One Thing Leads to a Lover (Love and Let Spy #2) - Susanna Craig Page 0,91

you did not go directly to him, rather than…” He glanced toward Amanda. “Forgive me, my lady. Your presence here is most unusual.”

“I do understand, sir. But we’ve brought some valuable information.”

Colonel Millrose tilted his head and regarded her with a new appreciation. “I’m listening.”

“We’ve just come from Lord Dulsworthy’s house on Brook Street,” she said. “He took the boys there at the direction of a Mr. Jacobs. Their fencing master—though it would seem that is far from his only occupation.”

“He’s French,” Langley interjected. “At least in part. Perhaps in league with some ring of spies—maybe the ones who have Hopkins. At any rate, he’s after the codebook. Thinking the boys still had it, Dulsworthy gave them up to him at gunpoint.” Amanda could not contain a shiver. “No idea where Jacobs might’ve taken them. The fellow runs a sort of sporting club. Dulsworthy ran up some debts there.” Colonel Millrose nodded his understanding, as Langley pulled out a slip of paper. “This is the direction. But I don’t think it’s very likely they’re there—”

“I agree,” said the colonel, taking the note from Langley’s fingers. “Nevertheless, we’ll investigate.”

“I’ll go,” offered Langley immediately.

“No.” Millrose opened the door just a crack and passed that paper to someone in the corridor, speaking only a few low words before closing it again. “In fact, I think it would be best if you removed yourself from this assignment, Magpie.” He glanced at Amanda as he turned back toward the room. “I sense it’s become a personal matter.”

Amanda felt her face heat. “It’s true that Major Stanhope cares for my sons.…” And me, she wanted to add, but didn’t dare. How easy it would be to assign the wrong meaning to the intimacies they’d shared.

Colonel Millrose, however, seemed to understand what she’d left unspoken. “And that, my lady, is precisely the problem,” he said. “I fear he lacks the necessary detachment—”

Just then the door opened again, admitting a pretty, petite woman, dressed all in black, which made her very blonde hair look blonder still. Her pale blue gaze traveled among the three of them, resting longest on Langley, before she stepped to Amanda and set the tray down in front of her.

“Thank you, Mrs. Drummond,” Colonel Millrose said. “Now, as I was saying, a good agent cannot afford to be distracted—”

The spout of the teapot chattered against the cup into which Mrs. Drummond was pouring. “If he is, others will pay the price.” Amanda was surprised that the chill in the woman’s voice didn’t turn the steam rising from the cup into a flurry of snow.

“Pay the price?” Amanda echoed. “I don’t—I haven’t the faintest notion what you’re all talking about.” But didn’t she? Langley had hinted at something in the carriage. What was it he’d said?

“If he’d done his duty,” said Mrs. Drummond, “my husband would still be alive.”

“Christ, Fanny,” Langley groaned, throwing himself into a chair. “This is hardly the time to rehash—”

“Please.” Amanda spoke across him, her voice soft but firm. “I want to know.”

A wary glance traveled among Langley, Mrs. Drummond, and Colonel Millrose. Evidently none of them wanted to be the one to tell the story. At last the colonel said, “About a year ago, Captain Drummond and then-Captain Stanhope were assigned to a mission together. A matter of grave importance regarding a threat to the king himself.”

“One night,” Langley picked up the tale, “I was late to relieve Captain Drummond. Too late. It ought—it ought to have been I who died that night. And instead, when the king heard of our efforts, he…” A muscle twitched along Langley’s jaw.

“He knighted you,” Amanda whispered.

Langley jerked away from the words, refusing to meet anyone’s eye.

“General Scott was afraid that the men who killed Drummond would realize his wife was in possession of valuable information,” Millrose continued. “So he sent her here—”

“To serve as a glorified matron in this Home for Wayward Boys,” concluded Mrs. Drummond, with a disparaging glance around the cheerless room.

So Fanny had been deprived of useful occupation and forced to live with the man she blamed for the death of her husband. Amanda could imagine few things worse. Unless the situation had been exacerbated further yet…

“Earlier,” she said, looking at Colonel Millrose, “you used the word distracted. What was it that distracted Major Stanhope that night?”

She should have asked who distracted him. But she already knew the answer. Fanny Drummond was very pretty. Amanda could guess that the woman was a great favorite among the officers. Or had been—before