The guard sized Fredrick up and nodded. “Very well,” he said, opening the door. “Stand down, men.”
Fredrick cast a quick glance around, curious about the men the guard was referring to, but it became apparent that they were not alone.
After they stepped through the door, Fredrick noticed that desks filled the long, rectangular hall. Agents were seated at the desks, engrossed in reviewing documents, paying little attention to them as they walked by.
Roswell approached a door and knocked on it.
“Enter,” came a gruff reply.
His brother opened the door and said, “After you, Fredrick.”
Fredrick walked through the door and saw that Kendrick was sitting behind his desk. The silver-haired spymaster hadnumerous piles of papers in front of him and an air of weariness surrounded him. It was evident not only in his eyes but also in his overall demeanor.
“Chatsworth, I am glad that you came,” Kendrick said. “I have some information that I think you will find particularly interesting.”
Moving to sit down on a chair, Fredrick asked, “What information is that?”
“We discovered how Mr. Barnard entered our shores and was able to cause havoc on your family,” Kendrick shared.
Now Kendrick had his attention.
Kendrick continued. “We have since learned that Lord Drycott has been smuggling items out of France, including passengers who are willing to pay, and are depositing the goods in his so-called factories in and around London. We have confirmation that Mr. Barnard was one of those passengers.”
Roswell stepped forward and asked, “Who were the other passengers?”
“That is what we are trying to determine,” Kendrick replied. “We suspect that they might be French spies, as well.”
“Do you have enough information to arrest Lord Drycott and force him to tell you?” Fredrick asked.
“Not yet, and we don’t want to let him know that we are onto him,” Kendrick explained. “Caleb’s assignment was to find the proof that we need to bring down Lord Drycott’s entire operation. I was hoping you would work with Roswell to identify the other passengers. Although, I should warn you that you are not the only agents working on this. It’s a matter of high priority at the moment.”
Fredrick frowned. Did he truly want to return to the life of a spy? It wasn’t that he couldn’t handle the peril, but his heart wasn’t fully invested in it.
“In uncovering the identities of these other passengers, I do believe you will eventually locate Caleb,” Kendrick remarked.
Roswell turned to Fredrick and asked, “What do you say, Brother? I could use the help, and not just because Anette volunteered you.”
Fredrick knew his brother was not one to ask for help, and he hesitated. He could do one more assignment. He would help track down Caleb, uncover any potential French spies in England, and then be done with this life.
“I will do it,” Fredrick said. “But this will be my only case.”
Kendrick nodded his head in approval. “I had a feeling you might say that,” he said, extending Fredrick a piece of paper. “This is all that we have to go on.”
Fredrick accepted the paper and looked at it in disbelief. “This is all that you have?”
“That is more than enough for a seasoned agent such as you,” Kendrick replied. “Good day, gentlemen.”
Roswell went to open the door. “Let’s get to work,” he encouraged.
As he rose from his seat, Fredrick hoped he had made the right decision. He was all too aware of how this job had a tendency to pull you back in and never let go. But he needed to find Caleb, and quickly.
Chapter Eight
Emilia sat in the drawing room as she labored on her needlework. Her housekeeper had secured her various copies ofAckermann’s Repository. In the periodicals, there were depictions that showed needlework patterns she could replicate on her own. It was a luxury that she could scarcely afford when she worked at the boarding school.
It was rather pleasant to be wealthy, she thought. While she might not have earned the admiration of theton, she didn’t have to worry about her next meal. The most challenging aspect of her new life was grappling with the persistent feelings of inadequacy, knowing that she didn’t truly fit into this world. She wanted to believe she did, but it was proving to be quite a struggle.
Lily sat across from her on the settee and she was reading a book. She lowered the book and asked, “Are you terribly bored yet?”
