Ducal Encounters In the Duke’s Estimation

“Been doing a spot of chimney sweeping?” Zach asked, casting an amused glance over Nate as he stormed into his library. His dogs sniffed briefly at Nate’s sooty boots, lost interest and returned to their slumbers in front of the fire.

“Better than that. I’ve found the document Brown held over Heston.”

“Hidden in a chimney?” Zach elevated both brows. “Wasn’t that taking a risk with something so valuable?”

Nate explained about the solidity of the hiding place. “Man made,” he said. “Tough enough to withstand a dozen fires and very well concealed. I almost missed it.”

“What does the document say?”

“No idea.” Nate glanced at his hands. “Didn’t linger to read it but I did see Heston’s signature at the bottom of it. I’ll go and change then we’ll look at it together. Can you have Heston summoned in the meantime, as we agreed?”

“Shouldn’t we examine the document first and acquaint ourselves with its contents before confronting him?”

“No time. Heston was talking of moving Katrina from Park Street as early as this morning.”

Zach flashed a wry smile. “Go and clean yourself and I’ll arrange for Heston to be delivered to you.”

“Oh, to have such authority,” Nate said with a wicked grin.

Zach rolled his eyes. “You have no idea, little brother. No idea at all.”

By the time Nate returned to the library wearing a clean shirt and with soot-free hands, Zach was able to tell him that he had already sent a servant to the Foreign Office with a note for Romsey. Romsey was Heston’s immediate superior and so he couldn’t refuse to accompany him here to Sheridan House.

“Seems you were right about Heston,” Zach said, peering over Nate’s shoulder as he studied the document he had gone to so much trouble to liberate. “He did have a hand in Davis’s death.”

“I knew it. But it doesn’t give particulars. This document is very ambiguous.”

“It says his death was an accident,” Zach pointed out. “That the two men got into an altercation over the girl. Not a duel by the sounds of it. Just old-fashioned rough-housing that ended in disaster. Heston’s only error was not to report the death.”

“And his misfortune was that Brown’s father came across him at the vital time and helped him dispose of the body.” Nate straightened up from reading the document and glowered at the opposite wall. “At which point he had Heston at his mercy.”

“It looks that way.”

“And there’s a stipulation here that Heston would assume responsibility for Brown’s son’s education.” Nate scowled. “That explains a lot.”

“What are the other papers?” Zach asked.

Nate flipped through them. “It looks like Brown’s been keeping records of misdemeanours committed by other officials at the Foreign Office. He must have people spying on them to discover so much about their activities. Blackmail, do you suppose?”

“It’s hard to know,” Zach replied, “but if asked to hazard a guess, I’d say he ensured his own promotions by threatening to blacken the names of his competitors.”

“By telling them what he had on them and persuading them not to seek promotion in the first place perhaps. No wonder he’s so unpopular with the other clerks.” Nate permitted his distaste to show. “And Heston was prepared to let Katrina marry such a man.”

“Well, thanks to you, she will not now have to. Instead she’ll be free to enjoy the attentions of society’s elite.”

Nate elevated a brow. “The devil she will!”

Zach chuckled. “You sure?” he asked.

Nate nodded, well aware of what Zach was asking him and no longer seeking to deny it. “I’m absolutely sure.”

“Good man.” Zach slapped his shoulder. “Always assuming she’ll settle for you, of course.”

Nate was still contemplating the possibility of rejection when Faraday entered the room. “Lord Heston is here, Your Grace.”

“Ready?” Zach asked, cutting a glance towards Nate.

“Perfectly so,” Nate replied, straightening his shoulders.

Romsey and Heston entered the room. Romsey made the introductions.

Heston inclined his head to Zach and offered the same courtesy to Nate. As a seasoned diplomat his expression gave nothing away about his reaction to his unexpected summons but Nate could sense the underlying tension beneath his pristine manners. He took a moment to study the man who had fathered his intended bride. He wore his advanced years well and was the epitome of elegance. His stance was upright, his heavily lined face adorned with neatly trimmed white whiskers. He had a full head of thick white hair and intelligent faded blue eyes that appeared to miss little.

“My brother needs to speak with you in private,” Zach said, “so we’ll leave you to it.”

So saying, Zach and Romsey swept from the room, Zach’s dogs at his heels. If Heston was surprised by Zach’s autocratic behaviour he gave no sign. Presumably he was accustomed to dealing with men of consequence who were used to having their way.

