“Cheese.”
“But I bought cheese yesterday,” Lill said, frowning at her.
“I know.”
“Oh.”
Lill shook her head, understanding that it had been a necessary evil, but forbore to say anything. She didn’t need to. Alice had been a reckless fool. She knew Alfie ought not to have played cards with Aubrey. Ought not to have revealed his skill. Aubrey was curious about them both, and he knew they had aconnection to the stolen diamonds. What if he suspected their connection was rather less innocent than they had said?
“Well, cheese on toast it is, then,” Lill remarked, cutting slices of bread with considerable vigour, every word heavy with reproach.
Alice shot her an impatient look. “Ilikecheese on toast.”
“Good job, I’d say,” Lill replied tartly. “This came for Alfie while you were out.” She wiped her hands on her apron and tossed a sealed envelope onto the kitchen table.
Alice looked at the writing with a frown before breaking the seal, scanning the words with increasing dismay. “It’s from Repton.”
Mr Repton was butler to Jasper King, the man who had until recently been considered the king of the rookeries, a hardened criminal and a man best treated with kid gloves. Newly married to the proprietress of The Mermaid, he had chosen to go straight and settle in Little Valentine with his wife.
“I thought King was in Italy, on his honeymoon?” Lill said, slicing cheese as she waited for the bread to toast.
“He is, but it seems King has been buying up half of Europe on his travels. Repton came home early to supervise transporting the cargo he’s sending back. He says he needs to see me.”
“You ain’t going to London, my girl,” Lill said at once, wagging the knife she held at Alice. “There’s still a price on your head, you remember?”
“I remember, though the price is on Alfie’s head, but Repton is going to meet me. He’s in Dover.”
“What’s he want then?” Lill set the knife down, anxiety tugging her eyebrows together.
Alice tried to dismiss her own jangling nerves. Not wishing to worry Lill, she kept her voice light. “I don’t know, but he says it’s urgent. Repton wouldn’t get me haring off on a fool’s errand. It was him who told King to warn me to stay out of town, remember.”
Lill nodded, but the colour had drained from her cheeks. Alice put the letter down, rounding the table to put her arm about her friend. “Don’t fret. It’ll be fine.”
Lill snorted. “I’ve heard that one before. When are you off?”
“After cheese on toast,” Alice said with a smile.
“Alfie is going, I take it?”
Alice nodded. “Can’t have respectable Miss Marwick hanging about on the docks now, can we?” she said in disgust.
“I should think not,” Lill said crossly, and set about making their meal.
The Mermaid, Little Valentine, 17thJanuary 1816
Aubrey sat by the window in The Mermaid’s elegant dining room, admiring the sun glinting on the sea. Whilst he had been shown to this seat by Mrs Fairway, he had to admit it served him well, for he could also see the parade of shops and the houses, which must include the one where Alfie and Alice lived. Not that he was spying on them, he assured himself, feeling uneasy at the idea. He hadn’t been purposely looking for Alice and had only chanced to see her hurrying home.
He looked up as Mrs Fairway set his meal before him. Hawkney had arrived at the Hall this morning to check up on the dowager, and Aubrey had decided he’d be best off keeping out of the house in case he got drawn into any pointless arguments. Why the two of them were always rubbing each other up the wrong way when they clearly adored each other was a mystery, but Gee-Gee would never back down and could not resist a clever remark if one presented itself to her, no matter the consequences.
Still, now that he knew Alice was home, he’d pay a call on her. He’d wanted to do so for some time but had always stopped himself for reasons he was uncertain of. Obviously, Hawkney would deplore the connection, but he was not craven enough to let his cousin’s opinion have a bearing on who he spent time with.
Having finished his meal, movement caught his eye, and he looked out in time to see Alfie emerge from the house. Which meant Alice was alone. Perfect. Perhaps she would be a bit more forthcoming about her brother than he was about her.
Aubrey paid for his meal and hurried outside. By the time he got to the door he had seen Alfie exit from, he had to acknowledge the fact that his heart was thudding, and not because he’d run from The Mermaid to her front door. He was eager to see her he realised, too eager. He’d better get a grip on himself, for the lady posed too many unanswered questions for his peace of mind.
The door opened, revealing a comely blonde in a pristine white apron. To his surprise, she looked at him with deep suspicion.
“Sir?”
