She gave him a dazzling smile. “Oh, good, that will work nicely, then. It’ll be a squeeze, especially with the dog, but we’ll manage. And you can ride ahead and inform the staff at Ashendon House to expect us. Excellent.”
“I wasn’t planning to go anywhere near Ashendon House,” he informed her. “I’m in pursuit ofan assassin.”
“Send a message to the staff when you get there, then. It won’t take but a moment,” she said blithely.
“I have a job to do in London—a dangerous job,” he reiterated in a firm voice. “I don’t have time to be looking after”—he was going to say “a wife” but decided on discretion at the last minute—“my sisters and niece.” He didn’t want any of them there. He wanted to keep his mind clear for his pursuit.
“Of course not,” she agreed. “That’s what you married me for.” And she sailed through the door, leaving him glowering and slightly baffled.
Itwaswhat he’d married her for. It was just that when she said it like that, it sounded... wrong.
***
London was damp, the sky overlaid with a dirty yellowish gloom. Cal headed straight for Gil Radcliffe’s office in Whitehall. “I think I’ve found the Scorpion, only he just slipped through my fingers.” He explained his reasoning, and at the end, Radcliffe nodded briskly.
“Sounds like our man, all right. You don’t know where in London he was headed?”
“No, just that it was London and that he was owed money here. But he took two women—his wife and sister-in-law—they’re sisters—and three children with him.” He shook his head. “I know—needle in a haystack.”
Radcliffe frowned thoughtfully for a moment, scribbled a note then called for his clerk. “Run over to the Rifle Brigade headquarters and see what information they have on these two. Most urgent status.” The man took the note and hurried off.
The writing of the note jogged Cal’s memory. “Is there some paper I can use for a note? I need to inform the staff at Ashendon House that my wife and sisters and niece are to arrive shortly. God knows what state the house is in—my late brother seemed to have neglected everything.”
Radcliffe’s brows rose. “You seem to have acquired a few more dependents since we last met. My felicitations on your marriage. But the niece?”
“Henry’s daughter by a secret earlier marriage, the selfish swine. Eighteen years old, and the family knew nothing about her.”
“Oh, that will please your aunt Agatha,” Radcliffe said dryly.
Cal raised an ironic brow. “Does anything ever please Aunt Agatha?”
“When last I saw her she was none too pleased about your, er, rather swift marriage. Was doing her best to ferret out what I knew about your wife’s family. Of course, I told her nothing.”
Cal frowned. “Do you know anything?”
Radcliffe spread his fingers and looked mysterious. Typical. Secrecy was Radcliffe’s middle name. He was like a bank vault; he only opened up when it suited him.
“Well, if you happen to run into Aunt Agatha again, don’t tell her I’m in town. With any luck, I’ll be back in Europe by the time she discovers I’ve been in London.”
“You’re still planning to return to your former occupation?”
“Of course. Why not?” he added, seeing Radcliffe’s expression. “Isn’t that what we agreed in the first place? You gave me four weeks’ leave.”
“Yes, but with the title and estate, and now this marriage, I assumed...”
Cal shook his head. “The estate affairs are all in order, and my wife is happy to launch the girls, so nothing much needs to change.”
Radcliffe gave him a long look. That glint of amusement returned. “You just got married, have taken custody of three spirited young ladies—all heiresses, I assume—and you don’t expect your life to change?”
“Why should it? My wife handles them brilliantly. I didn’t marry a silly young chit, you know; I married a good woman with brains, character and common sense.”
Radcliffe chuckled softly. “All the more reason your life will never be the same again. No, don’t bother to argue. Time will tell. As for sending a note, it will take at least two hours to unearth the information we require from the Rifle Brigade, which leaves you plenty of time to drop by Ashendon House yourself and make what arrangements need to be done. I’ll see you back here at six.”
***
Having nothing else to do, Cal rode over to Mayfair and rang the bell at Ashendon House. Were any servants in residence at all? If not, he’d have to put Emmaline and the girls in a suite at the Pulteney while domestic arrangements were made.
To his surprise, the door was opened by a butler, a man he’d never seen before. The two men stared blankly at each other.
