Griffin didn’t smile. “Holy hell,” he said, crouching down for a closer look.
“Looks like one of the guard dogs broke loose from the kennel,” offered one of the Runner’s men. “Those big mastiffs are nasty, ill-tempered brutes.”
Griffin looked up in question at the earl. And received a shrug in reply.
“Yes, so it would seem.” Wrexford rubbed at his neck. “Never mind the beast. You need to round up the rest of the dastards. Have your men board the frigate and arrest Captain Barton and Lieutenant Waltham. You’ll also find a sheaf of documents in an open warehouse just up this footpath. Retrieve them. They’ll be important evidence in proving the admiral’s perfidy in one of his many crimes.”
Griffin barked at his men, and they raced off.
Sir Charles had recovered his composure and slowly sat up. “Evidence?” He laughed. “A sheaf of mathematical calculations isn’t evidence of a crime. You’ve got no proof of anything.”
“On the contrary, Sir Charles,” said Wrexford. “Lord Copley wrote a very detailed confession on your various ventures.”
“But that . . .” began the admiral, and then he abruptly fell silent.
“But that disappeared?” The earl smiled. “Unfortunately for you, there are some street urchins who know how to read.”
The admiral paled.
“And by the by . . .” Wrexford couldn’t resist a last little jab. “You would have found Argentum Trading Company’s bank account empty when you visited Stockton’s bank tomorrow—including not only the original funds but also all the additional profits generated by Lady Cordelia Mansfield. Like you, she’s very, very good at mathematics and business.”
Griffin frowned. “What in the devil are you talking about?”
“I’ll explain later about Lord Woodbridge’s sister,” replied the earl.
Sir Charles was shaking with fury. “The bloody bitch! She’ll go down with me. I’ll make public her financial machinations. Her reputation will be ruined, and she’ll go to prison!”
Wrexford laughed. “She did nothing illegal. As for ruining her reputation, what man in his right mind will believe such a story! A lady being smarter than all the male stockbrokers in London?” He shook his head. “I’m afraid she outwitted you, Sir Charles. You lost that game, as well as this one.”
Snarling an oath, the admiral drew the second pistol, but Griffin kicked it from his hand.
“Get up, you mangy cur.” The Runner seized the admiral by his collar and hauled him to his feet. To Wrexford, he added, “I wish to ensure that my men and I tie up all the loose ends here, so I’d prefer to put off hearing your full explanation until later.” His mouth twitched. “Let us meet at your townhouse in the morning, say, around breakfast time?”
* * *
The earl watched Griffin lead his prisoner toward the wharves and waited until the two figures were swallowed in the sea of vaporous mist before turning away to the alleyway behind him.
“You can come out now, Weasels.”
A gust of wind rattled the iron padlocks of the nearby warehouses. And then in the hazy silence that followed, he heard the light-footed patter of steps on the hard-packed ground.
“I gave strict orders that you weren’t to follow me,” he said as he spotted two—or was it three?—wraithlike shapes flitting within the shadows of the alleyway’s opening.
“We weren’t following you.” Raven’s disembodied voice floated out from the darkness. “We were following Harper.”
“We were worried about him,” added Hawk. “He’s new to London and doesn’t know his way around.”
The earl felt his lips twitch. “I should birch your bottoms—all three of you.”
“Oiy, well,” retorted Raven, “I s’pose a sore bum is worth not having to tell m’lady that your head was severed from your neck and rolled into the River Thames.”
“Spare the rod, spoil the child,” the earl countered.
Hawk chortled. “We’re not children. We’re Weasels.”
“In that case—”
“Oh, do stop ringing a peal over their heads, Wrexford.” Charlotte slipped out from her hiding place just as a blade of moonlight cut through the clouds. The pale light was lost for a moment in the dirty brim of her urchin’s cap, but she looked up, and in that instant, her face came alive with a luminous glow.
