Page 32 of The Ambiguous Enigma of the Hunted Lady
“Do women ever own the ships?” Leah interrupted again. She was fascinated by the workings of a world she had previously been oblivious to. She knew ships rolled round the world, of course, but she had absolutely no inclination as to where they sailed, who they traded with, or how they did their business.
“No, I can't say they do.” the Duke answered.
“That's a shame.” Leah sighed. “Go on.”
“The ship's owner pays us a fraction of his ship's worth per annum.”
“Per annum?”
“Per year. Anyway, if anything should ever happen to his ship, then we would conduct an investigation. If the investigation proves to show that the ship sank honestly and at no fault of the captain, then we reimburse the ship's worth in full to the owner.”
“Reimburse?”
“Erm, pay back.”
“So, it's like collateral, only the opposite.” Leah said confidently.
“How do you mean?”
“It's like this,” Leah became excited to be able to relate at all to the lesson she had just received. She had always known that she could make it outside of the underworld.
“Say you've got to pull a caper.”
“Caper?”
“Job.” Leah informed him joyfully. “So, you hire a guy to pull it off, but you keep something very important to him.”
“Like what?”
“His brother perhaps, or if the stakes are lower, then a pet bird or a prize hog.”
“You mean kidnapping?” the Duke was clearly straining to make the association.
“I suppose you could call it that.” Leah shrugged it off. “If he botches the job, then you take the brother's eye, or you shiv the hog, whatever it is you have going.”
“That is unbelievably cruel.” Kenneth sat up, seemingly taken aback by her elusive confession. “I cannot imagine such things.”
“I think you can.” Leah challenged him, staring coldly into his thoughtful eyes. “I think you've seen worse than that. I think you followed me into that alley for the thrill of it. I think you like me talking about these things, because you like to feel that sharp edge the world hides from some and shows to others.”
“I–” but it appeared the Duke could not answer. It was as she had suspected. She had known his type all her life – the kids that came by the warrens to act tough until someone took their eye out for staring.
Leah knew that she had completely disarmed him, and if she wanted, she could get whatever she desired from him at the moment. She also knew that she was still too weak to travel, let alone defend herself should anything go awry in her journey.
What's more, she had developed a feeling of gratitude toward the Duke in the recent days. Just because he was a thrill seeker didn't mean that she couldn't enjoy his company or be grateful for his intervention in the alleyway.
“Reason or not, you did save my life,” she went on. “and for that, you have my deepest thanks.”
“Nobody has ever spoken to me in the manner that you just did.” he said slowly after a moment of reflection.
“Does that scare you?” Leah pressed. She had to be careful not to overextend her wit and humor. It had gotten her into plenty of trouble in the past.
“Who the devil are you?” The Duke shook his head, grinning from ear to ear. “That I may have so stumbled upon you. You are like no one I have ever known.”
“Is that a compliment?” Leah smiled back.
“The highest, and the reason I am so interested, as you might put it, is that I am one of the few people in the House of Lords that cares at all for the urban poor. I have a bill in progress, in fact, that we will vote upon soon. It aims to increase the living standard of our poorest citizens.”
“Will it pass?”
