“I enjoyed our ride and the picnic. It has been far too long since I have done either.” Her words warmed his heart.
“I promise there will be more of the same in our future,” he assured her. Moreham winced at the sight of distrust in her eyes.
“Perkins and Mrs. Osgood need me. Both are concerned about the other one’s interference. They should have married long ago, and we wouldn’t have this constant state of discord.” Gillian reached up and kissed his cheek.
Moreham fought the need to grab her and hold on. He seldom felt regret for his actions as an agent. Knowing he had provided Gillian with a means to remain involved in this rat’s nest of traitors did not sit well with him at all.
A footman cleared his throat to announce his presence. “My lord, a courier has delivered a packet from your man in London. I have taken the liberty of arranging the desk in the library for your use. You will not be disturbed.”
He waited for the footman to leave them before speaking. “It seems I am also needed. A cold reality of my life is my correspondence follows me wherever I go. Even on my wedding trip.”
He squeezed Gillian’s hand before heading for the library and the latest word from London. A part of him wished for a missive telling him all had been discovered and he and his harem of spies could return to Town. Maybe then he could woo his wife and keep her by his side.
He asked for a pot of tea before closing the library doors behind him. The weathered leather satchel sat in the center of the bare library table. Moreham hesitated before opening the bag. Such reluctance was alien to him. Normally, he was chomping at the bit to review the reports from London.
Now, his mind was preoccupied with Gillian. This was the reason he had never pursued the ladies. His work was too important. He refused to allow any distraction from his duty to the Crown. His father had died because he believed he could have a normal life while serving as an agent of the Crown. His mother had become a widow because of that train of thought and Moreham an earl far sooner than either had ever wanted.
Moreham walked the circumference of the library looking for any peepholes or listening posts hidden in the woodwork. His inspection was slow going. The walls had carved scrollwork where a mechanism could be disguised. The portraits on the walls were another possibility. He lifted each frame one away from the wall to see if there was a listening post behind them hole in the wall.
Satisfied the room was safe, he reached for his document case. Only he knew how to break the seal. Not even his secretary knew the secret. Such a precaution was necessary. He never knew who was after the information the packet contained.
He sat down and sifted through each document looking for any bit of information that would help them. He found he couldn’t focus on the words on the pages in front of him. The need to seek out Gillian grew stronger each moment. A tap on the door startled him. He looked up hoping to see his wife entering the room and instead found Cross walking through the doorway.
“What are you doing here?”
“Chasing down Sturm. I found Freddy Simpson drunk in the Dials. Never gets drunk unless he has been paid. Offered him more money. He said the word around the Dials was a government man with blonde hair was abducted before dawn yesterday. Freddy didn’t know the whereabouts of the agent. Sturm’s missing and Whitney’s hosting a house party ordered by an unknown traitor. Since I don’t believe in coincidences and neither do you, I decided to join you. I stopped at every tavern on the way here and learned a carriage with three men stopped at two of the taverns only an hour ahead of me. Unfortunately, I lost the scent about ten miles from Whitings. Sturm is nearby.”
Cross dropped down into one of the two chairs by the library table. The man looked exhausted and dejected. Sturm was his best friend. Both men started working with him together. While many of his agents preferred to work alone Sturm and Cross did better as a team or so they believed. The two men were as close as brothers. Closer even—they truly liked each other.
He decided to distract his friend for a few minutes, Moreham nodded toward the table with his papers. “I have been reading the reports from London. No one is reporting any suspicious activity. Gillian and I rode out to the abbey ruins this morning. We overheard two men. Before you ask, I didn’t see their faces, nor did I recognize their voices. With Gillian by my side, I didn’t venture closer. Didn’t want to risk her coming to any harm. The men talked about a meeting. It would seem, my friend, we have indeed landed one step ahead of the traitors.”
“Well done, Moreham.” Cross slapped him on the back. “Too many have been lost in this war of espionage.”
“Well done, will be when we have this band locked up in Newgate waiting to be hanged. We shall ride out in the morning. Best to play our hand close to the chest or Gillian will insist on coming with us. My wife has provided enough assistance to the cause. The woman misses nothing, so do not let your guard down this evening.”
As if to prove his point, no sooner had the words left his lips than his wife entered the library. Moreham forced a smile to his lips. “Dearest, I was just telling
