“Yes, the girl who grew up in India?”
“That’s her. And do you recall them talking about her father, James, who was a senior man at the East India Company in Calcutta? He’s one of those wealthy nabobs who made their fortune with the company before returning to England.”
Robert nodded. “Yes, I remember them mentioning him. And I was quite unsettled to discover the family connection. Please tell me he has retired.”
She shook her head. “Not fully. James Ashton is still working on the odd project for the East India here in England. Which places him in a perfect position to help us. If we are going to attempt peace talks with the East India, we need someone who could mediate those discussions.”
Someone who might be willing to straddle both sides of the argument and help come up with a solution. James Ashton could just be that man. Hope stirred in Robert’s heart.
“Do you think James Ashton is someone who could be trusted to act for us in negotiations with the East India?” asked Robert. He may well just turn the enemy of his employer into the authorities and be done with it.
Victoria’s face lit with an encouraging smile. “Mister Ashton is the brother of Viscount Ashton. Viscount Ashton and his wife have not been blessed with children, so James’s son, Charles, is the current heir to the title. When he becomes the next viscount, you could help make his entry into the House of Lords a success.”
She was going to call in as many family favors as possible. He might not like owing personal debts to other people, but it was a lot better than having the agents of the company continuing to come after them. Robert was quiet for a moment. “How would we go about talking to James Ashton without putting ourselves in danger?”
“What I propose is that we ask my uncle, Ewan Radley, to talk to Mister Ashton. With the Duke of Strathmore being both Alex’s father and Millie’s father-in-law, his words will carry a great deal of weight.”
Robert’s face tightened, and she could just imagine what he was thinking.
I’m also a bloody duke.
“And while my father is also a duke, he doesn’t have the same amount of influence that my uncle Ewan has in this matter. If I need to bring Papa or any other members of the Radley and Kembal family into this, we can discuss that if and when it occurs. In the meantime, I would think it makes sense to keep this as closely held a secret as possible.”
Victoria held her breath. Robert could be stubborn, and he wasn’t beyond making stupid decisions. His lack of thought had been what had got them into this situation in the first place.
Setting the food tray to one side, he rose from the bed. It took a good deal of self-control for her not to say anything else. Not to pressure him.
While Robert retrieved some clean clothes from the tallboy, she sat waiting quietly. With his injured arm in a sling, hedressed slowly, but she sensed he didn’t want any further assistance. This was something he had to do for himself.
When he finally finished putting on his clothes, Robert turned to her. “Alright, we leave for London later in the week. In the meantime, I will check with Jasper and make certain that all traces of our spice operations are completely covered up. George was given instructions to leave town, so hopefully that will tie up any loose ends for the time being.”
He came to her and stood at the end of the bed, his good hand clenched into a tight fist. “I know this isn’t the most honorable thing a man should ever ask of his wife, but you and I need to be in fierce agreement about what happened to the East India agent.”
Victoria let out a breath. She had pondered what to do about that prickly problem and had come up with the only solution that made any sort of sense. She steeled herself for the price her soul would eventually have to pay in order to save her husband, and their future.
In a calm, clear voice she said. “If anyone asks, we don’t know anything about any missing company agent.”
There was no body. No wagon. No leather satchel containing incriminating papers. Everything had been burned, and the agent’s horse sent to greener pastures in Scotland.
Robert gave a small nod, an acknowledgment that sealed their bargain. Both he and Victoria would take their dark secret to the grave.
Chapter Forty-Six
Two weeks later.
Robert Tolley, Duke of Saffron Walden, would rather he was anywhere else other than sitting in the receiving room at East India House, Leadenhall Street, London.
I feel like Daniel in the lion’s den. God, I hope I make it out of here alive.
He glanced nervously around the room, slowly taking it all in. It was elegantly furnished. There were ornate tapestries on the wall, and he was certain that the gold trim on the arm of the chair where he sat was real. For a company which had shamelessly robbed the east for centuries, it was clear that the East India Company had no qualms about showing off its wealth and power.
But while the room would not have looked out of place at any royal palace, it had a dank, close air about it. The sun, barely filtering through the small window up high, bathed the room in a weak beige light. On a nearby table, a cluster of fat candles added some light, but the smoke they gave off only served to make the air stifling. It was hard to breathe.
Beside him on the hard, overstuffed sofa sat James Ashton. His back was ramrod straight and his gaze was focused on a spot somewhere on the far wall. The father of Victoria’s cousin-in-law barely moved. The man looked for all the world like he’d been turned into a statue.
“Did they give any indication as to how long they expected me to wait out here?” ventured Robert. He’d guessed that the Honorable East India Company would take its sweet time in meeting with them. Making him wait outside the main boardroom was a less than subtle way of putting him in his place. Of letting him know who was calling the shots.
“No, they didn’t. But the fact that they even agreed to meet with us is a major victory,” replied James, turning to face Robert. “The East India is not known for sitting down and talking to their enemies. They have a long and bloody history of letting their armies speak for them.”
