cot. “Gideon says she’s beautiful, and with the most fascinating blond hair shot through with sunlight. Have you noticed how poetical Giddy’s gotten since Jessica? What an adventure you two must have lived on the Continent. I envy you so much. Not that Simon would have approved, but I believe the two of us well-suited to spying and skullduggery, and all that sort of thing. Max? I would be ever so much more comfortable if you’d stop shooting daggers at me with your eyes.”
“And nicer still if you’d shut up and leave,” he responded still attempting to convince his brain that his baby sister was now, seemingly within a heartbeat, a woman. “Kate? You’re happy?”
Her smile was near beatific. “I still pinch myself every morning, unable to believe such happiness. Simon is—”
Remembering Gideon’s warning, Max got to his feet, dropping a kiss on his sister’s cheek even as he grabbed hold of her shoulders and directed her toward the door. “I promise to arm myself with a strong drink and hear all about you and your impossibly wonderful Simon the instant this mess is over. Zoé will be back here at any moment, and I’ve already ordered our mounts saddled.”
“You’ll be careful, won’t you? This Boucher, he’s a part of the Society, that’s what Gideon told us. It’s not as if he’s stumbling around somewhere out there, lost and without resources. Simon and Valentine want to go with you, or at least send along a few of our new friends. We all feel much safer with the men watching over us, and some of their wives have helped bolster the number of servants. One of them is quite the cook—one of the men, actually.”
“Pirates. Yes, that’s just what I need. And nobody knows who they are?”
“Simon does, but he won’t tell us, not even me, and believe me, I’ve tried everything to get it out of him.”
“I could have lived the remainder of my life without hearing that, and died a happy man,” Max said, continuing to maneuver Kate toward the door. He gave her a playful slap on her behind. “Scoot.”
Max left the door open even after he heard Kate’s retreating steps on the stairs, and then walked to the window to look out on what would be a fine morning, other than for the fact there were people out there somewhere who wanted the Redgraves dead. People they’d always believed loyal friends, men they’d played with when they were all children, women who had taken care of their comforts, wiped their noses, and even given their bottoms a good swat when they misbehaved.
The Coopers were now enemies. After generations of serving the earls of Saltwood, they had joined with the Society. They’d sacrificed one of their own in an attempt to assassinate Trixie, for God’s sake. Redgrave Manor had gone, seemingly overnight, from a refuge and home to an armed camp under attack. The knowledge was still difficult to swallow, let alone digest.
Now Gideon and Jessica had ridden off on a flying visit to London, to take control of the gossip there thanks to the unfortunately public attempt on Trixie’s life, and to gather up another member of the Society’s Devil’s Thirteen named Axbridge, the man identified in the journals as Hammer. The man was head of a private bank, responsible for turning opium into gold. He’d been left where he was for a time, but now he’d be reunited with his friend Burn, and questioned about the Society. They’d wanted to turn him over to Perceval as more proof of their theory of treason and invasion, but now they needed him more.
“Max?”
He turned around, to see Zoé standing in the doorway clad in a mostly flattering morning gown. Her gaze shifted to the piles on the cot. “Where am I going?”
“We’re both going, if you agree. My brothers have things under control here, leaving me with an obvious mission.”
“Anton.” She was already examining the clothing, holding a dark blue jacket to one of Kate’s riding habits against her, checking its
“And nicer still if you’d shut up and leave,” he responded still attempting to convince his brain that his baby sister was now, seemingly within a heartbeat, a woman. “Kate? You’re happy?”
Her smile was near beatific. “I still pinch myself every morning, unable to believe such happiness. Simon is—”
Remembering Gideon’s warning, Max got to his feet, dropping a kiss on his sister’s cheek even as he grabbed hold of her shoulders and directed her toward the door. “I promise to arm myself with a strong drink and hear all about you and your impossibly wonderful Simon the instant this mess is over. Zoé will be back here at any moment, and I’ve already ordered our mounts saddled.”
“You’ll be careful, won’t you? This Boucher, he’s a part of the Society, that’s what Gideon told us. It’s not as if he’s stumbling around somewhere out there, lost and without resources. Simon and Valentine want to go with you, or at least send along a few of our new friends. We all feel much safer with the men watching over us, and some of their wives have helped bolster the number of servants. One of them is quite the cook—one of the men, actually.”
“Pirates. Yes, that’s just what I need. And nobody knows who they are?”
“Simon does, but he won’t tell us, not even me, and believe me, I’ve tried everything to get it out of him.”
“I could have lived the remainder of my life without hearing that, and died a happy man,” Max said, continuing to maneuver Kate toward the door. He gave her a playful slap on her behind. “Scoot.”
Max left the door open even after he heard Kate’s retreating steps on the stairs, and then walked to the window to look out on what would be a fine morning, other than for the fact there were people out there somewhere who wanted the Redgraves dead. People they’d always believed loyal friends, men they’d played with when they were all children, women who had taken care of their comforts, wiped their noses, and even given their bottoms a good swat when they misbehaved.
The Coopers were now enemies. After generations of serving the earls of Saltwood, they had joined with the Society. They’d sacrificed one of their own in an attempt to assassinate Trixie, for God’s sake. Redgrave Manor had gone, seemingly overnight, from a refuge and home to an armed camp under attack. The knowledge was still difficult to swallow, let alone digest.
Now Gideon and Jessica had ridden off on a flying visit to London, to take control of the gossip there thanks to the unfortunately public attempt on Trixie’s life, and to gather up another member of the Society’s Devil’s Thirteen named Axbridge, the man identified in the journals as Hammer. The man was head of a private bank, responsible for turning opium into gold. He’d been left where he was for a time, but now he’d be reunited with his friend Burn, and questioned about the Society. They’d wanted to turn him over to Perceval as more proof of their theory of treason and invasion, but now they needed him more.
“Max?”
He turned around, to see Zoé standing in the doorway clad in a mostly flattering morning gown. Her gaze shifted to the piles on the cot. “Where am I going?”
“We’re both going, if you agree. My brothers have things under control here, leaving me with an obvious mission.”
“Anton.” She was already examining the clothing, holding a dark blue jacket to one of Kate’s riding habits against her, checking its
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