Chapter 17

The next morning, Harlan left the boarding house before the sun had fully touched the sky with its brilliant rays. He was intent on finding out where his assassin had gone, and he had no choice but to return to the brothel if he hoped to look for clues. No doubt the rat had returned to Dudley, perhaps to the vicar's household. But time would soon tell.

With a variety of disguises in his arsenal, Harlan chose to don the one that would gain him the least amount of attention.

Heading to the coach, he lifted up the seat in the back to reveal a compartment. There, he withdrew a bundle of clothes that he kept for just this sort of endeavor. He quickly donned the alternate garments, and using the compact mirror he had, he carefully applied a bit of concealing cosmetics, although it wasn't the sort of items that ladies might use to enhance the color of their cheeks or lips. Instead, it was a coal base that turned him into a rugged sort of vagabond. The clothes were padded heavily about the midsection and the bottle of cologne that he sprayed on himself was not the sort to attract anything but flies. It was an abhorrent mixture of urine and brandy and something else he hadn't been able to put a name to, but the chemist had done exactly what he'd asked. Over time he had become used to the concoction so that he didn't gag, but it was still not pleasant. However, it generally did the trick by keeping most anyone at bay that dared to gain a closer look at him.

Adding the false wig, along with a pair of spectacles that had seen better days, he grabbed the bottle of false drink in his hand and started to stagger in the direction of the brothel. Thankfully it wasn't a lengthy distance, but Harlan never knew who might be walking among the streets. He had to put on a good performance, or it wouldn't be believed.

As he drew closer to the brothel, he started to sing a lewd shanty. He wanted to see what sort of vermin might come out of their holes to confront him. He hoped that it was Mr. Bernard. With the pistol concealed within his padding, the scoundrel wouldn't get a chance to catch him unaware before he earned a hole in the center of his chest.

It wasn't long before a light shone in one of the upstairs windows of the brothel. Immediately, the window opened and a lady with henna colored hair leaned out and shouted down at him. "Here now! Some of us are tryin' to sleep. Quiet that ruckus!"

He put a hand over his heart and looked upward with a squint. He added a stumble for good measure and altered his voice until it sounded like a drunken Scotsman. "Aye, lass. I willna do anything so long as ye'll toss up yer skirts for me!" He laughed richly as she slammed the window shut again with a grumbled curse.

He acted as though he took a long drink out of the bottle, but instead, Harlan took the opportunity to view his surroundings. He paused when he saw a man's legs sticking out of the alley. He appeared to have passed out drunk, but it was the fact that his clothes were of quality that Harlan thought to inspect the situation.

As he drew closer, he realized that the man wasn't just propped up against the side of the building and sleeping off too much drink. A knife protruded from the center of his chest, proof enough that this man had been murdered.

Harlan had a suspicion that he knew the man responsible for the deed.

Clenching his jaw, he moved toward the lifeless corpse. The stranger didn't look familiar, so he decided that he must have been a local patron of the establishment. Upon closer inspection, Harlan realized that wasn't it at all. He recognized the clothes as the same Mr. Bernard had been wearing, except for the shirt, which was covered with blood.

Apparently, Mr. Bernard had the same idea as Harlan. Change quickly to disappear from sight. It must have been how he'd managed to escape the party after he'd stabbed Benjamin, whereas this man hadn't been so lucky to escape the villain's wrath.

A shuffle behind Harlan had him turning around, but he didn't see anything else in the alley. Nevertheless, he wasn't taking any chances. He withdrew his pistol and held it at his side, prepared for any trouble.

"Harlan?"

As a head slowly poked around the edge of the building, Harlan narrowed his gaze. He could have sworn he had heard Leah's voice, but the figure that stood in front of him looked like a young lad. He strode forward, his finger poised and ready to pull the trigger as he stared hard at the face beneath the cap.

It wasn't until he drew closer that he saw the features more clearly. With a muffled curse, he glanced around and grabbed Leah's arm, sheltering her with his body, his face inches from hers. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Following you," she announced, almost proudly. Suddenly, she sniffed and put a hand over her nose. "Dear God, what is that smell?"

"Part of my allure," his jaw ground together. "But we aren't discussing that, are we?" He gave her a light shake. "Have you gone daft? You are not safe. Or have you forgotten what happened last night?"

She lifted her chin and he didn't know if he wanted to kiss her—or throttle her. "I am well aware. And yet, you forget that I can be an ally if you will just allow—"

"No." His voice was adamant. "I don't know how many times I have to tell you that before it will finally sink into that stubborn head of yours."

