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He made the trek towards the agency’s headquarters. He didn’t dare hail a hackney, as he was saving every farthing he had for his mother’s medical bills. He couldn’t imagine his life without his mother, and he would do whatever it took to keep her alive.
The sun was still low in the sky when he arrived at the building. He heard the sound of an owl hooting, coming from the direction of the alley. He repeated the sound and saw Bond step out from the shadows.
“You are here early,” Bond acknowledged.
“I am,” he replied. “Is the boss in?”
Bond nodded. “He arrived hours ago.”
“Truly?”
“That man never sleeps.”
“No, he does not.” Guy walked towards the main door. “Let’s hope he isn’t in a foul mood.”
Bond chuckled. “Good luck to you.”
He walked into the building and approached Corbyn’s door. He knocked and waited for a response.
“Enter.”
Guy opened the door and stepped inside.
“Will you close the door behind you?” he asked. “I wish to speak to you privately.”
“As you wish,” Guy said, closing the door.
Corbyn leaned back in his chair. “I have devised the perfect cover for why you are in Anmore.”
“You have?”
Corbyn nodded. “You will be employed by the bank to hold an inquiry into the working conditions of the Linton Colliery near Anmore,” he explained. “I have already spoken to Mr. Watson over at the bank, and he confirmed that they hold the title on the mine. He agreed to corroborate our story and will send word to Mr. Huxley, who runs a division of the bank in Anmore.”
“How did you convince him to go along with the plan?”
Corbyn shrugged. “He owed me a favor,” he replied. “With any luck, the workers at Linton Colliery will speak to you about their harsh conditions and bring you into their confidences.”
“That sounds like a feasible plan.”
“But we do have a problem.”
“Which is?”
Corbyn perused the length of him. “Your clothing is…” His words trailed off.
Guy tugged down on his ivory waistcoat. “What is wrong with my clothing?”
Wincing, Corbyn replied, “It is terrible. No one will believe that you work at the bank with your current wardrobe.”
“I’m afraid I do not have the funds to pay for a whole new wardrobe.”
“And I’m not asking you to,” Corbyn said. “My valet has set aside some of my pieces that I do not wear anymore.”
“You are giving me some of your clothing?”
Corbyn nodded. “You need to look the part of a gentleman for this to work,” he replied. “Fortunately, you already have the mannerisms of a gentleman, so we don’t need to work on that.”
“I did attend Cambridge on a scholarship.”
