Page 45 of The King's Man
‘And I you, Mistress Talbot.’ Morton inclined his head to Kit. ‘Lovell.’
Putting his hand under Lucy’s elbow, Kit propelled her forward. Only when they were well past Ambrose Morton did he slacken his pace, allowing them both to fall back to an amble. Lucy tucked her hand into the crook of Kit’s arm again.
‘What a charming man,’ she mused.
Kit grunted.
Lucy continued, ‘And so handsome.’
‘What makes a man handsome in your eyes?’ Kit struggled to keep the irritation from his voice.
Lucy flicked her hand at his upper arm. ‘You wouldn’t understand,’ she said. Kit gave a snort of disgust.
Lucy sighed and leaned her head against his arm. ‘Do I detect a hint of jealousy, Captain Lovell?’
‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ Kit scoffed. ‘There is just something about the man I neither like nor trust. It has nothing to do with his handsome face or his charming manners.’
‘If you say so,’ Lucy said, and smiled.
Chapter 12
Kit’s brief respite from the troubles of the world in the arms of Lucy had to come to an end. He rose early on Monday morning to go in search of Fitzjames and the others. He knew better than to look for them at The Ship Inn, but there were a number of other inns where they could be found.
He came across Fitzjames drinking with Jack Gerard at the Saracen’s Head in Carter Lane. As Kit sat down Fitz raised his cup and sent for a jug of ale.
‘I heard they’d let you go,’ Fitz said.
‘Those of us they felt they couldn’t hold. Only Dutton and Whitely are being held.’
‘Poor old Dutton. Will they hang him?’ Gerard asked.
Kit shook his head. ‘I doubt it. There is very little evidence against him.’ He sighed and stretched his right leg. After the cold and the damp of the Tower, the wound he had sustained at Worcester was playing merry Hell with him. ‘I am getting tooold to play amateur games such as that Dutton had in mind,’ he grumbled.
‘Then you were lucky to slip through the net.’
‘Damned lucky,’ Kit agreed. ‘You and Willys were wise to stay away.’
‘No doubt they suspect one of us of informing on them?’ Fitz asked.
Kit shrugged. ‘What do you expect?’
Fitz’s face tightened. ‘Well, I can assure you I had no part in it. Whatever my feelings about the stupidity of the plan, I would not have turned them in. I have no time for turncoats.’ He leaned forward. ‘Nor do we have time for amateurs. As I intimated at our last meeting, there are plans in the wind that Dutton and his cronies nearly put paid to.’
Gerard took a thoughtful sip of his ale. ‘Are we wise to involve another, Fitzjames?’
Fitz cast Gerard a hard look. ‘Lovell could be useful. He speaks fluent French, among his many talents. His name was mentioned before as being a possibility.’
A possible what? Kit wondered.
‘I’ve had my fill of plots and plans, Fitz. Two weeks in the Tower saw to that. My leg hurts damnably, and all I want is a few quiet evenings of cards to restore my fortunes.’
‘Don’t be ridiculous, Lovell,’ Fitz smiled. ‘I know you. You’ll be bored within two days. You see those gentlemen who have just entered?’
Kit turned to look at the two plainly dressed men who stood at the entrance looking around the gloomy taproom.
‘Do you know them?’ Fitz enquired.
Kit nodded. ‘The shorter one is Henshaw. I presume the other to be his brother, Wiseman. Not men I would want dealings with.’
