Page 29 of The Reluctant Duke (Bi-Curious Historical Romance)
L ord Tobias Moran
I whistled under my breath before I caught myself and stared down at the manuscript laid out on my desk. My encounter with Birdie and Ash had been extremely satisfying, and I hadn’t wished for it to end. Except she had responsibilities she couldn’t shirk. I glanced outside, looking at the late afternoon sunshine. Ash had walked her home after she gave me a very tantalizing kiss, one I wouldn’t soon forget.
A sharp knock on the outer door in the reception area sounded. I pushed back my chair, careful to keep my balance. Ash and Birdie had only left a few minutes ago and must have forgotten to lock the front door. The knocking became more insistent. A flash of alarm rushed through me, and I took Lillian’s manuscript and dropped it into the floor safe. I wasn’t expecting anyone because of the chaos the snow had reaped, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Connie or one of Ash’s brothers had come to check on us.
More pounding ensued, along with raised voices. I halted mid-stride and grabbed my greatcoat to slip on as I walked into the reception area. The weight of the pistol in my pocket gave me a small sense of comfort. I opened the door and frowned at the sight of three men I’d never seen before. All wore blue uniforms.
“Can I help you?” I asked, my unease growing. Why, I wasn’t sure. The man could simply be looking for Ash.
“My name is Detective Chief Inspector Jonah Stark. I assume you are Mr. Moran?” The politeness in his words belayed the tension in his jaw. The weather had ruddied his lean cheeks, and his hat was askew. He removed it to expose sandy blond hair.
“I am.” I acknowledged his inquiry with a nod, my stomach twisting with unease until I reminded myself that he hadn’t stated his reason for a visit. Ash hadn’t heard anything about an investigation into me, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t one. “Are you here about MH Roth’s book? Inspector Ashton told me you were interested in purchasing one.”
With a grim smile, he shook his head, glancing around the office. Ash was right, he looked to be a few years older than myself with direct brown eyes that missed nothing. “I’m afraid I’m here for a different reason. Can we talk?”
Every instinct said no; however, I sensed that wasn’t an option. By the seriousness of his expression, he was about to deliver bad news. After Brown started snooping around, I knew this day would eventually come, and I needed to face it head-on.
“Of course, come into my office.” I opened the door wider and caught the eye of the other two men standing behind him in the hallway. The feeling of dread increased twofold. This was not a casual visit.
“I would offer you some coffee, but I am afraid it’s rather old.” I led the way into the office, indicating that he should sit in the chair across from me. The two men remained in the reception area, arms crossed over their chests. “I could make some tea, I suppose. My secretary is gone for the day.”
“Thank you, but no. This isn’t a social call.”
“I didn’t think it was.” I stared at his rather long, freckled face. He bore a slight resemblance to his grandfather, which added to my unease. I took my seat behind the desk, careful not to rock my chair and embarrass myself in front of this man. I needed to show strength and not look like the buffoon. “What can I do for you Detective Chief Inspector?”
“Do you know a young man named Timmy?”
The dread in my stomach increased. “Did something happen to Timmy? He’s a courier for me, and I pay him to do small tasks.” Birdie commented that Timmy had not shown up to walk her home the previous day because of the snow. I prayed he hadn’t tried to come get her and something happened to him.
“No, he is in good health as far as I am aware.” Stark reached inside his coat and pulled out a bundle. The ticking of the clock, coupled with the sounds from the street outside my window, cut through the tense silence as he set it down on my desk and pushed it over to me. “One of my men caught him delivering this.”
A rush of panic threatened my forced calm. I took a moment to inspect the slender parcel addressed to me. As a precaution, the sender had written his pen name in a code I had created for my Ambrosia authors. Regardless, I needed to keep a cool head and not assume my ruse worked on Stark. He had the full force of the department on his side. “As I said, he delivers things for me often. I am a publisher therefore I get manuscripts all the time. Not all of them are requested.”
“Are you claiming that you didn’t request this manuscript from whoever sent it?” Stark angled his head, inspecting me with sharp eyes.
I continue to meet his stare, unwilling to back down. He couldn’t prove anything even if he opened the contents of the package. “Having not looked in the package, I couldn’t say one way or another. I’m assuming so because I don’t recognize the name on the outside of it. I’m very intimate with all my authors, but I also accept open submissions. Since the rise of the sixpence novel, my readers are insatiable.”
“It is true that my mother is a big fan of Mrs. Roth. But I’m not talking about her or other legitimate authors. I’m talking about the Ambrosia line, a series of books that higher-ups in the department have been asked to investigate for pernicious materials not suitable for the public.” Lips pinched, his nostrils flared like he smelled something rank.
“Books that are published by me and available to the general public are not pernicious in nature. Just pick up any book on that shelf and read it yourself.” I indicated the shelves lining the room. I was grateful to have had the forethought to lock Lillian’s manuscript away. The rest of the Ambrosia line was stored behind a false wall in the basement. If Stark chose to search the premises, he would have difficulty finding the mechanism that opened the hidden door. Or at least I prayed he would.
He angled his head and studied me for a long moment. Slender finger steepled over his belly, and he tapped his thumbs together. Although he looked casual enough, stiffness rested in his lean frame. “You admit you have books that are not published to the general public?”
