AllFreeNovel
Share Us
CHAPTER3
Wortle handed Slade a written message from his brother. “My lord, please read this and then dispose of the note,” the man said cryptically, passing a folded and sealed note to him.
“How is it you . . .?” Slade stopped as realization hit him. “Ah. You work with my brother in Intelligence.”
The man nodded. “I do, and I know you are one to be trusted, as was your father. I also work for your father’s solicitor, as I represented when we met. With this situation, it has been . . . helpful.”
“You are looking into this accident, I am assuming,” Slade started.
“You assume correctly,” the short man acknowledged, moving his glasses further up on his nose. “The circumstances of your father’s death are disturbing, and we will find the person responsible. He was a fine man, as is your brother.”
“If you are not already looking into her, I should think that Lady Evers should be investigated . . . as a matter of course. She has not taken the potentially fatal injuries of her affianced the way one would have thought, and I am wondering if she has found other diversions.” Slade did not want to smear her name, but the attention she had paid to his brother had been minimal. And the crying . . . well, he had seen more sincerity from strangers.
“I will pass along your request. I cannot guarantee . . .”
“See it is done,” Slade said more forcefully, cutting the man’s words off. “My brother lies at death’s door, and I want to know more about the woman he pledged to marry. It seems if you cannot do it as part of your . . . association with my brother, you can hire a runner to find it out for me. I will pay for the information.”
“Very well, my lord. I will hire suitable investigators for you,” the man said, capitulating to Slade’s request.
“If that is all, I will take my leave.” Slade touched the brim of his hat and turned to leave.
“My lord. I apologize for not answering you directly. Sometimes, even though we have been told to trust, we find we must satisfy our curiosity. I am convinced that your request has merit. I shall deliver a report on her shortly,” Wortle offered.
“So, youhavehad her investigated.Good,” Slade countered, feeling both irritation and satisfaction at the same time.
“We are investigating many of the duke’s associates and your brother’s connections,” Wortle admitted coyly.
“I should like to hear the results as soon as possible. A shot was deliberately fired, according to the guard on the route. My father’s death was no accident.” Slade tensed.
“Were there any recent hires taken on the trip? I would ask your brother, but he had been away until shortly before the trip,” Wortle said, arching a brow.
“Good idea. I will have to get back to you on that. We have been very pleased with the stability of our staff, but occasionally, Father has made changes. I shall return the information in a day.” Slade had not thought of that. He looked at the missive in his hand and turned it over and opened it. Now was as good a place to read it as any.
Slade,
All may not be as it seems, and very few will know the truth. CW will be helpful. Trust him. My life depends on you.
Ever your brother,
Graham
The note told him nothing—except for what he already knew. Yet the hairs on the back of his neck prickled. “My brother’s friend . . . CW. Where can I find him?”
The older man smirked slightly and touched the side of his glasses. “My middle name is Chase. Albert Chase Wortle. I frequently go by CW to my friends,” he said, his eyes opening meaningfully as if queuing them in on a secret.
“Ah.” Slade scratched his head. “Do you have anything that proves that? I am only curious, as this seems too pat if you will forgive me.”
“As I have said, appearances can be deceiving. I understand your frustration. My years with the Crown have not been as adventurous as have your brother’s. My roles vary, but they allow me to stay out of the public interest, working behind the scenes unless I am needed.”
“I agree that I had not put that together,” Slade said, arching his brow. “What did you need to tell me? I assume you needed me to read my brother’s words before I would believe you.”
The man grinned. “Yes. I can see that your brother knows you well. We plan to remove your brother from the house. The doctor that is taking care of him works with us. We want to flush out the assailant but need to protect Lord Hertford.”
“You are saying we cannot protect him in our home?” Slade’s temper rose at the insult.
“Not that. However, until we know more about your household, in terms of recent hires—that sort of thing, we need to increase protection. At first, we thought he would heal, but Doctor Fellows feels with the gravity of his lordship’s injuries, it could go bad for him. He needs round-the-clock care, which we will provide. However, for a short period, to the world, he will have died.”
Slade faltered. “This makes no sense. He is going to die?”
