need to investigate that.â
âI donât care about her father or her brother. Concentrate on the girl. Sheâs all I care about.â
He realized what heâd said, considered rewording it, then decided against it. Making an issue of it would only serve to give his words credence they didnât deserve. He took a long swallow of the whiskey. It was tempting, but he couldnât afford to overindulge in spirits tonight.
âWhat if the answer concerns her father or brother?â
Luke sighed. âDo what you think best. Just find out who she wants me to kill and why.â
âWhat if sheâs the only one who knows?â
âShe has to have told someone.â
âYou didnât. Not until the deed was done.â
âNot true. I told someone.â Jack. His confessor in all things. And more often than not, his conspirator.
âJack. You told Jack. You always trusted him more than you trusted the rest of us.â
âHeâs the one who found me, shivering, starving, wretchedly afraid. I daresay Iâd have died if heâd not taken care of me, taken me to Feagan.â
âYou know as well as I that Feagan paid us for recruitments. You were merely threepence in Jackâs pocket.â
âAre you jealous of my friendship with Jack?â
âDonât be absurd. But you speak as though his motives in rescuing you were pure. Nothing about Jack is pure.â
âHe saved your arse on more than one occasion.â
âAnd I like him, but I donât trust him, not completely.â
âWith our upbringing, with what we learned about the world, do you think any of us completely trusts anyone?â
âI trust you. Iâd follow you into hell without questioning why we were going.â
âYouâve just made my point, because Iâm the least trustworthy of us all. No one can be completely trusted. No oneâs motives are pure. Which brings us back to Catherine Mabry. Find out all you can about her.â
Because Luke had a feeling she was leading him straight into hell, but unlike Jim, Luke wanted to know why.
Luke downed his whiskey and got up to pour himself another glass.
âHow did the lesson go?â Jim asked as he walked over and held out his glass.
Luke splashed some whiskey into it. âCatherine wonât speak of it. She said Iâll see the results when I see the results. She vexes me as Iâve never been vexed. Do you know she actually had the audacity to question my selection of a wife? Sheâs impertinent. Iâve never known a woman such as her.â He rubbed his brow. âShe makes my head hurt.â
âYouâve always been troubled with head pains.â
âItâs been awhile. Iâve some powder to relieve it. Not to worry.â
Jim set down his glass. âIâll be off then. Perhaps tomorrow Iâll have more luck.â
âPerhaps we both will.â
Chapter 7
âI have it on good authority that Mr. Marcus Langdon has filed a bill in the Court of Chancery in order to reclaim his English estates. It is a start toward reclaiming his rightful title,â Lady Charlotte said.
Catherine and Winnie, along with the Countess of Chesney, were having afternoon tea in Lady Charlotteâs garden. While sheâd only recently had her coming out, her father, the Earl of Mill-bank, was most anxious for her to marry. Who could blame him? She was the first of four gossipy daughters, which was one of the reasons she had frequent visitors. She seemed to know things before most people did.
âThen you mustnât do anything to discourage his interest,â the Countess of Chesney said.
Lady Charlotte smiled knowingly. Obviously her good authority was Mr. Langdon himself. Catherine had seen them dancing together at balls and walking through Hyde Park. Still, she hadnât realized Lady Charlotteâs interest in the untitled gentleman was so
Victoria Christopher Murray, Reshonda Tate Billingsley
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Melissa A. Hanson
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