Page 102 of The English Duke
“I feel the same,” he said, his voice sounding as if he smiled. “Well, I was eating my stew and thinking of how it reminded me of my mother’s cooking when Charles climbed the stairs and opened my door without a hint of a knock.”
“I didn’t want to be heard by the thief,” Charles said.
She wasn’t understanding, but she didn’t like the wordsthiefandtorpedoshipspoken in the same story.
“What happened, Charles?” she asked, hoping the man was a little faster in his recitation.
“I was checking on the springs of the carriage, Miss Martha. The one we’re going to use for Miss Josephine. Underneath it, I was. I don’t think anyone could see me. Maybe just the toes of my boots, but they didn’t seem to be looking.”
Once again, she tried to be patient.
“It’s not right, Miss Martha,” the stablemaster said. “Nothing either of them could say would make this right.”
Mr. Haversham had been in the military and was a stiffly proper gentleman. All the lads employed in the stable were inspected in the morning as to their appearance and sent back to their rooms to change if something was amiss with their shirts or trousers. No swearing was allowed, and anyone who broke the multitude of rules he’d established was severely reprimanded and given extra duty. Strangely enough, there were always applicants for any available position. Mr. Haversham was as well-known for his loyalty and support of his staff as for his strictness.
“I thought it best you know.”
“Unfortunately, I don’t know what you know, Mr. Haversham. Is someone stealing something? Something to do with the torpedo ship?”
Both men nodded at the same time.
“Your sister, Miss Martha. And His Grace’s friend. They put your ship in his carriage, under one of the seats.”
“You saw Josephine do that?”
Charles nodded. “Yes, miss. She was helping His Grace’s friend.”
Josephine had already betrayed her. Now she was stealing from her?
“He’ll be leaving in the morning after the ceremony, Miss Martha, and he’s all for taking the torpedo ship with him.”
“No, he won’t,” she said, standing. “Thank you for telling me, both of you. I won’t forget your kindness and your honesty.”
“What shall we do, Miss Martha?”
“Right now, just watch the carriage. Make sure he doesn’t leave early.”
She straightened her shoulders. She could confront Reese herself. Or she could simply retrieve theGoldfishand place it under guard, never discussing the issue with either Josephine or Reese. Or she could demand an explanation from Josephine.
None of those alternatives seemed to fit the situation.
Instead, she was going to ask for help from the one man she should avoid at all costs.
Josephine would have slipped away had Reese not stood between her and her bedroom door, advancing until her back was against the wall.
“Thank you for helping me acquire the ship,” he said, his voice low. “The War Office will be grateful for your assistance. What a pity you’re getting married. I think you would have been an asset to the Intelligence Branch.”
Josephine smiled back at him, but there was an edge to her expression.
“Are we done now? No more threats to tell Jordan anything?”
All he’d done was go to her and ask if the rumors were true. Had Martha discovered the answer for the guidance system? Josephine had responded by demanding he never mention Martha’s damnable ship again. When he suggested that he could put the prototype to good use, she’d not only shown him where the ship was stored in the cottage, she’d accompanied him to the stables where he’d secreted it beneath one of his carriage seats.
This time he hadn’t threatened to tell Jordan anything. Everything Josephine had done was of her own volition.
“Did you miss me in the last few weeks? I found myself thinking about you, a bit more than I wished.” He propped his arm on the wall, leaning over her. She didn’t, as he knew she wouldn’t, move away or show any discomfort at all.
“You’re a damned courageous woman,” he said.
