Page 78 of The Lady’s Sweet Revenge

“What’s that, m’lord?”

“Nothing, Mrs. Garrison. Thank you.”

She nodded and left the room. Reese rose and when he wobbled and felt his stomach lurch, he reached for the toast and another swig of coffee. It wouldn’t do for him to go to Harlow’s room with green gills to get to the bottom of things.

After he’d finished the meager breakfast, he stood to head for the door only to be met by Finch again.

“Did ye forget about Mr. Calloway?”

Reese blinked, for he had indeed forgotten about the stranger now waiting for him in his library. Very well. He’d see to his visitor, then bathe and dress before going to Harlow to beg an apology.

Reese stepped into the library and stopped, taking in the man seated by the window.

“Hello Mr. Calloway,” Reese said, knowing the man’s real name was Lord Collins, the Marquess of Evershire, and agent for the Home Office. “What the blazes are you doing here?”

Reese didn’t care for the man. He’d proven himself a reckless agent. Reese thought him responsible for another agent’s death, but had not been able to prove it.

“There has been a change of plans.”

“I assure you, there can be no change of plans for me as I wasn’t involved in any of the plans in the first place.” Reese flopped down in the seat across from him. “Albert is seeing to Merrick.”

“Albert is reporting to me now. Like I said, there’s been a change. He’s coming here.”

Reese didn’t have time for any of this. He had a woman to puzzle out. It seemed a difficult task indeed, but he needed to know if she’d been manipulating him. And if she hadn’t…

Well, if she proved true, he’d not be a coward any longer. He would tell her how he felt about her and then he hoped she felt the same.

“Albert was already here and interrogated Lady Harlow. He knows everything. So if you’ll excuse—”

“Not Albert. Damn, but your head is as much a mess as your attire this morning, Breckenridge. Merrick. That’s who’s coming here.”

Reese’s eyes went wide as he nearly shrieked at the man. “He can’t come here! Harlow is here!”

“Exactly.”

In that moment, Reese would have loved to pour a stout glass of whisky to handle the situation. But being that he still had the good part of a bottle sloshing about in his brain and gut, he needed to remain lucid so he could fix this mess.

“I don’t understand. We told Albert that Merrick would be in port in Inverness. Why did you not go there and seize the bastard?”

“That was the original plan. But when we arrived in Inverness, we couldn’t find him. The bastard is a ghost for everyone had seen him, but no one knew where he was.”

“Couldn’t find him? For Christ’s sake, Collins, the Zephyr is a fair size ship. How could you miss it? Sails, red as blood, and a bare-chested woman on the bow carrying a rabbit, for what reason I cannot fathom.”

“We know what his bloody ship looks like, but it wasn’t there.”

“Then perhaps he is heading back to London. You can head him off there.”

“We don’t think he’s returning to London. Word got out he is being charged with treason. Merrick was still in Inverness, but the Zephyr is anchored somewhere else. That’s when I decided to lure him to a place of my choosing rather than hunting him down.”

“No. It is too risky. I’ll not have Harlow put in danger.”

“It’s too late. We’ve already spread word through Inverness of a dark-haired woman washing up on shore at Slains Castle. Alive, but having lost her memories. I even put up a drawing of her on posters looking for her family. He’ll be coming here, trying to get her and finish out his plan to use her. And then we’ll have him.”

“You’re planning to use an innocent lass as bait to lure a known killer and traitor to the Crown? I know you have stooped to disreputable dealings in the past, but this is too much, Collins. I’ll not have it.”

“As I said, it’s too late. He’s coming. Besides, I knew you’d want to be the one to bring him in after what he did to you. You’ll finally have your revenge.”

Revenge? Yes, he’d wanted it many times. Envisioned bringing the man to justice so maybe his dreams would no longer be haunted by the whoreson. He’d wished for the man to be there before him every night Reese had woken choking for breath from a nightmare. He could have easily strangled the life from the blighter with his bare hands. But not now. Not when Harlow was here. She’d given him peace and comfort. He’d not allow her to be put in danger like this.

“No. You’ll find a way to fix this. Go back to Inverness and tell all who will hear that the girl passed away from her injuries. Do it. Go now.”

“Even if I were to do such a thing, Captain Merrick would never hear it for I’m sure he’s already on his way here.”

“How long?” Reese asked, and Collins didn’t need to clarify what he was asking.

“A day, maybe two at the most, and this will all be over. We’ll grab him up before he even has the chance to see Harlow Haverston. I promise she will not be in any harm.”

But he could not make such promises. Men like Merrick didn’t sashay into traps. Reese, himself, had been told he was not in any danger from Merrick that night on the dock, but the bullet searing through his leg had proved otherwise.

If Merrick was coming here, Reese would need to take Harlow away to safety. Maybe Shay’s or Finn’s. His friends would take her in and protect her.

Reese might have yelled or even punched the man who had put her in such danger, except for a knock at the door.

“No refreshments for Mr. Calloway, Mrs. Garrison. The man was just leaving.”

“Sorry, my lord, but you have another guest.”