“Please have a seat,” Nate said, indicating the chairs on either side of the fire.

“I must confess I was surprised when Lord Romsey asked me to come here and am even more surprised that my business is with you, Sheridan. I was not aware that you had duties at the Foreign Office.”

“My need to see you is of a more personal nature.”

Heston waited politely for Nate to speak again, although since he was aware that Nate had waltzed twice with his daughter, he could have little doubt that she was the reason why he had been summoned.

“I have had the pleasure of enjoying Lady Katrina’s company on several occasions since she has been in London.”

“So I understand but I fail to see—”

“I’d like your permission to address her,” Nate said, meeting Heston’s gaze and holding it.

Heston elevated a bushy white brow. “You wish to marry Katrina?”

“Well, I…I must confess that you have surprised me. I didn’t imagine my little Katrina would attract the interest of such a distinguished, and may I say worldly, gentleman.”

“Then it is my turn to express surprise, sir, since I cannot think of anything more likely. Lady Katrina is a delight.”

“Well, naturally, I think so.” Heston shifted his position, his polite expression giving way to what appeared to be a moment’s regret. “Please don’t think I am not aware of the honour of your request, Sheridan, but regrettably I must decline my permission.”

“Am I to be honoured with a more comprehensive explanation than that?” Nate asked, elegantly arranging his legs into a more comfortable position, his tone silk on steel.

“She is already promised elsewhere.” Heston looked away from Nate as he spoke. That surprised Nate. In his profession, Heston must know that failing to focus his full attention upon an adversary was a sign of weakness. “I am surprised she didn’t mention the fact.”

“She told me no formal agreement had been reached.”

Heston waved a negligent hand. “Terms are on the point of being agreed.”

“But have not actually been so?”

“Well…no, but that barely signifies.”

“I beg to differ,” Nate said calmly. “If Lady Katrina has not given her agreement to the match then she cannot be accused of reneging.”

“You are very determined.”

Nate lifted one shoulder. “I am in love.”

“Evidently.” Heston was momentarily silent. “Is Katrina aware of that fact?”

“I wanted your permission first.”

“I thank you for that consideration.” Heston shook his head, suddenly looking old and upset. “You have no idea how much I wish it could be otherwise but alas, I have given my word.”

“I need hardly remind you that I don’t actually need your permission, Heston. I was merely observing the courtesies. Katrina will be old enough to make up her own mind in a few months.”

“She will do what I ask of her. She is a dutiful child.”

“You would force her into a marriage with a man whom she does not love and who, frankly, is beneath her when she could have…well, all of this.” Nate spread his arms to encompass the opulent room.

“I am a man of my word.”

“And Katrina’s feelings have no bearing on the issue?”

“She has led a sheltered life. She does not understand—”

“You claim to love your daughter and want only the best for her.” Nate fixed him with an icy glare. “And yet you do not take her desires into consideration.”

“Desire?” Heston threw his hands in the air. “What does she know of desire?” He fixed Nate with a suspicious glower. “Unless…”

“Don’t look at me like that, Heston, or I might take offence.”

“No offence was intended, Sheridan. I know your behaviour has been honourable.”

Well, it hadn’t, not precisely, Nate thought, recalling Vauxhall. But he schooled his features into an impassive expression and inclined his head in acknowledgement of Heston’s apology.

“I was thinking I should not have permitted her to come to London without me. Society has turned her head.”

“Better to leave her buried in the wilds of Switzerland?”

“She was safe from predators there.”

“There you go again with your innuendos.”

“Present company excepted, naturally,” Heston added in an urbane tone.

“It would help me recover from my disappointment if you would explain to me why you are so set upon a man like Brown.”

“I’m sorry, Sheridan, but I have said all I am prepared to on the subject. You have asked my permission to court my daughter and I have regretfully declined to give it. I came here at the request of the duke and that of my superior, Lord Romsey, but the reasons for my decision regarding my daughter’s future are private.” He stood up. “I thank you for the compliment you have paid—”

“Sit down, Heston!” Nate spoke with such quiet authority in his tone that Heston immediately resumed his seat. Nate threw Brown’s incriminating document into his lap. “Will this help to change your mind?”

Heston glanced down at the papers, inhaling sharply when he realised what they were, and appeared to shrivel in on himself. Gone was the suave elder statesman. In his place sat an old man who looked every one of his sixty-odd years as confusion and anxiety competed for dominance in his expression.

“Where…where did you get this?” he asked, lifting the document in a trembling hand.

