Читать книгу Brazen in Blue - Rachael Miles - Страница 12

Chapter Five

Knowing a dozen ways to slip unnoticed from Hartshorne Hall, Adam left Queen Bess patiently waiting and threaded a path to the wing farthest removed from both Emmeline’s drawing room and the chapel. There, he slipped out of the house to hide between the hedgerows until he could reasonably rejoin the wedding guests.

He removed his glove and ran his fingers across the silver unicorn in his pocket. He’d given the necklace to Emmeline not long after they had become lovers, a promise—when he had no other one to give—that he would never abandon her. He’d paid a pretty penny for it, at a time when his spare pennies were few.

Their improbable first meeting in the forest had made him unwilling to lie to her, unable to forget that moment when their souls and hearts had seemed to touch. Sometimes it required a bit of ingenuity—eliding questions and omitting details—to tell Emmeline only the truth. He’d already spent weeks creating the character of Adam Locksley, and he couldn’t tell her about his own life without contradicting the stories he’d made up for everyone else, so he avoided telling personal stories entirely.

Though he’d wanted to know everything about her—how she’d received her scars, why her father lived abroad while she ran the estate—to keep things fair between them, he refused to ask for her personal stories as well. And he turned a dumb ear when others brought up her name. Before they met, he’d known only that she had an uncanny, but potentially useful, talent for recognizing voices. Lord Colin, telling a story about a party at Emmeline’s, had inadvertently revealed that talent to their superior officer, Joe Pasten. By the time the Home Office sent him their research on Emmeline, he had refused to read the report.

He pressed the tip of his finger against the unicorn’s horn. When he’d given it to her, saying she was fearless as the unicorn, she’d refused the compliment. “A unicorn,” she’d said, “is merely a horse with a congenital defect.”

Her bright mind had made her an engaging conversationalist, and their talks had included everything: books; ideas; current events, both at home and abroad; politics and political theory; dreams and hopes. But none of it had made any difference in the end. She’d found out all the lies he’d told to other people, never realizing he’d told her only one: his name.

He turned the unicorn over, feeling the tiny ridge that held an engraved address where she could send it, if she needed him. He’d agonized over what to put there, unable to use his own address without telling her his true name. He’d eventually decided to use the address of one of his informants, someone who could know who Adam Locksley was and where to find him. Once everything between them had fallen apart so badly, he’d assumed that she’d never use it, that she’d never be so desperate as to call on “a scoundrel of the worst order,” as she’d called him. But she had. Even so, in her drawing room, he’d insisted on knowing that she was serious about leaving Colin at the altar.

He looked at his watch. By now all the guests would have been informed that the wedding had been canceled. Though he hated to think of how his old friend Colin felt about being jilted at the altar, he was relieved that Em had run.

He rounded the end of the house to see the guests circulating around the chapel doors. Some distance away, the Duke of Forster and his brother Lord Edmund stood in close conversation with Lady Wilmot’s solicitor, H. William Aldine. Adam raised a hand in greeting and made his way to meet them. It was time to put the next part of his plan into effect.

The men stepped apart, welcoming him into their discussion. A fourth man stood beyond them in the shadow of the doorway: Joe Pasten, deputy director of the very secret division of the Home Office, where Adam had first met Forster and his Somerville brothers.

“We were hoping you’d come to the wedding.” Forster patted his shoulder. “We’re determining how to address the problem of Colin’s missing bride.”

“When I heard the bride had bolted, I thought a walk through the woods toward the village might be wise,” Adam offered, knowing a half-truth was more sustainable than a lie.

“And?” Forster looked hopeful.

Adam shrugged as if to convey he’d seen nothing, and the men shook their heads.

“Adam knows this part of the country well.” Joe Pasten put his hand on Adam’s shoulder. “Some time ago, he investigated the Nottingham wharf explosion, tracing the responsible parties all the way to a nearby Gloucestershire estate.”

Adam studied Joe’s face. Joe was rarely so forthcoming without a reason.

“Wasn’t that explosion an accident?” Lord Edmund looked serious. “A broken barrel left a trail of gunpowder from the dock to the warehouse. Once lit, it exploded the whole warehouse.”

“No, there was more to it.” Aldine squinted, remembering. “One of the workers, seeing a bit of gunpowder and not the whole trail, thought it would be a good joke to light it.”

“That was the newspaper report.” Adam stepped closer to Joe, not wishing for his supervisor to reveal any connection between Adam’s work and Lady Emmeline. “But since everyone on the dock and in the warehouse died, the story is almost certainly a fabrication.”

“We assigned Adam to discover who circulated the story and why.” Joe shook his head. “We thought—still do—that a London criminal, known by the name of Charters, orchestrated the destruction to gain control of the other warehouses, but we can’t prove it. Not then, not now.”

