Page 45 of The Swan Detective (The Swan Syndicate #2)
“I agree.” Fitz smothered the fire in his pipe but kept hold of it.
“André is the perfect target. Anyone with a keen eye would note a man without hope. Up to now, he’s mumbled a few words to a couple of sailors, and though no one has directly approached him, one of the men at the smuggler’s table has kept an eye on him.
I don’t think we’ll have to wait long before he’s invited over for a drink. ”
“That’s excellent news.” Hensley looked down at the paper he was holding and seemed to be reading it.
Whether it was the first time or the fifteenth, Stella couldn’t tell.
The man was an enigma. “Now that we’ve connected the thief with the private club, we have an opportunity to bring our two investigations together. ”
“I don’t understand.” Beckworth’s words echoed Stella’s thoughts.
This was the moment Hensley had planned all along.
She’d thought he’d already played his hand, but she should have known better.
Hensley never crowed about his wins. He was always planning the next move and the three beyond that.
When he pinned his gaze on her, she straightened but felt more like squirming.
“I believe it’s time to bring our long-lost Lady Swan out of hiding.”
“ A bsolutely not.” Beckworth hadn’t seen this coming, and he’d be damned if they put Stella into another dangerous situation.
He tried not to glance at Stella, but he couldn’t help himself and was surprised to see that she appeared more shocked than he was.
It wouldn’t have surprised him if she’d given Hensley the idea since she’d gone to Chester without his knowledge.
She hadn’t done it to be devious; she simply feared he’d have told her to leave the crew out of it.
As if that ever stopped her before. But he hadn’t noticed.
And that said more about him than it did her.
His calming demeanor vanished when Stella’s startled expression softened, and a grin replaced it. She might not have anticipated it, but she was clearly interested in Hensley’s game.
“It makes perfect sense.” Jamie shrugged when Beckworth gave him a scathing look.
“News would have reached McDuff about Lady Swan jumping from Cheval’s ship shortly before his death.
No one should have been surprised by her disappearance from the western coast after that.
Her arrival in London, three months later, wouldn’t be that unusual as she waits for any repercussions from Cheval’s death to die down. ”
“And if she were to arrive with French arms, what better way to get an invite to the clubhouse,” Fitz added. “But we should wait until André receives an invite so we have a man inside.”
“And where exactly will she get French firearms?” Beckworth asked.
“Assuming this Captain Leclair has any knowledge of Lady Swan, he’ll want to see the goods before working out a trade.
” He swallowed the rest of the whiskey and refilled his glass.
The clink of the stopper settling onto the decanter rang in his ears, or perhaps the odd ringing was from the vision of Stella leaping off Cheval’s ship.
Or the memory of salty brine on his lips as Cheval tried to drown him.
Or that damn crossbow Stella insisted on traveling with.
“What woman wouldn’t be interested in a collection of one-of-a-kind jewelry?” Stella’s question irritated him.
The idea was both sublimely naive and almost perfect, assuming the jewelry hadn’t already been sold.
Hensley, as usual, had prepared in advance. “The War Ministry has a warehouse filled with French firearms confiscated from smugglers. We should be able to borrow a few crates that would interest any smuggler.” He seemed pleased with himself.
The old spymaster had planned to use Stella, or had at least considered it, the minute he’d heard someone from McDuff’s network was in town.
Hensley knew damn well he and Stella were due in London, and it also explained why he’d wanted Stella kept out of the initial surveillance.
If she had been seen on the docks before Hensley’s plans were set in motion, it could have jeopardized his mission.
When he met Hensley’s eyes, the old man had that grin on his face whenever he said, “Checkmate.” Beckworth tossed the rest of the whiskey down and savored the burn.
He fought for the right words, unsure what to do.
He considered it from a professional angle.
The plan required some work—confirm the ability to obtain the firearms and ensure André was in place.
It made sense. But as Stella’s lover and loyal companion, he had no desire to put her in danger again.
Hell, he’d been terrified when he’d spotted her and Libby being followed in a London alley.
He was surprised when Stella agreed with him.
“Hensley’s plan,” Stella gave the spymaster one of those looks that said she saw past his bullshit, “makes sense on several levels. But since I’m the one being put in the middle of this, and the one who’s already been kidnapped once by these assholes, I won’t commit to anything without hearing a solid plan that includes my personal protection. ”
Hensley appeared dismayed by her outburst. However, before Beckworth could agree with her, Hensley lifted a parchment he’d been holding and waved it at the group. “I’ve already taken the liberty to write down the necessary steps to put our plan safely into play.”
