“A lot of funding would be required,” James added before asking Lilly, “Any indication that he’s a man of means?”
She shrugged.“Mr.Grover likes to talk about his connections and such.Says he knows the Prince Regent personally.”
“Really?”Croft glanced at James.
It wasn’t hard to read his thoughts.After all, the Prince Regent didn’t associate with just anyone.Those with whom he did meet were either peers of the realm, foreign dignitaries, military commanders, or high-ranking government officials.They weren’t men who lodged in London taverns or visited brothels on John Adam Street, no matter how fancy that brothel might seem.
“Anything else that comes to mind?”James asked Lilly.
She hesitated briefly while sharing a look with Hetty, then said, “He told me he had big plans.That he was about to make it rich and that when he did, he’d install me as his mistress.”
“At the estate he wanted to purchase?”Croft asked.
“I suppose, though I didn’t buy it.Told him as much and nearly had to call on these two to calm him down.”Lilly nodded toward the two men who stood nearby.
“You didn’t mention that to me,” Hetty said.
“Didn’t have to in the end,” Lilly said.“I handled it.”
“How?”Hetty asked, her voice sharp.
“When he brought up the auction, I had no choice.Spent the rest of the hour showing him how sorry I was to have doubted him.”
It felt as though the blood was being drained from James’s veins.He stared at Lilly.“What auction?”
“Dunno.He didn’t say much about it besides it being the key to the life he wanted.I wasn’t to worry.He’d come for me as soon as he could, take me shopping on Bond Street.”
“There’s one good thing about this,” Croft told James as the two of them strode back to their carriage.
James gritted his teeth while trying to calm his pulse.“Please enlighten me, sir.Far as I can tell, Grover, Havilland, Smith…whatever his bloody name is…had Lady Edwina abducted so he can auction her off to the highest bidder.”
It was the kind of get-rich-quick scheme that deserved to be punishable by death.
“Setting up this kind of auction won’t be easy.Grover, and whoever else is behind it, will want to take advantage of her value.If I were to make a guess, they won’t let her go for less than fifteen thousand pounds, which means only excessively wealthy men will be invited, and even then, only the kind that would sanction something this awful.”
“An exclusive event for the basest elite.”James stopped on the pavement and turned to face Croft.“How do we find these people?They can’t be members of the peerage, or they’d surely inform Wrengate.”
“Unless they hate him as much as I do and have no scruples.”Croft blew out a heavy breath.“I’ll take it to Murdoch, see if any of his people might have heard whisperings of this event.Grover will also have had to reach out to the right people.If we can find him or figure out how he’s going to send out invites, it would help.”
“I’m happy to visit every establishment on this street,” James told him.“If Grover came to The Gilded Lady, then there’s a chance he frequented other nearby businesses too.Maybe I’ll find someone who can tell me more.”
“Thank you, Murry.”
“No need for that, sir.I’m happy to help in any way I can.”Even though he’d never met Wrengate’s sister, he couldn’t bear the thought of what she was going through.What she would still have to endure if she weren’t found.
Heaven have mercy on Grover and anyone else involved in this scheme.For if James discovered where they were hiding, he’d take his time sending each of them off to hell.
9
It was late afternoon by the time Adrian walked into the Bow Street offices in search of Kendrick.His visit to Murdoch’s had been brief — a hasty relaying of information his longtime associate promised to follow up on.Hopefully, additional hints pertaining to Grover’s goal and whereabouts would soon surface.
In the meantime…
He greeted Jackson and Lewis, two of the Runners he knew, and gave the front office a quick sweep with his gaze.Looked like he wasn’t the only Mayfair resident who’d chosen to stop by.Nathaniel Dermot, Marquess of Lundquist, was presently busy conversing with Kendrick’s new wife.
Curious to know the marquess’s business, Adrian approached.
He acknowledged Lundquist with a polite, “My lord,” then told Mrs.Kendrick, “You look well.It would appear that married life suits you.”
