He thought back to Harriet. How she would ask him if he had made any progress on the subject, her eyes wide and expecting.
He almost did not have the heart to disappoint her once again.
“Perhaps so,” Anthony nodded in agreement.
But, just as they were about to leave, a tall, lean man approached them, his features shadowed by the dim light. He looked at Simon with a mixture of curiosity and recognition. “You’re looking for Tobias, aren’t you?”
Simon straightened, his attention fully on the newcomer. “Yes, I am. Do you know where he is?”
Perhaps they were finally making progress.
The man nodded, glancing around as if to ensure they weren’t overheard. “He hasn’t been here for a while, but I might know where he’s at these days.”
“Then, you should let me know immediately.”
A smile appeared on the man’s face. “Ah, I would love to. But such information doesn’t come free, Your Grace.”
Simon raised an eyebrow. “Are you suggesting I compensate you for your knowledge?”
The man shrugged, a sly smile playing on his lips. “Information is a valuable commodity, especially when it concerns a gentleman like your brother. I’d say it’s worth a fair sum. If you truly want to know, that is.”
Simon suppressed a sigh, knowing that haggling over information was part and parcel of dealings in such places. Hereached into his coat pocket, extracting a small pouch of coins. “How much do you require?”
It was not like him to give into people’s requests for bribes. But this felt like a useless fight — he needed the information, and this was likely the quickest way to obtain it.
The man eyed the pouch, considering his answer. “Twenty pounds ought to do it.”
Simon frowned at the audacity of the demand. “Twenty pounds? You must think me a fool.”
The man shrugged again, unperturbed. “It’s a reasonable price for ensuring your brother’s well-being, wouldn’t you agree? After all, his whereabouts seem to be of considerable interest to you.”
Anthony, standing by Simon’s side, watched the exchange with interest. “Isn’t there room for negotiation, sir? Perhaps ten pounds, and we’ll consider it a fair trade.”
The man’s eyes darted between Simon and Anthony, weighing his options. Finally, he nodded, relenting slightly. “Fifteen, then. But I cannot go any lower than that.”
Simon reached into his pocket, extracting a few more coins and placing them in the man’s palm. “Fifteen it is. Now, where can I find my brother?”
The man pocketed the coins, satisfied. He leaned in closer, lowering his voice.
“Your brother might be attending a cockfight that is to take place next week at Lord Mason’s estate,” the man whispered.
“Lord Mason?” Anthony jumped into the conversation. “Why, he is an acquaintance to me. We can get an invitation easily.”
Simon nodded, finally pleased to know that they were making some kind of progress. “What else can you tell me? Do you know what sort of company he is keeping these days? Is he courting anyone?”
“Courting?” the man laughed. “Your Grace, you know better than anyone that your brother does not court. He simply conquers, and then moves onto his next conquest.”
Simon wanted to put the man in his place at once for being disrespectful. Troublesome as his brother might be, they were still related by blood and he would not stand for him to be discussed like this by a total stranger.
But he composed himself, knowing it would not cause him any benefit to make a scene in a place like this.
“I don’t recall asking for your opinion. Only what you may know,” Simon said in a low tone.
The man flashed him a grin, his crooked and gapped teeth on full display.
“I already told you what I knew, Your Grace. Your best bet is to locate your brother at the cockfight.”
Anthony sensed the tension rising and stepped in immediately.