Weighing my words as my temper sparked, I asked a question of my own. “Who exactly made these allegations?” He might think he had the upper hand, but I wasn’t about to lay out all my cards. Mainly, I wanted answers, and I was determined to have them.
Stark lowered his lashes, hiding his expression from view. He couldn’t hide the slight flush that crept up his neck. My hackles rose. He was trying to manipulate me. I wasn’t going to allow it. I knew my rights, and every bit of my background bolstered my ability to stand up for myself with dignity. Nigel might be a prat, but my grandfather had been a man of morality and character. As had been my father.
“I’m not allowed to disclose that at this time. Let’s just say I received a tip that something wasn’t quite right, and I was ordered to investigate.” Chin lifted, he indicated the manuscript he’d given me. “That manuscript was in the hands of a boy that works for you. Therefore, he was in possession of pernicious materials unsuitable for a child his age.”
A bark of laughter escaped me, and I shook my head. “You are pulling rabbits out of your hat, Stark. Timmy can’t read. Therefore, he’s not exposed to anything inappropriate. Assuming the manuscript has something in it that is unacceptable for polite society. Having never read it before, I can’t tell you one way or another if that’s the case.”
“The law does not differentiate between his ability to read or not. He was in possession of pornography.” Spark shifted in his seat, revealing his own discomfort with the discussion. He had kept his cards close to his chest and hadn’t given Ash a hint of his investigation. It had to have been happening for a while.
I couldn’t allow my concern to show. Nor would I change my story, no matter what. Unless he had something on Ash. The very notion horrified me. If that were the case, I would have to tell all to save my friend from ruin. At this moment, I needed to stick to my resolve and try to bluff my way out of this. “The book went from being pernicious to pornographic. Again having never read it, I can’t answer to the subject matter of the material one way or another. But I have a grave suspicion about who made the allegations. Don’t you think it’s a conflict of interest for you to be investigating an accusation that your grandfather and The Brown Foundation for Morality made against me? Doesn’t that make you a bit biased?”
He snapped his head up, his face purpling with either embarrassment or rage or a combination of both. “My personal life has nothing to do with this investigation.”
“Doesn’t it? Your grandfather is one of the biggest proponents of removing—in your words—pornographic materials from the hands of upright and moral citizens. And yet books like that, if indeed it is a case that the book contains pornography, are consumed by the very people arguing against it.” Right was on my side, and I would use every bit of wit I had to defend myself.
“I don’t get to make that judgment call. I just do my job, and my job is to put you under arrest.” He stood and settled his hands on his hips, his jaw tight and eyes a chilly brown.
I remained in my seat, unwilling to be intimidated by his statement. Granted, he had two men in the reception room who could bodily remove me, but I wouldn’t go down without a fight. “For what? You have no proof other than an unopened manuscript that was delivered to me without my knowledge. How am I to know this wasn’t a setup by your grandfather or another person of his ilk?”
“It’s not up to me to decide that.” Stark continued to try to stare me down, his hands on his hips. “It’s up to the courts. Now, please stand and come with me, or I’ll have the two gentlemen out in the reception area assist you.”
Eyes narrowed, I considered refusing to leave, but undoubtedly, he’d follow through with his threat. Pride forced me to my feet. I would have my day in court, and if it took every pound I had, I would bring attention to the injustices pushed upon me. “I need to leave a note for my secretary. Where are you taking me so I can give her my location?”
“To the met station for processing. After that, it is up to the judge to decide.” Stark waited for me to exit ahead of him into the reception area. Rattled and a bit frightened by losing my freedom, if only for a little while, I moved past one of the constables to Birdie’s desk. The man tried to stare me down, his bullish jaw lifted.
I merely shook my head at his posturing. If I were of a mind, I could knock the sot flat on his arse. I grabbed a piece of paper and pen and began to write a quick note for Birdie. My hand stayed steady, a relief since I didn’t want Stark to see me anything but confident.
I wasn’t sure if Ash would return after walking Birdie home thus nobody would know about my incarceration until the morning. I hoped the judge would release me on bond. One of the benefits of having money. “Can you give this to the proprietress at the bookstore? I don’t wish Mrs. Worth to miss it. She will worry,” I said, handing the letter to Stark.
Stark skimmed the note before handing the letter to the bullish constable. “See the proprietress at the bookshop gets this note.”
The man grunted and turned down the staircase to the outside to do Stark’s bidding.
“Come on Moran, we must go.” Stark indicated I take the stairs ahead of him, his expression staid and unbending.
With one last look at the reception area, I did as bade. It might be the last time I saw the office for a few years. Regardless of what happened, my last day and night of freedom had been the most unforgettable of my life.
Several more constables stood outside and glanced up as we exited.
“Why aren’t the other men coming?” I asked. Intuition told me I wouldn’t like the answer.
“They will be searching your office for further evidence.”
“I see.” It required all my willpower to get into the carriage, the back of the equipage boasting bars on the windows. The reality of my situation hit home, but I was dogged in my determination to fight this all the way. Someone had to stand up to the Browns in this world, and it would start with me.