page3 (1/2)

“Perhaps he will ain someday”

Eliza shrugged and smiled “Gor, there are many fine ladies ould have him! They come to his office to ask him to help with their charities, or to complain about pickpockets and such But it’s plain they hope to catch his eye And the less interest he shows, the more they pursue him”

“Sir Ross is sometimes called the Monk of Bow Street,” Sophia murmured “Does that mean he never…” She paused as a blush climbed her cheeks

“Only he knows for certain,” Eliza said thoughtfully“‘Twould be a pity, wouldn’t it? A waste of a good, healthy rin, and she winked at Sophia “But I think soht woman will kno to tempt him, don’t you?”

Yes, Sophia thought with a swirl of satisfaction She would be the one to end Sir Ross’s monkish ways She would win his trust, perhaps even his love… and she would use it to destroy him

As news traveled fast on Bow Street, Ross was unsurprised when a knock came on the door not a quarter hour after Sophia had left One of the assistant an, entered the office “Good ht with good hu his life as a need The other runners were both envious and entertained by the fact that the foran was so openly in love with his small, red-haired wife

At a height of nearly six and a half feet, Grant Morgan was the only man Ross had to physically look up to An orphan who had once worked at a Covent Garden fishe eighteen and been rapidly proh the ranks until Ross had selected him to join the elite force of a half-dozen runners Recently he had been appointed to serve as assistant ent, and one of the few people in the world whom Ross trusted

Pulling the visitor’s chair up to the desk, Morgan lowered his gigantic fraave Ross a speculative stare “I caught a glimpse of Miss Sydney,” he remarked “Vickery told me that she is your new assistant Naturally I replied that he must have been mistaken”

“Why?”

“Because hiring a woman for such a position would be i a woman as comely as Miss Sydney to work at Bow Street would be damned foolish And since I have never known you to be i”

“He’s right,” Ross muttered

Leaning to the side, Morgan rested his chin in the bracket of his thuistrate speculatively “She’s going to be a clerk and file-keeper? And take depositions frohwaymen and buttock-and-file whores and—”

“Yes,” Ross snapped

Morgan’s thick brows climbed halfway up his forehead “To point out the obvious, every oing to be on her like flies on a honeypot She won’t be able to get a da done Miss Sydney is trouble, and you know it” He paused and remarked idly, “What interests me is why you chose to hire her anyway”

“It’s none of your business Miss Sydney is my employee I’ll hire anyone I damn ant to, and the men had better leave her alone or answer to me”

Morgan stared at hi way that Ross didn’t like “My pardon,” he said softly “You seem to be rather touchy on the subject”

“I’m not touchy, dammit!”

Morgan responded with a suprerin “I believe this is the first time I’ve ever heard you swear, Cannon”

Too late, Ross understood the source of Morgan’s amusement Soht to ers on the desk in an impatient staccato

Morgan watched his struggle with a lingering grin Apparently he could not resistone more comment “Well, there is one point that no one will dispute—she makes a prettier clerk than Vickery”

Ross pinned hian, the next time I advertise for an e-toothed old crone in the hopes of pleasing you Now, may we turn the discussion to so to work?”

“By all ive you the latest report on Nick Gentry”

Ross’s eyes narrowed at the news Of all the cried, Gentry was easily the first on the list He was the opposite of everything Ross sought to uphold

Taking advantage of the law that gave rewards to any citizen who apprehended a highwaylar, or deserter, Nick Gentry and his men had established an office in London and set theht a highwayman, he received not only a cohwayoods, he not only charged a fee, he also took a percentage of the property’s value When Gentry and his ainst a particular felon, they planted orboys into cri the the bounties

Gentry was regarded with both admiration and fear in the underworld, where he was the undisputed king His office had becoland Gentry was guilty of all kinds of corruption, including fraud, bribery, thievery, and even arded by much of London as soure in his fine clothes, riding his big black horse through the alleys and thoroughfares of London Sh or low birth were excited by his intriguing appearance

“I’d like to see that bastard dance in the wind,” Ross muttered “Tell me what you have”

“We have witness accounts that Gentry arranged for the escape of three of his ate The clerk has already taken two depositions”