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nd he turned a glowering look on the house. He would kill the bastard and his servants if any of them had laid a hand on her. Hell, he thought he would probably kill Findlay anyway on principle alone. The man was an animal.
"Did she say anything about what kind of locks we might encounter, or the best route to take to get to the basement?"
Richard asked into the silence.
"Back door, she said," Smithe answered. "Through the courtyard and around the house. The door to the basement is in the kitchens. But she said the kitchens are always busy. It won't be easy to slip in. "
"We'll need a distraction then," Daniel said grimly.
"Yes we will, and I have an idea about that," Smithe responded. All three men turned to him at that comment. It was Robert who asked, "What idea is that?"
Smithe hesitated and then said, "Well, now, I'm thinking you men won't like it none. But I'm deuced sure it will work. "
"What will work?" Robert asked impatiently.
Smithe pursed his lips and then said, "It seems to me the only thing that goes in and out of that basement is women. "
"Women?" Daniel asked blankly.
"Yes sir. On a regular basis too. That gal I told you about said that Findlay not only sometimes shares women with his men, but that sometimes he surprises them with a couple just for them. Keeps them happy and less likely to go squawking to anyone about what Lord Findlay gets up to," Smithe said dryly. "And I'm thinking with a lady in there, he might send his men a couple of gals to keep them from getting any ideas about playing with his new toy before he does. "
"Miss Madison is not a toy," Robert said with cold fury. "Beggin' your pardon, my lord. But she is to Findlay. "
"Are you suggesting we hire a couple of prostitutes to distract Findlay's men so Robert, Daniel and I can slip in and get Lisa out?"
Richard asked slowly.
"We could do that," Smithe said. "But you risk one of them speaking up later and raising a scandal for Miss Madison and the rest of you. It might be easier and safer all around just to enlist the aid of your wives. "
"Our wives could never play prostitutes," Richard said firmly. "Besides, we sent them on to the ball and said we would meet them there later. They do not even know that Lisa is missing. We told them she and Robert were out discussing their future. "
"Hmm. " Smithe nodded. "And yet there they sit in the Radnor carriage not two carriage lengths behind you, watching the house as steady and grim as you three. "
"What?" Richard asked with shock.
"Didn't notice them, huh?" Smithe asked mildly. "Well, don't feel bad. You were no doubt focusing on the house. Besides I'm trained to notice the little things, like great huge coaches with noble crests. "
Daniel cursed and was out of the hired coach in a heartbeat with Richard right behind him.
"May as well follow them," Smithe suggested easily to Robert. "Bigger coach anyway and we need the women's help. "
Nodding, Robert followed the other two men with Smithe on his heels.
"What the devil are you doing here?" Richard was asking when Robert stepped up into the coach and claimed the bit of space remaining on the bench beside the couple.
"She is our sister, Richard," Christiana reminded him quietly. "Where else would we be?"
"But how did you even know - "
"How do you think we knew?" Suzette asked with exasperation from the opposite bench. "Bet was worried sick and listened at the door when Harry brought the hack driver back to the house. She heard everything and told us. "
"Of course," Daniel muttered.
"Yes, of course. She is a loyal girl who doesn't try to keep secrets. So of course she told us what our husbands should have," Suzette stressed accusingly.
"It wasn't my secret to tell," Daniel said quickly, and Suzette's eyes narrowed.
"Now where have I heard that old song before?" she asked dryly.
"We didn't want to worry you," he amended. "We planned to get Lisa back and then tell you so you wouldn't fret. "
"Or try to be involved," she guessed dryly.
"Well, as to that," Smithe put in, drawing everyone's eyes to where he had settled on the bench with Suzette and Daniel. "I was just saying to the men that we need your ladies' help to get Lisa out. "
"Anything," Christiana said at once.
"They are not dressing up as light skirts and distracting the men," Richard said firmly. "We shall have to think of another distraction. "
"Light skirts?" Christiana and Suzette asked together with interest.
