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“What the bloody hell is it, Mrs. Dawson?” hebarked.
Even through the door, he heard the housekeeper gasp. But his threshold for dealing with emotional women was currently at an all-time low, so he scowled inresponse.
“There’s no reason to yell at the poor woman,” Caroline said as she crossed the room and opened her door. “Do you need something, Mrs.Dawson?”
But the housekeeper’s eyes were on Marc and she held an envelope in her hands. “From Simmons, milord. Robson said it was quite urgentforyou.”
From Simmons. Blast and damn. What the devil was it now? Marc strode across the room and took the note from his housekeeper. “That’ll be all, Mrs. Dawson.” Then he tore open the note as shehurriedaway.
LordHaversham,
It has come to my notice that one of the maids here has allowed Lord Peasemore access to Lord Staveley’s library. I would bet my yearly the fellow is Galloway’s man. I was in the process of dealing with that situation when I received word from Benton Park. Apparently, they have experienced a break-in up north as well. I thought you should be notifiedimmediately.
Please let me know if there is anything you would like me to take care of inLondon.
Your devotedservant,
JohnSimmons
Damn it all, a break-in at Benton Park. The bloody Home Office was as frustrating as…well as a damned sixteen-year-old girl, honestly. And bloodyPeasmore? That suddenly made a lot of sense, not that it mattered any longer. But he was exactly the sort of fellow Galloway would want in his arsenal. Young, with a scandalous reputation, and heir to a powerful title. He was Marc nearly twenty years ago. And just as bigafool.
He scrubbed a hand down his face. Galloway and his damned team simply would not let this go. Marc might as well find the goddamn code himself and hand it over so the infernal organization would leave Caroline in peace. But helping them doanythingwas more than irritating as he’d be quite happy for them all to hang on any other given day. However, he didn’t see anyotherway.
“You can go scowl somewhere else,” Caroline saidsoftly.
Oh, he was not through with her. Marc folded up the note and narrowed his eyes on her lovely face once more. “Caroline, I have to deal with something. It is urgent. Promise me you won’t leave Saddleworth until Ireturn.”
She shook her head. “I will make no suchpromise,Marc.”
Bloody stubborn woman. “I have to go find some damn deciphered code to keepyousafe. Now tell me you won’t leave Saddleworth until I return. We are not done, youandme.”
She frowned at him. “Deciphered code? What are you talkingabout?”
Marc blew out a frustrated breath and told her the truth of it. “It seems, Staveley was deciphering something for the Home Office before he died. They would like it back, finished orotherwise.”
Her brow furrowed even further. “Davidwas working for the HomeOffice?”
“Apparently.” Marc shook his head as it made just as much sense now as it did when he first heard that tale. “I am guessing that is what your thief is after. So if I can find the damnthing…”
“What does it look like?” she askedquietly.
How the devil was he supposed to know that? “A book, mostlikely.”
“Well, David only had a million ofthose.”
That was true. “Inside it, there would be scribbles, most likely, as he worked the codethough.”
Light dawned in her eyes. “I know it. Hewasworking on something, a puzzle he told me. He took a book with him on the road to PrestwickChase.”
Marc gaped at her. “I beg yourpardon?”
“How long have youknown,Marc?”
“How long have Iknownwhat?”
“What my thief waslookingfor?”
“Since before you returned toLondon.”
