by Meara Platt
“I know I gave you this assignment only yesterday, but do you have any news for me yet, Mr. Barrow?” Marcus shifted forward, eager to learn the answer.
“Aye, m’lord. I’ve done a little digging since we last spoke.” He fumbled through his papers as he nodded. “This Lord Dunning likes his gaming hells, just as you suspected. I followed him from one to the next last night. He lost heavily everywhere.”
“Did he go alone or was he with friends?”
“Alone, but we’ll keep our eye on him and report on who he meets. My associate, Mick, found out where he does his banking.” He glanced up from his papers, looking quite pleased. “Lord Dunning made stops there earlier in the day. He has two banks, m’lord. One his wife knows about. And the other, no one is supposed to know about. That’s where we’ll trace his illicit payments, those comin’ in and goin’ out. Mick’s very good at his sort of thing. He’ll get us some names soon.”
“Well done, Mr. Barrow.” Marcus had to admit, even knowing how excellent Homer Barrow was at his job, he was impressed. “Keep up the good work. I’d also like two men brought on to guard the Earl of Stratton’s daughter. She needs to be watched at all times, even when I’m with her. This Dunning fellow will soon realize we are on to him and I’m concerned he’ll attempt to abduct Lady Lara.”
“We won’t let that happen, m’lord.”
“Your runners will need to stay on their toes. Lady Lara does not like to be confined or told what to do.”
The Bow Street runner laughed. “Headstrong, is she?”
Marcus grinned. “Very. For now, I’m pretending to court her. She’s eager to clear her family name and wants to help as much as she can. I want her help, for she’s been involved from the start and can supply us much useful information. I also want to keep her as close to me as possible. I’ll rest easier having her by my side instead of worrying what Dunning might do to her…or worrying what she might do to Dunning. I don’t want to be dealing with another Le Brecque up on charges for murder.”
“I think I like this lady. Sounds like she can take care of herself.”
“She seems to think so. In truth, she’s fearless and determined, a little too brave for my liking. She has spirit, but not the muscle. I don’t wish to see her hurt.”
“Of course not. None of us do. A sweet, young lady like ’er shouldn’t be caught up in this nasty business.”
Marcus rose, preparing to leave. “One last matter…”
“Yes, m’lord?”
“Were you able to send a man off to Portsmouth?”
“I’m sorry, m’lord. That is the one thing I wasn’t able to accomplish yesterday. I’m hoping to get a man on it today, but in all honesty, I think it’ll be tomorrow.”
Marcus considered his options. “Never mind, Mr. Barrow. I’ll go there myself at the end of the week if it proves necessary. Nosing around Portsmouth Prison isn’t so urgent. Dunning is the key to this ugly business. He’s the one I need to bring down first. The others will fall like dominoes once he’s brought down. Put as many men to the task of digging up dirt on him as you can spare.”
“I will, m’lord.”
“Lady Lara will be joining me and my family this evening at the home of my aunt, Lady Miranda Grayfell. I’ll come around in my carriage to pick her up. I want us followed, but keep men enough posted at the Le Brecque townhouse to protect her father. I hope to put your runners in service inside their home soon, but not yet. Their butler reports to Dunning. I have no wish to tip him off to the hammer about to fall on his head.”
“Lady Lara’s father will be well guarded, ye needn’t worry. There are ways for us to get inside the house unnoticed. Ye wouldn’t wish to know about ’em. A chimney sweep come around to clean the chimneys. Milk delivery. An iceman. A new scullery maid. No one ever looks at scullery maids.”
Marcus smiled wryly. “I expect you’re right. Stay close, but don’t be too obvious. I don’t think Dunning will do anything to Lord Stratton yet, but one can never be certain. It’s Lady Lara who has his attention at the moment. She’s the one in greatest danger.”
Mr. Barrow nodded. “Then she’s safest sticking close to you while this investigation proceeds. But what will you do once Dunning’s on to you?”
“I’ll hide her, if I must. I have places in London where they’ll never find her. Or I can hide her in my country home. Any strangers lurking about there will be easily noticed and immediately dealt with by my footmen. Most of them are former soldiers who served under me.”
