“No, I don’t. That there lieutenant bloke.”
Holding his head on with his free hand, Gideon said, “Morris? Yes, by Jove! Of course I want to see him!”
Two minutes later, in the act of taking a mouthful of coffee, he stared, and choked. “What… the deuce…?”
Lieutenant James Morris strolled over to occupy the chair Tummet drew up for him. “Awful, ain’t it?” he said lugubriously, and reached for a slice of toast. “Thieves.”
Rossiter said, “Did they drive a waggon across your face? Jupiter! ’Tis an epidemic.”
“’E means as I got me daylight darkened,” explained Tummet. “You want ’is egg, guv? The Cap’n ain’t feeling strong enough to slice it.”
Rossiter passed his plate to Morris and sent Tummet off for some more toast and another cup of coffee. “When did this happen, Jamie?”
“Week ago to the day. Didn’t set much store by it at first. But when I heard what happened to your man, I thought I’d toddle up to the Village and see how you went on. Had the fiend’s own time finding you. An I’d known you lived on the side of a mountain, I’d not have come. I say, are you all right, old lad? Look a trifle green.”
“Tummet says I’m jug-bit, and I fear he’s in the right of it.” Rossiter grinned wryly. “I stayed up ’til the wee hours trying to solve my problems with a bottle of cognac. Did the thieves break into your home?”
“Regrettably. I chanced to wander into my bedchamber and caught one of the bounders ransacking my chest of drawers. We had a lively turn-up ’til his cohort joined the fray. Did you ever hear the like of it? Inside the house!”
“Bastards! What did they take?”
Morris waved his toast. “That’s the one good thing, Ross. Didn’t take much at all. Turned everything onto the floor, and filched my purse. I think there was about three guineas in it. There were some pretty fair stick pins and two fine rings lying atop my highboy. Must’ve missed ’em.”
Rossiter frowned and asked thoughtfully, “You said you heard what happened to my man. Did you mean Tummet?”
“No, you gudgeon! Your groom. The fella you sent to collect the things we left at the Red Pheasant last week.”
“What about him? Did he not deliver your belongings? I gave him strict instructions to come to Sevenoaks on his way back here.”
Surprised, Morris said, “D’you mean you didn’t know? Fella was set upon. Our village grocer made a delivery to the house and found him lying by the road.”
“Jupiter! Was he killed?”
“No, fortunately. Struck down by a cudgel. But the odd thing is that he had your belongings in the coach, as well as mine. You’d a dress sword and a really pretty bracelet in there, yet they were left.”
“Oh, good. I bought that bracelet for my sister. I was afraid ’twas in my saddlebags.”
“Afraid…?”
“They were stolen also, Jamie. Only in that instance everything went, of course. I fancy the Town thief couldn’t very well stand about on the flagway, sorting out his spoils.”
Morris shook his head wonderingly. “See what you meant about an epidemic. I’ve brought your things with me, by the way.”
Tummet returned, carrying a laden tray and Morris smiled his approval.
Rossiter demanded, “Why was I not informed that our groom was attacked at Sevenoaks?”
“’Cause I was told to keep me mouth in me pocket, mate.” Tummet winked. “Guv, I mean. Yer brush-and-lather said—”
“Brush and lather—father!” inserted Morris, triumphant.
“Right, mate,” confirmed Tummet with a broad grin. “Sir Mark, ’e says as if the Cap’n knowed about the groom, ’ed be orf arter the thieves ’stead of tending to more important business, so none of us wasn’t to say nothing.”
Applying strawberry jam to toast, Lieutenant Morris licked his thumb and asked, “What more important business?”
Rossiter hesitated only briefly. Then, he told him about the conspiracy.
***
