Page 43 of A Dream of Redemption
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The boy stood before him hopping from foot to foot. “It was her I tell ya. It was Lady Helen what got into the carriage.”
Glover couldn’t believe his luck. Clary Homeward had more balls than he’d expected. Not only was Homeward sending his men to hunt him down, the man was dipping his wick in his employer’s sister. He could use that.
Glover paid the boy the coin he’d promised and then waved him away. He stood in his office, the door wide open so he could see the cages containing his valuable cargo across the way. Homeward might be hunting him but he would never think to look here.
He’d been looking for leverage against Homeward, who it appeared was not content to get Glover out of the orphanage, but wanted him driven out of town or arrested. Neither of those outcomes would Glover contemplate.
The money to be made in London was endless given the number of orphans and unwanted children on the streets. And he’d just made a major contact in Persia that would triple his earnings. He needed two more years before he could retire and live the life of a country gentleman, when he left for the Americas.
“What are you going to do with this little gem?” Glover’s second in command, Stilton, said.
“Nothing yet. Homeward’s not a man who would risk his current position for a piece of arse—even a piece of arse so fine and high and mighty. He has feelings for the lady. When the time is right we can use that.”
“When will the time be right? He’s getting closer. Once they exhaust all usual haunts, he’ll start looking at places like this. I say get rid of him now. A dead man can’t hurt you.”
Glover swung to face Stilton and sighed. “A dead man would bring the wroth of the Duke of Lyttleton down upon me. No. We need a way to stop Homeward without killing him. I thought his brother might be the key but it’s always good to have options.”
Stilton spat out of the side of his mouth. “Do we move the cargo?”
Glover shook his head. “We are safer here in plain sight. He would never think to look here. Besides, if anyone comes looking all they will find is a legitimate wool merchant. No one knows of this hiding place.” A smile broke over his lips. By the time Clary Homeward figured it out, he’d have sold his latest acquisitions and moved to another location. All Glover had to do was lie low and stay one step ahead. Speaking of lying low…
“When you leave can you get Tommy to bring over the young redhead?”
“Boy or girl?”
Glover thought for a moment then let a smile of anticipation break over his lips. “Hell, bring them both.”
Chapter 12
Clary knocked on His Grace’s study door only entering when he heard the word “come.” His Grace seemed to be engrossed in a set of accounts, and Clary had been standing in front of his desk for a few moments before he looked up.
“Clary.” A frown formed on the duke’s face. “Is everything all right with Marisa?”
His face heated. “Her Grace is fine. I was wondering—that is—I am in need of some advice.”
His Grace indicated that he should sit. He took the chair opposite his employer’s desk and his mouth dried. This was going to be more difficult than he had imagined. Although His Grace had been kind and fair, allowing his wife to employ him, and taking in Simon as a young child, he was still a duke, with all the arrogance and superiority the title afforded him.
His Grace might be shocked and offended by what Clary was about to reveal. He could very well fire him on the spot, or even worse, tell Helen’s brother, who happened to be one of His Grace’s closest friends and brother-in-law. He would be putting His Grace in a difficult position.
“Do you need my help in the hunt for Glover? Marisa has told me that you’ve made no progress.”
“That is true,” Clary said, nodding. “If he is still in London, which I believe he is—his greed would see to that—he is not hiding in the haunts I suspected. He needs a place to hide the children. We do know that he had taken captive more than those we rescued. However, we can find no evidence of the missing children.”
“Then perhaps you need to start looking in places you would not suspect.”
His Grace’s words made logical sense. Clary should have thought of that too. Could Glover be hiding somewhere they would not think to look? He had not thought Glover was that clever, but perhaps he had underestimated him.
“That is good advice. However, that is not why I’m here.”
That got His Grace’s attention, and he put down the quill he was holding and raised an eyebrow.
Clary cleared his throat and sat up straighter in his chair. He began his story looking His Grace directly in the eyes. He was not ashamed of what he was about to reveal.
“I find myself in a delicate position. Lady Helen has developed feelings for me.” He could not bring himself to reveal that he was falling in love with her too, or that they had already been intimate. He first desired to see what the reaction to his words would be.
His Grace laughed. “I told Marisa that could happen. I think every young woman in this house is infatuated with you.”