“Charters.” Forster grimaced. “Isn’t that the man who kidnapped . . .”

“Appears to be.” Joe cut the duke off.

“Do you think this Charters has anything to do with Lady Emmeline’s disappearance?” Adam followed Forster’s lead, hoping to direct attention away from his previous stay in Gloucestershire.

“No, no sign of that, no sign at all.” Joe studied Adam for a moment before turning his attention back to Forster. “We can’t imagine Charters has any connection to her ladyship.”

“Lady Emmeline is somewhat of a recluse.” Lord Edmund’s thumb circled the hilt of his ceremonial sword. “She rarely leaves her estate and never without Queen Bess.”

“Queen Bess?” Adam tried to sound confused.

“A Newfoundland dog. Emmeline breeds them.” Lord Edmund looked over the crowd of guests. “It’s one of the reasons we are worried for her.”

“Then you have your solution,” Adam offered. “Can the dog trace her scent?”

“We tried, but the dog simply refused. Jeffreys thinks Bess doesn’t believe her mistress is gone.”

Or Emmeline told her to stay.

“Have you tried all the trunks in the house? I’ve read brides sometimes decide to play hide-and-seek.” Adam tried to sound helpful. “Or perhaps she was stolen away by a daemon lover to faerie land?”

“You have read too many novels,” Lord Edmund chided.

“The dog notwithstanding, we can’t believe that a woman of her intelligence ran away without prior planning,” Joe explained. “But if that’s the case, why wait to run until thirty minutes before the wedding? That’s when Mrs. Burns, the parson’s wife, left her. No, something—or someone—must have arrived to help her.”

Adam forced his face to remain neutral and his shoulders at ease. Joe was a skilled investigator in his own right and the only man in the unit who worked directly with their enigmatic and rarely seen director, Mr. James.

“Reclusive, intelligent, and wealthy.” Forster mulled the words. “Those characteristics could have made her ready game for an unscrupulous person. I worry who she might have enlisted to help her.”

“You fear she may have fallen in with a scoundrel.” Adam used Em’s word, putting on his most serious face.

“Exactly,” Forster confirmed.

“If you want someone to find the missing bride, Adam is your man.” Joe gave Adam’s shoulder an encouraging pat. “He knows this land and its hiding places better than anyone. Through his Home Office work, he has established contacts here and throughout much of Britain.” Joe’s enthusiasm made Adam suspicious. “Besides, any other man I could suggest is hours away. Adam has the advantage of being here already.”

Adam felt his stomach turn cold.

“That’s a brilliant idea,” Lord Edmund interjected. “Lady Emmeline would likely run from any of us Somervilles as if we were Colin himself.”

Forster examined Adam as if he’d never seen him before. “Will you do it?”

“Do what?”

“Find Lady Emmeline.” The three men spoke in unison.

“Are you saying I am the sort of scoundrel Lady Emmeline would find appealing?” Adam raised an eyebrow.

“That’s not quite what I mean.” Forster shook his head.

“Having worked with Adam for the last several years, I can attest that he used to be the best scoundrel among us,” Edmund interjected.

Adam glared at him.

Edmund, grinning, gave a half shrug. “But since he returned from investigating the Nottingham wharf fire, he’s given up all fun and married his work.”

“My uncle died about then.” Adam shifted the timeline to create a different explanation for his change of mood.

“Ah yes.” Edmund nodded sympathetically. “The woes of an inheritance locked in Chancery.”

Forster coughed to refocus the conversation. “As for finding Lady Emmeline . . .”

“Lord Colin isn’t the sort to drag an unwilling woman to the altar.” Adam was surprised at the duke’s insistence, but only partially. Dukes do as they wish.

“No, no. In a year or two, my brother will have reconciled himself to being jilted at the altar.” Forster rubbed his forehead with his hand. “I wish to hire someone to find her, assure that she is safe, and provide her a trustworthy escort to whatever safe haven she wishes. The friendships between our family and hers require at least that much of me.”

“Unfortunately, I have other obligations. I’ve taken a holiday to address some pressing family business,” Adam averred.

“Adam has inherited a houseful of women, but not the means to support them,” Joe explained.

Forster studied Adam more closely. “By your own admission, you have already been searching for her.”

“And you are not merely another Home Office investigator, you are our friend.” Edmund met Adam’s eyes. “We can trust you.”

Adam’s stomach twisted once more. The trap was all around him. If he took the assignment, he could ensure that Forster didn’t hire other men, particularly not experienced investigators like those under Joe’s command. Though Em knew that the duke would likely hire men to find her, she would be furious if she knew he had been hired. Of course, he acknowledged inwardly, Em being angry with him was more the rule than the exception. It only mattered if he thought she might still care for him.

Even so, he had to say no.

“My business is of too demanding a nature to chase after a runaway bride.” Adam pretended to consider the problem. “But Giles Gillfeather is a smart lad, as is Mosely Barnes.”

Joe raised an eyebrow. A misstep, Adam realized too late. He should have recommended more accomplished men.

“What will it take to hire you?” Forster, sounding very much like a duke, folded his arms over his chest.

Adam raised his hands, palms out, refusing the suggestion.

“Adam, how much does your relative want for his part of your disputed inheritance?” Joe chimed in.

“This isn’t the time to discuss my finances.” Adam glared at Joe.

Joe, however, proceeded undeterred. “Adam’s uncle bungled his will, and the relative—a clergyman, no less—wants an exorbitant sum to release his claim on the estate.”

“A thousand pounds,” Forster interjected.

“No, it’s not that exorbitant.” Joe looked stunned.

“I’m not talking of Montclair’s inheritance. That’s my reward to any man who ensures Lady Emmeline is safe and secure from harm.” Forster looked at Adam pointedly.

“You could hire twenty men for that,” Adam countered. That kind of money would solve all his problems, or nearly all. But he couldn’t consider it.

Forster raised an eyebrow. “If I need twenty men, I will hire them. But I’d rather make it worth your while to set aside your own business to deal with mine.”

“You must understand how dear a friend Lady Emmeline is to our family,” Edmund cajoled.

“When you say escort Lady Emmeline to a safe haven, what do you mean? Bring her to you? I doubt she would have created such a scandal if she wished to marry your brother.”

Forster looked subdued. “My brother is an honorable man. Until he determines not to marry Lady Emmeline, I would prefer she remain out of reach.”

“That may require a bit of time, more time than any agent would be willing to devote to the case.” Even if Adam didn’t want the job, he didn’t like the thought of any other man guarding Em for months on end.

“You understand then why I place so high a value on the labor.” The duke waited for some response from Adam, but receiving none continued. “Our family returns to London tomorrow. Lord Colin will be with us. We will ensure he remains in town. You find her and keep her safe, but additionally you must keep her away from Lord Colin and anyone who might tell him her whereabouts.”

“That may prove a difficult task. It will mean keeping her out of the whole of London and away from her estate, for months on end.”

The duke nodded. “I’ll pay all of the expenses of the road, horses, lodging, food, clothing, if necessary.”

“But I’ll be the only one looking for her?” He made his voice sound hard and mercenary, though it soured his stomach to do it. “My circumstances make me unwilling to share that sort of ransom with anyone else.”

“And I wish to avoid a greater scandal. I’ll want frequent reports, detailing where you’ve looked. Once you find her, I’ll want reports on her well-being.”

“I’ll want our arrangement kept secret, particularly the issue of the reward,” Adam added. “A great many men might decide to try to find her on their own, if they believed you might pay for her return.”

“A fine point, Adam.” Forster looked to Lord Edmund and Aldine, who nodded agreement. “Given Lady Emmeline’s independent character, we would prefer to keep the arrangement secret from her as well. She will not appreciate our meddling, and that will make your task all the harder.”

“The guests are waiting for the wedding feast, or as Lady Emmeline’s estate manager re-named it, a community dinner.” Edmund looked out over the groups chatting across the carriage yard. “But if any of the guests inquire, we will indicate only that an old family friend is managing the search for Lady Emmeline.”

The duke extended his hand, and Adam shook it.

“Eventually, I’ll also want to know what scoundrel she found to help her. I’ll write you a note for one hundred pounds today, and you can draw on my bank for the rest when you find her. Aldine can assist you with supplies or other needs.”

“Thank you, Adam.” Edmund embraced him warmly. “Colin will find it a relief to know you are looking for Em. I’ll have Jeffreys arrange some foodstuffs, and I suppose a coach.”

Aldine, the solicitor, handed Adam his card, then the three men took their leave. Adam watched them walk away to join other guests. Aldine joined Constance Equiano, a London bookseller, who was speaking solemnly to a group of women near the chapel doors. The duke and Lord Edmund stopped to speak to Jeffreys, who was directing servants in a search of the estate. Edmund pointed toward Adam, and Jeffreys gave him a long, searing look.

Even with the duke’s promise, keeping their arrangement a secret was not going to be easy. Given a chance, Jeffreys would most certainly warn Emmeline of Adam’s arrangement with the duke. Forster knew Emmeline well when he said she wouldn’t appreciate his meddling. She would, of course, be furious that a group of well-intentioned men had decided to ignore her decision to break the engagement. Eventually Adam would have to tell her himself, but he couldn’t risk telling her until he had her well and safely away. Otherwise, she might decide him more of a scoundrel than she needed, and he wasn’t yet ready to let her go—not when he’d just gotten a chance to make things right between them.

