“I’ll get you your money,” Rhys said.
“When?”
“Give me a month and I’ll—”
“A tune I’ve heard before,” Sweeney cut in. “Your promises ain’t worth the paper they’re written on.”
Rhys’s gut clenched. He couldn’t stop the thoughts from rising.You’re a failure, a bloody disappointment…
“A fortnight then.” He strapped down his demons. “Fourteen days, and I’ll give you what I owe. Or you can take your pound of flesh another way.”
“I don’t believe I need your permission for that, Your Grace.” Garrity’s razor-sharp smile sliced through Rhys, fear bleeding in its wake. “Let me put it another way. What is in it for me to extend your debt yet again?”
Rhys looked at Tessa. Her shoulders hitched slightly as if to say,It’s your treasure.
“An extra ten percent interest,” he said.
Sweeney’s laugh grated against his eardrums. “You can’t even cough up the original sum, guv. Now we’re supposed to believe you can produce five thousand quid more apiece?”
At least it didn’t appear that the moneylenders knew about Rhys’s inheritance. A small mercy, but he’d take it.
“Yes,” he said firmly. “Because I will.”
“Give Ransom another fortnight.” This came from Tessa. “If he doesn’t come up with the blunt, you’re no worse off than you are right now—and you might be richer. You will also have earned a boon from me.” She paused significantly. “For your loyalty.”
The silence in the room felt as oppressive as a tomb. Rhys’s heartbeat thundered in his ears.Please God, give me one more chance to make things right…
“One week,” Garrity said. “Twenty percent interest.”
“Or your head,” Sweeney added.
Seven days to find the jewels. Seven days to earn his freedom and place with Maggie and Glory…or be sent straight to hell.
Rhys exhaled. “Agreed.”
“I await your good news, Your Grace.” Rising, Garrity withdrew his pocket watch. He flicked open the solid gold disc and smiled thinly. “The clock starts ticking now.”
28
Upon Rhys’s return,he gathered Maggie, Hypatia, and Mr. Newton in his sitting room to share the results of his meeting with the moneylenders. The new deadline sent a chill over Maggie’s nape. Seeing the tension bracketing Rhys’s mouth, however, she firmed her resolve.
“We have an entire week to find the jewels,” she said. “That is ample time if we get started now.”
“Perhaps we should involve the guards in the search?” Mr. Newton suggested.
Maggie liked the four guards who were keeping watch in the hallway even now. Despite their intimidating size, the men were courteous. In particular, Victor, a blond giant, had been friendly and patient when Glory had fired a fusillade of questions at him about his job.
“Methinks the little lady wants to be a guard when she’s grown up, eh?” Victor had teased.
An unholy spark had lit Glory’s eyes.
Now Rhys shook his head. “As much as we could use the extra hands, we cannot risk it. The fewer who know about the jewels, the better. If news of the treasure were to leak out, all of London will be looking for it. As for safety reasons, with the present armistice, we should be under no threat from Garrity and Sweeney.”
“Then the four of us will leave straight away,” Maggie said.
“It’s not safe for a woman in the Seven Dials at night,” Rhys said. “You can help tomorrow. Tonight, Newton and I will go.”
No matter how she argued, he would not be moved.
