Page 35 of Highland Jewel
He was nearly to Milne’s Court when a carriage passed him. He wouldn’t have given it a second glance, but a moment later, the driver reined in his team and pulled up at the curb. Before he’d even reached it, the carriage door opened, and a gentleman jumped out.
Niall knew him, respected him a great deal. Henry Brougham was a progressive-thinking lawyer and an outspoken member of Parliament. He was also one of the founders ofEdinburgh Review. Brougham had built areputation in the fight against the slave trade. From his seat in the House of Commons, he’d been strident in his complaints that the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act had not gone far enough, that the law was ineffective, and that the nation wasn’t doing enough to end the abominable practice in its colonies.
“Campbell! The very man I was coming to see.” He approached and bowed. “I thought that was you. Even out of uniform, you cut a striking figure.”
Niall met Brougham a few years earlier at a dinner given by a mutual friend. The two had hit it off immediately, and they’d raised a glass together several times since then, in London and here in Edinburgh.
“Good evening, sir,” he responded with a laugh. “Why aren’t you in London, keeping an eye on Lord Sidmouth and his cronies?”
Youthful and energetic, Brougham was also known as a man who was unafraid of the shark-infested waters of opposition to the king. A few years back, while the nation was at war with the French, he’d served as an advisor to Caroline, the Princess of Wales, who was now—according to Fiona and Maisie—trying to return to England. His service to her had cost him his seat in Parliament for several years, but he was back in the thick of it once again. Henry Brougham was not a man easily kept down.
“Careful, my friend, or we’ll both be arrested,” he said, half in jest. “Almost anything qualifies for sedition or treason these days, you know, even for members of Parliament.”
With a glance around them, the lawyer took Niall by the arm. “Walk with me.”
The two men moved along the street, and he noticed that Brougham kept them in the shadows. The houses here at the top of High Street were in darkness, not acandle showing in any window. Ahead of them, the half-moon battery of the castle rose up, silent and imposing, before the taller walls of the royal palace.
“I have a proposition for you,” Brougham began, clearly choosing his words carefully. “I need you for a very delicate mission, and I know you’re the man for it. You’re one of the few I can trust.”
Niall frowned in the darkness. He knew that Brougham would not be approaching him for just any task. And whatever the nature of this business was, he feared once he heard it, it would be difficult to refuse.
“Before you go any further, I need to tell you that I’m no longer in His Majesty’s service.”
“I know. I inquired. Discreetly. That’s one of the reasons I came looking for you tonight. Nonetheless, there is an element of danger involved, and I can’t trust—”
“Hold there, my friend.” Niall faced him. He was elated with the plans he’d set in motion tonight. He didn’t want to change the direction he’d chosen. “I apologize, Brougham, but I need to stop you. I have a great deal of respect for you, and a month ago I would have listened to every word and most likely had accepted the challenge. But whatever it is you need me to do, I must refuse your offer.”
Brougham paused, giving Niall a searching look. “May I ask why? I haven’t come to you without serious consideration.”
“Of course.” Maisie’s face came to him again. Her smile. The feel of her in his arms as they’d kissed. “Not an hour ago, I became engaged. I plan to be married as soon as possible. I have an offer of employment that I intend to accept and settle down.”
“I see.” Henry Brougham frowned and looked up into the night sky above the city. His disappointment was evident, even in the darkness.
“But I thank you for your trust in me.” It was useless to try and think of someone else to recommend. Brougham was much better connected than he was.
The lawmaker nodded and held out his hand. “Then I can only offer you my congratulations, my friend.”
Unto His Majesty the King
From the hand of The Right Honorable, The Viscount Sidmouth
Sir,
Our concerns have been confirmed. The former Princess of Wales is sending several men to travel north to act for her in establishing direct contact with the so-called “son of Scotland.” Although his identity is still in question, we have learned that the gentleman is expected to arrive in Scotland at any time. Agents of the Home Office are watching ports of entry at Leith, Greenock, and Aberdeen with the hope of identifying and apprehending him.
In addition, Sir Rupert Burney has put into action the plan we discussed. His men will infiltrate the group delegated by the princess.
I shall travel to Brighton in a few days to report to you directly on alternative plans of action, as well as on the evidence we have been assembling with regard to your divorce proceedings.
I remain, Sir,
Your Most Obedient Servant
CHAPTER13
Standing with Fiona on the low dais on one end of the Brewers’ Guild Hall, Maisie looked at her friend’s pale face. Fiona wasn’t feeling well tonight. A stubborn cough that had afflicted her daughters ten days ago had passed on to their mother this week. Maisie had arrived at her door this afternoon, needing advice on what to say and not to say at the Wednesday night meeting. Rumors had been circulating about the radical reformers who’d been arrested in London. In the midst of their conversation, Fiona decided to desert her sickbed and come along.
Maisie stared at the troubled faces of the women gathered at the meeting. Everyone was anxious to hear the news, but the rumble of noise continued even when Fiona held up her hands for quiet.
