Page 80 of The Gift of Patience
“He must know you’ve been taken prisoner. He may smell it for the trap that it is.”
“’E might, but I reckon it’s the best chance ye’ve got.”
“Very well. I will run the plan by my commander. We will need a plausible story of how you managed to escape. But we will hold Billy here until you’ve kept up your end of the bargain.”
Devil gave a reluctant nod of agreement. It was his only chance for freedom and he knew it. At least there was a glimpse of soul left in the man.
After leaving the stables, feeling as if they were finally getting somewhere, Ashley sought out Patience. He found her in the garden, tossing a stick with Xander.
Pausing just beyond Patience’s vision, he stole a few minutes of watching her unbidden in order to try to sort his thoughts.
His heart clenched as he watched her and could not help but wonder at the possibilities. Certainly, she was unlike any female he had ever known, and none of which had tempted him to consider the thoughts he was having now. Life would never be dull with Patience Whitford, and he could not imagine a future without her. For one, her spirit of adventure seemed to match his. Would she be content with the life he could offer? It would be comfortable, but not grand.
He could envision discussing his work with her in the evenings, seeking her opinion even. Would she be content with that level of involvement? He was not sure, but as he watched her laugh as she tried to wrestle the stick from the dog, he wanted to see that smile every day. When had she changed his mind? He shook his head. He had no notion if she was aware of his feelings. Though that kiss…
Xander finally dropped the stick and sensed his presence. He bounded towards Ashley, ending his moments of guilty pleasure.
He raised his hand in greeting and her wide smile encouraged him.
“May I join you?” he asked.
“Of course.”
He offered his arm and they began to walk like they were in Hyde Park, London on promenade.
“Were you able to obtain any further information from Devil?” she asked, bringing his thoughts back to the task at hand, breaking the spell of his mind’s dangerous wanderings.
“Indeed. He was much more forthcoming, knowing we have Billy. He admitted they had unloaded the goods onto a private yacht namedLe Coquette, but seemed to believe the goods had already sailed away. He and the gang have been waiting for the next job, which would be to transfer the goods to a ship that would take them to America. He planned to start a new life with Billy there.”
He heard her swift intake of breath and knew what she was thinking before she said it.
“I’ve already thought the same thing, Patience. If he agrees to help us, then I will petition on his behalf. I can see little difference between sending him there versus Botany Bay.”
Patience stopped and turned to look up at him, and the look in her eyes encouraged him. “You are a good man, Ashley Stuart.”
“You doubted it?” He was not feeling precisely good in that moment with where his thoughts were leading. They had wandered far from the house, and he saw no reason at all why he should not take advantage of the most excellent circumstances. He brushed a finger down her cheek, giving her plenty of time to object. Instead, she wound her arms around his neck and pulled his face to hers.
And the rest of his thoughts were lost in the moment. The taste and feel of her were intoxicating in a new way. This did notfeel like a temporary drug to relieve a craving, but something necessary for his existence. How did she always seem to take control of the situation?
Her lips were soft, but the kiss was not. She was as eager as he, and he pulled her closer, wanting all of her, needing her. This would not be enough. They would need to have a discussion, but now was not the time. He forced himself to pull away whilst he could maintain any semblance of control. This time, he could see her face, and the look in her eyes and the blush on her cheeks told him that she was just as affected as he. “We need to return to the house,” he said softly.
She opened her mouth to speak, but he hushed her with a gentle finger over her lips. “Later.”
CHAPTER 20
Patience was frustrated by being put off without any acknowledgment of what was between them. There was most definitely a mutual attraction, but part of her also understood that Ashley was preoccupied with his duties. She knew she had helped some with the investigation, but she wanted to do more. She knew the likelihood of them allowing her to go to the docks was next to nil. If she were to make any more contributions, it had to be soon.
Peter had come to fetch Xander early, which had awakened her, so she rang for a cup of coffee and luxuriated in bed. As she sipped her cup of coffee, she tried to put all of the pieces she knew into a logical order.
If Rupert had been the middleman, then it had to be someone within his circle. One did not run crime rings with a mere acquaintance. Even for a criminal, there had to be some level of trust involved.
She sipped some coffee and let the taste and warmth roll over her, and wondered if that was necessarily true. What if the person had some sort of hold over him? Blackmail of sorts. Was that too far-fetched? It must happen in real life, though she’d only read of such things in stories. But it was very easyto imagine a situation where one could lord something over another to get what they wanted.
Ashley had described Carew playing cards with Layton, Beckett, and Singleton, who happened to be Cholmely’s brother. He mentioned it seemed as though the three were well-acquainted through gaming at least. When they enquired about Rupert, he had not detected any indications they knew of his death. Now that they knew Sir Horace had discovered his son’s involvement and had shot Rupert to cover his family’s shame, it was possible the others might not have known. Which begged the question, was Rupert delivering messages or solely a lookout? It was hard to imagine the mastermind doing that work himself, and potentially being caught. If only Rupert had left some sort of diary. She scoffed as she looked at the small music box he had gifted her. Perhaps she should return that to Lady Fagge. Maybe she would do so after the funeral.
So what next? Two of the men were watching the gang to see if they were contacted. Fielding had been set to watch the boat. Devil was to be allowed out to direct the operation, but what if nothing happened?
To Patience, the key here would be the contact. If it was the man himself meeting with Devil at the tavern, that was where they needed to catch him. Would that be enough proof? If it was someone very important indeed, would it be his word against Devil’s? There had to be evidence of some form, but what?