Her amber eyes filled with fire. "You say that, and yet you leave without a word to anyone and go out alone. After what happened to Benjamin last night, I would have thought you would have more sense. At least I left a note for Matthew should he wake up before we return. You didn't leave anything but your absence."

Harlan lifted a brow. "Be that as it may, you are going back this instant. I am trying to conduct an investigation."

She crossed her arms. With her face scrunched with such determination, he couldn't help but admire her spirit, even if he wanted to growl at her. "I thought you said you wouldn't send me away again."

"You know this isn't what I meant," he snapped. "Stop twisting my words."

"Then admit my abilities. Stop trying to dissuade my help when I have managed fine thus far." She waved a hand over her attire. "You didn't know I was standing there until I made a noise to alert you. And you certainly didn't guess it was me beneath this garb until I spoke."

Harlan remained silent. She was right, but he wasn't going to give her the benefit of an answer. Instead, he asked sharply, "Where did you get those clothes?"

She had the grace to look a bit sheepish. "I traded that horrid dress to another lady at the lodging house. She was quite impressed. She was the one who took me to see a family with several sons who was able to outfit me with—"

He held up a hand. "You are resourceful. I will admit that, but you are not immune to the danger we are facing. Mr. Bernard is not a simpleton. He is skilled and I am beginning to wonder if I might be outmatched. Each time he appears to be one step ahead of me."

She softened her tone as she reached up and set a hand against his cheek. "All the more reason for me to join forces with you." She shook her head. "Because you keep forgetting one thing. Don't underestimate me."

Leah wasn'tsure if she was getting through to Harlan or not, but she had to try. If he would give her the chance to join forces, they could be an unstoppable team. She had made the mistake of misjudging Mr. Bernard's prowess herself, but no longer. Until he was captured, she wasn't going to turn a blind eye to anything—or anyone. If he was the threat that Harlan claimed, then it would be wise for them all to work together toward a common goal.

Harlan reached out his hand and laid it gently on her cheek. Leah appreciated the gesture, but she had to struggle to keep from holding her nose in light of his aromatic "disguise." "I have never underestimated you. Not from the first moment I laid eyes on you. From that moment, I knew that you would probably be the death of me."

He released her and returned to the corpse where he removed the knife from the center of the victim's chest. Leah had nearly gasped in shock, giving herself away when she'd spied the man propped up against the side of the building, At first glance, she feared that Harlan had killed him, but when she'd watched a bit more closely, she could tell that he'd been deceased for some time, his skin the ashen gray color of someone who had passed some hours previously. Leah would have liked to spend the rest of her life without that particular sort of knowledge, but it was forever burned into her memory.

She would never forget the sight of the man whose lower body had been crushed during an excavation in Egypt. She had just turned seventeen when she'd gone with her father to identify the body the next morning. They had both worked closely with the man on various projects, and the tragedy had struck them both particularly hard.

She remembered looking at the fixed set of the eyes and the odd shade of his skin. Thankfully, she was spared viewing the mangled shape of his body after the terrible accident as the lower half had been covered with a sheet for modesty.

A shiver passed over Leah's skin now as Harlan patted the man down and then turned to her. "Let's go."

She could feel some of the blood recede from her face. "Are we not going to report this? Or… bury him?"

"We could," he agreed. "But we don't know if we can trust the local authorities. Trust me, he will be discovered in short order. The ladies of this brothel will ensure he is removed so that the gruesome sight won't disrupt business."

He led her out of the alley and together they headed back for the lodging house. "It seems a shame to leave someone like that," she whispered.

"You should know that life is full of such unfortunate moments," he returned gently. "It can be difficult to turn a blind eye, but sometimes it is necessary."

She nodded, but her chest tightened.

When they walked through the front door, Matthew was pacing the center of the parlor. "My God!" Relief instantly flooded his face when he spied them. "Harlan, I know you are going to be angry, but Miss Lindquist left a note saying she was going after you and—" He blinked when his focus shifted to Leah. Apparently, he was used to Harlan going out in various disguises, so his altered appearance didn't faze him, but his mouth went slack when Leah removed the cap that released her hair. "I don't—"

"Believe it?" Harlan suggested. "Neither did I, but it's true." He turned back to the door. "Now that we are both back safe and sound, I'm going to put back on some clothes we can all tolerate."

Once the door shut, Leah walked over to where Matthew had put on some water to make coffee. The fragrance was decidedly better than what Harlan had subjected to her poor nostrils. She had never prayed for the loss of her sense of smell until then. "I hope that there is some food to go with this," she said with a delighted sigh as she found a cup and took a bracing sip. She had missed the rich brew. "It's heavenly."

"I thought Harlan would be in a state when he discovered you had gone," Matthew noted, his expression one of disbelief. ‘I would have bet my life on it."

