Passion Favors the Bold by Theresa Romain

Author:Theresa Romain [Romain, Theresa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2017-02-27T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

The following morning, Hugo knocked at the door of Jenks’s chamber.

“One moment,” came the muffled call. When the Runner flung the door open, he was wiping at his chin with a cloth, as if he’d just finished shaving. “Mr. Crowe,” he said upon spotting Hugo. “What is it?”

“I wanted to let you know, Miss Linton is currently being established in a bedchamber on the floor below. Mrs. Crowe and a maid are seeing to her comfort.”

“And why did you take it on yourself to let me know?” The Runner lowered the cloth, twisting it tight in his fists.

“Pure kindness? You seem the sort of person who likes to know who’s in a building with him.”

“That’s all? Not trying to distract me from other happenings hereabouts?”

Hugo’s blink must have looked sufficiently mystified, for Jenks slung his facecloth over one arm. “Right you are, then. I’ll be ready to speak to Miss Linton in a few minutes.”

Hugo shot out an arm, catching Jenks before he could shut the door between them again. “Wait. Please. Mr. Jenks—she is staying here because it is not safe for her to stay with Mr. Keeling anymore. She was imposed upon.”

“I wouldn’t put the matter so politely.” Jenks turned in the doorway to toss his facecloth onto the bed in his chamber. Around him, Hugo saw a Spartan room, with plain wood furniture and a small glass and washstand. It suited Jenks’s brusque manner, though Hugo suspected it had been intended by Sir Frederic as insult. Jenks had been packed off to a servant’s room, it looked like, rather than a comfortable guest chamber.

No matter. Soon enough, they’d all be on their way, and back in London, Sir Frederic would be a genial host only in Hugo’s memory.

The thought of returning to London was not as pleasant as it had been a week earlier.

“That’s why I need to question her,” Jenks added. “One form of lawbreaking is often connected to another. If Keeling gave her some gold for—how’d you put it? Imposing on her? Then I wonder to whom else he’s given gold. And why.”

The bit of gold from Keeling felt heavy in Hugo’s waistcoat pocket. “I couldn’t say.”

“Couldn’t you?” Jenks shut the chamber door behind him. “You heard about the scorched chests north of Doncaster, didn’t you? The ones from the Royal Mint?”

“Yes. My—wife followed the story eagerly when she could find a newspaper.”

As they began walking down the corridor, Jenks looked at him wryly. Hugo could almost hear his thoughts. Keeping up the wife charade, are you? “I imagine that she did. Did you hear there was a body found buried by them?”

“No, I haven’t seen a newspaper since—wait, what? A body? A human body?”

“Discovered two days ago. Got the express an hour ago. And when an express comes on a Sunday, it’s a matter of life or death.”

In this case, the latter. A chill prickle raced down Hugo’s spine. “That’s bad news. Will there be an inquest? Have you need of me to give medical testimony?”

“No need for a doctor to testify.

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.