s still his brother to consider. Just how in the world do you intend to capture him?”
“Rupert is going to be frantically looking for his brother when he realises Ernest has vanished. When Ernest doesn’t turn up, Rupert will question the inn keeper, but he will deny having ever seen him. Thankfully, most of the patrons avoid the place on Thursdays, when Smidgley is there, so there are few witnesses to what has gone on tonight. The inn keeper doesn’t like the Smidgley brothers frequenting his tavern because it damages his trade from his local customers. He is prepared to lie to Smidgley and tell him that he has never seen Ernest; that neither he nor his friends turned up tonight. All trace of them having been there at all will be removed by both the inn keeper and my men. Of course, Smidgley is going to be worried that not only has his brother disappeared, but three of his friends have vanished as well, and four of their hired thugs. At the rate his associates keep vanishing, Smidgley is going to be a very worried man who has considerably fewer contacts. I doubt he will spend too much time, if any, throwing his weight around with the inn keeper.”
“The worst isn’t over yet, is it?” Emmeline said quietly when she heard the reticence in Oliver’s voice, and realised he wasn’t telling her the whole story.
Oliver heard the worry in her voice and hauled both horses to a stop. Without asking, he lifted her bodily onto his horse and settled her before him. He then wrapped his arms around her to stop her from sliding off and then pressed a kiss against her temple.
“We are hidden where we are. Now, so long as we stay out of sight, there is nothing to fear. Even if the inn keeper does tell Smidgley where his brother is, Rupert will be unable to get past the Head Gaoler, who hates not only Argent, the man who we suspect is the War Office’s traitor, but the Smidgleys as well.”
“What happens if Rupert uses his connections to get Ernest released?”
“He is going to be stone-walled,” Oliver replied. “There isn’t the time for Rupert to go to London, moan to someone he can trust, get that someone to contact the Head Gaoler because Rupert needs to make sure Ernest doesn’t talk. If anybody does enquire about Smidgley, the Head Gaoler is going to lie about having him in his cells anyway. Smidgley is going to be kept in solitary confinement. Only two people in that gaol are going to know he is there. Smidgley’s associates are going to be kept behind lock and key as well and, more importantly, kept apart and away from prying eyes, not that there are prying eyes in gaol. Once someone goes into gaol what happens to them happens behind bars.”
“Unless the Star Elite’s traitor turns up and demands Smidgley’s release,” Emmeline murmured.
“The traitor has to be careful. If they turn up and demand Smidgley is released, they have to explain how they know he is there. Nobody should be asking who is in gaol and who isn’t. Not even the magistrate has the right to that information. Rupert could turn up and ask, but what idiot criminal wants to walk into gaol of his own free will?” Oliver grinned at her.
“They will condemn themselves by trying to help Ernest,” Emmeline mused.
Oliver nodded.
“This has all been thought over very carefully, hasn’t it?”
“Everyone has gone over everything in fine detail,” Oliver assured her. “The only thing we cannot make allowances for us a surprise attack. We don’t know if someone will notice us, or happen to cross our path, or see something they should not see and decide to tell Smidgley about it. We will have to cross that bridge when we come to it. It is best not to worry about that right now. It isn’t important until it happens.”
“What happens if we are followed now?”
“We cannot go back to the safe house. We will find somewhere new to hide and will wait for a few days. When it is safe, I will go out and find the men. They will be around somewhere,” Oliver replied knowingly. “We will then move on together and find a more secure safe house as a unit.”
“It is why you wanted me to come with you, isn’t it?” Emmeline squinted off into the distance but couldn’t see anything more than an inky blackness that was worrying.
“If the operation went wrong, or any of us are followed, we don’t need to return to the safe house to fetch anyone,” Oliver whispered. “At some point someone will go back and fetch our things, but they aren’t important. Not really. Our safety is.”
Emmeline understood then why they had been so insistent she stand out in the cold in the dead of night to watch what happened. “Why didn’t you tell me what the risks were in the safe house?”
“Would you have worried any less?”
Emmeline sighed. “No. I would have worried more, if I am honest.”
“There you go then.”
She shook her head at him.
“Don’t worry about it until it happens,” he warned her. “For now, try to rest for a bit.”
Emmeline dutifully rested her head against his shoulder and nestled into his arms, which tightened around her even more, not that she minded.
“I am glad it all went well,” she breathed eventually around a tired yawn.
Oliver grinned. “I gave them enough sleeping concoction to fell a horse. They are going to be out for hours.”
“What is that stuff anyway?”
“Medication to fell a horse,” he replied simply.
“A horse. You gave them animal medication.” Emmeline stared.
“Well, not exactly. I cannot tell you what it is. It is just something a very eminent doctor told me about one day. He was kind enough to let me have some. You know, in case of emergencies like these.”