Page 141 of Brushed By Moonlight

“How did you and Mina’s father meet?” Roux asked, changing the subject.

So, whew. I owed him one.

Sid chuckled. “Care to explain, Mina?”

I did my best to put it delicately. “My father was checking on a series of paintings that appeared on the art market in quick succession. The auction house that obtained them was sure the works were genuine, but my father suspected a forger.”

“Did he get the guy?” Bene asked.

“Yes. Me.” Sid pointed to his chest with a wry grin.

Bene’s eyes went wide. “And?”

Sid shrugged. “The judge wanted to give me five years, but Thomas talked him down to three, and he eventually talked the parole board into releasing me after one. So I could get back to my children, you see…”

He trailed off sadly, and everyone grew quiet.

“Sid was the forger,” I explained, “but it was a guy named Sutherland who drove the whole operation. He commissioned works, faked the provenance, and pocketed the money.”

“He served eight years,” Sid added dryly.

“Plus another six when a separate fraud case surfaced,” I added.

My father despised Sutherland, but he had hit it off with Sid. Other than being on opposite sides of the law, they shared a love of art and art history.

“What do you do these days?” Bene asked.

Sid smiled apologetically. “I paint portraits in the style of any grand master a client requests.”

“He does pets too.” I scrolled through my phone, then turned it around to show off a portrait of a bulldog in a classic Napoleon pose.

Bene giggled. “That’s priceless. Do you do lions?”

Roux kicked him under the table, but Sid didn’t catch on.

“I haven’t had the opportunity, but you never know.” Then he looked at me. “Speaking of paintings…”

I stood with a crisp nod. “I’ll get it. Meet you in the drawing room in a few minutes?”

Everyone stood, and Bene pointed to the pastries Henrik had brought. “Can I bring those?”

“Only if you don’t insult my coffee machine,” I shot back.

“Ha. It deserves every word. But…” He rooted around in his bag, then pulled out a huge box with a triumphant look. “Ladies and gentlemen, may I present the Breville Barista Pro X380.” He held the box to his cheek and stroked it.

Marius whistled. “That must have cost you a couple of paychecks.”

Plus savings, I figured, having learned that Gordon only paid each of them a paltry sum. I’d been incensed when Marius told me, but he’d just shrugged.

The real payment is having our records wiped clean when our contract is up. As long as Gordon sticks to his word on that, I’m good.

I was still of two minds when it came to the darker aspects of my lover’s past, but he’d proven his loyalty and good heart too many times to count.

“Worth every penny.” Bene planted a loud smooch on the box.

“Well, set it up, then. Meet you there,” I said, setting off.

Marius wove his fingers through mine as we made our way up the spiral stairs. I was about to step into the upper hallway when he tugged me back.