Quinton’s smile revealed yellowed teeth. “If I were merely planning to kill you, you’d be dead by now, my lady. No. I’m merely buying time for your friends to leave me alone until my benefactress arrives.”
“Benefactress? You mean the person who’s paid you to hurt me?”
Quinton shrugged. “Benefactress sounds so much nicer, doesn’t it?”
“Who would want to hurt me? I’ve done nothing.”
His laugh made her skin crawl. “We all make enemies, my lady. You’ve made a powerful and rich one, which is the worst sort.”
Quinton laughed again. “Don’t worry. Your friends think they can outwit me, but I’ve been in the game longer than any of them. I consider this the ultimate challenge, beating a gang of spies at their own work.” He narrowed his eyes and stared at the floor. “I could have been a spy. I could have worked for the government. They’re not smarter than I am, and I’m about to prove it.”
“What are you talking about?”
He lifted his head again and stalked toward her. “This entire time, I’ve been toying with your friends.”
“Toying with them how?” Regina asked, scooting away from him as best she could.
Quinton snorted in disgust and turned toward the door. “You’re all so predictable. Your friends think they’re going to fool me, but I already know precisely what they’re planning. I’ve told those idiots I want five thousand pounds, and of course they think they’ll be able to catch me when I pick it up. I’m supposed to meet them at the bazaar tomorrow.” He waggled his eyebrows. “I think I’ll go myself, just to see them squirm.”
Regina pressed her back against the wall. A fear unlike any she’d known slowly spread through her veins. “How do you know what they’re planning?”
“Thatis my little secret. They will fail, however, because they’re fools.”
“Are you going to trade me for the money?” Regina could barely hear past the rushing of blood in her ears.
“Of course not, Lady Regina. I’ve been paid to kill you.The ransom is merely going to be an added bonus. I’m only keeping you alive long enough to collect it.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
“I honestly cannot believe we’re relying on abirdto spy for us,” Daffin muttered as he and Grimaldi waited in the study for Daphne and Delilah to return. They’d moved the blasted parrot from space to space today, and had had absolutely no luck overhearing anything out of the ordinary that the coachmen or groomsmen said. The bird had spent hours in the mews this afternoon. Now it was nighttime. They were scheduled to meet the kidnapper at the bazaar on the morrow.
They’d moved the bird to the corridor near the servants’ dining room below stairs, under the premise that the housekeeper was keeping an eye on the thing. They’d enlisted her help, of course. They were waiting for the parrot to listen in on Matthew and Timothy, the footmen who had traveled with them to Surrey. None of the servants took the bird’s presence seriously.
Delilah came scurrying into the study, the parrot perchedon her shoulder. “I believe we’ve got it,” she said, a proud smile on her gamin face.
Daffin shot out of his chair. “What? What happened?”
“What happened?” the bird croaked.
Daffin glared at the bird.
Delilah lifted her chin. “Miss Adeline said the following things as soon as I fetched him from the servants’ corridor.”
She glanced at her cousin Daphne, who flipped open a notebook where she’d obviously scribbled down what the bird had said, and handed the notebook to Delilah.
Delilah cleared her throat and began to read. “‘Last payment tomorrow. Meet at the bazaar.’”
“Who said those things?” Daffin asked.
“Timothy did,” Daphne said. “I confirmed it with Matthew after the fact. We believe Matthew is completely innocent in all of this. Timothy was attempting to enlist him.”
“Why do you think it was Timothy and not Matthew?” Daffin asked, taking his seat again.
“Because,” Grimaldi replied, leaning against the back of the settee. “I remember when I questioned the servants last summer after John’s death. Timothy had a penchant for drinking. He’d stolen wine from John upon occasion. Said he needed money for his sick mother and younger sister. At the time I felt sorry for him and gave him some money. It turned out he wasn’t pleased with his wages. He stood to gain more from whoever this character is.”
“Did the bird say anything else?” Daffin asked.
“Yes.” Delilah nodded. “Miss Adeline distinctly said, ‘Knowles.’”
