Chapter Twenty-Three
E dith laughed softly . “You don’t really believe Lord Harbury was a spy during the war?”
“All I know is that Charlotte told me that of the three men, Ashford swears Nathaniel was most often in harm’s way.” Louisa shrugged.
“Hmmm.”
“You think Charlotte is trying to embellish the baron’s accomplishments.” Louisa tutted. “Perhaps to sway you away from Lord Cecil.”
“Why would Charlotte do that?”
“Like me, she believes the baron might be enamored of you, Edith.”
She groaned. “Louisa! Surely not! He has been kind and considerate to all of us.”
“Of course he has, he’s a gentleman. The baron shows an affinity toward you. Perhaps it is because you share an interest in the same things.”
She rolled her eyes. “Don’t be too heavy-handed, my friend.”
“Well, he is more interested in your opinions than Lord Wycliffe is,” Louisa replied frankly, and Edith knew it was the truth. “Lord Harbury thinks your transportation idea is sound.”
“I wish we could find out more about the process of transporting convicts to New Holland.” She grimaced. “As women, we cannot request meetings with government members. And I can’t involve Charlotte in any further snooping. I imagine Ashford wasn’t happy to hear she was sneaking around the registry office with us.”
Louisa replied, “Lord Harbury will update us on his inquiries tomorrow in Kensington Gardens. That will have to do for now.”
Edith rose to her feet. “Let us return to Hanover Square. If my father is home, I can ask him what he knows about the practice of transportation. Perhaps he is privy to information that could be useful to Lord Harbury.”
* * * * *
A fter he sent a missive to Ashford and Cecil, Nathaniel reread the article about transportation. Lady Edith had presented a reasonable theory. Men would be kept on hulks on the water until they were transported. Would anyone believe the veterans if they protested their innocence? He imagined not, as most people convicted of something were wont to proclaim their innocence.
Seated in his study, he was startled to hear a knock at the door.
“Come!”
His butler opened the door and looked in. “Are you at home to callers, my lord? Lord Wycliffe is in the entry hall.”
He imagined his friend would not enjoy being kept waiting. Good old Binns was one for tradition.
“Show him in.”
“Very good, my lord.”
Soon after, Cecil entered through the open door. “That butler of yours is a dragon!”
“He’s one for the old ways.” He grinned. “Have a seat. Port?”
“No. I don’t plan on staying long.”
Nathaniel leaned back in his leather armchair. “You received my note?”
“I intercepted it on my way out.” Cecil sat on the other armchair. “You think the murdered maid was the likely person who tampered with Lady Sandhurst’s supper?”
“I do. My driver says nobody entered the mews behind the house during my visit, which leads me to believe someone in the house murdered the young woman.” He handed Cecil the piece of vellum he’d taken from the dead maid. “I can’t help but think the plot to poison me was executed rather sloppily.”
Cecil looked over the piece of vellum and then placed it on the desk in front of him. “That note is proof the maid was involved. You didn’t get sick because you didn’t eat. Perhaps you were meant to become ill as a warning. We’re getting close to something.”
He threw up his hands. “But what? We’ve got employers who don’t appear to have any connection to the RA, a failed attempt to kill me, and a possible link to convict transportation.”
“Transportation?”
He nodded toward the magazine resting on the corner of his desk. It was open to the article about the visiting landowner from New Holland. “Lady Edith believes that our veterans could be slated for transportation. There’s an article in The Gentlemen’s Magazine that discusses how the landed men in New Holland need more inexpensive labor.”
Cecil picked up the periodical and proceeded to read the article to himself. When he was finished, he replaced the magazine on the desk. “I’m impressed. Lady Edith could have something there. And if the men are scheduled to be transported, they’re still breathing.”
He nodded. “For now. The hulks in our harbors are packed full of people. The possibility of sickness and disease before they even start the voyage is a real threat. On another note, one of my contacts in the Navy is confident press gangs didn’t pick up our men.”
“If you’re sure the men weren’t impressed into service, then transportation is the next theory we should investigate.”
“Lady Edith told me about the snuffbox Charlotte found at the registry office. Do you have it?”
