Page 114 of The Moonstone Pirate
Healey and Burke, of course.
What had happened to them?
Draco eased back in his chair. “No one in particular. I just never thought it would be these respectable gentlemen, especially since they are here with their wives. Is that not a bit reckless on their part? Or are their wives in it, too? I understand one of them is related to Lord Eldridge.” That was an utter fabrication on his part, but so what? Let McTavish deny it—or better yet, admit the connection and allow Draco to tie up this investigation in a neat bow.
McTavish’s eye twitched again. “How did you know?”
“Ladies talk.” Draco shrugged it off as unimportant, but…blessed saints. So therewasa connection to Lord Eldridge beyond Imogen’s crazy intuition. “I’m not going to say anything, mind you. I just like to know who all the players are. You know how I hate surprises. How are Lord Healey and Lord Burke connected to this smuggling operation? Are they still alive? Or did you kill them? They should never have done away with Driscoll on my property.”
McTavish growled and was about to reach for his pistol when he heard the click of Draco’s weapon.
“Don’t even think of moving, McTavish,” he said, aiming his pistol at the Irishman’s gut.
“Bloody hell. Are you a Crown agent, Draco?”
“No, I give you my oath.” It was no lie, for he wasn’t officially on their payroll. At best, he was merely enlisted to provideassistance in this Crown operation. He had not even been given a fancy badge or other official emblem of his service. “But you are into some dirty dealings, and I have no intention of hanging along with you now that these underlings are all suddenly being killed off and Eldridge’s plot is falling apart. How many more bodies are going to be dumped on my property? Where are Healey and Burke now?”
“Listen, Draco,” McTavish said. “You are too much on edge. Has that title made you soft? It is nothing but a hiccup. Driscoll found out what Healey and Burke were doing and tried to blackmail them. Driscoll himself had nothing to do with Eldridge’s business, and I don’t believe he ever had a clue. His mistake was in threatening to expose Healey and Burke’s opium-dealing activities to their families, not realizing they were also involved in Eldridge’s rebellious ambitions. It was the rebel activity they could not risk being exposed. No one knows of Eldridge’s… Well, I suppose you do.”
“Yes, and I am new to this smuggling operation. You are fooling yourself if you think others will not get onto Eldridge soon. Tell me more about Healey and Burke.”
“I have no idea what happened to them. They’re probably in hiding. Eldridge will take care of shutting them up once he finds them.”
“Assuming they don’t talk first. I’m sure the Home Office will be happy to receive them.”
“They’ll be dead the moment they set foot in London. Eldridge is not without influence there. He’s probably put the word out already, offering a hefty reward for the man who silences them.” McTavish leaned forward and folded his arms on the table. “Take this bit of friendly advice, Draco. You had better shut up too. No one is going to shoot you if you stay in line and do as you are told.”
Draco shook his head. “Oh, I think not. Eldridge is going to silence everyone he can along the way, you included. You must realize his plans were doomed the moment Driscoll was killed on my property. I’m sure Driscoll’s friends recognized Healey and Burke. The blackmail will not stop. You cannot start killing them all.” He kept his pistol pointed at McTavish’s gut, hidden under the table, since the tavern was beginning to fill with patrons.
“Put your weapon away,” McTavish muttered. “I’m not here to kill anyone, least of all you. Eldridge can do what he wants. It is none of my affair.” He was about to say more but was startled by the laughter of several men who strode into the tavern.
Draco nodded to them, merely in acknowledgment, for people were friendly in these parts and it was simpler to be amiable and yet still remain aloof. No one was going to approach an earl without his permission.
The place was filling up fast, and Draco was eager to finish their unsavory business. He made sure to keep his weapon out of sight but still trained on McTavish. “I am not going to put it away. Don’t make any sudden moves. Listen carefully, you stubborn clot. Let’s stop the pretense. I am going to save your hide. But you have to tell me all you know before I let you sail from Moonstone Landing.”
“Bloody hell, Lemuel was right not to trust you.”
“I assume he’s the arse who was itching to shoot me that day you showed up in my cove. I wouldn’t trust him if I were you. Just a word of advice.”
McTavish looked around. “Why should I believe you?”
“Then don’t, but you are already worried about him. Your eye is twitching again. Gives you away every time. He’s probably had a few ales in him by now and is boasting to his mates how he’s a lot smarter than you and would make a better captain.”
McTavish sighed. “Maybe he’s right. I’ve grown soft. Why else would I be sitting here with your pistol aimed at me and youalready onto Eldridge? I saved your life once, Draco. Is this why you are offering to spare mine?”
Draco nodded. “You were always fair with me. We have dealt with each other often enough to know how the other thinks. You had to be aware I would always protect England. Why did you not object to Eldridge’s using my caves?”
“Since you claim to know me, go ahead and tell me the answer.”
Draco gave it a moment’s thought, and then groaned inwardly. No wonder the Home Office couldn’t tell him what had happened to disrupt Eldridge’s original site. They truly did not know, and believed it was merely a stroke of good fortune when the opportunity to insert him in the rebel plot fell in their lap.
Gad, of course!
McTavish was the reason, purposely sabotaging Eldridge’s operations because he wanted out.
“Eldridge has sucked you in deeper than you like,” Draco said, “and you want nothing more to do with him. But getting out of his scheme with your life intact remained the problem. So you decided to lure me in and hope I would accomplish what you could not…getting you out of his rebellion without his realizing you wanted out. How did you damage his original drop-off location?”
“Does it matter?”
