by Abigail Agar
Percy kept silent but adjusted himself in the chair. He took a large gulp of his drink.
“You know I spearhead investments for certain gentlemen of the ton?”
Percy nodded. “Yes, I do.”
“I made the grave error of opening an investment to someone outside of my usual sphere. The Duke of Hamilton. Do you know him?”
Percy nodded slowly. “Only from the season. I’ve seen him at a few balls. He doesn’t quite fit the mould of what a lady might seek in a marriage.”
Frederick laughed. “No, I suppose not. He’s under the misguided thought that the best way to find a new wife is through balls designed for younger members of the ton.
“The investment Barton was a part of didn’t work out. The ship carrying our cargo sank. I had taken out insurance policies on all the investors’ money, including Barton’s. His insurance policy ended up elsewhere. He needed to be set up in my ledger, so it was put aside.
“I couldn’t find it. I took over a week searching for it. Barton visited a number of times, a skittish investor afraid he would never get his money back. I would have paid him out of my own funds if I didn’t find the bloody thing.
“During one of his visits, he met the Duchess and Louisa. He was immediately smitten with Louisa and began to negotiate his unpaid insurance policy for her hand.”
Percy put his drink on the end table closest to him. He adjusted himself in the chair, crossed one knee over the other and put his clasped hands on his thighs. His colour had risen.
“I refused. He threatened to break up Louisa and Jack in order to leave her open for a new courter. Apparently, Jack has a bastard with a woman in the village near his estate in Salisbury. He supports them, but it is unclear if many know of this,” he said shaking his head then rolling his eyes.
“He is also trying to blackmail me and my brother Hobart, accusing Hobart of being a murderer. A murderer of all things.
“I told him I would ruin him if he tried. Percy, this information I have just told you must be kept between us. Louisa, nor anyone else, knows anything about it.
“Why am I telling you? She may lose Jack as a courter. She will need you. You can also act as a buffer. When in public, I don’t want that man near my daughter. Do you understand?”
Percy uncrossed one leg then crossed the other. “I do. If I may ask, Your Grace, is there anything pre-emptive being done?”
“There is. He is being followed, and I have peers watching and listening to him at White’s under the guise of evaluating Barton as a participant in future investments.
I would be grateful if you could keep your eyes and ears open while at White’s. Now that you know what we are dealing with, conversations that meant nothing before could mean much more.”
“I’ll help in any way I can. Have you considered sending her to Haddington Hall until this is over?”
Frederick shook his head. “I would have to tell her why I was making her go home in the middle of the season. There is no reason I could think of that will make any sense.”
“You’re right.” He nodded thoughtfully. “I’ll do anything you ask. Louisa means the world to me. Do you think Jack might drop out soon?”
“Yes. Any time now.”
Percy stood and bowed, “Your Grace.”
*****
Cecil and Kent waived Percy over.
“Sorry I’m late. I had a few things I needed to do. We need a private room for dinner tonight. I’ll arrange it.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Percy saw Cecil and Kent looking at each other. He closed his eyes for a moment. If they were puzzled now, just wait a few minutes.
Seated in a private dining room, drinks and dinner ordered, Cecil and Kent stared at Percy. Neither spoke.
Percy sighed. “So, there’s a problem, and I am asking for your help to solve it. But first, did either of you know Jack Duggan had a bastard living in Salisbury?”
Both shook their heads and mumbled no.
“The problem is that buffoon Barton St John wants Louisa, and he’s getting aggressive about getting her.”
Kent laughed. “You mean that drunk who eats enough for three people? Louisa will never be interested in him. He’s a blowhard and a know it all.”
Percy leaned forward, “Well, here’s the problem. He’s trying to blackmail the Duke about something totally made up, but that can’t be disproved, and the Duke thinks the jerk’s going to get rid of Jack as a courter by spreading around the existence of a bastard child.”
Cecil asked, “So, why don’t they go to Gretna Green? St John can’t do any of this if they are already married?”
Percy nodded. “The Duke doesn’t want Louisa to know this is going on. Why would she go to Gretna Green, otherwise? What if they get back from Gretna Green to the scandal that Jack was hiding his bastard? It’s too tricky.”
Cecil leaned in and talked in a low voice, “We can definitely take him. Three against one, and he’s out of shape. He’s probably a pathetic fighter.”
Percy laughed. “Cecil, you don’t need to whisper. Why do you think I wanted a private room? He’d have us thrown in jail unless we killed him, and I don’t want to kill him. He’s not worth throwing away my life.”
Kent asked, “Want us to make friends with him here? Maybe he’ll tell us something?”
“Unless he’s really stupid, he would know we’re friends with Percy and Percy is friends with Louisa,” Cecil said.
