Page 57 of Masquerading with the Duke
‘I assume you have plans to draw Redrow out,’ Romsey said, his urbane tone giving nothing away about the nature of his thoughts. ‘Care to share?’
‘Ramsay will again put his disguise abilities to good use,’ he said, telling them of his groom’s disloyalty. ‘I am confident that anything John overhears will be reported straight back to Redrow.’
‘That’s a clever but dangerous plan,’ Romsey said, rubbing the side of his face between his thumb and index finger.
‘If Redrow thinks Braden is onto him and is about to meet with Benoit’s agent in order to…to what precisely?’ the duke asked, looking perplexed.
‘John will overhear me telling Ramsay that the estate is costing me more than I had anticipated to put right, but that I know a secret which will enable me to accrue more funds in return for my silence. I am meeting someone under the cover of the crowds at your open day for that purpose.’
‘Redrow will have to be there to protect his own interests,’ Lord Vincent said, nodding. ‘But will it be enough to make him reveal himself?’
‘He’s more likely to try and silence you,’ Lord Amos added. ‘Permanently.’
‘I am well aware of that,’ Jared said, firming his jaw.
‘I was going to ask you if you would meet with the French here on that day and reassure them,’ Romsey said. ‘Perhaps that would be more convincing.’
Jared shook his head. ‘Best not to involve them when we’re in the process of cleaning up our own mess. The less they know about it the better.’ Jared stretched his arms above his head and sighed. ‘I will come to London and talk to them for you, but only after we have exposed Redrow.’
‘Thank you.’ Romsey inclined his head. ‘Your loyalty will not go unappreciated.’
Jared thought but didn’t say that would be a novel experience. ‘But I am not being dragged back into any more diplomatic situations,’ he warned, wagging a finger at Romsey for emphasis. ‘I’m through with all that, and I am looking forward to living a quiet life as a country gentleman.’ Not that it had been exactly quiet thus far, but Romsey didn’t need to know that. ‘There is more than enough to keep me occupied here.’
‘Your plan is not without flaws,’ the duke said, looking concerned. ‘Redrow will either try to slide a knife in your ribs before you can meet Benoit’s agent or he will assume that you have no definitive proof and simply steer well clear of you.’
‘You’ll need an independent witness,’ Romsey said.
Jared nodded, thinking it would now be possible and that he need not do this thing alone. ‘Not you though,’ he said. ‘Redrow would spot you a mile off.’
‘One of Adler’s men. Contrive to have your meeting in the passageway beside the beer tent,’ the duke said. ‘Mark my words, it will be the busiest location in the Park, but that sideway is only used for storage.’
‘Thank you, I shall. I was depending upon Redrow being spooked and boasting about his achievements to me if he thinks we’re alone. But there’s nothing I could do to prove what he’d said without a witness’s corroboration.’
‘You think he will follow you?’ Lord Vincent asked.
‘I don’t think he can afford not to. He’s always been so meticulous when it comes to covering his tracks and will investigate any suspicions, no matter how unfounded, especially if they involve me. He has no idea what it is that I think I know. In his position, gentlemen, I wouldn’t be able to resist finding out. He hasn’t survived for so long playing both sides against the middle without covering all angles. Anyway, if there’s nothing more…’
‘Time’s getting on, Braden. Stay and dine with us,’ the duke said.
‘Thank you, but I am not…’ He glanced down at his attire, hastily donned and unsuitable to be seen in at the duke’s dinner table.
‘Don’t give it another thought.’
A rumble of thunder had the dogs whining. Lord Amos glanced through the window at a darkening sky. ‘At last,’ he said. ‘Well, you definitely can’t ride home in this, Braden. You will have to stay.’
*
Martina leaned on the window seat of the chamber she shared with Ariana, watching fat drops of rain bouncing off the parched lawns and listening to the steady rumble of the approaching thunderstorm.
‘What is it with you and storms?’ Ariana asked, coming up behind her sister and squeezing her shoulders. ‘You have always been fascinated by them.’
‘I love watching the power of Mother Nature. It makes me feel small and insignificant.’
‘Well, the rain will be welcomed by everyone,’ Ariana agreed, watching it pelting against the glass. ‘But it is not a time to be out of doors.’
‘Some poor people have no choice in the matter.’
‘And I feel very sorry for them, but we have withstood more than our share of misfortunes. We cannot be all things to all people.’
