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had they not discovered the piece yet it must be somewhere else. But Roe resisted the urge to point that out. It would do him no good at all to anger the man. Toomey’s services were widely desired, and until Cabot agreed to hunt for the shield, then Toomey would have to suffice.

“You know Cabot?” Roe asked him. He took a hearty sip of the black coffee, relishing the way the hot liquid brought life to his tired bones.

Toomey frowned slightly, then bobbed his head. “We’ve met, on occasion. I heard he got bit by a viper. Dangerous and nasty creatures. It’s why I carry this with me at all times.” He withdrew a sizeable knife from a sheath attached to his pant leg. “Cuts their heads clean off.”

“Appetizing,” Roe said.

“Cabot doesn’t like to work with you titled men,” Toomey said. “He prefers to fund his own expeditions, though he has been known to take assignments directly from the museums.”

Now that was something Roe had not considered. If he spoke to a curator, shared with him the research he’d done and where he thought the artifact was hidden, perhaps they would agree to contact Cabot for the quest. “You don’t mind, do you, Toomey? Taking my money and looking for my antiquity?”

“Not even a little bit. I’m good at hunting. Doesn’t matter to me what I’m hunting. It’s all about the journey itself.”

“Indeed. I received your notice and I shall have the requisite funds deposited into your account. You leave soon?”

“Tomorrow morning. I’m ready to get back out there. Bloody ship takes a lifetime.”

“I shall expect updates in your letters.”

Toomey’s hands fidgeted with the hem of his coat. He was, no doubt, eager to return to the expedition. The man always grumbled about having to return stateside for supplies and new directions. He skirted the chair and nearly ran from the room, he moved so quickly.

Now Roe was awake and had many hours to fill until that evening when he’d send his invitation to Mr. Grey. He took a moment to scrawl out the note. If she went to Rodale’s, the invite would be waiting for her. It was time to bring her charade to an end. Roe knew the boy was, in fact, a girl. Or rather, a woman. He wouldn’t be the only man that put it together and figured out her little secret. He’d send the invite along with his carriage in hopes that she’d be unable to say no, as she’d said the night before when she’d played in the main room at Rodale’s.

Reggie had flustered her, distracted the girl enough that she’d not done well with her play. She’d left early with some excuse, but Roe couldn’t leave it alone. He wasn’t normally such a gentleman, but the truth was the girl would be in extreme danger if she continued her charade inside the gaming hell, even if it was Rodale’s. The longer she played at Rodale’s, the more risk she was in. Admittedly, Roe was curious as to who she was. It was rare to find a man with such skill at the table, but a woman? He wanted to know how she’d learned to play. Perhaps she was French. They’d been playing Vingt-et-un longer there than here in England, so she could have learned it at a young age.

In the meantime, he’d pull together his research regarding his quest for Constantine’s Shield and look into scheduling a meeting with the curator at the British Museum.

…

Caroline had nearly earned fifteen hundred pounds, which was a good start, but she still had no notion how much money she’d need for the work on her house. The Murdock lease didn’t officially end until next year, but since Mrs. Murdock’s death, her family had contacted Caroline and she’d agreed to release them from the obligation early. It was perfect, really, giving her the opportunity to move into the house herself. Until then, she’d simply have to wait and continue earning as much money as she could.

Mr. Clipps, the man who’d retrieved her the night before, elbowed his way over to her. “This was left for you.”

“Thank you,” she said accepting the envelope. She turned it over to inspect it. It was Roe’s seal, stamped in green wax. It opened with a slight crack as she slid her finger under it and unfolded the parchment.

Mr. Grey,

It would bring me great pleasure if would be my guest tonight for a friendly game of Vingt-et-un at my house. The rig