“That’s an understatement. Aren’t you the one who told me not to give up my career for a woman? Aren’t you the one who told me women are the root of all evil?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“Pretty close. And now you want to run after a woman who, clearly, does not want to be chased. She’s made it clear she will be at Hyde Park at midnight tomorrow. That certainly complicates things, but if I bring on another agent, I can probably have her intercepted and kept safely away. Nothing will happen to her, and if her father is still alive, which I very much doubt, then they will be reunited.”
“I want to be there.” Hew held up a hand at the look Will gave him. “It’s not that I don’t think you are capable. I know you are every bit as capable as me.”
“Then follow orders.”
“I can’t leave her.” Hew knew how that sounded, and he winced as soon as the words left his lips. “I mean...I can leave her. Of course, I can. I just want to see this through, make sure she’s safe.” Hew crossed to a chair where he’d thrown his coat earlier. He grabbed the garment and began to pull it on, wincing at the pain when he moved too quickly.
Will put his head in his hands. “I want to believe you are dressing for the train station, but I know better.”
“I’m going after her.”
Will spat an oath.
“I know what you’ll say,” Hew added, finally managing the coat. His wound burned now, but it wasn’t so bad that he couldn’t ignore it. “But I’m prepared to accept whatever punishment Baron doles out.” He turned to look for his boots, inhaled sharply as his wound throbbed. He bent over to catch his breath and wait for the pain to pass and when he stood again, Will was beside him.
“I’ll go after her,” he said. “On one condition.”
“I need to do this myself.”
“You need to lie down. You may be feeling better but push too hard now and you could set back your recovery. That’s the last thing any of us need.”
“It’s a risk I’m willing to take.”
Will gripped his shoulder. Hard. “I said I’ll go. Don’t make me argue with you on this. I’m already annoyed that I’m disregarding orders and about to spend time chasing down a female instead of mapping out the area around the Serpentine Bridge in Hyde Park.”
“She’s not a female. Her name is Isabelle Howard, and I’d prefer to find her myself.”
“You will drink a brandy and get into bed and sleep. She can wake you when I return her.”
“Will—”
“Damn it, Hew. I have a wife. I understand how it is. That doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
Hew stilled. “This isn’t like that. I’m not thinking of marrying her.”
“The hell you aren’t.” Will held up a hand, cutting off Hew’s protest. “We can argue that later—actually, you and she can sort that out. Save me time and tell me where you think she might have gone.”
Hew hadn’t thought that far ahead. Because his wound was aching more than he wanted to admit, he sat down and began to list all the likely places.
“No. No. No,” Will said as soon as Hew mentioned each. Hew stared out the window. The sun had that golden color that precipitated late afternoon, the time when the fashionable families would be sitting down to dinner. The time when prostitutes and thieves would be waking and preparing for a night’s work. The time when laborers would be counting down the minutes until they could go home to their families.
Laborers. Shop owners.
Hew lifted his head. “Dock workers.”
Will eyed him, annoyance plain in his every expression and movement. “I told you I had one condition, and I think it’s time I insisted you lay down. You’re not making sense.”
“I’ll lie down,” Hew said, shaking Will’s hand off. “But I have an idea where she’d go—the St. Katharine Docks.”
“Why there?”
“It’s where most of the tea clears customs and where they’ve built all the large tea warehouses. She mentioned that she goes there to buy tea for her shop. She likes to seek out the most exotic blends and varieties.”
“There must be a dozen or more tea warehouses.”
