“How did it go at Rilkin’s?” Reed asked, looking at Grove. “I know you didn’t find him, but were there any leads?”
Nathan was about to saynowhen Grove said, “I think so, yes.”
“You do?” Nathan stared at him, perplexed. “But when we were there, you seemed so adamant that there were no clues.”
“That was until you spoke to the Rilkin,” Grove said. “The way he spoke to you made me suspicious.”
“He is an off-putting man,” Nathan agreed, “but I don’t know if that means he’s hiding Cain.”
“I don’t know either,” Grove said, inclining his head, “but he knew too much about you. The way he talked about your desires, I had the strong impression that he knows much about your relationship with the Duchess.”
Nathan considered this, trying not to let it immediately boil his blood. “But it’s his job to know about the members of theton. To exploit their weaknesses for his gain.”
“True.” Grove’s eyebrows knit together. “And perhaps that’s all it is. But I had the feeling he had heard directly from Lord Cain about your relationship with the Duchess. Which makes me think the two are closer than we thought. He may not be hiding Cain, but I think it likely he knows where he is.”
Once more, goosebumps skidded down Nathan’s arms. It made him sick to think of Cain and Rilkin discussing Rosalie.
“So, what do you want to do?” he asked. “Go back and demand he tell us everything?”
“No.” Grove shook his head. “Not like that. We should go back but undercover. Tomorrow night, we should return in disguise and find out everything we can about Rilkin’s relationship with Cain.”
Chapter Thirty-One
“Ican hardly see out of this mask,” Iris complained as she stepped down from the carriage. “Are you sure I have to wear one? I doubt Lord Cain would recognize me. I was in Italy during most of his shenanigans.”
“Considering you look so much like Rosalie, yes, you have to wear it,” Violet said, rolling her eyes at Rosalie. “Nowshhh.We’re here. We can’t say anything that gives away our real identities.”
The three sisters looked up at the door in front them which their carriage had just deposited them in front of. The sign above it was written in large red letters.Rilkin’s Casino.
“But don’t wewantCain to recognize us?” Iris whispered.
“Yes, but we want him to think we don’t want him to recognize us.”
Even to Rosalie, who knew the plan inside and out, Violet’s words were confusing, and she almost laughed.
But of course, she didn’t laugh. Tonight was dead serious.
They had been over the plan many times, and Rosalie knew Iris understood why they had to pretend to be in disguise. Iris was just nervous, so that’s why she was rambling, repeating things she already knew. And Rosalie could relate; as she stared up at the entrance to the gaming hell, she was also nervous. Never before had she taken a carriage to a dodgy part of London, found a gaming hell down a dark alley, disguised herself, and tried to entrap a dangerous criminal.
But that’s what they were doing tonight.
It was the whisper network that had led them to Rilkin’s casino. Women were good for sharing secrets, and it hadn’t taken much probing of the more gossipy ladies of thetonto discover that Lord Cain, when he wasn’t plotting to kidnap Rosalie or trading in opium, was often to be found at Rilkin’s Casino, one of London’s most notorious gaming hells. Once they’d formulated a plan around the casino, Violet had complained to a friend while walking the Serpentine that her sister Rosalie, recently living apart from her husband, was insisting that they visit Rilkin’s.
“She’s determined to do all the things she couldn’t do when she was living with her husband,” she had confided in a dramatic whisper. “But Iris is insisting we go with her since it isn’t safe on her own.”
She’d shaken her head, her friend’s eyes wide with shock and intrigue.
And of course, the rumor had spread like wildfire throughout the ladies of theton.
“Aren’t you worried about your reputation?” Iris had asked Rosalie that evening as they prepared their outfits for the night at the gaming hell.
“Not really,” Rosalie had said dismissively as she adjusted her mask. “I care about seeing Cain behind bars.” She sent her sister a shrewd look. “Aren’tyouworried about your reputation?” she’d shot back at her.
Iris had smiled. “Not really. I care about helping my family.”
And now, they were here, outside of the gaming hell, and Rosalie’s stomach was in knots. She couldn’t quite believe she was doing this.
Now, I really am a heroine in a novel, she thought wryly.The kind that sneaks into gaming hells, apparently!
