“Please do, or you may find yourself on a clerk’s salary come next week.”
* * *
Relief flooded Samantha’s veins the next day when she stepped back into the room she’d rented.The message she’d received from Adrian shortly after breakfast invited her to meet him and Marsdale in front of the Hyde Park entrance at two.
This wasn’t for another couple of hours, but she’d rather wait them out here than at Clearview.She clenched her jaw and fisted her hands.God’s teeth, she’d not been able to get away fast enough.Not after speaking with Mrs.Butler.
The woman, a buxom blonde with a coy smile slapped onto her painted face, had been shockingly frank.So much so, Samantha wondered if the woman had thought her a whore in training instead of an innocent woman who merely required some guidance.
Sitting, she unpacked the fried piece of chicken she’d bought on her way here and took a large bite.The savory flesh dissolved in her mouth and filled her stomach while street noise two floors below kept her company.
Not that she needed it.Her own thoughts on all that had happened since Harlowe gave her the mission was enough to hold her attention for decades to come.Like a well-trained dog, she’d done as he’d asked without stopping to think for herself.
But now that she stood on the precipice of a momentous decision, with Harlowe eagerly pushing her forward, questions flooded her brain.
What was his motivation in all this?Was he just following orders?Or had Kendrick threatened him too?
And why wasKendrick so hell-bent on Adrian’s arrest?She pondered that for a while until something finally clicked.The blackmail information in Adrian’s possession.
Was it possible it could be used to keep other disreputable people in check?Could one such person want Adrian gone?
Of course.It made perfect sense.In order to be open to extortion, one had to have acted immorally – done something ruinous.And if the person were powerful enough, they might have managed to put some pressure on Bow Street.
If that was the truth, the legal system had been corrupted and she might have been sent to destroy an innocent man.
Yes, she’d read the information Kendrick had gathered on Adrian, but what did it really prove?The newspaper articles, while topped by impressive headlines, were all based on conjecture.
There were no named witnesses with whom to double check facts.
She took another bite of her chicken, chewing the meat while mulling all this over.One carefully filed Bow Street report did mention a smuggler who’d tried confessing to murder because he’d rather hang than have Croft think he’d betrayed him.Kendrick had let the man go, only for him to turn up dead.
And then there was the report of two men who’d begged for protection.They’d claimed Adrian’s father threatened to kill them.These same men were found two days later, hanging from Blackfriars bridge.
But who was to say they didn’t deserve what happened to them?Or that Adrian had been involved in either of these incidents?Nothing about him suggested he was a cold-hearted killer.If anything, his every word and action gave her reason to believe he never did anything without good cause.
A belief that was further compounded later when Adrian left her alone on a bench with Marsdale while he went to purchase some treats from a vendor.The setting was public, right on Rotten Row, ensuring she and Marsdale were seen engaging in private conversation.And this, in turn, would make it more plausible for them to carry on with each other during a ball.Should the earl agree to participate.
She sent him a smile and shifted closer to where he sat, angling herself and dipping her head to convey an intimacy they did not share.
He stiffened, the tips of his fingers digging into his thighs, puckering the fabric of his trousers.
“I apologize for making you uncomfortable,” she whispered.“That’s not my intention, but given the nature of what I’m about to say, it would be best if no one else hears us.”
The pressure in his hands eased.“Go on.”
Deciding she might as well get to the point, she took a deep breath and dived in.“Croft and I need your help catching his sister’s killer.”
“What?”His outrage was only marginally outdone by his shock.“I can’t believe he’s dragged you into this.If you’ll excuse me a moment, I’ll just go and see what’s wrong with his head.”
She placed her hand on Marsdale’s arm and pushed down firmly.“Please lower your voice and let me explain.”
“There’s no need.Whatever he’s gotten you into, it’s not worth the risk.”
“I have to disagree with you there.”Raising her chin, she met his gaze squarely.“Every innocent life is worth it.One lost is one too many.”
He scoffed.“I’m beginning to see why he holds you in such high regard.You’re two of a kind – a pair of crusaders.”
She tilted her head and smiled.It hadn’t occurred to her how similar she and Croft were.No wonder she struggled to view him as the villain.“How many murders have there been thus far?”
