The Wrong Girl(55)

"It bloody well is!" Jack grasped the handles of the chair and pulled it around so that his uncle faced him. Langley's nostrils flared, but his gaze didn't flicker as he glared back at his nephew. "Who is the one-armed man?" Jack ground out. "Who hired Patrick to burgle you?"

"It's all in hand—"

"Tell us!"

Langley folded his hands in his lap. "I appreciate your concern for me—"

"I don't want to pursue this for you." Jack straightened and closed his fists at his sides, but not before I saw the glow of his fingers. He was furious, but controlling it. Barely. "I want to get to the bottom of this for Hannah's sake. The theft may have something to do with her abduction."

"What makes you think that?"

"The timing is too coincidental for the events not to be linked. Since you orchestrated her kidnap, and I suspect you know who the one-armed gentleman is, you must know why there's a connection."

"Jack," Langley said on another sigh. The wrinkles around his eyes folded in on each other and his shoulders slumped forward. "The man is dangerous and shouldn't be trifled with. I contacted the constabulary after I realized who it was from Bollard's account. Let the detective inspector do his job."

"The inspector is incompetent. He didn't question all of the staff after the burglary."

"He has the man's name. All he needs to do is arrest him." He lifted a hand and waved Jack away. "Leave me. I have work to do."

Jack muttered something under his breath then stormed out. Sylvia, chewing her lip, followed him. I remained behind despite Bollard looming beside me.

"For an intelligent man, that was a very stupid thing to do," I said.

"You're still here?" Langley said without turning around from his work.

"Jack is far more capable than the constabulary. If you want this man punished, you should give Jack some information."

"Are you quite finished?"

"Now you've riled him, which is something you seem to like doing to the people who live with you."

"Hannah," he said, finally looking at me over his shoulder, "Jack has a job to do here. Training you. He can't go gallivanting around the country."

"Then perhaps he needs a new job."

***

Jack and I trained in the bare room for the rest of the day, and the next. He was edgy and frustrated, and it was difficult for us both to concentrate. I made painfully little progress in learning to willfully produce the fire within me, and therefore absolutely none in dampening it. It wasn't surprising since it required me to be angry, something I couldn't simply turn on at will. The eventual aim, Jack said, was that I would be able to set things alight with a mere thought, and quell the heat at times when my temper got the better of me.

On the morning of what would have been the third straight day of training, Tommy gave us some startling news over breakfast. Or, I should say, he gave Jack the news. The two of them exchanged whispers in the corner before Tommy took up his position near the sideboard.

"Bloody hell," Jack muttered, thumping the solid surface of the sideboard with his fist.

"What is it?" I asked.

"There was another break-in last night. Tommy scared the man away. He and Olson kept watch for the rest of the night. You should have woken me," he said to the footman.

"Yes, sir."

"Stop with the sirs when it's just us, will you? You know I hate it."

Tommy's usually dour expression lifted. "Yes, sir."

Jack gave him a withering glare, and Sylvia covered her giggle with her hand.

"Was anything taken?" I asked.

"No."

"Was it Patrick?"

"No, Miss Smith," Tommy said. "It wasn't anyone I recognized."

"Dear lord," Sylvia said, sitting heavily on a chair. "What if he intended to murder us in our beds?"

"I'm sure that wasn't his intention, Syl," Jack said.

Tommy puffed out his chest. "I'll protect you, Miss Langley."

"Thank you," she said. "I can rely on you if not my own cousin."

"Have the police been notified?" I asked.

"Yes, Miss Smith," said Tommy.

Indeed, the inspector and constable appeared just before luncheon. It was the same ones who'd come the first time, and I was surprised to see them. Weren't they supposed to be arresting the one-armed man? I was dying to find out more, although I doubted Langley would tell me anything. Jack and I watched the policemen leave from the window, our lessons having been abandoned early because neither of us could concentrate or stop speculating about the intruder.

"I hope they spoke to everyone this time," I said as the policemen climbed into their carriage.