A terse nod. “All right. Let’s go.” He turned to Cutterton. “You’ll post yourself outside my study?”
“Yes, sir. So far as everyone will know, you’re closeted within.”
“Good. Given the circumstances, I don’t anticipate any visitors.”
“Understood. Now let me ensure that your path is clear and that you and Miss Johnston can reach the phaeton we concealed around back without being detected. Oh,” Cutterton added, “you asked me to advise you when Mr. Rayburn had taken his leave. He did so about an hour ago.”
“Thank you.” Slayde pondered the charts he’d given Rayburn at dawn, praying that one of the six inlets he’d mapped out would lead them to Courtney’s father.
“Slayde?” Courtney touched his hand. “Don’t look so troubled. I know Mr. Rayburn is investigating other avenues, perhaps even dangerous ones. But I have the utmost faith in him, whatever the challenge.”
“So do I, sweetheart.” Slayde pressed his lips to her forehead, reiterating his silent prayer. “So do I.”
Grimes leaned back in his chair, rubbing a dirty hand across the stubble on his chin. “I’ve been lookin’ at these for an hour,” he complained. “And none of ’em has matched up.” He picked up the original note, now neatly folded so only the message—not the date or sketch—was revealed. “What’s on the other side of this, anyway?”
“A drawing of my house,” Slayde answered smoothly, perched on the edge of the desk. “Which I don’t intend to let you see. If I did, I might suddenly find my home divested of all its worldly goods.” He gave Grimes’s shoulder a shove. “Now get back to work. We’re paying you a bloody fortune for what amounts to nothing more than a few hours of risk-free work.”
“Sure, but it must be pretty important for you to send your henchman on ahead.” He jerked his thumb in Oridge’s direction.
Oridge sighed. “Shall I convince him to shut up and resume working, sir?” he inquired, arching a brow at Slayde.
“Now, now, just calm down,” Grimes answered nervously, bending forward again. “I’ll do your job.”
Courtney bit back her impatience, pacing restlessly about the cramped quarters.
“Tell her to stand still,” Grimes muttered. “I can’t concentrate with her walkin’ around.”
“Learn,” Slayde shot back. “And if you address the lady with anything short of respect, I’ll break your jaw.”
With a sullen look, Grimes resumed his chore.
Another twenty minutes passed.
Grimes was down to the final five or six pages, and Courtney was about to scream in frustration, when the fence sat back in his chair, flourishing a page for Slayde to see. “Here’s your man.”
“You’re certain?” Slayde asked, seizing the paper.
“Hell, yes. ’cuse me,” he added quickly to Courtney, re
calling Slayde’s threat. “Look at the curve of the s’s and the half-crossed t. Also, there are slight breaks between the first and second letters of each word, and every letter is tightly curved. This is the one. You want it copied?”
“That won’t be necessary.” Slayde tossed a wad of bills on the desk. “There’s our agreed-upon thousand pounds plus an extra hundred. That more than concludes our business.” He gathered up all the papers, crossed over, and yanked open the door, guiding Courtney out and to the phaeton.
The instant Oridge had joined them, Courtney turned to Slayde. “You brought the list, didn’t you?”
“Right here.” He reached into his coat pocket and extracted it, simultaneously glancing at the number atop the page Grimes had designated. “Eight,” Slayde murmured, unfolding the list. “Now let’s see who the hell number eight is.”
Courtney peered over his shoulder, her gaze darting to the appropriate line. “Slayde,” she gasped, gripping his arm. “It’s Miss Payne.”
Chapter 19
“REMEMBER, NO ONE KNOWS we’ve been away,” Slayde reminded Courtney, slowing the phaeton down as they neared the rear gates of Pembourne. “To their knowledge, I’m still in my study. We have that fact going for us. Oridge, you divert Miss Payne. I don’t care how. Tell her you need additional pillows. Tell her you found an insect in your bed. Just keep her occupied. Courtney and I will search her room, just in case there’s anything in there to identify her employer.”
“As good as done, sir.”
“After that, I’ll reassemble the staff and tell them the real reason for our writing exercise: that I’ve recently acquired evidence proving the fact that someone inside Pembourne aided in the robbery that resulted in my parents’ murders, that the evidence in question is a note written in the culprit’s hand. I’ll further elaborate that, after careful scrutiny, I’ve been able to narrow the writing samples down to only three possible suspects. I’ll explain that, given the magnitude of the crime, I would never accuse anyone without being totally certain of that person’s guilt. Therefore, I’ll be riding to London immediately to seek out a proper handwriting expert. Having made that declaration, I’ll go so far as to climb into my carriage and ride off. That should give Miss Payne ample opportunity to rush off to either warn or seek refuge with her employer.”
Courtney inclined her head, an admiring smile curving lier lips. “Aurora and I must be rubbing off on you, my lord. Why, that plan is almost as ingenious as ours.”