Turning to Kendrick, he arched a brow.“I wasn’t expecting you today.”
“I know.”Kendrick looked mildly uncomfortable, yet determined.“Please forgive the intrusion, but I’ve come to acquire an asset.”
Dorian stilled so briefly he doubted the constable noticed his apprehension.Forcing a welcoming smile, he gestured toward the cushioned bamboo chairs that surrounded a matching table.“Have a seat.”
Kendrick did as he suggested and Dorian took the chair opposite him.Coffee was served.Kendrick had the good sense to wait for the attending maid to be well out of earshot before offering further explanation.
“The order has come from the chief magistrate himself,” Kendrick said.“The mission will be—”
“Less laughable than the previous one?”Dorian made no attempt at hiding his bitterness.Installing Melody as Lady Heathbrooke’s companion had been careless.
“Miss Roberts is in an excellent position with regard to acquiring intelligence,” Kendrick countered.“She sees and hears a great deal from her vantage point in Grosvenor Square.”
“Gossip.”Dorian spoke the word with distaste.“Nothing substantial.”
“Let’s not forget that she’s also able to spread it,” Kendrick pointed out.
This was true.Melody had managed to change two parliamentary votes by placing suggestive comments in Lady Heathbrooke’s ear.Hours later, the information had been reported as fact, the men it referenced losing all credibility with regard to the bills they’d attempted to pass.
Still…
“My downstairs maid is just as capable of achieving such goals.It does not require the skill of a highly trained agent.”
Averting his gaze, Kendrick glanced out across the garden.
“I realize you’re disappointed,” he murmured.His gaze returned to Dorian, sharper this time.“I’d be unhappy too if I’d dedicated over a decade of my life to a cause that’s unlikely to live up to what I envisioned.It could be worse though.You and The Nightingale Project could be forgotten completely.Your protégées could be forced to make the same choices as other young women their age, between marriage and spinsterhood.Or something less appealing, given their backgrounds.”
Dorian considered Kendrick with care.There was no denying he made a fair point.Sighing, he picked up his cup and sipped his coffee.“What sort of skill do you need this time?”
Kendrick’s attention returned to the garden, to the spot where the four women lounged, enjoying their drinks.“Whatever the blonde has to offer.”
It took every ounce of training Dorian possessed not to flinch in response to that comment.Keeping his voice cool and level, he said, “Samantha’s the best I’ve got.Unless you’re sending her overseas to infiltrate a foreign power, I’m afraid I’ll have to refuse.One of the others will serve well enough otherwise.”
“Not in this instance.”
Dorian studied Kendrick with rising interest.“What the hell are you planning?”
Kendrick reached for his cup and sipped his coffee, using the same stalling tactic Dorian had used a short while ago.“The chief magistrate has his heart set on Adrian Croft.”
“Bloody hell.”
“He’s not the sort of man one arrests for no good reason.Solid proof of every illegal undertaking he’s been involved with will be required.No rumors, no maybes, but facts.”
“You realize there’s a chance Croft might not have taken up the mantle his father left him.According to my own sources, things have been quiet in Portman Square lately.”
“As one might expect.It’s been seven months since the funeral.Mr.Croft and his sister have been in mourning.I believe things will liven up a little, now that this time has passed.”
“If you think Mr.Croft might welcome the comfort offered to him by a beautiful woman with whom he’s not acquainted, that he will invite her into his home and give her the chance she needs to find something damning against him, you’d best re-think your strategy, Kendrick.”Dorian scoffed.“Any idiot would recognize that as a trap from a mile away.”
Kendrick coughed, then cleared his throat.“We’re hoping he’ll let something slip.”
“Not going to happen.”When Kendrick merely stared at him, Dorian sighed.“The Crofts did not evade capture for generations by letting something slip.Devil take it.Who do you think you’re dealing with?This man you’re after has been raised, much like every other heir in the country, to assume his legacy.He’ll know not to trust a stranger with his secrets.”
Uncertainty finally showed itself in the tightly knit lines on Kendrick’s forehead.“All we have are assumptions, woven together from situations that turned in the Crofts’ favor.The problem is those who’ve been blackmailed, or who might know of men who went missing, refuse to speak out because they’re afraid of the repercussions.”
“Or that is what you believe,” Dorian murmured, “since all this has yet to be proven.”
“Precisely.”