Cecil pulled a weathered small black box from the inside pocket of his jacket and handed it to Nathaniel. “It’s definitely an RA snuffbox, but there is no way to tell who it belongs to.”
He examined it a moment before handing the box back to Cecil.
“There is something rather strange I need to tell you about. Lady Sandhurst invited me to her card party because of a threat.”
Cecil raised a brow. “She was threatened?”
Nathaniel recounted his conversation with the widow.
“Do you think she’s telling you the truth about not knowing who was behind the threat?”
He nodded. “The lady took a risk speaking to me about the whole business. I believe she told me everything she knows.”
“Mr. Bones can look into the goings on in that household. At least now we know who likely tampered with the food at the card party.” He paused. “Do you believe Lady Sandhurst could be the ‘woman’ reported to be behind the disappearances of our veterans? My intelligence hasn’t linked her or Lord Norwich to the Rogue’s Alliance.”
He thought a moment. “Although I don't believe Lady Sandhurst is involved in the disappearances, perhaps I should warn Lady Edith to keep her father away from the woman for now.”
“A good excuse to speak with the girl,” his friend replied lightly.
“She is a lady,” he replied crossly. “And a very intelligent one, at that. Except for her interest in you, of course.”
Cecil shrugged. “Most women are interested in me at one point in their lives.”
For a moment he saw red. “Do not trifle with her.” His voice was cold, steely.
“Calm down, my friend. I have no interest in the lady.”
“And make sure you treat her and her ideas with respect. That is not a request.”
Cecil put up a staying hand. “I was merely being flippant to ascertain your interest in the lady. She is an admirable young woman and truly worthy of you.”
Nathaniel took a breath, forcing his annoyance away. “I will investigate the transportation angle. I’m sure one of my contacts in the Navy can explain the process of transporting convicts.”
“And I will speak with my spies in the gaols to make sure our veterans aren’t hidden there.”
Neither man spoke for a minute. Nathaniel felt no need to fill the silence as he was still slightly irritated with his friend.
“Alicia has recovered from her illness?” the viscount asked politely.
“Quite admirably, thank you.”
Cecil got to his feet. “I will set Mr. Bones on the household of Lady Sandhurst. As for myself, I’ll make the rounds of the clubs for intelligence and find out whether our veterans are in gaol.”
“Very good.” He raised a brow when his friend hadn’t moved.
The viscount grinned at him. “She really is a clever young woman, Nathaniel.”
* * * * *
U pon arriving at the townhouse, Louisa made for her bedchamber. “I need to rest. You are free to discuss transportation with your father without my presence.”
The butler informed Edith that her father was in the library.
“My dear!” Her father greeted her with a smile. “Good afternoon.”
“Good afternoon, Father.” She took a seat near him on a stuffed chair. “What are you reading?”
“Lady Sandhurst lent me her first edition of Gulliver's Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World .”
“Did she really? May I see it?”
Her father winked at her. “After I’ve finished reading it. Did you wish to speak with me?”
“I was reading an interesting article about transportation. I wondered if you were familiar with the landowner Mr. Basil Lambourne, who has traveled to London from New Holland?”
“I don’t know him personally, but I’ve heard of him.” Her father closed his book and placed it on a nearby table. “He is in the country to lobby for increased transportation to New South Wales.”
“Yes, I found that quite shocking. I took it to mean the man wants inexpensive labor and doesn’t care how he gets it.”
“A very astute deduction, my dear.” Her father tapped his temple with a forefinger.
“Do you think a man like that would resort to kidnapping men to work on his land?”
Her father’s gaze sharpened on her face. “That is a disturbing question, Edith.”
“You have heard about the missing Navy veteran?”
He nodded. “The man is affiliated with that registry office you volunteer with.”
“There have been more disappearances.” She paused. “Father, that is between us. Lord Wycliffe, Harbury, and Ashford are investigating the disappearances, as are the Bow Street Runners.”
“How many men have gone missing?” His voice now sounded slightly alarmed.
“Three so far. That is why the registry is temporarily closed.”