Nate got up, fetched Heston a glass of water from a jug on a side table and forced it upon him. Heston thanked him, took several sips and appeared to recover a modicum of composure.

“Where I got it is of no consequence, at least for the moment.” Nate resumed his seat, satisfied that Heston’s health was in no immediate danger of failing him. “What it contains implies you were complicit in a murder when you were a young man. I find that very hard to believe, but obviously Brown and now his son have been holding it against you for their own advancement. I should be glad to hear your account of events.”

After a prolonged pause Heston nodded. “And under the circumstances, I am more than willing to tell you the truth. It has been on my conscience for far too long.” He fixed Nate with a level gaze. “You see, the bald fact of the matter is that I really did kill Davis.”

Time hung heavily on Katrina’s hands and she was unable to settle to anything on the morning following Nate’s visit. Quite why he had quizzed her on her feelings for Mr. Brown, or the lack thereof, she could not have said. Nor did it much matter since she would most likely never see him again. The pain that thought engendered was almost unbearable. But bear it Katrina must. Facts had to be faced. Papa would almost certainly send for her today so that she could make arrangements to move into their new lodgings. When Papa set his mind to a project it never took him long to see it through.

“Would you like to go to the shops this morning?” Frankie asked. “There is a new milliner established in Covent Garden about whom I have heard wonderful things.”

“I had best not go out,” Katrina replied, unable to keep a note of resentment out of her voice. “Papa warned me to expect a summons today.”

“I am sure an hour or two won’t inconvenience him and you look as though you could do with cheering up. A smart new bonnet never fails to lift my spirits.”

“I shall have a hard enough time as it is, accounting to Papa for my new wardrobe.”

“Purchased from your own funds,” Frankie reminded her gently. “So it is really none of your father’s business.”

“Ha, that won’t stop him from commenting upon my wastefulness, and I suppose he’s right.” Katrina sighed, aware that she sounded sorry for herself. With good reason. “I won’t have much need for ball gowns once I leave the ton.”

Besides, Katrina thought but did not say, it no longer signified what she wore.

“I hate to see you so dispirited, my love,” Frankie said, impulsively embracing Katrina. “And I blame myself for your dejection.”

“You! What have you done other than to show me the greatest kindness?”

“You were probably better off not coming to London at all. If I had not offered then you would not have been able to and then you wouldn’t have experienced—”

“I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.” Katrina swallowed down her anguish and did her very best to adopt a cheerful countenance. A hard ambition to achieve when one’s heart was breaking. “Some people are of the opinion that what one has never had, one never misses. I do not subscribe to that point of view. I have had the most wonderful time, I don’t regret a minute of it and shall never forget it.”

To her mortification, a fat tear slid down her cheek, lending a lie to her carefree attitude. When Frankie’s arms closed tightly about her, Katrina gave up all pretence and sobbed her heart out on Frankie’s shoulder.

“Don’t marry him, I beg of you!” Frankie said when Katrina had herself more or less under control again. “Your father will get over his disappointment, given time. There is no reason why you should throw yourself away on such a man.”

“It will kill Papa if I flagrantly disobey him. He is the only security I have ever known and I would have his death on my conscience for the rest of my days.” Katrina found a handkerchief in her pocket and wiped her eyes. “It will be all right.”

“Grown men of your father’s age don’t die of broken hearts but it’s all right for them to use emotional blackmail to get their daughters to do as they wish.” Frankie blew air through her lips. “I’m sorry if I speak out of turn but at least I also speak from experience. I was once subjected to similar treatment myself.”

Katrina blinked. “You were? Is that why you married Lord St. John?”

“I will tell you about that another day. But right now we are discussing your future and I cannot sit by and watch you being coerced into making the same mistake that I did, albeit for a different reason.”

“A Mr. Brown is here, my lady,” Evans said, entering the room as silently as always. “He is asking to see Lady Katrina.”

“Well,” Frankie asked, “shall I have him sent away?”

Katrina was sorely tempted to say yes but knew it would do her no good. It would only be delaying the inevitable. “No, show him in please, Evans,” she said, sighing.

“Lady Katrina, Lady St. John.” Mr. Brown entered the room and bowed to them both, looking suave and self-assured but a little fractious. “I trust I find you both well.”

