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“Pennyroyal,” Baker repeated, his expression falling into a thoughtful scowl. “The name is familiar.”
“He is the owner of a shipping firm, one of the ones that has benefited from Vansittart’s contracts,” Theo explained. “The man has done well, if the appearance of his house is any indication, and he stands to make a fortune when his ships come in.”
How much of a fortune had yet to be determined. Theo had investigated every one of the shipping companies that had profited from the conspiracy so far. Several had ships that were due in London at any moment, their cargos worth a fortune. He could not remember at that moment if Pennyroyal’s company was one of them, though.
“Can you prove this?” Baker asked. “Do you have evidence?”
“I will on the morrow,” Theo said, even though it was too soon to make that assumption. Giles might find nothing in his father’s study. The terrifying possibility existed that Pennyroyal was not guilty at all and that Theo had handed Giles over to his tormentor for no reason. But instead of admitting as much, he rushed on with, “I have an agent placed within the man’s house at this very moment with the task of searching for irrefutable proof that Pennyroyal is the conspirator.”
Instead of rejoicing, like Theo was certain he would, Baker looked furious. “You placed your own agent in the home of a possible conspirator without consulting myself or anyone else in a position of authority?” he demanded.
Theo paused, standing at attention and grasping his hands behind him as a wave of dread and uncertainty passed through him. “Yes, sir,” he said. “And I can assure you, this agent is—”
“I do not care a whit about your agent,” Baker said, standing. “You were not authorized to act in such a manner.”
“But you have charged me with uncovering the conspirator and thwarting his plans,” Theo said, desperation warring with anger inside him. “My agent is there at great personal risk. I need your assurance that a team of Runners will be available tomorrow morning, first thing, to approach the house, retrieve the evidence, rescue my agent, and arrest Pennyroyal.”
“You need assurance of those things?” Baker shouted, looking incredulous. “You do not order me, sir, I order you,” he snapped.
For a moment, Theo couldn’t breathe. If Baker refused to send men to Pennyroyal’s house in the morning, Giles could be in greater danger than either of them had anticipated.
“We have an astoundingly good chance of thwarting this conspiracy,” he told Baker, “if you would only—”
“I have not asked for your opinion, Mr. Brunner,” Baker cut him off. With an irritated sigh, the man stepped out from behind his desk and began pacing. He rubbed his forehead and said, “You have forced my hand. I do wish for this conspirator to be caught. I will send a team to the man’s house tomorrow, as you have suggested.”
Theo’s knees nearly buckled with relief.
A moment later, he went rigid with frustration again when Baker went on with, “But I do not approve of your actions in this matter. You have proven to be entirely unsatisfying, Brunner. First, you fail to shutter a known and notorious gaming hell, then you engage yourself in some sort of activity that led to your being expelled from a perfectly respectable boarding house. I have been given to understand that a young man of some sort was involved as well.”
A chill shot down Theo’s spine. If Baker knew the truth about him and Giles, he wouldn’t just be out of a job, he would likely end up in the pillory for his troubles.
“Now you have overstretched your bounds by engaging in actions that have not been approved or planned,” Baker said, shaking his head. He stopped his pacing and narrowed his eyes at Theo. “Once this matter is settled, Brunner, we may have to discuss your further employment with the Runners.”
Theo swallowed hard. “Yes, sir,” he said, nodding respectfully and wondering if Baker’s words and tone were the prelude to him being dismissed.
Thankfully, Baker confirmed his hopes by saying, “You may go, Brunner. Go and assemble the men you would like to accompany you to this conspirator’s house on the morrow. But once that matter is taken care of, I would like to see you here again for a difficult discussion.”
“Yes, sir,” Theo said, bowing, then turning to go.
In spite of the weight of dread that had settled in his gut, something in Theo’s heart felt light. He didn’t need Baker to tell him that his time with the Runners was over. Every fiber of his being told him that Bow Street was no longer the place for him. Granted, he’d no idea where he would go from there or how he would support himself, but he would find a way. He didn’t know what the morrow would bring, but he was certain that whatever it was, it would change his life.
ChapterEight
Within an hour of being back in his father’s house, Giles knew he would have to tread lightly and keep his wits about him at all times. The very first thing his father had done after Theo had left was to order Mrs. Hayes, the housekeeper, to draw a bath for Giles, presumably so that he could wash away the grime of street living.
Of course, when Giles’s father insisted on attending the bath himself so that he might, in his words, inspect his son for signs of misuse, Giles knew what the man’s true purpose was.
“It appears as though someone else has touched what is mine,” his father said with a sniff as he stared at Giles’s neck and shoulders above the level of the bath water. Giles had hunkered down into the water as much as he could to avoid his father’s lascivious gaze, but he couldn’t hide the love bite Theo had left the day before. “You always were a whore,” his father added in a gross undertone. “At least I know how you survived on the street for so long.”
Giles’s skin crawled at his father’s perusal of him and at the note of excitement in his comment. He pretended merely to be sullen about being caught, though, as he continued to bathe and hide as much of his body as he could in the water.
“I do not know why you abandoned me in the first place, boy,” his father went on, peering into the water as if hoping to find Giles just as aroused as he was. “I could have given you everything you needed right here, under your own roof.”
“You know why I left,” Giles murmured, fighting the chill that had come into the water and was starting to seep its way into his bones.
His father chuckled. “I mean more than your lascivious tendencies,” he said. “Though you know I was and am more than willing to satisfy those particular needs.”
Giles had to clear his throat of the bile that rose up.