“The public will find out eventually.”
She blew out a breath. “I imagine they will. Right now, Lord Harbury doesn’t want to create a panic. If you remember, I told you he and Ashford own the registry office.”
“I remember. Lord Harbury is one of the richest men in England. And word is he is a war hero.” He lowered his voice to add, “That’s supposed to be a secret.”
“A war hero?” She leaned in. “Do you know what he did?”
“Uncovered a notorious spy for Napoleon. Someone who was part of an old and revered family. It was hushed up, of course. Couldn’t have that getting out.”
Her father glanced at the clock on the mantel. “I’m nearly late for an appointment. If you and Louisa do not have plans this evening, there is a reception for Mr. Lambourne given by the Royal Institution. If you’re interested in meeting the man, I could escort you and your friend. As a means for you to help Lord Harbury and Lord Ashford with their investigations, of course.”
“I’ll ask Louisa, but I’m sure she would like to accompany us to the reception. Why would the institution host a reception for a New Holland landowner?”
“Mr. Lambourne has agreed to give a lecture to institution members on the flora and fauna of New Holland while in London. I will see you at supper, my dear.” He rose to his feet, book in hand, leaned over her chair to kiss the top of her head, and exited the library.
Edith realized she hadn’t asked her father what he knew about transportation. She’d been too interested in what he had to say about the baron’s wartime activities. Should she share the information with Louisa? Her friend might very well tease her again.
Perhaps she would find out something useful by meeting Mr. Lambourne. Tomorrow, she would see Lord Harbury. She found she was quite looking forward to it.
* * * * *
I n all his years in the Navy, he had been lucky not to be involved with transporting prisoners. Once Cecil departed his study, Nathaniel thought about how he could determine whether the veterans were incarcerated on a hulk in London or possibly as far away as Portsmouth.
There was a knock at the open door of his study. Binns peeked in. “Lord Ashford is here to see you.”
“Send him in.”
When Ashford had taken a seat and declined refreshment, Nathaniel said, “You just missed Cecil. How is Charlotte?”
“She asked me to leave the house as I’m fussing over her too much.” He shook his head. “In the missive you sent today, you wrote that there was something you wanted to show me.”
Nathaniel handed Ashford the scrap of vellum he’d found on the dead maid’s person before recounting what he’d observed at Lady Sandhurst’s house regarding the murder and how the lady had been coerced into inviting him to her card party.
Ashford returned the vellum to Nathaniel. “Our investigation is becoming quite a tangled web. What does Cecil say?”
“He has no intelligence linking Lady Sandhurst to the RA. Mr. Bones is going to question her servants. That is his specialty, ingratiating himself with the help. You know how servants like to gossip.”
“I recall Cecil telling me once that he’d yet to link any noblewoman to the organization. Female servants and doxies, yes.”
“I do have some experience in interrogation and reading people,” he replied. “I don’t think the lady is involved. It may be a good idea to warn Lady Edith and her father, though.”
Ashford nodded. “I’ll take care of it. I assume you don’t want to involve Alicia in this more than you have to?”
“You are correct.” He added, “Lady Edith believes our veterans could be waiting to be transported to New Holland.”
Ashford whistled. “I recently read an article about a gentleman, one of the landowners down there, being in London.”
“That article is the basis of Edith’s idea,” he replied.
“She could be on to something.”
“Cecil showed me the snuff box Charlotte found at the registry office.”
“I’ve asked Charlotte to refrain from further investigations. And I don’t want Diana involved more than she already is.” Ashford sighed. “I can’t dictate what Lady Edith and Lady Louisa do, but I can hope to keep the women in my family out of this dreadful business.”
“Why don’t you dash off a quick note to Lady Edith while you’re here? You can tell her about Lady Sandhurst’s possible involvement and hint that she and Louisa should be more careful in their investigations. Then you may accompany me to see a naval friend. He might be able to help us find out if our veterans are scheduled to go to New Holland.”
Ashford raised a brow. “You don’t want to be the one to ask Lady Edith to be careful.”
He grinned in reply. “I would rather you draw the lady’s ire.”