“Take her out of London? Does the young lady know of your intentions?”
He hadn’t told Lara yet, and did not expect her to be happy about this plan. She wanted to be in the thick of things. She also wanted to remain close to her father. He valued her input, but did not want her anywhere near if fighting broke out.
He needed her out of Dunning’s reach. This is why he’d told her about the Wicked Earls’ Club. Likely, this was enough. A perfect compromise to keep her in town and yet out of the way.
“No, I haven’t told her about my country home. I have no present plans to take her there. She’d fight me all the way.” He couldn’t blame her for her concern about being separated from her father. Even he had been alarmed by the man’s frailty.
He’d tell her of the Bow Street runners hired to guard him, of course. The Braydens would also keep an eye on matters. If Lara ever had to go in hiding, he would need her to stay put. She wouldn’t if she thought her father was not protected.
After leaving the Bow Street office, he stopped at the Wicked Earls’ Club on Bedford Place to apprise the club stewards of Lara and what to do if she sought shelter there. He hoped it would not come to that. Bedford Place was a neighborhood favored by the demi-monde.
Gentlemen settled their mistresses in elegant apartments there. Neither one’s wife nor one’s children would ever be settled there.
“Protect her with your lives,” he instructed the stewards. “If the club is searched, shove a mob cap on her head and put her in with the laundresses. Do whatever you must to hide her. I don’t want her found.”
They hadn’t raised so much as an eyebrow at his instructions, but he supposed some very dodgy requests were routinely made to these gatekeepers.
His next stop was to his solicitor’s office. He needed to find out more about Lord Dunning. Although solicitors did not plead cases in court, they worked closely with barristers and serjeants who did. He asked his own solicitor, Sir Lawrence Wainright, to make discreet inquiries. “I will, my lord. Dunning is not well liked. There have been rumors circulating for a while now. Some cases lost that should not have been. Judgments entered where the proof overwhelmingly favored the other side.”
“Make it a priority, Sir Lawrence. I want a report by tomorrow, if possible. Names of those barristers. Names of those plaintiffs and defendants who won verdicts that should have gone the other way.”
He climbed into his carriage and ordered his driver to take him to the Le Brecque residence.
Lara was waiting for him, candlestick in hand.
Marcus grinned, realizing she intended to use it on her butler, Sykes, if he dared not allow Marcus in.
Sykes looked at him askance, but made no effort to turn him away.
Lara greeted him warmly, setting the candlestick back on the entry hall table where it belonged. “Good afternoon, Lord Kinross,” she said, her tone perfectly breathless and just the right amount of eager.
“I hope you don’t mind my calling upon you.” He took her hand and bowed over it. “Is your father seeing visitors today?”
She nodded. “He’s always happy to see you, my lord. As am I.” She batted her eyelashes and cast him a limpid smile, for Sykes’ sake.
She looked adorable, but it also saddened him that this girl who was so obviously full of life, who should have been enjoying balls and supper parties, had been left with a broken heart by that scoundrel Wexley and abandoned by her friends.
He studied her as she
led him into the parlor, remaining a step behind so that she wouldn’t notice his staring. She had on a woolen gown of forest green that flattered her shapely body and brought out the tawny-gold luster of her hair.
When she turned to smile at him, he noticed the cat-like beauty of her eyes. The deep green of her gown brought out the flecks of green and gold in her eyes. She spoke quietly as she led the way. “Father has been particularly disheartened today. I’m glad you’re here to lift his spirits.”
“I’ll do what I can.” Marcus continued to study her graceful form. On her, this simple gown was stunning and quite stylish. Indeed, it was a vast change from yesterday morning when she’d first tumbled over the wall into his garden, bundled in coarse woolens and skulking about in places she had no right to be.
He was pleased that she looked incredibly beautiful. A lesser person would not have come through the ordeal she’d experienced with their fighting spirit intact. Yes, she’d cried on his shoulder yesterday, but he suspected she hadn’t cried in years and needed the release.