Percy pushed his plate away. The others followed. A busboy and a waiter immediately materialized.
“Dessert and cognac,” Percy said. He turned to Cecil and Kent. “This is how you can help. Listen to conversations. He doesn’t need to be here for you to hear information that is useful about him. But when he is here, listen to as much as possible. If he’s on one side of the room, take up chairs nearby.
“Be as casual as possible. You can’t let him figure out what you’re doing. Remember everything. It may not make sense to you. He may be talking in code.
“If you think you heard something, order a private dining room. We’ll discuss it. The Duke wants me to hang around Louisa to keep her from him so I won’t be able to come early and eavesdrop myself.”
Kent laughed. “The Duke handed you full and complete access to your dream come true, and he didn’t even know it.”
Percy gave him a scathing look. “Shut up, Kent. You don’t have any idea what you’re talking about.”
*****
Afternoon tea had been different from before Frederick talked with Percy about Barton. Louisa looked at him guardedly, as she did the first time he came back to the parlour after the talk.
Frederick and Percy agreed to say Frederick wanted to talk with him about his position on upcoming key votes in the House of Lords.
When Percy caught Louisa looking at him, he smiled. She looked at him as if he just killed her puppy. It was clear she didn’t like there to be secrets between him and her father.
Mendon announced Jack, and they all rose. The women curtsied, and Percy bowed. Jack bowed. He looked as if he were about to cry.
Percy tried to gauge whether or not Jack wanted him to leave. At first, tea was served, and Jack contributed to the conversation, albeit in a muted way. Then he began looking at Percy.
Jack was becoming more and more uncomfortable, moving in his chair, preoccupied, tired. Percy thought it best to leave so the poor man could break it off. Percy wanted to say goodbye to him; he did like Jack, but he could only bow and excuse himself.
At the front door, he turned to Mendon and said, “The Duke may want to know that Jack is here. The talk is probably happening right now.”
Mendon bowed, “Your Grace.”
*****
Percy thanked Mendon and walked down the stairs of the townhouse onto the sidewalk. He stood there for a moment, looking to his left, then his right. Ever since Frederick had told him about Barton’s threats, Percy had been working out longer in the morning.
Today, he stil
l had too much excess energy. He couldn’t possibly go home to his empty townhouse. He looked up and found himself at White’s.
He grabbed a newspaper and moved to the corner of the main room. He turned the large, leather seat to face the wall.
When the waiter arrived, he asked for a whisky and an ottoman. Both came. He got comfortable in his seat and opened the paper.
After Percy had been there for well over an hour, his newspaper was still open in front of his face, but he had long since finished reading it. He didn’t want to lower the paper then have an acquaintance drop by to say hello. He wasn’t in the mood.
All he could think about was Louisa. Her heart was probably breaking. Percy knew she planned to marry Jack. She would have to put on a brave face and start all over in the middle of the season. Or would she wait and start over next season? It would probably depend on if she could handle starting over or if she needed months to heal.
Percy courted for six weeks and got dumped. It stung. Meaningless as it was, it took him time to recover. He didn’t tell Cecil and Kent that, but it took some time. What she would go through would be a hundred times more difficult.
Two men sat near him. He couldn’t see who they were because his chair was turned, but he could hear them order drinks and sit. Great. He would spend his time trying to block out some inane conversation. He was enjoying his privacy.
“How did he take it?” the man behind Percy asked.
“How do you think? Between his ghost-like face and sheen of sweat covering his body, he didn’t take it well at all. I told him to leave town immediately, or I would ruin him. I should ruin him.”
Percy drew the newspaper closer to his face. They were talking about Jack. He knew they were. One of them had to be Barton.
“Leave the kid alone. You broke him and sent him packing. That’s enough,” the man said. Who the hell was that man?
“What are you going to do with her once you have her?” the mystery man asked.
“Lower your voice,” Barton said. “He’s going to try to turn this on me. We need to be very careful.”
Barton’s voice was barely audible. “If he looks into me, he’ll find you. We both need to be careful. We need to do this without the horse trading getting caught up in it.”
Percy’s eyes were bulging out of his head. The newspaper was unreadable because he had fisted both sides, but he didn’t dare put it down.
Percy had to strain to hear Barton speak, but he was practically whispering. He couldn’t hear every word, but he heard enough to understand.
“I’m going to put her up north on my estate. I don’t want her anywhere near those hens. I will be her only lifeline to London.”
Something was said that Percy couldn’t hear.
“She’ll be my property. He wouldn’t dare,” Barton said.
“Well, congratulations, Barton. She’s a real beauty.”
“Thank you, thank you. She is that. I look forward to getting her in my bed.”
