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“You’re in luck.” The woman took a key from a row of keys on the wall behind her. “My best room became available this very morning.”

It was probable that the woman was expecting him to express his pleasure over this news, but it had been a long ride and Alexander was anxious to be about his business. “I also wish to connect with an associate of mine,” he said. “Can you tell me where I might find a Mr. Toole?”

She pointed to a table in the corner of the room. “Would that be the gentleman you’re lookin’ for?”

Alexander turned to see Hugh Toole watching him from the shadows. Alexander inclined his head, and Toole raised his glass. “It is indeed,” he told the woman. “Thank you. If you would be good enough to show my valet to the room, I shall join Mr. Toole at his table.”

“And will you be wanting a meal, my lord? It’s freshly baked bread, mutton, and cheese today. Will that serve?”

The smell coming from the inn’s kitchen was a poignant reminder that Alexander had not eaten since breakfast. “It will do very well,” he said. “I thank you.”

The woman gave a pleased nod. “I shall bring it out to you right away.”

Alexander crossed the room to Toole’s table and pulled out a chair. “Hiding in the corner, I see.”

Toole shrugged. “It’s the best place to see without being seen.”

As it was obvious that the Runner had spotted him long before Alexander had been aware of his presence in the room, Alexander could not argue the point. “Anything new since you sent your message?”

“Jasper Stanley arrived home about an hour ago. There were three boys with him. All are painfully thin, and one of them looked to be very young.”

“Barely five years old,” Alexander said grimly.

Toole’s eyes widened. “Don’t we have a new law about that?”

“We do indeed. And I intend to ensure that Jasper Stanley is fully informed of the extent of that law.”

“Do you have a plan?”

Alexander had been attempting to formulate one ever since he left Bloxley Hall. “I need to speak to each of those boys, confirm their ages and where they came from.” He fixed Toole with a firm look. “I intend to return any boy under the age of eight to the Foundling Hospital.”

“What about any who are older?”

“I think they should be given the choice. It would be hard to transition back into the rigid structure of the hospital years after everyone else, but if they want it, I will take their case to the director and fight for them.”

Why did a vision of Jane standing up to Mr. Morris have to flash into his mind with those words?

“Sounds fair to me,” Toole said, bringing Alexander back to the present. “What about Stanley?”

“If his brother was his sole supplier of underage apprentices, he will soon discover that his source is no more. If not, we shall have to follow that trail and put a stop to it. Either scenario does not bode well for the man, however, for I shall be filing charges with the local magistrate next week.”

“And his brother? The one who sold them in the first place?”

“He, too, will be facing charges.”

Toole gave a satisfied nod. “Well then, we’d best decide how to talk to those boys.”

The morning drizzle had passed, but raindrops clung to the grass and dripped from the branches of the yew tree beside the church gate. Alexander and Toole stood beneath the yew’s largest branch, the needlelike leaves keeping their faces in shadow. The church bells pealed, marking the end of the Sunday service, and they watched the door, waiting for the members of the congregation to start filtering out.

“Mrs. Smith claims that the Stanleys sit near the back of the church,” Toole said softly. “That would make them some of the first to leave.”

Alexander nodded. The innkeeper’s wife had been a font of useful information once Toole started complimenting her on the mutton she’d placed before them the night before. She had no idea how well the Bow Street Runner had manipulated their conversation to glean all she knew about Mr. and Mrs. Stanley and the boys in their care.

“There,” Alexander said as a short man exited the church and covered his red hair with his hat. “He’s significantly smaller than his brother, but they share the same coloring and wide noses.”

Toole continued to watch as the round-faced woman standing beside the man greeted another lady before the couple started down the church path. Straggling behind them were three boys of differing heights and hair color, but all painfully thin.

“Right,” Toole said. “I’m off.”