“Me. Mrs. Chapman. Mrs. Bradley, the cook. And the hansom cab driver.”

“Do you think the driver wants the reward for me?”

“I don’t know. Though he might not know about it. While we were driving to your house originally, he asked me to read a street sign for him. He can’t read. He likely doesn’t know about it. Yet, at least.”

Evelyn held up the envelope. “I don’t think this is the handwriting of an illiterate man.”

“Good point.”

“I’m going to go. See who it is.”

Ollie didn’t like this. It was quite obvious someone was trying to capture her, whether it be someone who wanted the reward, or her father or the earl. “That is a very bad idea, Evelyn.”

But Ollie knew it would be a losing battle to keep her from that meeting. He could see her mind turning with thoughts and questions, the alertness in her eyes.

Ollie decided to let her mind take time to work through whatever it was she thought about and kept quiet until she was ready to respond.

Eventually, she looked back to him. “I was already thinking about going, anyway. I want to leave a note for my colleagues apologizing for leaving my position abruptly. Ideally, I’d go in and tell them that in person, but it’s too risky for me to leave during the daytime.

It’s far easier for me to conceal myself at night. ”

He nodded slowly. “That’s true, but I still think it’s a bad idea to leave at all. Even I can see it’s a trap.”

“But from whom? I think Papa saw you, but he had no idea who you were. And there’s no way he could figure that out without a lengthy investigation, much less in a few hours.

I can guarantee, too, that since I ran off again, his time’s been spent placating the earl and dealing with my mother. Not looking for me.”

Ollie weighed this over, and he still didn’t like it. “Is this really what you want to do?”

“Yes,” Evelyn replied with a decided nod, and he knew he wouldn’t change her mind.

“Of course, I would take care to examine the area first, check over my shoulder to ensure I’m not being followed.

They didn’t specify where to meet, either, so I’m assuming they would want to meet outside at the main entrance.

I could get there early, write my note, and then meet our letter-sender after. ”

Ollie let out a long sigh. “I suppose I’ll have to join you, then, and make sure you don’t get yourself into any further trouble than you already have.”

Evelyn gave him a sheepish, little smile before returning to sipping her tea. But because of that sheepish, little smile, with her large doe-eyes on nothing but him, Ollie’s heart skipped a few beats.