"What rotten luck. I couldn't even buy a gift without getting robbed."
After watching Susie, the large golden retriever, climb into the carriage, Lorne turned back and once again looked at the villa across the street.
"Shall I go?" Miss Bodyguard's voice came from behind him.
Lorne shook his head, his gaze still fixed on the house. "No. The people living here are either wealthy or influential. Acting rashly could cause trouble."
"I won't be discovered." Sharron's voice was calm and level, as though she were stating a fact.
Lorne fell into a brief silence. He rubbed his chin, weighing the pros and cons. Having Miss Bodyguard go inside and retrieve his belongings was the simplest solution, but he couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't that straightforward.
"Forget it," he said, ultimately rejecting the suggestion. "Let's find a way to catch the thief in the act."
"There are less than two days left of my time protecting you."
Miss Bodyguard's meaning was clear: if he wanted her help, now was the time.
"A bodyguard's duties don't include this," Lorne replied quietly, unsure whether he was saying it to her or to himself.
He lifted his head, and crimson moonlight filtered through the leaves, spilling across his face.
Was I... not ruthless enough?
The thought surfaced without warning.
If I were a ruthless person, perhaps some of these things would never have happened. He couldn't help reviewing his past decisions. If he hadn't helped Danitz at sea, would he have avoided antagonizing the Rose School? If he hadn't meddled and rescued Tracy after the shipwreck, would he have avoided that inexplicable bounty from the Pirate Admiral?
Choice after choice, he had followed the moral code he had held before transmigrating, only to push himself into greater danger each time.
Time