Julius rubbed his temple. “I’ll tell Liverpool to put men on him, of course. But his story rings true. It would be smart of the organization to hire a legitimate front man.”
“Tell the men to look out for the poor sot, as well, during their watch,” Max said. “This crime ring seems to cut their losses quickly when their men have been discovered. Those four men in the alley, five if you count the one who slit Allan’s throat, must have followed the attorney from the coffeehouse as we did. He told someone he’d been discovered, and they killed him.”
Julius had the same thought. Human life meant nothing to these people.
“I don’t understand.” Max scratched his cheek. “Why have all these sham organizations? I can’t imagine a bird watching society being lucrative for a crime ring.”
Julius kicked his foot up on the opposite seat. “No, but ever since the income tax was created to pay for these bloody wars, people have been looking for ways to avoid paying it. Setting up a series of false charities would be a good way to go about that. People want to keep their coin in a bank for security reasons, but with the new law, banks are reporting deposits to the Crown. If they make it look like donations …”
“Very clever.”Max drummed his fingers on his thigh. “What about the subsidiaries? Are we going to sit on their offices?”
“Men are looking into them.” Shaking his head, Julius blew out a breath. “But whoever filed all the paperwork, Allan I presume, did a superb job of muddying the trail. Nonexistent shareholders, investors with addresses outside England. Liverpool’s men are going through the documents trying to untangle the mess.”
“Poor bastards. I prefer our way of getting information.” Max cracked his knuckles, and Julius nodded. His friend stretched his mouth into a smile. “Well, now that our part is done, let’s talk about your girl some more, and how you’re ruining your life by acting like a right git.”
Julius rested his head on the back of the bench seat and stared at the ceiling. He changed his mind. Drowning in paperwork didn’t sound so bad.
Chapter Eighteen
Elizabeth Fry marched back and forth in front of the fire, her skirts swishing dangerously close to the flames with each pivot. “But don’t you see? After his latest attack, you must debate Lord Hanford. It’s the only way.”
Perching on the edge of her seat, Amanda prepared to stomp on the woman’s skirts should they burst into flame. Really, the reformer was exhausting just to watch. A raging bundle of energy trapped in a diminutive frame. Resisting her entreaties was increasingly tiresome.
“You read his letter in the paper,” Amanda said. “You know the reason that isn’t possible.” Amanda had been repeating the same thing ever since Mrs. Fry and Miss Shaw had pounded on her front door. Resigned to the confrontation, Amanda had led the women to the morning room and attempted to state her case.
The women didn’t listen to reason. They were like Reggie when he got a good grip on his rope. Determined to hold onto their idea at any cost.
Lady Mary glided into the room, two footmen behind her. “I heard we had guests, dear, and thought they might want a spot of tea.”
Amanda smiled at the woman gratefully. Mrs. Fry might be a persuasive and forceful speaker, but no one could talk in circles like her companion. “Thank you, My Lady. This is Mrs. Fry and Miss Shaw. They’re members of the Ladies’ Society for Prison Reform. And this is the Lady Mary Cavindish.”
Lady Mary clapped her small hands together. “How exciting. I’ve heard of your ministry in Newgate Prison, Mrs. Fry. It’s all quite noble.” She sat on the edge of a settee. Reggie trotted into the room and went right to the older woman’s side, waiting for his treat. Lady Mary pulled something from her sleeve and tossed it into his open mouth. “Amanda, did you never see Mrs. Fry while you were there?”
Heat clawed up Amanda’s cheeks. Yes, everyone knew she’d been a resident in that hellhole, but it wasn’t something that was discussed in polite society. She glared at her chaperone. Amanda had needed the dotty woman who left everyone around her in a muddle. Not the interested, intelligent one. Plus, the woman had stolen her dog. Well, her sister’s dog, but still.
“No,” she gritted out between clenched teeth. “I never saw her there.”
“I didn’t start my ministry until after your incarceration.” Mrs. Fry poked around a tray a footman had settled on the table. She came up with a scone studded with cranberries. “Horrid place. I’m not quite sure how you stood it.”
Amanda hadn’t had a choice. It was amazing what a person could stand when she had to.
She would have thought Julius’s rejection of her last night would have been more than she could bear. It had carved out her heart, left her hollow inside. But after the initial pain, all she’d felt was numb. This morning she’d dressed herself, read the papers, played with Reggie, all without feeling a thing. She’d survive, because there was no other choice.
But she didn’t know how to face Julius again. She and her chaperone didn’t really need a male presence for security. There were the servants, after all. Perhaps Julius would understand and return to his own home.
Leaving her bed just as empty as her heart.
Miss Shaw leaned forward. “What was it like? Being in Newgate?”
Amanda poured herself some tea, ignoring the tremble in her hand. A drop of the hot liquid splashed onto the fingers holding the cup, and she pressed them into her skirts. “About what you’d expect.” She sipped the tea, not minding the burn along her throat. She’d been cold for all those months. She could never complain over scalding tea.
“But what did you do with yourself?” Miss Shaw nibbled on a sweetmeat, her eyes wide. “Were the guards—”
“I would think if you are so curious, Mrs. Fry could take you along for her ministries.” Lady Mary tapped her fingers on the rim of her teacup. “No need for you to only imagine it. Or ask Amanda.”
The woman’s shoulders sagged. “Elizabeth won’t take me.”
“For your own good.” Mrs. Fry broke open her second scone. “You wouldn’t last two seconds,” she said around her mouthful. She swallowed and turned to Amanda. “Now, since you do understand the horrors of that prison, how can you refuse to try to change it? Prison reform is needednow. We don’t have time to wait for you to get comfortable.”
