“I do hope you won’t be keeping the marquess all to yourself all evening. Some of us would like to perform with his lordship as well. I know the marquess likes to take pity on those of lesser fortunes, but his true friends and acquaintances need him as well.” Her eyes flashed viciously as she glanced over Charlotte’s shoulder at the marquess.
Elizabeth seemed to suck in a sharp breath but quickly cleared her throat when Lady Henrietta glared at her.
It soon became apparent to Charlotte that Lady Elizabeth was being controlled by her friend, sucked into a nasty world of gossip and mind games.
“I see; thank you for letting me know, Lady Henrietta. I will be sure to inform the marquess of your concerns. And then, if he chooses to continue gracing the less fortunate, in this case, myself, with his presence, you will know that the matter is entirely his decision,” Charlotte explained coolly, giving Lady Elizabeth a reassuring smile.
A small sense of satisfaction coursed through her veins as the look on Lady Henrietta’s face was anything but pleasant. The woman had undoubtedly thought that she could get a rise out of Charlotte if she insulted her family, but Charlotte wasn’t about to let someone get the better of her when there were greater things on the line.
Lady Elizabeth seemed to relax a little as she attempted an awkward smile, her eyes filling with gratitude because Charlotte had not pulled her into the argument.
“Now, if you will excuse me, ladies, I would like a breath of fresh air before the marquess and I perform our next piece. I encourage you to make your request for a duet known to his lordship before then, Lady Henrietta, and if the marquess is willing, I will gladly step aside and allow you the honour. Until then, I will prepare for my part.”
Charlotte finished with a smile and left Lady Henrietta at a loss for words.
“Can you believe her nerve?” Lady Henrietta’s irate voice drifted to Charlotte’s ears.
“No, I think she has a point; you should be direct with the marquess. I, for one, am not willing to harass Lady Charlotte any longer when she hasn’t done anything wrong,” Elizabeth replied in a stern tone and moved away from her friend.
Smiling to herself, Charlotte stepped into the cool evening air, hoping for a moment alone to gather her thoughts. At least she had put Lady Henrietta in her place; now all she needed to do was tell the marquess the truth.
Chapter 19
Smoke filled the dimly lit room as Lord Reginald sipped his glass of brandy, allowing the strong liquid to burn the back of his throat. The room in White’s was set aside for private meetings that required a more discreet atmosphere. Gentlemen sat around the room, puffing cigars as business was discussed in hushed tones.
The subtle clinking of glasses and occasional murmurs as deals were made created a clandestine atmosphere that did little to ease the growing anxiety that gnawed at the pit of his stomach. It wasn’t often that his partner in crime asked for a meeting; they preferred to keep their business as concealed as possible.
“I’m sorry for asking you here on such short notice, Reggy. Matters have come to light that simply cannot be ignored.” The chubby man who sat across from him in the corner of the room puffed on his cigar, his stomach deflating slightly as he allowed a puff of smoke to escape.
The use of the nickname from his past grated on his nerves; it had been a few years since anyone had addressed him in that manner.
“Please, Blackwood, call me Lord Reginald, at least while we are out in public. I have worked hard to maintain the title,” he hissed under his breath through gritted teeth before sipping his brandy once more to disguise his voice.
The beefy man with bushy eyebrows and bulbous nose seemed bored as he sneered at Reginald. “Yes, be that as it may, it has come to my attention through the gossip mill that an undercover agent is close to uncovering the deeds of our past,” the man drawled and blew out another cloud of smoke, obscuring his figure for a moment.
Ice ran through his veins as the man’s words sank in. He’d heard whispers of some kind of undercover operation, but he’d hoped that none of it would lead back to him. “Do you have any idea of who this man might be?” Reginald asked through gritted teeth, his mind racing with panic as he went over all the acquaintances he had made in the past month alone.
Mr Blackwood shrugged his shoulders with a dismissive smirk. “Rumour has it that the man has already infiltrated deep into the social circles. At this point, it could be anyone we know.” He leaned forward and snuffed out the tip of his cigar in an ashtray.
A single bead of sweat formed on his brow as Reginald swallowed hard, his throat feeling dry despite the brandy he’d finished. His suspicions drifted to the man who had been his partner in crime for as long as he could recall. If it could indeed have been anyone at all, then Blackwood could have turned on him, becoming a double agent.
“What do we do now.” He pushed the suspicions to the back of his mind, making a mental note to keep an eye on everyone, especially Mr Blackwood.
Reaching into his pocket, Mr Blackwood retrieved a ticket, placing it on the surface of the mahogany table and sliding it towards Reginald. “I have booked us each a ticket on the next ship leaving the country. Things have got too hot here in London. I suggest we cut our losses and lay low until the iron is cool enough to touch. The undercover man will want to strike while it’s hot if you understand my meaning,” Mr Blackwood explained with an eyebrow raised.
Picking up the ticket, Reginald read the details. “This is in two days,” he remarked dryly, placing the ticket back on the table.
“We need to move quickly if the rumours are true. I suggest you make sure that your trail is clean before we leave. I have already begun to end most of my business dealings,” Mr Blackwood suggested.
Reginald’s mind wandered to the documents he’d already burned and the boxes of papers that the maids had placed in the attic before he’d had the chance to see them. “I hope you weren’t thinking of betraying me, Blackwood; I have done a lot to ensure our business dealings remain private. It would be a shame if either of us were implicated at this point.”
“Do you really think that I would be giving you a ticket alongside me to Scotland if I intended to hand you over? And just what have you done that has made you so suspicious?” Blackwood asked curiously.
Realizing his partner had a point, Reginald decided to unburden himself from the secret that had plagued his mind for years. “There was a time when my brother grew suspicious of our dealings with the Sinclair family; I did what was necessary to ensure our deal went off without a hitch.” He lay back in his chair and held the man’s gaze.
Mr Blackwood frowned for a moment, seemingly searching his mind for something. “Are you saying that the incident with the highwaymen was not an accident at all?” He seemed shocked, his eyes widening.
“My brother threatened to tell the duke of our dealings; I did what I needed to do to ensure that didn’t happen,” he said darkly, giving his words a moment to sink in.
