Darcy stroked back a curl that had fallen across my face then ran a finger down my nose, resting it on my lips. “We just have to be patient for now. I’m trying my hardest to make some money—to make up for everything my father lost. One day I’d like to buy back our family home. And the racing stables. Big dream, I know. But I can’t marry you and set you up in a horrid little flat.”

“Darcy, I don’t need much.”

“You are the daughter of a duke, granddaughter of a princess. I’m going to provide for you properly or not at all.” He gave me a quick kiss on the forehead. “Now go in there and see what you can do.”

I held his arm. “When will I see you again?”

“I really don’t know. I don’t think I can show my face at disembarkation, just in case . . .”

“Will you stay in New York? We’re going to be there for a few days.”

He sighed. “I can’t tell you, Georgie. I have no idea where I’ll be going after this, or whether I’ll be summoned straight back to England. I’ll have to wait for instructions. You won’t be long in America, will you?”

“Who knows? If Mummy gets a taste of Hollywood stardom our trip may drag on.”

“So you’ll be going to Hollywood with Stella and Goldman?” He started to say something, hesitated, then said, “Look, I don’t want you to do anything in any way dangerous, but you could keep an eye on Stella Brightwell for me, couldn’t you? Nothing silly like searching her room or anything, but seeing if there are any more burglaries . . .”

“Seeing if she wears the princess’s ruby?” I asked, grinning.

He shook his head again. “No, forget it. It’s all too ridiculous. It has to be someone else. Let’s just hope we find something when the passengers leave the ship. The New York police will be coming on board and they’ll have the authority for a thorough search of anyone we might suspect. Not that it will be pleasant. In fact I suspect there will be an awful fuss.” He grinned then touched my arm lightly. “You should go or the ball will be over.”

Inside the ballroom the band now broke into a quickstep. I gazed up at Darcy, memorizing every feature, the way his eyes crinkled at the side when he smiled, the way a lock of dark curl always flopped forward across his forehead, the little cleft in the middle of his chin.

“I’ll see you soon,” he said. “I promise. I do love you, Georgie. You know that.”

I nodded, feeling tears welling up. “I love you too.”