“It’s a lure to get me to carry the goods for them, isn’t it?” Ben sounded a little defeated.
Marcus looked at him. “I am not saying that it is. It just may be. Don’t accept anything else from him. The less you have off him, the less Smithers has to hold over you. He could threaten to drop a hint in Lloyd’s ear if you don’t do as he tells you to do. I will get Jess to cook the meat, but it can’t be served to the guests any more than any other meat you have stolen.”
“Blackmail,” Ben muttered in disgust. He frowned as he thought it over, and then cursed when the horrifying truth dawned on him.
“Smithers doesn’t have the intelligence to think something like that through, but the people he works for will.” Marcus nodded to the path. “Come on.”
“Who does Smithers work for?”
“I will tell you when we are back at the house.”
Marcus got that feeling again that warned him they were no longer alone. He had heard someone approaching – quietly but confidently. He put his finger to his lips to warn Ben to be quiet.
Ben opened his mouth to speak but, at that moment a movement in the trees heralded the arrival of someone new. Marcus tugged Ben deeper into the shadows. Together they watched Lloyd and Carruthers creep through the undergrowth toward the house.
Marcus beckoned to Ben to watch where he stepped, and together they followed. Neither Lloyd nor Carruthers had any idea they were there. The inept fools were so busy whispering about what they were going to do when they reached the house that neither of them bothered to try to keep the noise down.
Ben moved toward them only for Marcus to haul him back.
“Let’s wait and see what they do,” he whispered into the lad’s ear.
Both lawmen appeared confident that nobody would see them because Lloyd left the trees and walked straight up to the back door as casually as if he was going to take tea. He tested the door to see if he could get in, and then walked around the side of the house to try the doors and several windows. By the time both men had done a full circuit of the house and realised the placed was locked up tight, Ben was positively hopping from one foot to the other in anger.
“What are they after; besides getting into the house?” Marcus whispered. “I mean, your sister is lovely but doesn’t warrant the magistrate breaking into her house in the dead of night.”
Ben shrugged.
Marcus drawled quietly. “I think you had better come clean about what else you have been doing.”
The tone of his voice made Marcus’ words more of a demand than a question.
Ben peered at him suspiciously. “Just who are you? You are not a solicitor, and you are not just in the area to look for somewhere to live, are you?”
Marcus looked at him. Rather than speak, he slowly shook his head. He knew the lad was going to push for more information but didn’t because Lloyd and Carruthers returned. Both men passed by within inches but, thankfully, neither noticed them watching.
Before Marcus and Ben could make their own way toward the house, movement beside the back door drew their attention.
“Who is that?” Ben whispered.
“The estimable Mr Ball,” Marcus replied thoughtfully.
“What is he doing out on a night like this?” Ben murmured.
Marcus knew, but he wanted to see the lad’s reaction. “Shall we go and see?”
“What? Follow him?” Ben looked horrified.
“Well, we won’t find out what he is up to if we don’t, now will we? The tavern will be closed at this time of night, and most decent people are asleep in their beds. So, what could our Mr Ball be going out to do I wonder? Does he often venture out at this time of night?”
Ben snorted. “I didn’t think anyone ventured out after eleven. Jess insists that everyone is in by then so she can go to bed. Until you turned up, I just assumed everybody stayed indoors.”
“Well, he has just left by the back door so let’s go after him,” Marcus suggested.
“He is creeping around at night,” Ben whispered in disgust and then threw Marcus a horrified look. “He isn’t after me, is he?”
“What else is in the scullery except for you and the brace of pheasants?”
“Nothing,” Ben assured him but then shrugged. “There is a bit of cash I have earned from running barrels at the brewery; that’s all.”