Looking at her today, there was no sign of her feeling browbeaten or withdrawn. No, indeed. Lara appeared to be thriving. This was her home and she was proud to assume the role of lady of the manor. As she led him from the entry hall into the salon, he noticed the decorative touches she must have made to the house, the delicate vases, colorful plates, and landscape paintings.
There were fresh cut flowers in vases in the wall niches and on tables.
He liked that Lara was determined to bring cheer into her home.
He knew she’d taken charge after her mother’s death, perhaps run their home even before then. She had done an admirable job despite the Le Brecque family’s current circumstances.
“Good afternoon, Lord Stratton.” The old earl was seated in his maroon chair, a bottle of brandy on the table beside him. This is exactly as he’d seen him yesterday, a book in one hand and snifter of brandy in the other.
Lara whisked the glass out of her father’s hand. “Lord Kinross has stopped by to see us again, Papa. Isn’t it lovely of him.” She turned to Sykes, who was skulking close by. “Tea and cakes, Sykes. Served on our formal china, if you please.”
Marcus cleared his throat. “My aunt and mother will be stopping by shortly to call upon you.” He stepped to the window to peer out, then turned back to Lara. “I think that’s their carriage pulling up now.”
Lara’s eyes narrowed in suspicion, no doubt wondering what he was up to. But she called out to Sykes cheerily. “You heard that, did you not? Bring enough in for all of us. Seems we’re to have a party.” She turned back to Marcus. “Anyone else we ought to know about?”
He arched an eyebrow. “That’s it. I think those two will be quite enough to handle.” She was not going to be happy about his plan, but matters were moving faster than even he expected and he wanted to keep Lara surrounded by respected members of Society. Dunning wouldn’t dare harm Lara while she was in the presence of others, would he?
Marcus had spoken to his mother and aunt, hoping to enlist their aid in keeping Lara safe. Since she was not under house arrest, he wanted her to get away from her home. But he didn’t want her going anywhere on her own.
However, Lara did not like to be closely watched. She was a squirming bundle of defiance and determination, but she was no match for these two dowagers. They were used to managing the eight Brayden boys – he, Tynan, and James being the eldest – but they were all close in age, and growing up, they had all been wild as beasts. In fact, Lady Miranda affectionately – and sometimes, not so affectionately – referred to them as wildebeests.
No, Lara would be a joy for them.
The moment Sykes left the room to attend to the tea and new arrivals, Lara turned to him, frowning. “What in blazes are you doing? Your mother?” She shook her head and sighed. “I can’t imagine you ever having a mother, much less one who is about to pay us a visit.”
“Of course I have a mother. Everyone must.” He ignored her continued grumbles and addressed her father. “Lara isn’t safe here. I must get her under my protection this very day. Lord Dunning is heavily in debt and growing desperate. He is as dangerous as a wounded boar, for the authorities are about to close in on him. I don’t want Lara in his path when that occurs. I want her away from this house and staying close to me.”
He now turned to Lara. “I’ve already contacted Lord Brinmore at the Chancery Court, Lord Everett at the High Court, and Lord Westbrook at the Exchequer. I’ve also just been summoned by Queen Charlotte to Buckingham House.”
“What? You’re going to meet with the queen?” She stared at him, her mouth agape. “Are you jesting?”
“Not in the least. Dunning is into far nastier business than anyone ever suspected. But I think her summons has to do with my asking questions about Montvey at the Exchequer. I got passed upstairs to Lord Westbrook at the first mention of his name. Within the hour, the royal summons arrived.”
He pressed on when she said nothing. “I’ve had my Bow Street runners working day and night. Two men following Dunning, two men planted in the bank where he hides his ill gotten gains, more men questioning parties involved in other of Dunning’s cases. And more working on digging up information anywhere and everywhere else I can think of.”
He expected Lara to be happy, but she looked as though he had just stabbed her through the heart. It took him a moment to realize why. “The tables are now turned, Lara. As recently as a few months ago, Dunning held all the power. He came at your father with the full force of the House of Lords behind him, for treason is as serious a crime as one can possibly face, and he already knew that all the evidence had been planted.”
