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“You’d still end up with half the estate of one of the richest men in England,” Shiemour reminded him. “And Roster has already agreed to pay me one-third. You’ll have to top his price.”

“And just what do you propose to do to earn this money?” the Earl asked.

“If I work for the Baron, I’ll have my men dispose of both the Duke and Lady Josephine. Then you’ll get nothing, and the Baron gets everything.

“If I work for you, my men bring the girl to you, safe and sound, and ready for a wedding. They can dispose of the girl afterward, if you like—it’s rumored you don’t much care for her. They’ll kill the Duke at the same time, if you wish. All nice and clean. You’ll never be connected with it,” said Shiemour.

It seems like I havethe Earl partly hooked,Shiemour thought, and added aloud, “Besides, what other option do you have? Roster will never let you marry her—he’d rather have my men kill her.”

“All right. We have a deal,” the Earl said.

Shiemour held out his hand to shake the other man’s. But the Earl ignored the gesture.

“I’m no fool, Mr. Shiemour. I realize you could be double-crossing me right now, just as you’re doing to Baron Roster. For us to go forward with this plan, you must bring me to the place where the Duke and Lady Josephine are being held. Let me see that you actually have possession of both of them. Then we can work out the details.”

“Very well, my lord. It’s about a two-hour ride from here. I’ll accompany you.”

“It can’t be this evening. I have social plans I cannot break. Come back here in the morning, after breakfast, with a coach you yourself obtain for the trip. I’m not going to use one of my own coaches—they are all emblazoned with the Worthington coat of arms.

“Now leave me, Mr. Shiemour. I have wasted enough time on you for today.”

His presence dismissed, Shiemour turned and left the building.No wonder the French had a revolution. These nobles are so arrogant I could just spit on them.

* * *

Shiemour spent the night in Worthington Town, at the Ship and Anchor Inn. Ace, Charley and Paddy meanwhile, had checked in at the Silver Dolphin.

Ace and his men were taken aback when they saw Shiemour get out of a coach and enter the Ship and Anchor.

“Now what the ’ell is ’e doin’ so far from London, and in Worthington Town too?” Charley voiced what they all were thinking.

“I don’t know, lads. But I know Shiemour’s been cooking up some kind of plot with Baron Roster, Lady Josephine’s cousin. It’s too much of a coincidence that he’s here now. I propose we take turns watching the door of the Ship and Anchor all night. And when Shiemour leaves, we follow him and see where he leads us.

“Charley, you’re on the first watch. Don’t let yourself be seen. I’ll relieve you in three hours. Paddy, you’ll take the last watch.”

* * *

As it happened, although they watched the door of the Ship and Anchor all night from their hiding spot in an alleyway, Shiemour did not emerge until morning. Ace, Paddy and Charley had reconnoitered by then.

Shiemour could be heard calling for a public coach.

Once Shiemour was seated in the coach, Ace did the same. He told the coachman to follow the coach ahead of them, but not to make himself noticeable. After about twenty minutes, the first coach turned and made its way up a tree-lined lane.

“Why, this is Worthington Hall!” Ace said, remembering the place where he and Josie had undergone so much misery.

“Indeed it is, sir,” said the coachman. “Do you want me to pull over here, behind the trees, so you can watch for whatever is going on?”

The first coach remained parked, with its driver holding the horses’ reins, as if he would be expected to take an additional trip. After another quarter of an hour, Shiemour re-emerged from Worthington Hall.

“That’s the Earl of Worthington walking beside him and getting into the coach with him. How does Shiemour even know someone like the Earl?” Ace asked them rhetorically. “Driver, please follow the same coach to wherever its destination may be.”

The men traveled for about two hours, following the other coach out of Worthington and into the county of Somerset. Finally they pulled into a large, wooded estate, with a good-sized country house in the middle of it. The coachman again parked amongst the trees, so they could not easily be seen.

“Where are we?” Ace asked their coachman.

“I believe this is Rosterbrook, sir,” he replied. “Home of Lord Alfred, the Baron Roster.”

“Good God,” Ace said to Paddy and Charley. “They’re all in the plot together, whatever it is.

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