Michael paused. “Fine, what is this plan? And when it’s horrid, I’m going to remind you that you no longer get to make plans. You compromised everything.”
Collin sat down. “Once Elizabeth is out of town, we approach them.”
“Already it’s terrible. And the ‘we’ aspect? Bloody awful. Because I’m the one part they don’t know about, apparently. Unless you failed to mention that you’ve exposed me too?”
Collin shook his head. “That’s the one thing I can’t quite figure out.”
“What? A hole in the plan?” Michael said with sarcasm. “So, start again. You go and approach them. I’ll stay behind and cover your bloody ass.”
Collin laid out the plan carefully, hitting each detail. “I’ll approach them and tell them I lied. Offer them a bribe to keep it quiet, since I was trying to get a cut of the business, and see if they walk away. If they know my name is attached to their smuggling, they will have to change the name because the whole operation only works if no one has solved the puzzle of the names. But since it’s solved, they’ll have to change the name again to keep their anonymity.”
“That’s a lot of possibilities that all have to go right. And you’re still not catching these guys. They are still smuggling tea, which is quite illegal.”
“They are, and they’ll get caught eventually, but it’s too big an operation for me. Hell, it’s too big for the War Office and the entirety of Parliament. I’m cavalier and brazen, but I’m not stupid, and I know this isn’t a war I’d win. So, I’m picking my battle.”
“Your name.”
“Exactly.”
Michael twisted his lips. “It might…mightwork. However, there’s a lot of risk.”
“Riskier than them finding out the hard way that I lied to their faces?”
“Point taken,” Michael replied. “When do we take action?”
“Elizabeth leaves in the morning. So, midafternoon tomorrow. Hoping they haven’t received the news that I lied by then.”
“You better pray they are slow in receiving that information.”
“I am,” Collin assured him.
Michael sighed. “This is not what I expected.”
“I know. But you’ve been an asset and a friend.” Collin extended his hand to Michael.
Michael took it, shaking it firmly. “That’s the only reason I’m following this through and not leaving your rich arse to the local sharks.”
“Thank you for that. Turns out I have a lot to live for.”
“That’s assuming you survive this.”
“I’ve been in worse situations.”
Michael chuckled. “Of that I have no doubt. It’s a wonder you’re still alive.”
“Thanks, friend.”
“You’re welcome,” Michael returned, smiling. “It’s what friends are for: honesty, even when it hurts.”
“Lucky me.”
“And me. Now, you better make sure you have the funds for that bribe.”
“I already started making arrangements.”
“About time you did something right,” Michael replied with an exasperated chuckle.
Collin smirked. “Turns out, I think I’m finally starting to get a lot of things right. Took me a while, but you know what they say, ‘Better late than never.’ Chaucer was brilliant.”
