A Dangerous Pursuit (Regency Spies & Secrets Book 1) - Laura Beers (macos ebook reader .TXT) 📗

she was abducted, it could ruin her reputation.”

“No one will find out,” Baldwin asserted.

“How exactly can you be sure of that?” Oliver questioned.

“We will pay off the Runners for their silence,” Baldwin explained. “They can announce in the papers that they found the women, but they will leave off their names.”

Corbyn rose from his chair and walked over to the drink cart. “Your plan is foolhardy and far from flawless.”

“Perhaps, but don’t all plans come with some risk?” Baldwin asked.

Corbyn picked up the decanter. “Assuming Miss Dowding goes along with this plan, what would you have Oliver and me do?” he asked.

“Oliver would follow us as we head to the pub, and you would already be positioned inside the main hall,” Baldwin explained. “After I deliver Miss Dowding, you both will stay to ensure she is safe.”

“But I doubt that we will have eyes on her,” Oliver pointed out.

“True, but you can ensure that they won’t move her anywhere else until the Runners arrive,” Baldwin said. “Oliver will keep an eye on the pub from the outside.”

Corbyn took a long sip of his drink before asking, “What is the point of this plan?”

“The radical group are using these abducted girls to help finance their revolution,” Baldwin shared. “They are selling them off to a merchant who sends them off to India.”

“That is disconcerting, but we can’t save every woman who shares a similar fate,” Corbyn said. “That isn’t what we do.”

Baldwin frowned at his friend’s callous remark. “Regardless, I need to earn Morton’s trust, because I fear that this group of rebels is more than they appear to be.”

“Do you believe they are the group that we have been searching for?” Corbyn inquired.

“I am not entirely sure, but I believe they have the capacity to be dangerous,” Baldwin shared. “Before they even allowed me to stay for the meeting, they asked to visit where I lived.”

“You took them to Hawthorne House?” Corbyn asked with a lifted brow.

Baldwin smirked. “No, I took them to my rented room on Draper Street.”

“When did you acquire this investment?” Corbyn joked as he placed his empty glass back on the cart.

“I paid a hefty sum to a man to rent his room for a few weeks,” Baldwin explained. “Oliver helped me with the subterfuge.”

Corbyn picked back up the decanter and poured two glasses of brandy. “In what way?”

“Oliver was there when we arrived, and he even hired a woman to make an appearance.”

Nodding, Oliver said, “It is true. I have worked with this actress before, so I knew she wouldn’t let me down.” He chuckled. “Although, the rat running around the room made a nice touch, as well.”

“That it did,” Baldwin agreed.

Corbyn walked over the two glasses and extended one towards each one of them. “I reviewed the extensive log with all the persons of interests in London, and Morton is not on the list.”

“He isn’t?”

“No, but I went ahead and added him,” Corbyn said. “Can you tell me anything else about Morton?”

“I can tell by his manner of speech that he is clearly educated,” Baldwin replied. “His clothing was in the latest fashion, and his Hessian boots were well tended to.”

“That is a start,” Corbyn remarked as he went around his desk and sat down. “I will instruct our agents to keep their eyes and ears open for this Morton fellow.”

Baldwin took a sip of his drink, then lowered the glass. “Are you in?” he asked.

Corbyn sighed heavily. “I don’t have a choice, do I?”

“You always have a choice,” Baldwin said, “but I would prefer to work with you.”

A smirk came to Corbyn’s lips. “Like when we stormed the beach to stop the smugglers in Wembury and left with matching scars on our arms from a cutlass?”

“That was a fun assignment,” Baldwin stated.

“Fun?” Corbyn repeated. “We barely left with our lives.”

Baldwin smiled. “That is why it was so enjoyable.”

“If I recall correctly, that was the first time you turned down a promotion,” Corbyn said, eyeing him closely.

“I didn’t want to be cooped up in an office somewhere,” Baldwin responded. “I wanted to remain in the field.”

Corbyn leaned forward in his chair and placed his arms on his desk. “This could have been your office, and you could have been the one reporting to the Superintendent of the Alien Office.”

“But I wouldn’t have been happy with this job,” Baldwin remarked. “Besides, it suits you most admirably.”

“I suppose you wouldn’t have been interested in the pay either,” Corbyn said knowingly.

“I don’t work as an agent for the pay.”

Oliver spoke up. “It is getting late,” he pointed out. “We should be heading back to Draper Street.”

Corbyn lifted his brow. “You intend to reside there?”

“For the time being,” Baldwin replied, rising. “At least until we are satisfied that we aren’t being watched.”

Corbyn perused the length of him. “You look terrible.”

“Frankly, I don’t smell that good either,” Baldwin admitted, “but I had to convince Morton that we lived in the rookeries.”

Oliver rose and placed his empty glass on the desk. “I can handle the smell, but the fleas are horrendous.”

“That they are,” Baldwin agreed. “And the straw poking out of the mattress can be quite irksome.”

“It is more comfortable to sleep on the floor, in my opinion,” Oliver remarked.

Corbyn met his gaze, his expression stern. “When you are recruiting Miss Dowding for this assignment, be sure to inform her of all the inherent dangers that are associated with this abduction. I don’t want her to be unprepared and turn into a simpering miss on us.”

“I will,” Baldwin replied. “I intend to teach her some basics on how to defend herself, as well.”

“I wish you luck, and I want to be kept informed,” Corbyn said. “If this assignment fails, it is on you, Falcon.”

Baldwin tipped his head in acknowledgement as he and Oliver started towards the door. They walked in silence until they left the building.

“I sure hope you know what you are doing,” Oliver muttered.

“It will work out.”

“How can you be so sure?”

Baldwin glanced over at his brother. “We