Frankie answered for them both while Katrina studied the man who was destined to become her husband. Who would earn the right to visit her bedchamber and dictate the direction of the rest of her life. She suppressed a shudder. He was not without charm, nor was he ugly, and Katrina knew nothing to his detriment. Her father had often remarked that he was a diligent person who took his duties seriously. A little too seriously perhaps, although that thought would not have occurred to her before she met Nate. Nor would she have entertained the notion that she found his intensity, the way he regarded her with such fierce possessiveness, a little frightening.

“What brings you here at this hour?” Frankie asked. “I should have thought you would be needed at the Foreign Office.”

“Your father sent me, Lady Katrina. He has found an apartment—”

“Already?” Katrina couldn’t keep a note of dismay out of her voice, even though she had expected as much.

“Indeed, and he would like me to take you to meet him there.”

“If it’s convenient.”

It wasn’t and never would be. “I shall fetch my bonnet and pelisse,” Katrina said, standing.

“Would you like me to accompany you?” Frankie asked.

“Begging your pardon, ma’am, but Lord Heston would like Lady Katrina to go alone. He was most insistent on the point.”

“Very well.” But Katrina could see Frankie was put out to be spoken to in such a manner by a person of Mr. Brown’s ilk.

A short time later, dressed in warm outdoor clothing, she returned to the drawing room.

“Shall we go? Papa does not like to be kept waiting.”

“I was a young man when I met Davis, which is the only excuse I have subsequently been able to think of to excuse my behaviour,” Heston said. “Surrey and I were great friends, in and out of one another’s houses the entire time, sowing our wild oats in the way young men are wont to do. But all that changed when his niece Amelia came to stay with him.” Heston threw back his head and sighed, a soft smile playing about his lips. “She was the most exquisite creature on God’s earth. Lively, intelligent and breathtakingly beautiful.” He cast a glance at Nate. “You might have noticed earlier that I didn’t suggest you hadn’t had time to fall in love with my Katrina, given the short nature of your acquaintance. That’s because I know that love at first sight is no myth. I took one look at Amelia and it happened to me.”

“I have met her,” Nate replied softly. “Even today she still retains an air of elegance that few would not find pleasing.”

Heston’s head shot up. “I should be interested to know how you came to make her acquaintance.”

“I have not seen her myself since…well, since that dreadful time. Anyway, she and I became fast friends and I, as a earl’s heir and a man of wealth and property, didn’t doubt that I would be able to win her heart.” He shook his head and flashed a mirthless smile. “Such is the arrogance of youth. It did not occur to me that a woman worth winning would not place a great deal of stock by such considerations.”

“Davis came along and she preferred him?” Nate suggested when Heston, apparently lost in the past, stopped talking and stared vacantly out of the window.

“Yes. At first it was just a case of friendly rivalry between us, because of course I was bound to win Amelia for my countess. But I proposed and she rejected me. Oh, very gently, very kindly. She told me how much she admired and liked me…liked! I ask you, when a man is violently in love, the last thing he wants to hear is that the object of his affections likes him very much. I pointed out that Davis had no money and no prospects but Amelia seemed indifferent to such considerations.”

“She had grown up in the lap of luxury and gave no thought to such practical necessities, I suppose.”

“Almost certainly, and as you can doubtless imagine, I was desolate.”

“Yes,” Nate replied, feeling very sorry for the man. “I can easily imagine that.”

“Davis said he had to leave Guildford for a while. His family had called him home. I got the impression that he had exceeded his allowance and would be required to explain himself to his father. I was delighted to see the back of him. I thought, you see, that with the field clear for me I would be able to make Amelia see sense. I didn’t care if she didn’t feel as passionately for me as I did for her. I was convinced love would grow, given time.”

Nate thought he was being optimistic on that point but merely nodded. “Go on,” he said.

“Shortly after Davis left, ostensibly to catch the London coach from Guildford, I noticed Amelia leave the estate in one of her uncle’s carriages. I immediately suspected her of having an assignation with Davis and was filled with a violently jealous rage. I saddled my horse and followed her to Guildford. Sure enough, she and Davis had supper together in a private dining room in a tavern.”

“What did you do?”

Heston shrugged. “What could I do? My immediate reaction was to burst in there and confront them, but after a moment’s reflection I decided against doing anything quite so rash. If Amelia’s presence there with Davis became public knowledge it would play into his hands in that she would have to marry him. I had no intention of driving her into his arms. The protection of Amelia’s reputation, not its decimation, was my only purpose. And so I sat in the taproom, drinking far too much, brooding, seething with the injustice of it all.”

“Yes, I can imagine how aggrieved you must have felt.”

