“Holt’s on the move from the hotel. He’s headed to the docks. Alone.”
Diana made a concerted effort to keep her expression from revealing any overt signs of relief. She’d been on pins and needles throughout the night and most of the day, dreading the possibility that she’d pushed Ian too far with that kiss. “We were expecting him to follow the emeralds.”
Birdie crossed her arms. “He’ll want onboard.”
“If so, we’ll interview Mr. Holt, exactly like any of our hands.” A steamship the size and scale ofEver Hart—even when running with a fraction of its occupancy—depended on a cadre of staff: cooks, maids, and the strong men who performed the back-breaking work of feeding the coal boilers were as important as the sailors who manned the lines.
“And will Holt pass inspection?”
“Is it your job to question if he will?”
Birdie ducked her head. “It’s a risk, ma’am. He’s not one of us. Widow won’t like it.”
Their handler would, in fact, hate it.
After years of proving her loyalty to the Stags, Diana now oversaw her own operations. Her frustrations with the secrecy and the blind allegiance the Stags demanded of her faded every time she shuttled women out of danger, to a place where they could flourish.
But this mission would be different. Diana couldn’t comply with Widow’s strict orders to leave Ian Holt behind.
“I will manage Mr. Holt. Please let Virgil know to expect him. He’ll be arriving any moment.”
On her way out, Birdie stole another furtive look at Amelia before she slammed the door.
Amelia made a throaty noise that sounded surprisingly aggressive. “She really dislikes me.”
“Nonsense. She doesn’t trust you.”
“It’s what happens when one asks too many pointed questions.”
Amelia and Diana each had their own reasons for passionately taking to the mission of the White Stags. And they both knew the danger involved with rescuing women from abusive situations and helping resettle them in new lives.
But last year, Amelia had uncovered a disturbing pattern. Funds that were supposed to be dedicated to specific Stag operations vanished. The missing money correlated with the dates and locations of targeted acts of violence. Against criminals known for trafficking people.
Diana placed her hand on Amelia’s arm. She would have embraced her friend, had Amy not been so uncomfortable with hugging. “Dear, if you hadn’t asked those questions, we could still be oblivious to the fact that there’s a traitor in the ranks.”
“It took a while to convince you.”
“I was furious with you, for doubting the cause,” Diana admitted with a faint wince. “It felt like a betrayal, which was so childish. Other than Beatrix, you’re the closest thing I’ve had to family.”
Amelia’s soft smile made her violet eyes crinkle. “Thank you for saying that. I feel the same about you. That’s why it was so hard to tell you about what I’d found.”
“I didn’t want to believe it.”
“Neither did I. It’s world-shattering to discover the reason one gets out of bed in the morning is a complete charade.”
“We won’t let it be. We’re going to track down and obliterate the turncoats. It’s the only way we can ensure the mission continues. It has to.”
Amelia glanced at the door. “What do you intend to tell Ian?”
Diana was relieved, and encouraged, that he’d followed her. But he’d want retribution for her deception. “He’s too furious with me for stealing the emeralds to think straight. I’m worried if he comes aboard, he’ll lash out and terrify a passenger.”
“Despite his devilish reputation, I find it hard to believe Ian would become…forceful with a woman or a child.”
“No. But he’ll want his pound of flesh for what I did, and he may not care who stands in the way of it.”
They both contemplated this as they evaluated the tranquil waves in the harbor.
“If your suspicion about the emeralds is right…” Amelia ventured.
