An icy feeling struck Slade. “Did he give a name, or can you describe him?”
“Red hair, Oi think. He wore a dark hat and was about yer height,” the boy said, nodding to both men.
They both stood almost six feet tall.
“I couldn’t see much. The hat covered most of his face and he had a heavy black coat on,” the boy added.
“Which way did he go?” Latham asked.
“Toward that ship,” Sully pointed.
Slade squinted and looked in the direction where Sully pointed. Next to their ship sat an East India Company ship.What were they up to now?Until now, Slade had felt sure the East India Company’s activities were limited to their shipping company. Surely, he had not done something that would have caused his father to die. Eager to move on, he reached into his pocket and withdrew two shillings. “Thank you, Sully.”
The men mounted their horses and rode for a minute.
“I know what you are thinking, Slade. But I do not feel they had anything to do with your father and brother. Think about it. We were not here. Let us not react until we have more information. If we find out they are behind this, we will make them pay,” Latham said.
“You are right. We were not even here. I do not have a hard time placing blame on the EIC. Yet, I feel there is something I am not seeing. Graham mentioned the EIC and their activities towards me. He had intelligence watching them—but it was for my benefit.”
“I agree,” Latham said. “While they have limited their activities to economic problems and those that have embarrassed us, we should not discount them. We have only been a thorn in their side. The deal we struck with the Indian leaders could escalate things—although neither of us could have seen this when the deal was stuck. The East India Company will see it as rebellious and may fear it will ultimately lead to unseating them in the area.”
“Agreed. They are greedy bastards.” Slade said, adjusting his hat. He turned and looked back at the ship that sat alongside their ship and recalled Graham’s words.Things are not as they seem.Slade fisted his hands in frustration. Even with the information he had been given, something critical was missing. He felt no closer to finding out who had killed his father.“Let us go see my brother.”
Eleven
From where she sat in her mother’s parlor, Bella heard the door open and Mortimer’s nasal voice. “I shall make sure she gets this message,” he said, closing the door.
Unwilling to follow decorum and wait to have Mortimer seek her out, she laid down her book and sprung from the seat toward the entry hall. “Mortimer, is the message for me?”
The kindly older man’s lips twitched as he seemed to struggle with maintaining his own decorum. “My lady, this arrived for you,” he said, extending the salver with the sealed message on it. “And some flowers arrived. I placed them in the parlor.”
“Thank you, Mortimer,” Bella said, schooling herself to gently lift the message from the silver tray and walk back to the parlor to read it. She would be alone in there, as Mary was upstairs mending a dress.
Turning it over, she studied the deep red seal. It was the duke’s seal, and it had to be from Slade. Her heart hurt as she realized how difficult it must have been for him to use it, knowing it had belonged to both his father and brother. Gently, she lifted the edge where the wax bound it together and read.
Dearest Bella,
I arrived a day ago and while I have had much on my mind, a great deal of it has been you. I wonder if you would do me the honor of a ride in Hyde Park tomorrow morning and an ice at Gunter’s? I hope you enjoy the white roses. Please send word as to your answer. I would pick you up at eleven of the clock tomorrow.
Fondly,
Slade
“Oh yes!I would love to go with you, Slade,” she said out loud to herself. Her hands wrapped around her, and she closed her eyes, imagining his kiss. She could not help herself.
Stepping to the escritoire in the room's corner, she withdrew a sheet of vellum, her quill, and ink. After writing her response, she sanded it, taking her time, so as not to smudge the page. Bella joyfully accepted his invitation and folded her missive. Fumbling around the small cubbies on her mother’s desk, she found her stamp and pink wax and sealed it.
A throat cleared at the door, and she looked up to see Mortimer. “I apologize, my lady, I thought you had called for me.”
“No, but you must have read my mind, Mortimer.” She smiled. “Can you see that this missive gets to the Duke of Newcastle’s townhouse?”
“I will, my lady,” he replied, again with the slight twitch to his lips. “I will take care of it right away.” He gave a bow and left the room.
Bella stared after him for a moment. The man had always seemed one step ahead of her—as if he knew what she needed before she asked. He was nothing but kind, however. She allowed the sense of beckoning exhilaration to take over, and he was forgotten.I am going to Hyde Park with Slade,she thought, hugging herself tightly. Walking to the table between two chairs, she fingered the petal on one of the white roses, before leaning closer and smelling the bouquet.Such beautiful flowers and so heavenly!
Bella glanced out the window of her mother’s parlor. She had come down here to have some alone time, leaving Mary to finish working over her gowns, getting them pressed and mended. She had hoped she and Slade would find time together, but with Mary tagging along, she imagined there could be no steamy kisses. While she understood propriety, she sometimes hated it. Men could come and go as they pleased, but there always had to be a tag-along with a woman—someone that could affirm that she had acted within the bounds of goodTon, while all she wanted to do was spend time with Slade.
Distractedly, she picked up her mother’s favorite gossip rag,The Morning Spectacle. Aside from a few notices of plays and other local happenings, it seemed the gossip had hit a slow point. She discarded it forLa Belle Assemblée. It had become her mother’s fashion bible of late. Bella flipped through the pages, intent to peruse the fashion plates and know what she wanted when the modiste and her assistant arrived, two days hence, as Mama had asked of her.
