"Yes," Peregrine said without elaboration. "I also want you to drop the lawsuits against the L & S Railway. Is it possible that Weldon will soon be in so much legal trouble that he will have to step out of the company?"
"I think that is a safe assumption." Slade leaned back in his chair, his eyes narrowing with thought. "What do you intend to do with the company? With some more capital and good management, it will be very successful. As the largest single shareholder, you can run it yourself if you want to."
Peregrine grimaced. "No thanks. Start thinking about who might have the skill and experience to run the company. I'm sure you can find someone worthy."
Slade gave a beatific smile. "You can't imagine how happy I am to help you make money rather than waste it."
Ignoring the comment, Peregrine said, "Tomorrow morning, I'm going to the London house for a few days. I think you should stay there, too, at least until Weldon is arrested."
"Fine," Slade said, starting to gather his papers. "Country peace and quiet are beginning to wear. But what about Lord Ross—will you just leave him here alone?"
"Ross will be well taken care of," Peregrine said. "And when he learns why I'm going to London, he'll wish me Godspeed."
* * *
It was pure luck that Weldon happened to see Sara's return to London. His usual route between home and office ran by Haddonfield House, and he was traveling to work when his eye was caught by a carriage pulled up in front of the duke's mansion. He leaned forward in his seat and peered out the window.
Lady Sara stood on the pavement, and the pieces of luggage beside her implied that she had come to stay with her father for a few days. Perhaps the two lovebirds had had a quarrel? Weldon sincerely hoped so.
He was about to drop the curtain and lean back in his seat when another small figure climbed out of the carriage. He sucked his breath in with shock. Yes, by God, the second female was Jenny Miller, and she was acting as a lady's maid!
His carriage moved past the newcomers and he could see no more. Weldon sat back and crossed his legs, thinking hard about what he had seen. The little trollop had disappeared from Mrs. Kent's within a day or two of Peregrine's visit to the girl. Weldon hadn't made the connection before, but now he was willing to bet that the bastard had helped Jenny escape. He must have made the girl his mistress, then installed her as his own wife's maid after the marriage.
It was an impressive display of gall, the sort of thing Weldon had always enjoyed. He wondered if Sara knew her husband kept a mistress under her very nose. Probably not; she was too prudish to approve, much less join the other two in a bed.
Weldon began drumming his fingers on his knee. He couldn't touch Sara without running the risk of retribution against Eliza, but Jenny Miller was fair game. He had sworn that if he ever found the little slut again, he'd make her pay for running away. And now fate had given him a perfect chance to avenge himself on Jenny and strike a blow against Peregrine at the same time.
Instead of proceeding to his office, he gave orders to return home. There he summoned Jimmons, whom he had selected as a replacement for Kane. Unfortunately, while Jimmons was the best of the brothel guards, he was to Kane what a plow horse was to a thoroughbred. But he was strong and he obeyed orders.
When Jimmons appeared, Weldon handed him a crude map. "I want Haddonfield House watched. Have two of the other brothel guards do it. They'll only need to watch during daylight, so they can still do their usual jobs."
When his subordinate nodded, Weldon continued, "A girl who used to be in Mrs. Kent's house is there now, probably as a lady's maid. She's about eighteen but looks younger. Small and blond, very pretty. When they see her entering or leaving, they should grab her without attracting attention." As an afterthought, he added, "Tell them not to hurt the girl. She's valuable."
"Yes, sir. What we do with 'er once we've snatched 'er?"
"Take her to back to Mrs. Kent's," Weldon ordered. There he himself would punish her for running away, and for consorting with the enemy.
* * *
At first Eliza Weldon was hurt when her father said she must stay at her uncle's for a few days, but she found herself surprisingly happy to be back among her cousins. While Papa was wonderful, she didn't see much of him. She had missed the company of other young people.
The center of the girls' activities had always been the bedroom of Jane, at sixteen the oldest daughter of the family. Eliza had hardly entered Lord Batsford's house when she was swirled upstairs by Anne, who was twelve and closest in age to Eliza. The middle daughter, fourteen-year-old Lucy, completed the party, which was organized around marzipan and gossip. Such a self-indulgent orgy was possible only when the governess was taking her half day off, and the Weldon girls were taking full advantage of her absence.