The Tempting of Tavernake

Description of book

This novel revolves around a young man, Tavernake and a young woman, who meet on the roof of a London boarding-house. Tavernake is English and curious about the young woman, who is American. He confronts her for stealing a bracelet. Excerpt: "About that bracelet!" he said at last. She moved her head and looked at him. A young man of less assurance would have turned and fled. Not so Tavernake. Once sure of his ground he was immovable. There was murder in her eyes but he was not even disturbed. "I saw you take it from the little table by the piano, you know," he continued. "It was rather a rash thing to do. Mrs. Fitzgerald was looking for it before I reached the stairs. I expect she has called the police in, by now."..."I think I had better take it," he said. "Let go." Her fingers yielded the bracelet—a tawdry, ill-designed affair of rubies and diamonds. He looked at it disapprovingly. "That's an ugly thing to go to prison for," he remarked, slipping it into his pocket. "It was a stupid thing to do, anyhow, you know. You couldn't have got away with it—unless," he added, looking over the parapet as though struck with a sudden idea, "unless you had a confederate below."..."Are you going to send for the police?" she asked without looking at him."