“Amelia eventually left. Davis saw her to her carriage and I followed him into the mews. An altercation ensued as I gave him a piece of my mind for risking compromising the woman I loved. Davis had been drinking too, told me it was none of my concern, called me pretentious and stuffy and swung a punch at me. I defended myself and proved to be a far better fighter than he. He fell and hit his head on a solid slab.” Deep lines etched themselves in Heston’s forehead as he fixed Nate with a grave look. “When he didn’t move, I checked for a pulse and found he was dead.”

“Then it was an accident?”

“Ha, and who would have believed that? There would have been an enquiry; the animosity between us was no secret, and worse, Amelia’s presence alone with Davis at that inn would have become common knowledge after all. I could not allow that to happen.”

“And so what did you do?” Nate asked, thinking it was little wonder Heston was so protective of Katrina’s reputation. It all made perfect sense now. He also understood why Amelia had not mentioned her clandestine meeting with Davis. She didn’t realise its significance and anyway, it was hardly the sort of thing a lady would tell a comparative stranger. He also suspected that Surrey had given him a highly edited version of events. He didn’t blame him for concealing the truth either. He too had been protecting Amelia. The lady had certainly inspired a plethora of male protective instincts.

“My dispute with Davis happened at the back of the mews, out of public sight, but by the gravest misfortune Brown happened to be there, relieving himself. And I was actually pleased to see a friendly face. In my shocked and inebriated state I had absolutely no idea what I ought to do about having killed a man.

“Brown was not constrained by feelings of guilt. He had seen what happened and offered to help me dispose of Davis’s body. To my addled way of thinking, moving the body somewhere it would be found so he could be afforded a decent burial seemed like the most sensible thing to do. Brown persuaded me that would be too dangerous. If his body appeared in the vicinity of the tavern there would be an enquiry, people might remember me being in the taproom and accuse me of killing the man deliberately. I was terrified, I don’t mind admitting it, and allowed Brown to take charge. We wrapped the body in a cloth we found in the mews, weighted it down with stones and gave it a burial in the river.” Heston shook his head. “The spectre of Davis has haunted me ever since, as has the folly of allowing one’s passions to dictate one’s actions.”

Which is why you have discouraged Katrina from expressing her passionate nature.

“Brown extracted a heavy price for his assistance,” Nate said.

“Oh yes,” Heston replied bitterly. “Fool that I was, it didn’t occur to me at the time to question why he was so willing to help me. What he should have done of course, was persuade me to call the magistrate, assure him he had witnessed the entire altercation, which he did, and that it was an accident. Had I been sober and not in shock, I would have realised it at the time. His true purpose became apparent to me when he called at Heston Hall the following morning, supposedly concerned about me, but in actual fact demanding in a not so subtle manner that I settle his gambling debts. My father was in the house and I was terrified he would overhear our conversation and so of course I agreed.”

“But the body had gone by then. Brown couldn’t prove anything.”

“They started searching for Davis a day or two later when he did not arrive in London. Since he was a guest of Surrey’s, a lot of effort went into the search. Brown knew I had been in that taproom, so did a number of other locals. Significantly, Brown had also recognised Amelia, even though she wore a veiled hat. He could have made all sorts of trouble with accusations and so I had no choice but to pay up. And continue paying. That document you hold was drawn up and signed by us both at my suggestion.”

“Yes. I didn’t trust him not to renege on his promise of silence once he had extracted money from me, or not to come back for more than the agreed amount.”

“Surely the document was more of a risk than just allowing memories to fade and then declining Brown’s further requests?”

“Possibly, but I wasn’t thinking straight at the time. I thought that if I had written evidence of his involvement, evidence that could see him join me on the gallows, then I would be safe.” He made a gesture of self-disgust. “Instead, his son has held it over me to get what he wants. You will see Brown insisted on putting in writing that I take care of his son as well as himself.”

“Yes, indeed.” That clause had certainly not escaped Nate’s notice.

“In actual fact his son is not cut from the same cloth as his father. He had a good education at my expense, is diligent and hard-working and does not share his father’s love of the gaming tables. But he also knows exactly what he wants, which is Katrina and my property.”

“Not anymore,” Nate replied, consigning the document to the fire with an exaggerated flourish of one wrist.

“Thank you!” Heston stood and clasped Nate’s hand in a firm grasp. “I shall be forever in your debt.”

“I didn’t do it for your benefit but for Katrina’s.”

