A Husband's Wicked Ways by Jane Feather

Author:Jane Feather [Feather, Jane]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781439158524
Publisher: Pocket Star
Published: 2009-01-01T08:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

SIMON LOOKED UP AS Greville came into his dingy office in the War Ministry. “Good morning, Greville.” He half rose from his chair, extending his hand across the desk. “You’ve been busy I hear.”

“Matters move apace.” Greville shook the offered hand. “I have established my household on South Audley Street, and with the engagement made public, Lady Farnham will act as my eyes and ears, cultivate the acquaintance of those who are of interest to us, and report back to me. Our spending an unusual amount of time together now we are betrothed will cause no raised eyebrows.” He perched casually on the arm of a rickety wooden chair across from the desk.

Simon regarded him narrowly. “Forgive the bluntness, Greville, but Lady Farnham has had no previous experience of our particular business. You are confident that she will be able to—”

“Perfectly confident,” Greville interrupted him brusquely. “Aurelia is quite capable of holding up her end. Her tasks will be quite simple and she understands them to perfection.”

Simon nodded. “Of course…of course. You will, of course, have made sure of everything.” But a frown still lingered in his eyes.

Greville regarded him with a slightly rueful smile. “As we agreed, this engagement will provide exemplary cover. Better than any other device.”

“Indeed…indeed.” Simon pulled at his chin. “I own to a slight misgiving, though. It seems so…so convenient, if you will, that Frederick’s widow should present herself to you as the perfect partner.”

Greville shrugged. “As you know, Simon, in our business one takes one’s partners where one finds them. I would not have recruited Aurelia had I thought for one minute that she was unsuitable. She has responded well to her training and since her work will be confined to doing what she’s been doing most of her adult life, entertaining, social mingling…” He shrugged again. “I see no possible reason for concern.”

Simon looked down at his cluttered desk. He trusted Greville Falconer absolutely; he would happily put his own life in the colonel’s hands, but he couldn’t shake off a vague unease. Undoubtedly the betrothal would provide the perfect stage for Greville’s work in London, but it was difficult, even for an agent as experienced as Falconer, to involve a person with whom he had emotional ties. Not that Falconer was giving the impression of having such ties with his fiancée, indeed he’d implied that Aurelia was as detached about their relationship as he was himself. That she had her own reasons for agreeing to serve her country in this way.

“I’ve discussed the matter of the pension for Lady Farnham with my masters,” Simon said, following his last thought. “They are all agreed that her services and those of her late husband should be rewarded financially, but with a single lump sum rather than a pension. A sum of two thousand guineas has been approved. I hope Lady Farnham will find that satisfactory.”

It might not put a house like that in South Audley Street in her price range, Greville thought, but

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.