“No.” Black’s tone was unequivocal. “You got your assignment, the most important o’ all.”
Harry didn’t argue because the other was right.
Todd said, “I’ll send o’er reinforcements.”
Black nodded grimly. “The seeds are sown. Now we’ll wait and see which way betrayal grows.”
23
“You haveno idea who is the guilty one?” Tessa pressed as the carriage swayed on.
“It could be any of them.” Bennett’s face was set in austere lines, and no wonder, given how he’d described the meeting he’d just returned from.
Despite the grim topic, the fact that they could talk about it gave Tessa a warm tingle. The intimacy between them was deepening. Bennett was treating her like arealpartner: he’d shared what happened with the dukes and with little prompting on her part.
Not only that, but he waslisteningto her.
During her fitting for the masquerade, while Madame Rousseau had fussed with fabrics and accoutrements, Tessa had meditated upon how to investigate De Witt. Upon Bennett’s return, she’d excitedly shared her idea: they could ask her friend Alfred Doolittle to help. When Bennett had asked if Alfred could be trusted, she’d replied with the truth, that she would trust her chum with her life. As a result of the ensuing discussion, they were at present en route to pay Alfred a visit.
To observe proprieties, she’d had to bring Lizzie along. At least she’d been able to coax the maid into riding up top with the groom so that she and Bennett could have a few moments of privacy.
“And the Peelers? You think they’re involved as well?” she said.
“I…don’t know.” His brows drew together.
“Well, it wouldn’t surprise me one bit. It’s as I’ve always said: one can’t trust a policeman farther than one can toss him.” She sniffed. “Spies, mercenaries, and brutes, the lot of them.”
“Right.” Bennett cleared his throat. “At any rate, your father is lending men to the cause, so a close watch is being kept on anyone attached to Loach.”
“Papaoughtto help.”
Although her father and Grandpapa had never got on, she was glad that the former was finally showing backbone. She hoped it would improve the state of affairs between them because she hated having dissension in the family. The thought of family reminded her of other questions she had for Bennett.
The unexpected meeting with his brother had made her realize how little she knew about his background. About his kin, where he’d come from. Their whirlwind courtship had consisted mostly of butting heads, escaping danger, and making passionate love. Now that they’d reached a temporary calm, she wanted to know more about him.
“I enjoyed meeting your brother last night,” she ventured.
After a few seconds, he muttered, “The feeling was mutual.”
“You think so?” she said eagerly.
Shewishedit were true. Wished with all her heart that Bennett’s family would like her and welcome her into the fold. Yet she couldn’t shake the fear of a different kind of reception, the kind she’d more often received in her life.
Ambrose Bennett had seemed nice, but his carriage, clothing, and manner had all pointed to the fact that he was a gentleman and a well-to-do one at that. He might not approve of his brother’s involvement with a daughter of the underworld. In order to understand what she was up against, she needed to find out more about Bennett’s family.
“Ambrose was charmed by you. Then again,”—Bennett’s eyes softened—“who wouldn’t be?”
She didn’t have enough fingers to list all her detractors, but his faith in her charms made her heart go pitter-patter. “Do you, um, have other siblings?”
“I have sisters.”
“How many?”
“Four.”
When he said no more, she said wistfully, “I’ve always wanted siblings.”
“When our parents passed, Ambrose and my eldest sister took care of the rest of us, so, in a way, they were like parents, too.”
