“Nice of ye to come,” Patrick said.
“I came as soon as I could, so I did. I had to wait until the family retired to get away.”
“Rumor is the family leaves for Town tomorrow,” Sean said, sipping his ale.
James nodded, smiling as the serving girl brought his own pint. She smiled back, and all three waited until she’d moved on before speaking again.
“Ye have to go with them,” Sean said.
James shook his head. “They’re only taking the ladies’ maids and the first footman. They don’t want me.”
“Sean is right. Ye have to go,” Patrick said, leaning forward conspiratorially. “This is our best chance.”
James shook his head. His neck felt stiff, as though a noose had been looped around it. “There will be a better chance when the family returns.”
Patrick’s bright blue eyes narrowed. “That’s what ye said last time.”
“And the time before,” Sean added.
“I’m starting to think ye don’t want this plan to succeed.”
James drank to slake the sudden dryness in his throat. “I’ve done more than either of ye to make sure the plan does succeed. Yer not the ones fetching and carrying everyday.”
“Sure and we’re twiddling our fingers waiting for ye to give us a sign to act.” Patrick mimed twiddling his fingers.
Sean pointed at James. “And every day we wait, opportunities are passing us by. We could be in America by now, living like kings.”
James leaned over the table, speaking low. “Sure and what if we’re caught and thrown in Newgate? What do ye think they do to men convicted of abducting the daughter of a duke?”
“No one would hurt the lass,” Sean said.
“That won’t matter a whit, and ye know it.”
Patrick sat back. “That’s our answer then, so it is.”
“What answer?” James demanded, cutting his eyes to the right and left to make sure they weren’t being observed.
“Ye’ve changed yer mind. Yer no longer with us.”
“I didn’t say that—"
“Ye didn’t have to, man. It’s as clear as the day. I knew sending ye in that grand house was a mistake. Ye must like bowing and scraping.”
“I don’t like it.”
Patrick exchanged a look with Sean. “Maybe ye’ve forgotten what it was like to be put out of yer house, kicked off yer land, watch yer ma and da beg for a crust of bread.”
Sean continued where Patrick ended. “Maybe ye forgot what that tenement in Dublin was like. Our three families, twenty-two people, living in two rooms. No light, no air, no medicine for the wee ones. Maybe ye forgot about Colleen and the day we buried her—”
“Don’t speak of her!” James roared. The chatter in the pub ceased and several men turned to glance at him. James lifted his tankard with a shaking hand and drank. When he lowered it, he smiled and waved a hand. “My apologies, gentlemen. Just a wee bit of excitement here.”
The noise in the pub gradually began to grow, but Sean kept his voice low. “Do ye not want to avenge yer sister, cold and dead in the ground this past year?”
He did. He had. But James was increasingly prone to wonder if ransoming Lady Philomena was the way to go about it. Yes, they could collect a fortune, enough to send back to their families and to buy passage on a ship to America, where they could start over in a land with limitless opportunities. They never planned to hurt Phil. At least James knew Sean would never hurt her. Patrick had a streak of mean in him, but James had thought he could handle Patrick.
But all of this had been before he’d known Phil. She’d been a faceless woman—nothing but a title and a fortune. Now he knew her. He didn’t have to think too hard to remember the feel of her skin against his palms or the scent of her on his fingers. Suddenly, the plan didn’t feel so harmless, so victimless. He hadn’t intended to develop feelings for Lady Philomena, but now that he had them, how could he use her?
She would hate him. She would hate herself. And James didn’t think that all the riches in America would be enough to earn forgiveness if he followed through with what he and Sean and Patrick had planned all those months ago. James would never forgive himself.
“If ye don’t want to help us, I’m sure we can find a man who will,” Patrick said, draining the last of his ale and making to rise.
Panic gripped James now. As it stood, he had held off Sean and Patrick and protected Phil. But if they cut him out of the scheme, she would be vulnerable once again. And with her in London and James still at Southmeade, he couldn’t keep her safe. Plus, there was no guarantee whoever Sean and Patrick recruited would treat Phil honorably.
“Sit down,” James hissed. “I didn’t say I wouldn’t help. I just said I can’t go to London.”
Patrick narrowed his eyes. “So yer in?”
“I said I was, but ye’ll have to wait until the family returns from London.” He’d think of some way to fix this before then. He’d think of another scheme for Patrick and Sean or send them back to Ireland on false pretenses.
“No, I don’t think so,” Sean said. “I think we can make it so ye go to London with the family.”
“How’s that?” James asked. “They’re leaving in the morning and most of the staff are abed.”
“Leave it to me,” Sean said, his tone ominous. James suddenly had a vision of Mr. Balcolm lying on the ground with his neck twisted at an impossible angle.
“What do ye think to do?” James asked.
“Nothing permanent,” Sean said. “Just make sure yer up and ready to go to Town at first light.”
JAMES WAS UP EARLY the next morning. He couldn’t very well pack his valise with William about, but he had lain awake planning what he would take in his head. His eyes felt heavy and gritty from lack of sleep, and as he helped load the carriage, he jumped at every sound, certain it would be someone announcing the demise of poor Balcolm.
But when the news came, it was far less dramatic than he had supposed. Mr. Caffold stopped him in the courtyard and asked if he could serve at breakfast. Balcolm had a touch of indigestion this morning. Feeling as though his face betrayed his guilt, James agreed and started back upstairs to change into a clean livery and gloves. But he’d barely begun when William charged into their chambers, half out of breath.
“Caffold says to pack your things. You’re for London.”
James stared at him then stuttered, “What about Balcolm?”
“He’s taken to his bed. Cast up his accounts all over the butler’s pantry. Her Grace says he is to stay here and wait for the doctor. That means you go. I wish I could go. I’ve never even seen London.”
“It’s noisy and dirty,” James said, pulling out his valise.
“You’ve seen it?”
James immediately realized his mistake. He had told everyone he’d worked for a family in Ireland before coming here. When would he have gone to London? “That’s what I’ve heard,” James said. “I’ll tell ye all about it when I return. I’ll bring ye a memento too.”
“You will?” William’s eyes grew large.