The other ambled off, and Sinjin looked into his wife’s sparkling eyes. “I can’t believe you planned this for me,” he murmured, “and on the sly, too.”
“It took some maneuvering. I had to ask Harvey for a list of your cronies.” Smiling, she slid her arm through his. “Shall we greet your guests?”
They made the rounds. He was relieved to discover that Harvey had exercised discretion in whom he’d recommended to the list of invitees, which included only the most civilized and presentable of Sinjin’s acquaintances. As he neared one of the refreshment stands, he was surprised to see Merrick standing there. The stooped, greying man of business was munching contentedly on a plate of canapes.
At Sinjin and Polly’s approach, he bowed. “Many happy returns, my lord.”
“Thank you, Merrick. I’m glad you are here.” Which was the absolute truth, Sinjin realized.
“I was honored to receive an invitation from the countess.” The approval in Merritt’s expression was unmistakable as he regarded Polly.
“As my husband’s trusted advisor, you are always welcome in our home,” she returned with equal friendliness. “Isn’t that so, Sinjin?”
“Yes, of course,” he said.
And nearly keeled over in shock when Merricksmiled. It wasn’t a large smile, just a slight lifting at the corners of the mouth… but still. The professional man’s next words came as even more of a surprise.
“May I say, it is about time you had a birthday celebration, my lord,” Merrick declared.
“I couldn’t agree more,” Polly said.
Sinjin’s throat felt oddly scratchy.
After chatting with Merrick some more, he and Polly moved on.
“What possessed you to invite my man of business?” he said in her ear.
“I asked Harvey who you routinely spent time with, and Mr. Merrick came up. He seems like a very nice man.” Her head tilted to one side, the curling wisps around her face glinting in the sunlit room. She’d started wearing her hair in a looser style, one that accentuated the natural sensuousness of her tresses. “Unless you don’t prefer to mix business and social activities?”
The fact that she didn’t possess an ounce of snobbery was one of the many things he liked about her. Like the rest of her family, she had a tendency to judge people on their own merit rather than their class or wealth. Thus, she, a countess, had invited Merrick, a man who worked for a living, because she’d seen to the heart of the matter.
“I’m glad you invited him.” Sinjin thought of the hours the man of business had worked on his behalf, attending to details so that his life would run smoothly. “I owe Merrick a great deal—more than I can say, actually.”
“Then we shall have to have him over more regularly. In fact…” Polly trailed off, and he followed her gaze. Ambrose Kent had entered the room and was heading over, his alert air making Sinjin brace.
The three of them tacitly moved to an unoccupied corner.
“Apologies for my lateness,” Kent said brusquely, “but I have news.”
“You’ve found Nicoletta’s accomplice?” Sinjin’s gut clenched.
“Not as yet, but we now know the villain’s identity. As you know, my men and I have been canvassing every public house and tavern within walking distance of the docks. Several people recalled seeing our man, but none could tell us much more about him. Today, McLeod met a dock worker who, under the condition of anonymity, identified the scoundrel as Clive Grundell.”
Clive Grundell.The name echoed in Sinjin’s head.
“The fellow McLeod talked to claimed that he and Grundell had briefly worked together at a shipping company over a year ago. According to him, Grundell wasn’t there long before he was caught pilfering cargo. Grundell disappeared before he could be charged, and our fellow hasn’t seen him since.” Kent’s golden brown gaze narrowed. “I just came from interviewing others at the shipping company, and like our first fellow, most didn’t want to be involved out of fear. One worker said that Grundell has a devil of a temper and a violent streak. He claims that Grundell once pulled a knife on him over a petty disagreement.”
“Grundell sounds like our man,” Sinjin said grimly.
“How will you find him, Ambrose?” Polly said, her eyes wide.
“He gave the shipping company a false address in St. Giles. Nonetheless, he might have used that address for a reason. My men and I will go door to door in that neighborhood and see if anyone knows anything about him.” Lines deepened around the investigator’s mouth. “Admittedly, that strategy is akin to searching for a needle in a haystack. I wish we had more eyes and ears in the stews, for the underworld looks out for its own and mistrusts authority of any kind. But rest assured that we will carry on the hunt until Grundell is apprehended.”
Humbled by all that the other was doing on his behalf, Sinjin said, “Thank you, sir. I am in your debt.”
“Nonsense. You are family,” Kent said.
For the second time that day, Sinjin felt a shift inside him. He’d gotten used to believing that he had no one to rely upon but himself, and now to realize that he had not only Merrick in his corner, but Kent as well…
