“If your business is concluded, sir—” Padua began.
“Not yet concluded, Miss Belvoir. You’ve something I want, and it is not one of those whores you sell.”
“I cannot imagine what that might be.”
“Of course you can. You sent for me. I am not pleased about that, so let us settle matters quickly.”
Padua looked pointedly at Emily.
“She can stay,” he said. “Although she has been nigh useless to me recently.”
“I found your men a place to store it all, didn’t I?” Emily snapped.
“Aye, the chamber of an idiot who left it in plain sight for anyone to see. You were supposed to keep an eye on it too. You just watched as they carted it away.”
“What was I to do? Object? Say it was mine, and the magistrate couldn’t have it?”
“You could have taken the next trunk when it came, instead of telling my boys that the constables had visited. You scared them off to hell knows where, without them leaving so much as word of where they had the press. That has cost me plenty.”
Emily jabbed her thumb toward Padua. “I got Mrs. Lavender to talking about that partner of hers and I learned about this one here, didn’t I? So you could write and let her know her father was in prison, so’s he might tell her what he knew.”
Padua interrupted. “My father is not an idiot.”
The man looked at her, astonished. Then he burst out laughing. “Defending him, are you? Now that is pretty coming from a daughter willing to sell him out for two thousand.”
“I am glad that we are turning the conversation in the correct direction. Did you bring it with you?”
He leaned forward. His eyes narrowed. “I’ll see you dead before I hand you two thousand.”
***
Ives almost burst in the door on hearing the threat. Strickland’s firm grasp on his arm stopped him.
Out in the anteroom to the office, Lance spoke. “They are closed today, gentlemen. An illness. See yourselves out, will you? Hector is occupied.”
“Why is Aylesbury here?” Strickland whispered.
“He insisted. Who am I to refuse a duke?”
“He has a pistol on him, I hope you know.”
“Does he? I’ll be damned.”
Ives and Strickland bent their ears to the door again.
“You will do no such thing,” Padua said. “It is not in your interest to harm me. I have your equipment. I have your plates and your paper, and a large amount of printed notes. If you get it all back, you can continue on. Two thousand is a small price for the fortune you will make.”
“I don’t pay for what is already mine. All I needed to know was you were here, and wanting to bargain, for me to figure out where it all was. I should have guessed. Or this fool of a woman should have known. They were working right here, under your nose, and you did not realize it, Emily. Is your brain going soft?”
“I’m not here often. I’m never in the garden at night, being as how I am busy. No one is, considering the trade here.”
“Two thousand,” Padua repeated. “For that I return your belongings, and I will not object if you continue using that cellar. Except for the unfortunatedevelopment with my father, the plan your men used worked very well.”
“Not his men,” Emily mumbled. “He made them bring him in, then took over. Didn’t you?”
“Be silent, you old whore.”
“Threatened to bring the government down on them if they didn’t agree.”