“I suggest you do the same with your copy. I assume you have one.”

“What happened in the aftermath of Davis’s disappearance?” Nate asked when Heston had resumed his seat.

Heston shrugged. “It was not my finest hour. I was consumed with guilt and pined for Amelia, but she had been whisked away somewhere by her relations and I never saw her again. Full of remorse, I applied myself to my career, married Katrina’s mother and…well, there’s not much more to tell.”

Nate disagreed. “I fail to understand why you have made Katrina suffer for your sins. Why did you feel the need to hide her away and deprive her of the simple pleasures of a London season, pleasures a lady in her position has every right to enjoy? That seems unpardonably selfish. One cannot teach experience, Heston.”

“Do you think I would have kept her away, given any choice in the matter?” A spark of anger broke through his shame. “Brown’s price for silence, as I say, was Katrina’s hand in marriage.”

Nate shook his head. “And you went along with that?”

“If you think I did so to protect my good name then you quite mistake the matter,” Heston replied, firming his chin. “Katrina is the most precious thing on this earth to me and so it was more the preservation of her reputation that guided me. She would be tainted by association if I was disgraced and would lose any hope of respectability. Surely you can see that?”

“Hmm.” Nate hated to admit it but he could see Heston’s logic. Society liked nothing better than to witness the downfall of one of their own.

“Brown is destined for great things in the diplomatic service and Katrina understands that world. They would be received everywhere as he climbed up the ranks and so she would have her share of society, albeit not what I would have wished for her. Brown, for all his faults, is genuinely fond of Katrina.” He let out a long, frustrated breath. “It was the very best I could do for her. Well, that and refusing Brown permission to marry her until she reached one-and-twenty. He kept pushing for the union to take place before then but that is one area in which I held firm. I was also determined that she would see just a little of society before her marriage. When, at the last minute I could not accompany her to London and Lady St. John offered to act as her chaperone, I decided to let her come. Brown was beside himself but again I was insistent.”

“Well, that is one decision you made which I cannot fault.”

“You have not told me how you came upon that document,” Heston reminded Nate, pointing to the ashes in the grate. “Or how you came to meet Amelia for that matter.”

“Business took me to Jacobs Well. Our family has an estate there. Katrina had mentioned to me that she would be expected to marry Brown. I couldn’t understand why and quizzed Surrey on the matter. I learned that Amelia, now Mrs. Caston, was at the heart of the matter and so called upon her here in town.”

“Amelia is in London?” Heston sat a little straighter.

“She is and the more I learned, the more convinced I became that Brown had to have something in writing that he was using against you. I visited his rooms this morning and found the document concealed in his fireplace.”

Heston chuckled. “Remarkable. If I had thought of that, I could have been rid of this threat years ago. Naturally, the possibility of getting the document back did cross my mind on more than one occasion but Brown told me it was lodged with his solicitor for safe keeping and that if anything happened to him it would be released. Stupidly, I believed him.”

“Not so stupid.” Nate thought but did not say that Heston’s stupidity had been in covering up Davis’s death. “It would be a natural enough precaution to take. We must be thankful, I suppose, that Brown preferred to keep it close at hand. It seems to me that he’s a man in a hurry to make something of himself and isn’t too particular how he goes about it. Looking at that document at regular intervals must have reminded him how close he was to achieving that ambition.”

“I am so very grateful that you had the wit to find the damned document, Sheridan. I shall never adequately be able to repay you for taking that risk. And despite what you might think, it was a risk. Brown might seem meek and respectful but I have seen him lose his temper on one or two occasions and I don’t mind telling you that he terrifies me when he’s in a rage.”

“I am not afraid of Brown.”

“Don’t make the mistake of underestimating him. There’s something wild and uncontrolled about him when he’s angry. He has his father’s bullish and manipulative character but thanks to a decent education he has learned to keep it well concealed for the most part.” Heston looked ten years younger as the weight on his conscience eased with each word he spoke. “In spite of the fact that I was forced to sponsor his career, Brown has always been respectful, eager to learn and almost never referred to the information he held against me. It could have been a great deal worse.”

“If that’s what you think of his character, then you ought to see these.” Nate threw the rest of the papers he had discovered in Heston’s lap. “I found these lodged with your document in Brown’s chimney breast.”

Heston examined them for some moments without speaking. Then he glanced up at Nate, his expression appalled. “He has used intimidation to stop better men rising through the ranks at the Foreign Office? I had absolutely no idea.”