Page 21 of The Gift of Patience
“You can never be too careful. In fact, there is always the possibility that one of the neighbours is assisting the criminals,” Major Stuart warned.
Westwood looked doubtful.
“I understand your hesitance, but in this instance, it might require more cunning than he appears to possess. But it is not outside the realm of possibility that he could be helping without knowing it.”
“That much, I could believe,” Westwood agreed.
Patience wondered if they realized they were speaking in front of her. She was not going to alert them to that fact.
“I think it’s time we went into the village to investigate. Everyone knows you and me, but they do not know the others. They could take rooms at the inn and see what they overhear.”
“Perhaps even across the river would be prudent,” Westwood suggested. “Since it seems that might be what our man was watching.”
“Good point. Hopefully, Fielding and Cholmely will be here soon to help.”
Patience rolled the idea around in her head. Perhaps she and her sisters could investigate the places that the men wouldn’t. Of course, she could not tell them her intentions, because they would never agree to it, or to the fact that she could have anything to offer.
Baines entered the front door with a mischievous grin on his face. Patience did not know him well, but he looked the very picture of a rake, roue, and rogue all in one.
“From the look on your face, I can see that the cat caught the mouse. Everyone is in the study. You might as well come in there to only tell it once,” Stuart suggested.
Drat! Patience knew she would not be invited, but she fully intended to listen. They still hadn’t seemed to notice she was standing there, so hopefully they would not close the door.
They didn’t close the door, but she did not push her luck that she’d be invited inside. Instead, she stayed where she was.
“I can see that you’ve learned something. What did it take this time?” one of the men asked.
“I cannot divulge all of my secrets, but if there happened to be a water trough nearby, then, perhaps someone had an unwilling bath.”
“So long as you did not drown him,” she thought Renforth muttered.
“Trust me, I did him a favour,” Baines offered, smugness evident in his voice.
“Well, who is he, and what is he doing here?”
“He goes by the nickname Devil and belongs to the 666 river gang. He had their symbol tattooed on his arm. You were correct that he was watching the docks. What for, he has yet to divulge.”
“Was this the symbol?” Major Stuart’s voice asked. She could hear his boots walking across the floor as if to retrieve something and then walking back. “I had completely forgotten about finding this knife the first day, and then it was too covered with mud to discern anything. Armstrong just returned it to me from cleaning it this morning.”
“That is the very one.”
“At least we can rule out petty crime and squatters. This is definitely an organized crime, but I’ll bet Devil and his gang are not the ones who orchestrated it. To know about an arms shipment and hijacking it had to have come from a knowledgeable source.”
Patience sucked in her breath. An arms shipment?
“Unless they were extremely lucky, but somehow I cannot believe that is the case.”
“Nor I,” one of the other men said.
“Perhaps you should consider removing the ladies from the house. I cannot think the gang would retaliate, but one can never be too certain,” Renforth advised.
Patience wanted to scream.
“I have already consulted with Lady Westwood, and she does not wish to leave. If the threat becomes more palpable, then of course, everyone will be removed to safety, wishes or no.”
“Did you wring anything else out of the prisoner?”
“I only gleaned much of what you surmise. It seems as though he is working for a toff—though he didn’t precisely let that slip, but almost,” Baines answered.
