at home and abroad, of any potential threat against England.”
“I suspect they have their hands full at the moment.” She noticed her knee bouncing, a sign her patience was coming to an end. “Interesting, but I don’t understand what this has to do with me.”
“You soon will. It’s important that you understand the full scope of the situation in which we find ourselves.”
“Very well. Go on.”
“As I mentioned, a small number of the agents in the Alien Office report their activities to the Foreign Office. These individuals comprise an even lesser-known group called the Nexus. The Nexus’s reach spans many countries—England, Germany, Austria, Italy, America, and more—and the agents’ identities are a carefully guarded secret, even within the Alien Office.”
Dread settled over Catherine. “Perhaps I’ve heard enough of this secret organization.”
“It’s not so easy as that,” he said. “You and I, we have an agreement. One I shared with my superior, who now has certain expectations.”
“Why did you do such a thing? We were just talking, sharing confidences.”
“You thought participating in the Foreign Office’s investigation a lark, madam?”
“No! No,” she said in a calmer voice. “I merely agreed to observe Lord Somerton during his stay at Bellamere in exchange for news about my husband’s murder investigation.”
“This is true,” he said. “But we have come by new information. Information that raises the stakes.”
Catherine made a valiant effort to close off her hearing. All she had wanted was for someone to help her confirm her husband’s means of death. By doing so, those who killed him would be brought to justice and Catherine might be able to begin the process of forgiveness—of Jeffrey and of herself. She had been certain that a jealous husband or lover had killed Jeffrey, so she had not thought beyond that one possibility. Good Lord, why would she have ever considered her husband was a spy?
“As it turns out, Somerton commands this elite group of international agents.”
“Lord Somerton? You’re sure?”
“Oh, yes.”
Relieved by the news, she said, “That’s good then, even heroic.” The earl didn’t appear the dashing type, nor could she see him gallivanting about as a footman or gardener or whatever disguises a spy uses.
“Somerton’s actions were quite heroic, madam. For several years.” He glanced out the window, revealing the line of his jaw where a muscle beat. “But he became greedy, as many men do in his position.”
“Surely you are mistaken. He’s an earl, for goodness sake.”
“Greed afflicts all men, no matter their rank, wealth, or personal convictions.”
She did not believe such rubbish. Over the years, she had witnessed many acts of kindness from individuals who had little to spare. Not all men were greedy, just the bad ones.
So which was Lord Somerton? “What immoral path has greed led him down?”
“Espionage.”
“Yes, we’ve already established that he is a spy.”
Cochran’s features hardened. “Against his country.”
“A double spy, you mean?”
“Correct,” he said. “The Foreign Office has reason to suspect that he is using intelligence received from his agents to aid Napoleon’s bid to become emperor of Europe, of all the world, if left unrestrained.”
The idea was so fantastical to be ludicrous. “If you believe his lordship to be guilty of seditious behavior, why not arrest him?” Her eyes narrowed. “You did say you worked for the Foreign Office, did you not?”
“Indeed, Mrs. Ashcroft,” he said. “However, this situation takes a little more finesse than slapping him in irons. Somerton might not be the only agent in the Nexus involved in this unfortunate scheme.”
She clasped her hands together in her lap to stop their trembling. “I assume you have some reason for telling me all of this?”
“You are correct,” he said. “I do have a reason for revealing the sensitive nature of this issue. We cannot arrest Lord Somerton, because he alone knows the identities of the agents comprising the Nexus. The moment we apprehend him, they will disappear, and we cannot allow that to happen. Until we confirm the guilt or innocence of each person, we must be careful not to draw attention to our suspicions.”
“Because you fear a French invasion and believe the traitorous members of the Nexus will continue their efforts, with or without their leader?”
“Bravo, Mrs. Ashcroft. You have summed up our concerns precisely.”
Rather than preen for having gained his admiration, Catherine felt sick to her stomach. “So what is it you would have me do?”
“The Foreign Office has directed Somerton to compile a list of his agents while in the country.”
“After protecting them for so long, will he comply? Especially in light of