“I didn’t think there was another child, sir,” Lieutenant Franklin said, running up to William.
“Lieutenant Franklin, this is Beth and her doll, Alice,” William said.
The young lieutenant smiled at the child, who cuddled closer to William and gripped his shirt tightly.
“Beth?” Franklin said in a low voice. “Could she be Lord Wilson’s daughter, sir?
“Aye,” William said. He knew that the child had been stolen from Hyde Park while out with her nanny. Wilson’s wife had taken to her bed after the incident and had remained in a terrible state of distress since then.
William hurried to the side of the ship, where he handed the child to Franklin, who gently transferred the exhausted child into the arms of Corporal Smythe, another officer on their ship.
Looking around, the younger man added, “I thought I heard a man’s cry for help.”
“Yes. I suppose you did,” William said in a grim voice, noticing the bobbing head had disappeared. He had forgotten about rescuing Blackstone from drowning after he heard the child crying. “A wave washed Blackstone overboard while he was trying to escape. I had hoped that we could have arrested him, questioned him, and gotten the truth from him. Unfortunately, Mother Nature claimed him instead of Lady Justice.”
William had been working for the past five years to stop child-smuggling rings. They’d recovered hundreds of missing children. And while he knew they couldn’t catch all the smugglers in the ring, nor did they know who their leader was, at least they’d stopped Blackstone.
William scanned the dark, choppy waves. The seas had claimed another to a watery grave.Good riddance.
~*~
Chapter One
London, England
September 1819
“I’ve enjoyed my work with the Crown, but it’s been a year since I inherited the title of Viscount Dudley, and I have responsibilities I can no longer put off,” William said, sipping his brandy, sitting across from his friend Lucas in his study.
Lucas and his wife, Harriett Pemberton, the Duke and Duchess of Dorman, had invited William to stay at their townhouse, but he had declined. However, he thanked his dear friends for their most welcoming gesture. There were several loose ends on his final assignments he needed to tie up before he left for the country, and he needed his study and the solitude his townhouse offered before heading to the estate.
The duchess, formerly known as Viscountess Dudley, had been compelled by her father to marry the former viscount, breaking off her engagement to Lord Lucas Pemberton. During his initial visit to the Dudley home, after being named the new Viscount Dudley, William had discovered extortion papers in his distant cousin’s study, revealing that Harriett’s father had forced her to abandon her engagement to Lucas and marry William’s distant cousin, a man notorious for his cruelty, especially toward women. By returning the papers to Harriett, William freed her from the threats her former mother-in-law had made to grasp the money that Harriett had inherited from her late husband. A lasting friendship had formed between William, the duchess, and her new husband, the duke.
“My duchess will be most displeased when she returns and discovers you haven’t tried one of Mrs. Bodin’s special lemon bars. Harriett had them prepared just for you,” Dorman said with a grin.
“I certainly don’t want to upset your lovely wife.” William smiled as he reached for one of the bars. He greatly admired his friends for their generous charitable works. Harriett also spent one day a week at the London Children’s Orphanage, a home the Dormans helped fund, assisting with the children as well as helping to find good families to adopt the orphans.
“These are delicious,” William said, polishing off a second bar. “I’ll have my cook bake some for Michael—that is, if your cook is willing to share her recipe. My cook, Mrs. Bradberry, is one of the few servants I didn’t replace, but she is still new to me, and I’m not sure she’d know this recipe.”
“Of course, our cook would be happy to include a copy. In addition, I’ll ask Mrs. Bodin to pack up a basket and send it along for young Michael,” the duke offered.
“Thank you, I appreciate that.” William’s little brother, Michael, who was just eight years old, would enjoy the treats.
William was looking forward to seeing his brother again. He planned to take him to Cliffton Abbey in Dover. When their mother had succumbed to scarlet fever, during what was deemed an epidemic almost three years ago, William had been away working for the Crown. He’d become an agent with a special mandate after the war, tracking down smugglers who kidnapped children to sell on the black market. Unfortunately, Michael had been moved from one distant relative to another in the past two years. William had felt enormous guilt for not providing his brother with a stable home, especially considering his previous mission had focused on rescuing children.
“How is young Michael?” Dorman asked. “I hear he’s a clever lad with a penchant for rescuing all sorts of creatures.”
William chuckled. “Yes, he has a good heart. Unfortunately, not all our relatives appreciate his love of animals.”
“Well, I am certain your brother will grow up to be as good a man as you are.”
“Thank you, I appreciate your vote of confidence,” William said. “That’s one of the reasons why I want Michael to live with me. I realize how much he needs me. I am the only one left to ensure Michael has a decent upbringing, so I’m stepping back from active duty.”
“The Crown will be losing a valuable man, but Michael will be gaining your fine guidance,” the duke mused, refilling both brandy glasses.
William nodded his thanks. “I’m not completely leaving—not just yet. I spoke with Colonel Harrison at headquarters this morning and he asked me to stay on in a more administrative capacity.” He was skilled at decoding intercepted messages by smugglers and had been asked by Harrison to take charge of that key area. It wouldn’t be forever, and it would enable him to be there for Michael while tending to his duties and obligations of his title.
The door opened, and the duchess glided gracefully into the library wearing a violet-colored gown that complemented her rich, dark hair. The duke’s eyes glowed as he kissed his beautiful wife on the cheek.
