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[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] Morgan and Sir Ross make fools of themselves over their wives he was much smarter than they. Welcome back, the magistrate said, leaning back in his chair to regard him with sharp green eyes. Have a seat. I assume your return means that you have concluded your business with Lord Radnor? Nick took the chair across the desk. Yes. I found Miss Howard in Hampshire, working as a lady s companion to the dowager countess of Westcliff. I am acquainted with Lord Westcliff, Morgan remarked. A man of honor and good sense and perhaps the only peer in England who doesn t equate modernity with coarseness. For Morgan, the comments were akin to wildly effusive praise. Nick made a noncommittal grunt, having little desire to discuss the many virtues of Westcliff. After tomorrow, I will be ready for new assignments, he said. I just have one last matter to clear away. Although Nick had expected that Morgan would be pleased by the information after all, he had been absent for two months the magistrate received his words in a surprisingly distant manner. I ll see if I can find something for you to do. In the meantime What? Nick stared at him with open suspicion. The magistrate had never displayed such diffidence before. There wasalways something to be done& unless the entire London underworld had elected to go on leave at the same time Nick had. Looking as though he wanted to discuss some volatile matter but had not been given permission to do so, Morgan frowned. You need to visit Sir Ross, he said abruptly. There is something that he wants to communicate with you. Nick didn t like the sound of that at all. His suspicious gaze met with Morgan s. What the hell does he want? As one of the few people who knew about Nick s secret past, Morgan was well aware of the agreement Nick had made three years earlier and the difficulties between him and his esteemed brother-in-law. You ll have to learn that from Sir Ross, Morgan replied. And until you do, you will receive no assignments from me. Page 54 Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html What have I done now? Nick asked, suspecting that some kind of punishment was being inflicted on him. Swiftly he mulled over his actions of the past few months. There had been the usual minor infractions, but nothing out of the ordinary. He found it infuriating that Sir Ross, despite his so-called retirement, still had the ability to manipulate him. And Morgan, damn his eyes, would never go against Sir Ross s wishes. Amusement flickered in Morgan s eyes. To my knowledge, you ve done nothing wrong, Gentry. I suspect that Sir Ross wishes to discuss your actions at the Barthas house fire. Nick scowled. Two months earlier, just before taking the commission from Lord Radnor, he had received an on-duty summons to run to the fashionable quarter near Covent Garden. A fire had started in a private house belonging to Nathaniel Barthas, a rich wine merchant. Being the first constable to arrive on the scene, Nick had been informed by onlookers that no one in the family had been seen to exit the burning building. Without stopping to think, Nick had dashed inside the inferno. He had found Barthas and his wife on the second floor, overcome by smoke, and their three children crying in another room. After managing to rouse the couple, Nick had ushered them from the home while carrying the three screaming imps beneath his arms and on his back. In what seemed a matter of seconds afterward, the house had exploded into flames, and the roof had caved in. To Nick s chagrin, theTimes had published an extravagant account of the incident, making him out to be some grand, heroic figure. There had been no end of friendly needling from the other runners, who had adopted expressions of mock worship and exclaimed adoringly whenever he d entered the public office. To escape the situation, Nick had requested a temporary leave from Bow Street, and Morgan had given it to him without hesitation. Thankfully, the public was possessed of a short memory. During the past eight weeks of Nick s absence, the story had disappeared, and things had finally returned to normal. The damned fire is irrelevant now, he said brusquely. Sir Ross is not of that opinion. Nick shook his head in annoyance. I should have had the sense to stay out of the place. But you didn t, Morgan returned. You went inside, at great peril to yourself. And because of your efforts, five lives were saved. Tell me, Gentry, would you have reacted the same way three years ago? Nick kept his face smooth, although the question startled him. He knew the answer at once& no. He would not have seen the value in taking such a risk, when there would have been no material benefit in saving the lives of ordinary people who were of no use to him. He would have let them die, and although it might have bothered him temporarily, he would have found a way to put it out of his mind. He had changed in some inexplicable way. The realization made him ill at ease. Who knows, he muttered with an insouciant shrug. And why should it matter to Sir Ross? If I am being summoned so that he can give me a pat on the head for a job well done It s more than that. Nick scowled. If you re not going to explain or give me some work, I m not going to waste my time sitting here. Page 55 Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html I will not keep you, then, the magistrate said equably. Good day, Gentry. Nick headed for the door, paused as he remembered something, and turned back to Morgan. Before I go, I need to ask a favor. Will you use your influence with the registrar to get a civil license by tomorrow? A marriage license? The only sign of Morgan s puzzlement was the subtle narrowing of his eyes. Doing errands for Lord Radnor, are you? Why does he wish to marry the girl with such haste? And why would he condescend to wed in the registrar s office, rather than have a church ceremony? Furthermore The license isn t for Radnor, Nick interrupted. The words suddenly stuck in his throat like a handful of thistles. It s for me. An interminable silence followed as the magistrate worked things out for himself. Finally recovering from an attack of jaw-dropping astonishment, Morgan fastened his intent gaze on Nick s reddened face. Just whom are you marrying, Gentry? Miss Howard, Nick muttered. A snort of disbelieving laughter escaped the chief magistrate. Lord Radnor s bride? He regarded Nick with mingled amusement and wonder. My God. She must be an unusual young woman. Nick shrugged. Not really. I ve just decided that having a wife will be convenient. In some ways, yes, Morgan said dryly. In other ways, no. You might have done better to give her to Radnor and find some other woman for yourself. You ve made a considerable enemy, Gentry. I can handle Radnor. Morgan smiled with an amused resignation that annoyed Nick profoundly. Well, allow me to offer my sincere felicitations. I will notify the superintendent-registrar, and the license will be waiting at his office tomorrow morning. And I urge you to speak to Sir Ross soon thereafter, as his plans will be all the more relevant in light of your marriage. I can hardly wait to hear them, Nick said sarcastically, making the chief magistrate grin. Grimly wondering what kind of scheme his manipulative brother-in-law was devising, Nick took his leave of the Bow Street office. The sunny April day had rapidly become overcast, the air turning cool and damp. Maneuvering nimbly through the mass of carriages, wagons, carts, and animals that clogged the streets, Nick rode away from the river, toward the west. Abruptly Knigh sbridge quickly gave way to [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |