“What is it?” Luke asked.
“The man who’s been following Lady Catherine.”
Luke’s heart slammed against his ribs and everything else suddenly seemed unimportant. “Where is he?”
Jim jerked his head to the side. “Jack’s office.”
Luke hurried out of the room. “How did you find him?”
“Lady Catherine was running around like an insane woman this morning, taking care of the things for the ball she was hosting tonight.” Jim stepped into the room and pointed at a battered man with dark hair sitting in a chair, working the brim of his hat. “Mr. Evans here could barely keep up with her.”
Jack’s burly footman had obviously been keeping guard. He nodded once and discreetly left the room, closing the door behind him.
“He’s been ever so cooperative since he spent a few hours in gaol,” Jim explained.
“Abuse of power is wot it was. Locking me up when I ain’t done nuffin’ wrong.”
Luke sat on the edge of Jack’s desk, studying the man. “Do you know who I am?”
“Claybourne,” the man fairly spit.
“Do you know that I’ve killed a man?”
“So have I. It’s not that hard to do.”
“My point, dear fellow, is that I’m fond of Lady Catherine and I don’t like that blackguards such as yourself are following her.”
“I never ’urt ’er.”
“That’s the only reason you’re still breathing. I want answers and if I don’t get them, I won’t be nearly as gentle as Scotland Yard. Have I made myself clear?”
Evans swallowed, nodded. He was a bully, and bullies were easy to put in their place.
“Why did you follow her?” Luke asked.
“I was paid to.”
“By whom?”
“Fancy gent.”
“Who?”
“Don’t know his name. He hired a bunch of us.”
“Hired a bunch of you to do what?”
He lifted his shoulders in the way a man would to avoid a blow. “Follow people around.”
“Come on, mate,” Jim said, his voice riffed with authority. “Tell his lordship everything without him having to ask all the questions.”
“What people exactly were you following?” Luke asked.
“The Lady Catherine, loike ’e said,”—he pointed to Jim—“a duchess, and you.”
“Which duchess were you following?”
“Dunno. I didn’t follow ’er. Me mate followed ’er. I know she was the gent’s wife; he thought she was up to no good.”
“Why did he have you follow Lady Catherine?”
“Dunno. Just wanted to know where she went, who she met, wot she did. So I told ’im. Mostly borin’ stuff, shoppin’ and the loike.”
“There, you see?” Jim asked. “I’m not the only one who thought she was boring.”
Luke jerked his head around and glared at Jim.
Jim held up his hands in surrender. “Sorry. But I felt a need to point it out.”
Luke turned his attention back to Evans. “Are you one of the gents who attacked me one night?”
The man’s cap almost disappeared in his large hands he was wringing it so hard. It was answer enough for Luke.
“Were you supposed to kill me?”
Evans gave a brusque nod.
“And Lady Catherine?”
Evans’s head came up, his eyes round. “No, I swear. Didn’t know she was even there ’til she popped outta the coach. I didn’t follow ’er at noight, ’er being a lady and all. I figured she was already abed.”
“Did you tell your employer?”
Evans shook his head quickly. “’E was mad enuf that we didn’t get the job done proper. Didn’t want to borrow no more trouble.”
“Where did you meet him?”
“Nowhere in particular. ’E always found us.”
“And you don’t know who he is?”
“Sorry, mate.”
“Yes, I’ll just bet you are.” Luke considered what he knew. Nothing made sense. Something was missing. Why would he follow a duchess? And which duchess? “The duchess you were following—did you ever see her with Lady Catherine?”
“Almost every day. They were tighter than two peas in a pod.”
“You didn’t think that was worth mentioning?”
The man shrugged.
“If they were together, only one of you needed to follow them, but two of you were still getting paid, right?” Jim asked.
Evans sighed and nodded as if he were a child caught pilfering a cookie. But Luke had greater concerns on his mind. He eased off the desk, walked to Jim, and said in a low voice, “Catherine spends a good deal of time with the Duchess of Avendale. Have you seen her in the company of any other duchess?”