“Still…”
“No, Lara. He was paid a king’s ransom to deal your father a knockout blow and this is what he did. Montvey no doubt stole from the government coffers to pay this man’s price. After all, as Lord Governor, who was to stop him? But there are officious clerks in the Exchequer whose sole purpose in life is to audit the government accounts. As I said, I was sent straight up to the highest levels the moment I mentioned Montvey’s name.”
“Are you suggesting they are questioning his expenditures as Lord Governor?”
“Yes, and more. Dunning is already under investigation. Too many bad outcomes in his cases. Montvey is under investigation for his activities in the royal outpost. There are reports out of the Admiralty warning that he is building up mercenary forces on his own behalf and using Crown resources to pay for them. They’ve also received complaints of his lack of cooperation with the royal navy while they engaged the Dutch in Sumatra.”
Lara couldn’t seem to close her mouth, so Marcus tucked a finger under her chin and continued. “When Hugh sailed off to confront your cousin, Montvey–”
“To kill him, is more likely,” Lara’s father muttered. “My son is a clever man, but he never thinks things through as thoroughly as you do, Kinross. He allows his feelings to get the better of him. Hard calculation is what was called for, ice in one’s veins and a steel resolve, but he allowed his heart to get in the way.”
Marcus supposed this was a backhanded compliment, although he did not want Lara to think of him as ruthlessly cold or callous. Blessed saints! Ice in one’s veins? He burned every time he looked at this girl.
He cleared his throat. “Hugh meant to bring Montvey back alive to confess what he had done. But Montvey already had his pirate mercenaries in place and used them to frame Hugh for their crimes. It won’t happen again. Hugh will be on his guard now that he fully understands the depths to which Montvey will sink to inherit your title. The snake is desperate to have you and Hugh out of the way.”
He saw that Lara was still struggling with his success. Not that she resented it, but was now blaming herself for not accomplishing this on her own. “Lara,” he said gently, wishing to take her into his arms and kiss her, “you are an amazing woman.”
He meant it.
He’d never met anyone as marvelous as Lara. “
My mother and Lady Miranda will adore you. The strength you’ve shown throughout these difficult years is admirable and inspiring. If Dunning and Montvey are brought down now, it is because of all you’ve done to alert the authorities of their schemes.”
“But they ignored me.”
“It may have seemed so, for they were not going to tell you of the investigations now being quietly conducted. However, you are the one who made them take notice.” He cast her a wry smile. “Government is a behemoth that moves at its own pace. You set them on the right course. That’s why I want you to come with me when I go to see the queen. You’ll be able to provide answers I cannot.”
Her eyes rounded in surprise, and then she cast him a soft smile. “What a lovely way to tell me I’m behaving like a resentful, petulant brat.”
He cupped her cheek and caressed it with his thumb. “Not at all. I’ve never met anyone quite like you.”
He slipped his hand off her when his mother and aunt were announced by Sykes.
The old earl rose to greet them eagerly, for he had been starved of friends. “Mrs. Brayden! Lady Grayfell! How lovely of you to stop by. Do join us.” He turned to Sykes who was still standing in the parlor doorway and frowning. “The tea, man. Get the tea.”
“Odious fellow,” his aunt Miranda said, wrinkling her nose as the so-called butler walked off. She turned a moment later toward Lara, smiling as she inspected her. “My dear boy, she’s lovely! No wonder you are in raptures over her.” She winked at Lara. “My nephew hasn’t stopped gushing about you. His eyes smolder at the mere mention of your name.”
Lara shook her head and laughed. “I doubt that highly, but I do enjoy your teasing him. He is irritatingly perfect, isn’t he?”
“Don’t you find him a bit dour?” his own mother asked, grinning.
Lara stared at him and cast him an impudent smile. “Yes, utterly and completely. But I doubt he finds me any better. He claims I give him heartburn. This from a man who is supposedly courting me.” She was giggling now, her mirth a light bubble that warmed his heart. “See how he won’t even crack a smile as I tease him?”