Percy swallowed. The picture of Barton and Louisa in bed together was making him ill. He needed to get to Frederick. Now.
Percy surreptitiously looked around for an exit he could use that would keep him from Barton’s sight. He didn’t think Barton would recognize him, but he wasn’t sure.
Near him, there were stairs heading for the third floor and the private rooms. Percy knew there were stairs down to the street from the other side of the third floor so he stood slowly, kept straight ahead, and walked up the stairs. As he climbed the stairs, he could still hear them whispering. He was in the clear.
Mendon opened the door for Percy, but from the look on Mendon’s face, Percy knew the news had been delivered.
“I must see the Duke immediately. I would prefer to avoid the ladies until after I have spoken with him.”
Mendon nodded. Percy saw him walk down the hall and shut the parlour door softly then continue to Frederick’s office. He returned soon after talking with Frederick.
“Please follow me, Your Grace.”
Drinks in hand, sitting next to each other, the Duke opened his mouth to speak.
“Your Grace, if you could indulge me, I would like to tell you of a conversation I just overheard between Barton and someone I don’t know, or at least I don’t recognize his voice. I am concerned about Louisa and would like to hear from you about her well-being, but I think I have to tell you of this conversation first.
When Percy was done telling Frederick about what he overheard at White’s, Frederick got up and pulled the bell.
Mendon entered.
“Find a fast footman and have him go to Hobart’s warehouse. I need Hobart here now.”
Mendon bowed, “Your Grace.”
Frederick turned to Percy. “Hobart has been having Barton followed. We need leverage on the man. This horse-trading information will be relevant for him.”
“So, I hesitate to ask, but—”
“They are a mess. He told them he was called back to his estate. He told them there had been several cases of arson in the village as well as on his property, and he couldn’t possibly stay in London.”
“Should I visit with them when we’re through, or should I wait until tomorrow?” Percy asked.
“No, you need to visit today.”
“I heard Barton’s companion tell him to let Jack leave town without ruining his reputation, but Barton was non-committal.”
“Of course he was. He’ll do it one day when he’s in a bad mood for stubbing his toe or some such nonsense,” Frederick said, shaking his head in disgust.
Hobart came, and after Frederick filled him in on what Percy heard at White’s, he nodded.
“I knew it,” Hobart said.
“He is doing something at Tattersall’s. We’re not sure what yet, but he spends a lot of his time talking about the value of a horse than necessary. Why would he hang around there all day pontificating on the horses? It doesn’t make sense. But it will before my men are done. Horse trading.”
Hobart looked over at Percy. “You wouldn’t recognize him?”
Percy shook his head no. “I would recognize his voice again. It was a little raspy.”
Hobart looked at Percy and said, “You, young man, are in the market for a horse and need to go to Tattersall’s. Tomorrow?”
“Sure. Should I go with my friends Cecil and Kent?”
“Good. Just keep them on a need to know basis. Half of London doesn’t need to be aware of our research.”
*****
Percy opened the door to the parlour and saw the Duchess and Louisa huddled together, crying. His heart ached for them.
“Hello, ladies. May I join you or would you prefer to be alone?”
Louisa looked up from where she sat and saw Percy. He was surprised at how bad she looked. Her eyes were swollen and red-rimmed, but her cheeks looked chaffed. Her face looked like it hurt.
When she saw Percy, she jumped out of her seat and ran to him, burying her face in his chest. He put his arms around her and rubbed one hand up and down her spine while she sobbed, her chest heaving to catch air. Louisa’s mother didn’t insist they pull apart for propriety sake, so Percy stood there for as long as Louisa needed him.
She eventually pulled back from him and looked at his face. Her cheeks, her eyes, her nose all looked like they hurt.
She pulled into his chest again, and he braced for her next round of crying. It never came. She just leaned against his chest.
He dipped his face until his mouth reached her ears. “Shall we sit and hug?”
She nodded into his chest, so he walked them to the settee without making her disengage. They sat, and he pulled her head back to his chest. He rubbed her arm and waited.
The Duchess whispered in his ear.
“She’s asleep. Stay here, and I’ll send for refreshments.”
Percy wanted to tell her not to bother on his account, but she was already gone. It hammered home the way the Haddingtons considered him like a brother because they le
ft the two of them alone in the parloUr, Louisa’s head on Percy’s chest.
The Duchess came back followed by a servant carrying a tray of fresh bread, meats, cheeses, and wine. She whispered in Percy’s ear, “I’m sorry to put you in this position, but I know she won’t sleep all night once she wakes. She might eat something while you are here.”
Percy nodded and sat back, trying to get as comfortable as he could so Louisa could get some sleep.