Of course, he had.
T he meeting ended rather abruptly once Hensley announced the return of Lady Swan.
Stella considered her mixed feelings as she wandered down the hall, not really thinking about where she was going.
On one level, she was excited to be part of the mission.
On another, the memories of her time with Cheval flashed by—his torture of the sailor in a dark cargo hold, her jumping from the ship, barely making it to shore, and then using the crossbow to save Beckworth’s life.
Beckworth wasn’t happy with the plan. Although it was brilliant, he worried about her. He’d be fully onboard if she weren’t part of it, but she didn’t know how to reduce his worry. He couldn’t stop his natural instincts to protect any more than she could ignore hers.
When she reached the foyer, Beckworth pulled her aside. She hadn’t realized he’d been following her.
“I need to speak with Chester and then check on André. Barrington will take me back to the manor so I can get my horse, then he’ll return for you and Eleanor. When you’re ready, of course.”
For the first time since he’d returned from retrieving André, Stella gave him a long assessment.
She didn’t like the dark circles under his eyes or the dullness of his usually sharp gaze.
He hadn’t been getting decent sleep. Had he been eating well?
He couldn’t go on a new mission like this. She would find a way to remedy that.
She didn’t argue with him. “Be safe, Lord Beckworth.”
Something flitted through his gaze, and she wondered if he’d seen something reflected in her own. A smile appeared with a quick bow. “Always, Lady Caldway.”
She watched him as he said a few words to Jamie and Fitz before walking out the door. He was dealing with his own demons, but something in his smile made her believe he’d found a way to banish them. If not, she’d have to do it for him. That was her job as his partner. No one had to teach her that.
“There you are.”
Stella plastered a smile on her face as she turned to greet Mary. “Sorry. I didn’t expect the meeting to take that long.” She let Mary take her arm and lead her to the solarium, where the other women waited.
Elizabeth, a gin and tonic in hand, stared out the window. The fingers on her free hand tapped to a beat only she could hear. After a moment, she wiped at an eye before returning to the tapping.
Stella’s heart squeezed. Was her friend thinking of her husband? She’d find that necklace if it was the last thing she did.
Flora and Eleanor were startled out of their deep conversation when she sat down.
“I’m so sorry, my dear.” Flora patted Stella’s arm. “Eleanor was sharing a story about her time working as a costume seamstress. We should plan an evening at the theater once all this nonsense with the thief is over.”
“What news do you have for us?” Elizabeth’s sharp gaze caught Stella by surprise. If she’d been melancholy before, she’d moved past it. She wasn’t ready to give up.
“We found the thief and followed him to a private club that is apparently Frenchmen only.” Stella described in full detail the events of the previous evening, starting with her and Libby hiding behind crates as they kept an eye on the pub.
Mary had the most questions, but Flora asked her to repeat a couple of parts twice.
They laughed until tears flowed when Stella shared their race through the alleys to escape two men, only to have Beckworth and the men from the Daphne find them.
Once the laughter died away, Elizabeth wiped her eye with a handkerchief, this time from amusement rather than grief, and sipped her drink. “So our mission has crossed Hensley’s.”
Mary clapped her hands. “Isn’t that marvelous? We’re actually part of a mission for the Crown.”
The women nodded and chattered while Stella sat back.
She’d never thought about Hensley’s missions being for the Crown.
She’d known it was his job, but she hadn’t considered the importance of it.
They were working for their country. And considering the time period they were in, they must feel a sense of empowerment in doing the work of men.
Something she took for granted in her own century.
Suddenly, the role of Lady Swan took on a different meaning.
With crates filled with French firearms, a team of brave and loyal men, and a Frenchman named André at her back, she had power.
Not invincible power. Her kidnapping had proven that.
But they also had the crew, and she wondered if that was what Beckworth wanted to speak to Chester about.
Or maybe he planned on yelling at him for helping her chase the thief. She had to smile at that.
“So, what part do we play in this?” Eleanor’s words didn’t mean she wanted a part. She sat with her arms crossed in a “convince me why I should be involved” sort of way.
Stella shrugged because the plans were still being sorted.
Now that the men knew what the women had been up to, she suspected Hensley would want to see an end to Mary’s involvement.
There was still one more thing they could do that was perfectly safe.
Something Stella considered crucial now that they knew who the players were.
“It’s time to contact the women who own the remaining jewelry and advise them to add heightened security around them. Let’s take the rest of the pieces out of play.”