But now she needed to know what business Louis was conducting with the Thief Taker. It seemed too big of a coincidence that he and Sophia were on such friendly terms, while Sophia’s father owed Wild an unpaid debt. Was Louis toying with Sophia to gain some kind of information?
He would find himself less one vital organ if Arista found out it was all a ruse. It was obvious by the way Sophia looked at him that she was in love. For the second time, Arista reached for the familiar shape of her knife handle, but it wasn’t there. The crowd suddenly became suffocating around her. Too close. Too little room to move. Stars began to dance at the edge of her vision. Ripples of tension raced up her spine.
Louis came back and grinned as if nothing were amiss. When he caught Arista’s stare, his smile faltered. She was not one to back down. Louis swallowed visibly and took a step away from her.
“Sophia, could we go, please? I’m feeling suddenly unwell,” Arista said. She had to get her friend away from Louis, at least until she could figure out what was going on. “It must be the crowd and the heat. I’m not used to so many people.”
“Of course,” Sophia said right away. Her gaze moved to Louis and a wistful look crossed her face. He glanced at Arista, then lifted Sophia’s hand to his lips once more.
“We can meet here in another two days, love. Every second will feel like forever. Nice to meet you, Ana.” With a sideways glance at Arista, he disappeared into the crowd.
A dreamy smile drifted over Sophia’s lips as she stared at the place where Louis had been. When Sophia saw Arista watching, her cheeks turned red. “I know it’s unconventional, but I really think I love him.” Her face immediately fell. “Papa will never allow it. He’s a poet.”
“How did you meet him?” Arista asked Sophia.
She guided Sophia along the sidewalk, toward the intersection. There was no way she’d go back through the alley, not with the possibility that Wild was still nearby. She didn’t want him to know that she’d seen him meeting with Louis. Not yet.
“Papa had business with a blacksmith a few months ago, and I talked him into letting me ride along if I promised to stay in the carriage. This very bold boy, the blacksmith’s apprentice, kept walking past, sneaking glances at me and smiling. I thought he was quite forward, and told him so. He laughed and said someone as beautiful as me must be used to stares.” Sophia looked up becomingly from under her lashes.
He was probably trying to figure out the best way to pick your pocket.
Arista kept the thought to herself.
“A week later, I saw him again at the market. And then I found a poem he left—it was in a corner of the garden where I like to sit and read. A few days later, I found a note. It asked me to meet him on Lombard Street, at the coffeehouse.” She grinned at Arista. “I’m all for a grand romantic adventure, you know. That was three months ago.”
They were at the intersection and Arista scanned the streets. There were more carriages and people on this one, and she stepped closer to Sophia. Nic used to do the same for her, to keep watch of everything around them. Looking for danger.
It had to be Sophia’s innocence that made Arista feel this way. Sophia had no idea that there were bad people in the world, who would use her or hurt her for their own gain. Arista knew it too well. Without knowing for sure what Louis’s real intentions were, she vowed to keep an eye on her new friend.
Louis had to have ulterior motives, especially if he knew someone like Wild. They should be easy enough to find out. All she had to do was follow him, eavesdrop, and she’d know the truth. Better that Sophia feel the sting of betrayal rather than the pain of something much worse.
As they neared the carriage, Tomas turned in surprise. “Done already? And no packages?”
His eyebrows rose in suspicion, but Sophia only grinned. “Can you believe there was absolutely nothing that caught my eye after all?”
“No, I cannot,” Tomas mumbled as he helped them into the carriage. He climbed in and picked up the reins.
A very pretty but disappointed-looking young washerwoman stood in the doorway of the laundry shop and watched them pull away. Tomas gave her a quick wave, and the girl blushed before ducking back into the doorway. The streets were even more crowded now, and it took almost an hour to make their way back to the townhouse.
“Tell me more about Louis,” Arista prompted, and Sophia eagerly told her everything about him.
By that time they arrived home, Arista knew what she had to do. Grae might not want to talk to her, but she had to tell him about Louis. It all seemed too contrived, especially given that the young man clearly had ties to Wild.
Though she couldn’t tell Grae everything, she had to tell him enough so that he would intercede and protect his sister.
Arista would not let Sophia get mixed up with a thief.