“No one escapes the tower, Robbi. It’s the Tower of London for a reason,” Caillen said. “We need Ross. He can help.”
Simon frowned. “I’m beginning to think you believe I can’t help.”
“He’s a duke,” Caillen qualified. “Darling, even an earl like yourself can’t outdo a duke.”
He sniffed, still uncertain if he should be insulted or not. “Tell us what the report says before Williamson whisks you away, never to be heard of again.”
“I’m fairly certain Ross would have been a bit more eloquent in his delivery than that,” Caillen added dryly.
“Ross is a bloody duke, remember?” He was beginning to feel more than a bit surly.
“‘What a thrice double ass…’” Caillen retorted with a fitting quote fromThe Tempest.“Continue, Robbi.”
“The same agent wrote a third report stating he had witnessed the man from Glenfriars, who’d claimed he shot his dog, talking to Viscount Pembrock. The two appeared to be in a heated exchange until Pembrock just stopped, and I quote, ‘turned as white as the snow driven mountains.’”
“Did the agent talk to Pembrock?”
“No, but when the two men were having their discussion, Pembroke called the other man, Crookes. The agent somehow determined his full name was James Crookes from the East End. He had a sketch of the man in his file that was on the level of Máira’s attempts to paintThe Falls of Clyde. Máira’s art at the age of eight, however, was better. This could have been a sketch of a pig. It was that horrendous.”
A knock at the door silenced their conversation as Charlie brought in the poached eggs Simon had ordered. Caillen closedher eyes momentarily and then nodded in Charlie’s direction as he set the plate of poached eggs, toast, and kippers on the table. Robbi jumped from her chair and grabbed the plate before the footman closed the door.
“Thank you, I am famished. I haven’t eaten since early this morning.”
Simon looked at the clock. It was quarter past nine, well past his own dinner hour. He looked toward Caillen with a silent question.
“I told Cook we would take a meal in your rooms later.”
Another knock on his door and his butler entered. “There is a Mr. Jonathan Payne to see you, my lord. He says Sir Williamson sent him post haste.”
“Send him in, Mandal.”
“Of course, my lord.”
Moments later, a man in his late thirties, Simon immediately recognized, entered the room and sketched a bow toward Caillen and himself, and then looked twice at Robbi eating the plate full of eggs.
Simon greeted him and decided full disclosure could wait—for Robbi’s safety. “Mr. Payne, I appreciate you coming on such short notice.”
“Of course, my lord.”
He introduced Caillen but skipped over his introduction to Robbi until she was in a better position to greet the man. Butter and jam decorated her face as if she were a half-starved street urchin. “I have to say, Payne, I don’t think I would have recognized you if I’d seen you on the street, but in my drawing room, your face immediately came to mind from the care and consideration you showed my broken bones while carrying me aboard ship. Thank you for that. I am in your debt.”
“Just doing my job, my lord,” Payne said with a stiff smile of acknowledgement.
“You assisted in Astley’s rescue?” Caillen asked.
“No, I was tracking your sister Máira for the Duke. I was at the docks when they arrived with the earl to smuggle him out of France. I helped carry him aboard ship. It was either that or tear the rogue who kidnapped your sister limb from limb.”
“That rogue happens to be her husband,” Robbi interjected with a mouthful of toast.
Payne eyed Robbi with uncertainty. She was dressed more like a stable boy than a member of the family, but her dark hair was beginning to fall from beneath her cap, giving away her gender.
Simon cleared his throat and Robbi looked up as if caught unawares. She swallowed her food with an audible gulp, wiped her mouth on her sleeve, stood up and held her hand out as if she meant to shake Payne’s.
“Mr. Payne this is Miss Robina Blair, Lady Bredlebane’s youngest sister.”
Payne changed tact rather smoothly and bowed politely. “Miss Blair.”
Robbi rolled her eyes and picked up her plate to resume her less than tactful eating.
