A Dangerous Pursuit (Regency Spies & Secrets Book 1), Laura Beers [romantic books to read TXT] 📗

He brought his gaze back down to meet hers. “It is just a trivial thing, Miss Dowding.”

“Not to me,” Madalene replied softly. “To me, it is everything.”

“You are giving me far too much credit,” he said, a tender smile on his lips. “I’m afraid it shall make me full of myself.”

Madalene ducked her head as she felt the familiar warmth return to her cheeks, finding it hard to find something clever to say when she was standing so close to him.

“I’m afraid I must depart,” Lord Hawthorne said, taking a step back.

“Must you?” she asked boldly.

Lord Hawthorne chuckled. “I would much rather stay with you than go to the House of Lords and listen to boring men ramble on.”

“You flatter me,” Madalene joked, meeting his gaze.

“That was my intention.” He offered his arm. “May I escort you back inside?”

“You may,” she replied as she placed her hand on his.

As they walked back towards the townhouse, Madalene said, “Thank you for coming when you did, my lord.”

“That is what a good friend is for,” Lord Hawthorne replied, patting her arm.

Madalene smiled up at him. “I’m glad that we are friends.”

“As am I.”

In that moment, Madalene realized that she cared for Lord Hawthorne more than she was letting on. She was falling in love with him, and that scared her.

With the moonlight brightening his path, Baldwin hurried along the cobblestone street as he headed towards the Blue Boar. He was dressed in a tattered white cotton shirt, a waistcoat that was too small for his muscular frame, and trousers held up by twine. He had yet to replace the jacket that he had given to the beggar on the street as he was racing away from the Bow Street Runner.

He arrived at the Blue Boar, ignoring the rowdy men who were lingering in front of the pub, and stepped inside. He didn’t acknowledge anyone as he headed towards the back room and knocked on the door.

Baldwin was surprised when it was opened by Morton, who ushered him in.

“Good, you have finally arrived,” Morton said as he latched the door closed. “We have been expecting you.”

Baldwin glanced around the room and counted only six people, a far cry from the crowd that had been here just a few days ago. A woman sat at the table in the corner, her features shadowed.

“Where is everyone?” Baldwin asked.

Morton stepped into the middle of the room and raised his hands, gesturing widely. “These are the people that are going to help ignite the revolution.” He pointed towards a table where two of the men were sitting. “Paul and Mark are supplying the carts and horses for the mission.”

Morton walked over and placed his hand on a man’s shoulder. “Tom is the solicitor that I was telling you about. He worked with Lord Desmond at the workhouse, and he has been writing articles in the newspaper about our cause.” He grinned. “Anonymously, of course.”

Turning back towards the woman in the corner, Morton gestured towards her. “And this is Marie.”

The woman rose confidently from the chair and stepped closer to Morton. Marie was rather tall for a woman, and she had a slim frame. She was dressed in a simple pale green gown with her brown hair pulled back at the base of her neck. With her narrow face, she wasn’t overly beautiful, but he could see how some men might find her attractive.

Marie eyed him critically as she asked in a thick French accent, “What purpose does this man serve?”

Morton turned to face her. “Baldwin saved me from being arrested by a Bow Street Runner. He is a deserter from the Royal Navy, and I thought he would be a good candidate to drive the wagon into the square since he has some experience with explosives.”

“A deserter?” Marie asked, turning her gaze towards him. “That was rather risky, no?”

“It was, but I was tired of fighting wars for a tyrant of a king who cares nothing for me,” Baldwin spat out.

Marie took a step closer to him, her eyes sparking with distrust. “Have you ever driven a wagon with a bomb strapped to the back of it before?”

“I can’t say that I have,” Baldwin admitted honestly.

“If you make one wrong move, then you will be blown up,” Marie warned, snapping her fingers. “Are you prepared to die for the cause, Baldwin?”

“I am.”

Marie nodded approvingly. “I am pleased to hear that, because this mission could very well be your last.”

Baldwin straightened himself up to his full height and declared, “I am prepared to do whatever I need to for the revolution to begin.”

“That is good,” Marie replied.

Morton walked over and pulled out a chair from one of the tables. “Take a seat, Baldwin,” he said. “We have much to discuss.”

As soon as Baldwin was situated, Morton stepped back into the center of the room and declared, “It was announced that Lord Desmond is going to have a rally to support his bill tomorrow.” He started pacing. “This will be our first target.”

Marie gestured towards him and revealed, “Baldwin will drive the team as close as he can to the stage. When the wagon is situated, he will light the fuse and run to safety.”

“How long is the fuse?” Baldwin asked.

“It is a slow match, so you shouldn’t need to fear unless you are dawdling.”

Frowning, Baldwin said, “The rally will be packed. Won’t we have mass casualties with the bomb?”

Marie looked at him like he was a simpleton. “That is the point.”

“I thought it was to assassinate Lord Desmond, not kill innocent people,” Baldwin declared, his eyes darting towards the other conspirators.

“These people are not innocent,” Morton interjected. “They are feeding into Lord Desmond’s lies.”

“But to kill them?” Baldwin questioned.

Marie shrugged, unconcerned. “It will be a quick death for most of them,” she shared. “I have spent the last few years perfecting my father’s machine infernale.”

Tom spoke up. “What exactly is a machine infernale?”

“It is an explosive device in a barrel bound