“You are still a marine officer with, I’ve been told, experience in reconnaissance. So you have the skills to shadow Malet without being seen.”
“But not if I am ‘exploding into a fit of temper.’”
Fitzgerald smiled. “Precisely.”
Rubbing his chin, Joshua mused over what the man was proposing.
“And forgive me for being blunt,” Fitzgerald went on, “but your lameness is also an asset.”
“How do you figure that?” Joshua said with a snort.
“Would you say that people avoid looking at you, acknowledging you?”
“Sometimes.”
“That’s because we are uncomfortable with our wounded soldiers. The sight of them rouses a deep-seated guilt that we don’t do enough to help them. So we tend to look away, to pretend that none of you exist. In many respects, your cane—and your limp—make you invisible to the world.”
“But not invisible to Malet,” Joshua pointed out. “He knows my face.”
“You met him, what, twice? Or so Thorn says.”
Joshua blinked. “Perhaps you should hire thedukeas a spy. He’s clearly good at it.”
“Or it may just be that your family—Thornstock’sfamily—tend to talk about things no one else would.”
“That’s true, too.” Joshua eyed him closely. “Still, both times I saw Malet I was confronting him or his lackey directly. He will not forget my face.”
“But he won’t expect to see you following him. I daresay he doesn’t even realize you’re in London.”
“I’m afraid you’re wrong. He found out from Lady Gwyn’s servant that I was with her yesterday.”
“That doesn’t mean he knows you’re serving as her bodyguard. You could be courting her.”
In my dreams, perhaps.
“In any case,” Fitzgerald went on, “the point is moot. As you well know, a soldier skilled at reconnaissance is quite capable of hiding from the enemy, even one who recognizes him. I have utter faith in your ability to shadow Malet without his realizing it. After all, he wasn’t the best of soldiers. And now that he’s desperate for funds, he’ll take reckless chances that a more prudent man might not.”
“You could be right.”
“Speaking of men needing funds, if you do this for us, we’re willing to put you back on full pay, but secretly. And with the condition that you serve as a spy here in London, not a combatant on board a ship.”
Joshua mulled that over. It was a good offer. “Does Thornstock know you intend to pay me to follow Malet?”
“No. As I said, this is to be kept secret.”
“I understand. But my work for the duke has to come first, because I have already agreed to it.”
“I’m sure if I spoke to him, Thorn would be willing to—”
“No.” When the undersecretary raised a brow, Joshua said, “I made a promise. I keep my promises. And if breaking this one is what it takes to work for you, I will have to respectfully decline.”
Because once he broke his promise to Thornstock, he’d have to move his London lodgings from Armitage House to somewhere else, and he couldn’t be sure he could keep an eye on Malet well enough to prevent the arse from getting at Gwyn. He wouldn’t risk that.
“Fine,” Fitzgerald said, with respect glinting in his eyes. “Do you have any other objections to taking this position? Anything else that might be a hindrance to your doing it adequately?”
Joshua knew he should tell Fitzgerald about his reaction to loud noises. But the man was giving him a rare opportunity to do what he wanted: serve his country. He didn’t want to lose this chance.
Besides, ever since he’d been in London, loud noises hadn’t seemed to trouble him as much. The clamor in the streets day and night blended into a soothing cacophony, like the roar of ocean waves or the steady sounds of sailors working on board ship.
