Vow of Deception (The Ministry of Curiosities #9)(48)

He resumed washing. "Why do you ask?"

"Because you were gone a long time and you smell nice."

"I don't usually smell nice?"

"Not after returning from the slums then settling the horse in the stables."

"I washed my hands in the stables before coming inside."

Keeping a cake of lavender soap in the stables did not seem like something Lincoln would do and I was about to question him further when Gus entered the scullery brandishing a newspaper. Seth followed close behind.

"This evening's edition of The Star just arrived," Seth said.

"Gawler is named as a suspect in the attacks," Gus added.

I groaned as I read it. "What an irresponsible thing to do! Do you think Yallop and Fullbright will arrest him now?"

Seth shook his head. "They don't have any evidence."

"Spoken like a toff," Gus said. "The police don't care about evidence. If they want to arrest a cove, they'll arrest him."

"And miraculously find the evidence later," I added. Like Gus, I had little faith in our constabulary. I'd seen too many innocent people in the slums get arrested for crimes they hadn’t committed because the police couldn't be bothered to investigate properly.

Seth took the newspaper from Gus and slapped the article. "Swinburn's got a nerve feeding Salter this information. He's putting one of his own kind at risk. It's madness."

"That's Swinburn to a T," I said. "Mad. What will you do now, Lincoln?"

"Check on Gawler," Lincoln said.

"To make sure he hasn't been arrested?"

"To make sure he hasn't gone after Swinburn in retaliation."



* * *



The four of us paid Gawler a visit the following morning but he wasn't at his home in Myring Place. His neighbor told us that he'd angrily stormed off after "a toff lady" visited. Further questioning proved Harriet was the visitor. She'd carried a newspaper under her arm and sported a grim expression, and she had departed separately to Gawler.

We traveled on to Swinburn's townhouse in Queen's Gate, Kensington, where he lived next to Lord and Lady Ballantine. They and the rest of the pack had moved to London from Bristol when Swinburn decided to move his shipping company's operations to the nation's capital. He was the first of his line to win leadership of the pack after Ballantine's ancestors had held it for generations. Seeing their townhouses side-by-side, identical down to their black doors and brass knockers, I wondered how Lord Ballantine felt about losing pack leadership to the grandson of a sailor.

"Gawler's here," Lincoln said as we stood together on the pavement. "I can sense his presence. But not inside."

"He's most likely watching from that alley over there," Seth said with a nod at the gap slicing through the row of grand townhouses. "He'd be a fool to go inside anyway. No wild creature would enter a closed enemy space for fear of being trapped."

"And Swinburn?" Gus asked from the driver's perch of our conveyance. "Can you sense him too, Fitzroy?"

Lincoln shook his head. "I've never been able to sense him. Some I can, some I can't."

"Then lets urge Gawler to go home before he does anything rash," I said, setting off toward the alley.

"He'll simply return tonight," Seth said, falling into step with me. "Perhaps that's a good idea. Let them fight and get it over with."

Tonight would be better than now. There were too many people about. A maid pushed a perambulator and two gentlemen hurried on their way, intent on reaching their destinations quickly. Coaches passed by and a footman stood on a stoop only a few houses down from Swinburn's. Gawler couldn't do anything today except watch. It was far too busy.

Lincoln caught my elbow and jerked me to a stop. "Wait."

Seth stopped too. "What is it?"

Lincoln's head cocked a little to the side and his gaze focused on the entrance to the alley. "Growling."

I listened but heard nothing.

Seth shook his head. "They won't confront each other in their wolf form now. They'd be seen."

The two gentlemen, walking in opposite directions to one another, drew closer to the alley entrance. They would not only see an attack, they would hear it too, and perhaps be in danger themselves.

"Charlie, stay here." Lincoln strode off toward the alley. Seth followed and I followed him.

Then I heard it too. Growling, low and deep. Deeper than a dog's growl. The sound vibrated through me. There was only one growl, not two.

Both gentlemen stopped and turned toward the sound.

Lincoln broke into a run.

"Get away!" Seth shouted at the gentlemen.

Either they didn't hear him or they chose to ignore him. One stepped into the alley while the other squinted into the shadows.

A shot rang out, its echo ricocheting off the walls.





Chapter 10





I pushed past the gentlemen and careened into Seth's arms.

"It's not a pleasant sight," he said in my ear.

I clutched him as my eyes adjusted to the dimness. The first shape I made out was Lincoln's familiar one, standing a few feet ahead. "Why?" he snapped at the figure obscured from my view.