Renforth did not answer immediately. “Who can say?” he said at last. “There could be a host of reasons.”
Arch abruptly lifted up his head.
Renforth looked at him. “Perhaps he believes a riot may ensue. Perhaps they have ordered the people to incite one. Removing her from London removes her from immediate danger.”
“It also removes her from us,” Arch said.
“Yes.”
The simplicity of the answer was almost offensive.
“Therefore we just leave her?” Arch said.
“Yes,” said Renforth.
The word fell with quiet finality. Arch felt something inside him resist it, fiercely and instinctively.
“She is?—”
“Alive,” Renforth said. “We may assume she is also unharmed and provided for. Kendall seems protective of her at least.”
He held Arch’s gaze. “She is also not in the path of what will occur tonight, nor associated with it.”
The logic was flawless, Arch knew.
“If we move now,” he said, forcing the argument into clarity, “it is possible we will alert him. He abandons the plan and, potentially, we lose them.”
“Possibly. It does make me wonder what he might have tied her to, but that is for later.”
The room, which had, moments before, been filled with movement and discussion, now seemed to hold itself still around the decision.
Renforth spoke again, more deliberately. “Send one of the junior men along to guard the cottage so Fielding can return.”
Arch exhaled slowly.
“You may send Miss Vale a note of explanation,” Renforth added. “It is best to play along with Kendall for now. I need you tonight, and the fewer distractions, the better.”
Arch inclined his head once. “I understand.”
He crossed at once to the writing desk. For a moment, he stood with the pen in his hand and did not write. What could he say? He could not tell her the full extent of what was coming. Had Kendall told her what he was about?
He could not promise immediate rescue. He could not risk a message that might be intercepted and misunderstood. He wrote:
You are not forgotten.It is best to remain where you are. You are guarded, and you will be retrieved when it is safe to do so. Trust that we act with your safety in mind. —AM
He sanded it,folded it, and sealed it. A young officer was summoned and given precise instructions.
“Deliver this when you are certain it is safe to do so. Do not approach the house directly unless necessary,” Arch said. “Observe first and keep out of sight. If she attempts to leave, ensure she is not alone. If Kendall returns, send word at once.”
“Yes, sir.”
Arch watched him go. Then he took up another sheet and wrote to Sir Percival, more fully and formally, explaining what had occurred without revealing more than was necessary.
That done, he set both matters aside. There was nothing more to be done for her now. He must give all his attention to the night ahead.
Renforth was already speaking again when Arch returned to the table.
“The first carriage arrives at seven precisely. There will be no deviation. The second follows after four minutes. We will maintain the illusion of normality?—”