"Perhaps he's starting to realize that I can be an asset, not a hindrance." She grinned and then looked toward the bedchamber. "How is our patient doing this morning?"

Matthew started to reply, but another voice intercepted. "Why don't you ask him yourself?"

"Benjamin!" Immediately, Leah set down her cup and rushed over to him. He was holding his side and walking slow, but his color was good and he didn't appear to be running a fever when she touched his forehead. "You shouldn't be out of bed yet," she admonished.

"I'm not about to stay here any longer than I need to," he returned firmly. "I never was one to sit around and convalesce like some sort of invalid. I will be well soon enough." He sank down into a chair and nodded toward the fireplace. "I heard something about coffee. So long as there is some food to go along with it, I'm starving."

Matthew looked at Leah. "I shall attempt to find some rations."

As he left, Leah got another cup and poured Benjamin some coffee. With both in her grasp, she walked over and handed him one. He accepted it while glancing at her attire curiously. "I imagine you shocked Harlan when he caught sight of you in breeches."

"He was rather surprised," she noted as she sat down across from him. She lifted a leg and added, "I admit they are quite freeing, but I'm not sure I would care to wear them all the time. But they served a purpose this morning."

Benjamin shook his head with a chuckle. "I personally think it's good for Harlan to find someone who isn't afraid of his gruff manner. Don't get me wrong, he's a fine man, but he has his own opinions and if you dare to cross him, he will fight to be heard."

"I'm aware," Leah murmured. "I suppose part of the problem is that my father gave me plenty of free reign. Like Harlan, I'm not used to having my actions questioned, especially when I know what I'm talking about." She shrugged. "I think Harlan finally understands now. It just took a bit longer to convince him."

With a broad grin, Benjamin raised his cup. "To women as stubborn as the men they engage."

Leah smiled. She could certainly drink to that.

By the timeHarlan had changed and returned, Matthew had procured a delicious breakfast from the pub across the street, and Leah and Benjamin looked quite cozy in their conversation.

Harlan walked over and sat down beside Leah on the worn settee. Studying Benjamin, he said, "Are you sure you should be up already?"

He rolled his eyes. "I'm fine. But you've known me long enough that you shouldn't have needed to ask that question."

"Indeed," Harlan said with an tilt of his head. "Forgive me for my oversight."

Benjamin inclined his head in return. "Forgiven. Did you find anything on Bernard?"

"Not really. Harlan shook his head slowly. "This man thinks methodically. It's why he's always one step ahead of me. It's time I start thinking like him and not what I should be doing next."

"What does that mean?" Leah asked, a line of concern furrowing her brow. He opened his mouth to reply, but she held up a hand. "And don't think about trying to lie so that I will remain out of harm's way."

"No," he murmured. "I wouldn't dream of asking you not to risk your life, even if it would be the sensible thing for you to do. I was foolish to believe you might actually do as you are told and stay out of danger." When it appeared she was going to interrupt with a rant about what good qualities she possessed, he held up a hand and said, "I have an idea of where you might be of some use."

She crossed her arms, but her eyes narrowed. "I'm all ears."

He turned back to Benjamin who had been observing the exchange with a broad grin on his face. "You don't have to look so pleased," Harlan snapped.

"I think you've met your match in this one." Benjamin winked at her and Harlan could feel a headache coming on. He had never been prone to them before Miss Lindquist swept into his life, but he supposed, in that regard, he had no one to blame but himself. But did she have to charm everyone she met, including his own men?

Hoping that he might gain control of the situation once again, he leaned forward and clasped his hands loosely together in front of him. "I propose that we stop chasing after the fox but let him come to us."

"Go on," Benjamin said.

"As you know, I have the confidence of Lord Wellington who is a close, personal confidante to the queen." Harlan glanced at Leah. "I propose that Leah be installed into the royal household as a spy, perhaps as a companion to Her Majesty. With the royal guard around, she shall be protected like I want, but doing her civic duty as she wants."

He was grateful that a considering light entered her gaze. "What about you? And Benjamin?"

"We will continue to monitor things on the streets, but I will ensure that I come to the palace each evening to see if there is anything for you to report." He lifted a challenging brow. "Do you agree to these terms?"

He could see the wheels turning in her mind. "It would be intriguing to play a spy in the royal household. And I should like to see a palace from the inside."

"Then you will be in luck," Harlan murmured. "I've heard that the queen will be moving her things to Buckingham Palace within the week. It should give us plenty of time to get you established into your new role on behalf of the Home Office."

She preened at that. "I quite like the sound of that." She rubbed her hands together. "Let's get started."