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He realized what he’d said, considered rewording it, then decided against it. Making an issue of it would only serve to give his words credence they didn’t deserve. He took a long swallow of the whiskey. It was tempting, but he couldn’t afford to overindulge in spirits tonight.
“What if the answer concerns her father or brother?”
Luke sighed. “Do what you think best. Just find out who she wants me to kill and why.”
“What if she’s the only one who knows?”
“She has to have told someone.”
“You didn’t. Not until the deed was done.”
“Not true. I told someone.” Jack. His confessor in all things. And more often than not, his conspirator.
“Jack. You told Jack. You always trusted him more than you trusted the rest of us.”
“He’s the one who found me, shivering, starving, wretchedly afraid. I daresay I’d have died if he’d not taken care of me, taken me to Feagan.”
“You know as well as I that Feagan paid us for recruitments. You were merely
threepence in Jack’s pocket.”
“Are you jealous of my friendship with Jack?”
“Don’t be absurd. But you speak as though his motives in rescuing you were pure.
Nothing about Jack is pure.”
“He saved your arse on more than one occasion.”
“And I like him, but I don’t trust him, not completely.”
“With our upbringing, with what we learned about the world, do you think any of us completely trusts anyone?”
“I trust you. I’d follow you into hell without questioning why we were going.”
“You’ve just made my point, because I’m the least trustworthy of us all. No one can be completely trusted. No one’s motives are pure. Which brings us back to Catherine Mabry. Find out all you can about her.”
Because Luke had a feeling she was leading him straight into hell, but unlike Jim, Luke wanted to know why.
Luke downed his whiskey and got up to pour himself another glass.
“How did the lesson go?” Jim asked as he walked over and held out his glass.
Luke splashed some whiskey into it. “Catherine won’t speak of it. She said I’ll see the results when I see the results. She vexes me as I’ve never been vexed. Do you know she actually had the audacity to question my selection of a wife? She’s impertinent. I’ve never known a woman such as her.” He rubbed his brow. “She makes my head hurt.”
“You’ve always been troubled with head pains.”
“It’s been awhile. I’ve some powder to relieve it. Not to worry.”
Jim set down his glass. “I’ll be off then. Perhaps tomorrow I’ll have more luck.”
“Perhaps we both will.”
Chapter 7
“I have it on good authority that Mr. Marcus Langdon has filed a bill in the Court of Chancery in order to reclaim his English estates. It is a start toward reclaiming his rightful title,” Lady Charlotte said.
