Anger, hot and deep, coursed through her. “I’ve read the laws, Mr. Hackenstay. In felonious cases you cannot do the things you’ve promised. I’m no longer quite as naive as when I walked through your door last week. Return the money right now or I—we—will make sure you regret it.”
Noble smiled at her. It wasn’t a pleasant smile, but she somehow knew that the unpleasantness wasn’t aimed at her. That he approved of what she’d said.
The door opened behind her. She saw Noble tense before his hand brushed his pocket and he turned. She had stopped carrying her pistol around, no longer concerned with keeping safe from the jeering crowds since moving to Noble’s. Perhaps that hadn’t been a smart decision.
“Here now, what’s going on?”
“Mr. Tannett. Thank—” Hackenstay pulled his scrawny frame up to his full height. “These folks are trying to cheat us.”
Noble took a step away from her and shot her a look so intense that she stepped back as well.
Tannett’s eyes narrowed. “Are they now?”
“Your junior barrister here is trying to swindle the Winters family out of three hundred pounds,” Noble said with a rather lazy air, all traces of intensity wiped clean. “Hardly the type that can call someone else a cheat.”
Tannett took a step toward Noble. Close to the wall, she was out of the immediate attention of both barristers. She had the feeling that was what Noble had intended by forcing her back.
“I’m not a s-s-swindler!” Hackenstay shouted.
“If you give us back the three hundred pounds, I’ll let it go as a miscommunication due to your junior status. The contract is illegal. As a barrister you should know that there is little you can do but to return the money. Otherwise, I’ll have a Runner on your case in the blink of an eye.”
The side of Tannett’s face suddenly turned up. “The Winters family. I see. I think not, Mister…?
Noble just stared at the man without blinking. Tannett’s mouth tightened before continuing without Noble’s address.
“Mr. Winters is in dire straits. I doubt he will want us broadcasting that to the public, now will he? And with his poor brother in prison, one can only imagine the compounded scandal.”
Mark would sooner give up the money than cause further scandal. Marietta bit her lower lip.
“Do I sense a note of blackmail in your voice, Mr. Tannett?” Noble asked, as if only half interested in the response.
Tannett quirked an eye, as if he were especially clever. “You may.”
“I see. I think it only fair to tell you that I dislike blackmailers. Actually, I rather hate them, truth to tell.” His voice was dark and ominous. He strode forward, and Tannett’s hand went to his coat pocket. Noble gripped his wrist before it slid inside the fold. “You might want to tell your junior to remove his hand from that drawer, or else I’m liable to accidentally shoot you.”
Marietta blinked to see a pistol in Noble’s other hand pressed against Tannett’s side.
“Hackenstay.” Tannett’s voice was high and tight.
“Marietta, be a dear and take Mr. Hackenstay’s assuredly shoddy gun from the drawer.” She started to step forward, but stopped when Noble’s even voice continued. “Oh, and Hackenstay, make a move toward her, and I will put Tannett out of his misery and then start working on you. I won’t be quick about it either.”
Hackenstay pressed himself as far away from his desk as he could get. She walked around the desk, eyes darting to all the men, and removed the pistol. A quick head jerk from Noble had her back to her corner.
Noble twisted so that Tannett’s hand fell from his pocket fold and his arm was wrenched behind him. “I was willing to negotiate with your barrister, Tannett, but now that I see how willing you are to take advantage of innocents like Miss Winters and to use blackmail…I have to say that my method of dealing with you seems to have changed its scope.”
“I will hunt you down.”
“I’m trembling. Really, you should learn from the best first. After a top-notch blackmailer has had his way with you, you’ll never be second-rate again.”
There was a hesitation in the sentence that was odd, but Marietta had little time to process it.
“Who are you?” Tannett asked between his teeth, obviously in pain.
“That matters little. What should matter to you is what I can do to you.” He leaned forward and whispered something in Tannett’s ear. The man turned to chalk. “Think that over. We are going to take the three hundred pounds you owe the Winterses. And I’ll be back to check on you, Tannett. Rest assured.”
Tannett gave a swift nod to Hackenstay. “Make out a draft.” When the scrawny man didn’t move, he shouted, “Now!”
Hackenstay grabbed the tin box and they waited as he removed a paper with trembling hands and then wrote down the necessary information.