The trap closed in tighter.

Joe put his back to the courtyard wall, and Adam followed his lead. Before them, crowds of wedding guests stood in uneasy groups around the chapel door or strolled about, talking in whispers.

The duke and Lord Edmund joined Aldine and the women. The duke put his arm around his fiancée, Lady Wilmot, a slender widow with nut-brown hair. After a brief conversation, the women in the group looked his way, nodding. Already the secret was spreading.

“You need have no fear of that group telling about your arrangement with the duke. In fact, given their recent activities, they would likely offer to help you search.” Joe read Adam’s concern. “They are the Muses’ Salon, Lady Wilmot’s book club. Do you know any of them?”

“Two. Lady Wilmot and Forster’s sister, Lady Judith.” Adam intentionally left out Constance Equiano. Joe didn’t need to know everything. Adam studied the other members of the group. “I assume Lady Judith’s husband is the much older man standing behind her.”

“Yes, Alderson, the dour industrialist.” Joe paused as several young women passed close by. “Beside Lady Judith are the Masons. Ophelia, the tall woman with auburn hair, is a chemist of sorts, quite the terror of Kensington as she blows things up on a regular basis. Ophelia’s husband, Sidney—the man in blue wool—manufactures perfume and soap; he keeps her in explosives. The two younger women are Kate and Ariel Gardiner, Ophelia’s sisters; studious girls, they are known to be observant and resourceful. All are the duke’s cousins.”

“I thought Mrs. Mason and the Gardiners were Lady Wilmot’s relations.”

“Sisters-in-law. They and Lady Wilmot’s late husband are all Somerville cousins.”

“Who are the two women beside the Gardiner sisters?”

Joe looked intently at the pair. “I can’t say.”

“Something you don’t know. I shall write that down.” Adam was certain Joe would remedy that situation as soon as the dinner bell rang. “Was it wise to mention my work in the region to the duke and his brothers? If they had realized I know Lady Emmeline, it could have posed problems.”

Joe ignored the question, smiling and nodding for the guests as if Adam had said something amusing. “We have been unwilling to draw on Lady Emmeline’s talent for voices while she was ensconced here on her estate. Now that she’s run, however, we might be able to convince her to help us again.”

“You mean I might be able to.” Adam let his voice go hard. He could feel the plan already going awry.

Joe touched the rim of his hat to a pair of ladies walking by. He waited to speak until they had tittered past. “Our newest reports suggest Charters may be an aristocrat, hiding his identity under various disguises. We want to know if that’s true.”

“She won’t like that.” Adam bit back the rest of the sentence.

“Ah, so you do know where our bride has bolted.” Joe smiled to an older woman in an outrageous hat.

“I didn’t say that.” Adam shook his head decisively. “I can predict from our previous discussions that she won’t like the job.”

“Of course, that’s what you meant.” Joe smiled again, this time to a pair of well-dressed men. “It’s good you took Forster’s job.”

“Why?” Adam watched Jeffreys call a stableboy to his side.

“I’d already determined to assign you to Lady Hartley’s case, and the Home Office will pay you far less than the duke.” Joe paused while several wedding guests hurried toward the dining hall. “But this may prove a challenging assignment, with you serving two masters.”

Three, Adam thought, but held his tongue.

“It will be useful to have the resources of the Home Office and the duke engaged. But—to be clear—our priorities are paramount. We ensure the safety of the nation, and we want her to work for us. I’ll want reports as well.”

“What do you want her to do?”

“Nothing for now. We have some measures yet to put into place. If we are to embark on this, we wish to be able to carry it through. But in the interim, we don’t want to lose her skill. I don’t know how she does it, but we have no one else who can recognize any voice she’s ever heard.”

“You’ll have to come up with a way to convince her—if I find her.” Adam shrugged as if uncertain.

“Ah, that part’s already in place.” Joe sounded self-satisfied.

Suspicion twisted in Adam’s stomach, but he said nothing.

Joe waited, then seeming satisfied with Adam’s silence, he continued. “It seems both you and Lady Emmeline have disputed inheritances. When her ladyship didn’t appear for the ceremony, her cousin Mrs. Cane looked pleased, quite pleased, indeed.”

The wind blew cold through the carriage yard, and those remaining outside hurried into the manor house.

Adam thought of Em, waiting in the forest, with only her shawl for warmth. “Each minute I delay will make finding Lady Emmeline more difficult.”

“Yes, of course.” Joe patted Adam’s forearm as a footman made his way from Jeffreys toward them. “I anticipate only one problem.”

“Only one?” Adam’s patience was at an end. He needed to join Em.

“This time, you might lose your heart entirely.” His commander raised his hand in greeting to another man, and, nodding, walked quickly away.