A Gentleman’s Position(51)

“Then what the devil do we do?” Harry asked. “I don’t care if everyone finds out about my past—”

“Cirencester will,” Richard interrupted. The futures unfolding before him were appalling. It was impossible to think which would be worse, the little set that bore his name becoming known as a pack of sodomites or the stain of high treason attached to his household. His brother’s wrath would be terrible and entirely justified. “Dominic, explain to me. Why does Maltravers want Mason prosecuted?”

“Because he’s Jack Cade,” Dominic said. He and Francis were watching each other like cats. “The illegal pamphleteer. If Skelton can put that across in court, even if Silas doesn’t hang, he could be transported. He has one conviction for seditious libel already.”

“You are not serious,” Francis said. “In God’s name, Dominic—”

“Yes, I’ve gone mad, that’s been well established,” Dominic snapped.

“On the contrary,” Richard said. “Dominic knows his own business best, Mason is a good man, and we will have no further argument on that subject.” That got startled looks from everyone, Dominic most of all. “But this whole business cannot simply be Maltravers helping Skelton to net an elusive quarry.”

“No, it is more,” Dominic said, recovering his composure. “The Cato Street accused are a pack of malcontents and madmen. But if Jack Cade is added to their number, that links the radical scribblers to the would-be murderers. Maltravers is tired of waiting to step into his father’s shoes. Skelton is ambitious. If they can produce a wide-ranging radical conspiracy during an election, Skelton can be sure of promotion, and Maltravers will make himself look a hero, claim a government position, and hit at us all at once.”

“Indeed,” Francis said. “I suppose Gabriel should gladly embrace the pillory or the gallows to avoid such an outcome.”

Richard lifted a hand to prevent Dominic from responding. “Very well, I have it now. Ash, do you think Maltravers knows, or suspects, about us all?”

“I don’t think so. If he did, he would have gone straight to Bow Street,” Ash told the floor. “He said…horrible things to me, and one of them was how you would all turn your backs on me when you found out. He went on and on about that, about how I’d be disgraced and despised—”

Harry leaned over and put a hand on Ash’s shoulder. “We’re with you. We all are. We won’t give you up. Or Silas either,” he added with a quick glance at Dominic.

“We will give up neither,” Richard said. “None of this can be allowed to happen. The consequences are unacceptable.”

“Yes, well, that sounds very impressive,” Julius said. “How will we avoid it?”

“I don’t know yet. Get Mason.”

The radical was duly summoned. He slouched in, looking around with an expression of mild surprise at the assembled gentlemen. “Evening.”

As Dominic outlined the problem, Richard watched the faces around him. Mason looked steadily grimmer. Ash had his head in his hands; Francis stood by him, a hand on his shoulder. Francis was a rich and ruthless man with no love for radicals; he would not allow harm to come to Ash even if it brought him Dominic’s enmity. Richard did not want it to come to a battle between them.

This was going to rip them apart before their ruin if he could not find a way through.

“So that’s it,” Dominic concluded. “Thoughts?”

“Well.” Mason shoved his hands into his pockets. “I’d say I’d best bugger off, except that leaves Harry in trouble.”

“Very much so,” Julius said. “Flight is an admission of guilt.”

“I could come to France with you,” Harry suggested. Silas gave him a scathing look. “Why not? I speak French, which is more than you do.”

Julius snorted. “He barely speaks English, but I have no intention of going to France, so you are not doing any such thing.”

“A pack of us can’t flee the country together. That would be as absurd as disastrous,” Dominic agreed. “That said—Ash, if you agreed to Maltravers’s demands but Silas and Harry left the country before arrest, would your brother keep his bargain and not prosecute you?”

“Who’s to say he’ll do that anyway?” Julius asked. “With all due respect to his lordship, he’s a thieving, blackmailing turd. Why should he not be a liar? Does anyone here trust his word?”

“That’s a good point,” Harry said. “At the very least, Ash would need to get the letter back from him before doing anything.”