Yet she had given the thief her escape when she had, soon after that, entered the bathroom to listen at the baron’s door. The maid could have slipped out of her room with ease then. Larissa wouldn’t have heard her. She was listening for sounds on the other side of the door, not behind her.

Good God, the baron must have seen her in his room last night, and that was why locks were going on the doors this morning. And he’d been there all along in his room. She was the one who had intruded, without reason, or without reason from his perspective.

Larissa groaned and buried her face in her hands. She was never leaving that room. No, she couldn’t stay there, it wasn’t really her room. But she was never going to face the baron again. Couldn’t. Such embarrassment went beyond anything of her experience.

She’d leave his house. She had to. He was kind enough not to insist on it himself, had ordered locks instead. But she simply couldn’t stay there now and risk seeing him again. What he must be thinking—how utterly mortifying.

And then she groaned again. To leave, she had to see him. He had her jewels in his safe. He also had the address where the rest of their possessions had been taken. She couldn’t get either without speaking to him. And if she had to speak to him, she was going to have to explain to him what had happened last night.

Had she ever dreaded anything so much? She didn’t think so. But prevaricating had put her in this mess to begin with. If she had sold the jewels sooner, or started selling off the furnishings, she would have had a bit of money on hand to take them to a hotel until she could figure out what to do, instead of coming here.

Having inquired of the first servant she passed the baron’s whereabouts, she was taken to his study downstairs. She was told he could be found there most mornings after he returned from his daily ride, though not often in the afternoons, when he made social and business calls elsewhere. Today was an exception.

She wasn’t really listening to the servant’s chatter as she was led there. Her cheeks were already flaming in anticipation of seeing Lord Everett. She had to force one foot in front of the other to walk into his presence.