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“Did you need a ride?”
Corbyn shook his head. “I was meeting with my informant and saw your coach passing by. I thought it was a good time to speak to you about your plan with Miss Dowding.”
“I spoke with Miss Dowding today.”
“And she is still allowing you to abduct her?”
Baldwin nodded. “Yes,” he replied. “As a precaution, I gave her a muff pistol to carry on her person.”
“Oh, good,” Corbyn remarked dryly. “Another woman is walking around the streets of London with a muff pistol.”
Ignoring his friend’s snide comment, Baldwin continued. “Have you spoken to the Bow Street magistrate?”
“I have.”
“And?”
“I informed him of the location of the missing girls, and the Runners intend to raid the Flailing Duck tomorrow at two.”
“That should give us enough time.”
“I hope so, because I don’t want to have to bail you out of prison.”
Baldwin huffed. “Why do you assume I will get caught?”
“Call it a hunch,” Corbyn joked.
“If I can hide in plain sight under the French’s noses, I can escape from a pub,” Baldwin asserted.
“We shall see,” Corbyn replied. “The magistrate also assured me that the girls’ names will not be in the paper. They will just announce that the missing girls have been found and freed.”
“Excellent.”
“I just hope you know what you are doing. I don’t like involving innocent civilians in covert operations.”
The coach lurched forward as Baldwin said, “I just need to convince Morton that I didn’t tip off the Runners.”
“Have you figured out a way to accomplish that feat?”
“No, but it will come to me.”
Corbyn stared at him. “Sometimes your arrogance astounds me.”
“Thank you.”
“This plan of yours better work,” Corbyn warned. “If not, I will have no choice but to personally round up all these rebels and put them in jail.”
“If my plan doesn’t work, then I will help you round up the rebels myself.”
Corbyn placed his hand on the door handle. “I shall hold you to that,” he said as the coach began to slow down. “This is where I shall leave you.” He opened the door, stepped down and closed it behind him.
Baldwin sat back in his seat and enjoyed the rest of the trip to the House of Lords in silence. The coach came to a stop, and he waited for the footman to put the step down and open the door. As he stepped down, he heard Lord Desmond calling to him from across the yard.
“Lord Hawthorne, a word.”
Baldwin turned towards Lord Desmond and watched him cross the busy yard. “What is it that you wish to discuss, Lord Desmond?”
Lord Desmond stopped in front of him and smiled. “I need your support on my bill,” he said plainly. “With your support, I believe we could turn the tides on it.”
