Thirty-Six
I am well aware that at the moment you have Miss Lockwood’s best interests at heart,” Abigail Flint said.
Joshua had been about to reach for another small sandwich. He paused and cocked a brow at Abigail.
“At the moment implies that at some future time and place I might not have Miss Lockwood’s best interests at heart,” he said.
Abigail fixed him with a grim look. “I do not mean to imply anything of the sort. But I do want to make it clear that Miss Lockwood, although an experienced agent, is, nevertheless, a young woman with very little experience of the sorts of strong emotions and passions that can be generated when two people find themselves confronting danger together.”
“In other words you are trying to warn me not to take advantage of her.”
“In most cases Flint and Marsh agents go about their investigations unnoticed by others, including gentlemen,” Abigail said. “In their role as paid companions they are generally invisible in a household. But there have been exceptions. You are not the first man to assume that a Flint and Marsh agent is, by virtue of her career, experienced in the ways of the world.”
“One would assume that one of the ladies of Lantern Street could take care of herself.”
“Our agents all have one thing in common, Mr. Gage. They come to work for us because, for any number of reasons, they find themselves impoverished and on their own. They do not have families to protect them. We both know that leaves them vulnerable in some ways.”
“So you and Mrs. Marsh take it upon yourselves to look after your agents.” Joshua picked up the sandwich and took a bite. “That is very commendable of you.”
“We do not care to see any of our ladies seduced and abandoned. That sort of thing complicates our business.”
He could feel his temper sparking. He could not decide whether to be amused or offended by the interrogation and the warning that he was receiving. Very well, he was guilty of seducing Beatrice, but he had no intention of abandoning her. Not that he had given much thought to their future together, he realized. During the past year he had gotten out of the habit of making any sort of long-range plans. He had been living life day-to-boring-day.
“Does it happen often?” he asked. “The seduction and abandonment of one of your agents, I mean.”
“Mrs. Marsh and I do our best to keep that sort of behavior to a minimum.” Abigail gave him a steely smile. “But I can assure you that I have used information gained in the course of a case to warn off more than one man who thought he could amuse himself with a lady of Lantern Street.”
“Ah, yes, blackmail. Always a useful tool.”
“As I said, for the most part, Mrs. Marsh and I are all the family our agents possess. As their employers, we have a responsibility to look after them.”
“Beatrice carries a gun and some very potent smelling salts, yet you are concerned that she cannot protect herself,” he said.
“Passion can make any woman reckless.”
“I have news for you, Mrs. Flint. It can have similar effects on a man. Have you considered the possibility that you have misread the situation? What if I am the one who is at risk of having my heart broken? Will you look after me if I find myself abandoned?”
Abigail gave a small snort. “I am not the least bit concerned about you, sir. Mr. Smith’s Messenger is quite capable of taking care of himself.”
“Do not be so sure of that, madam.”
She glared. “I’m serious, Mr. Gage. I am well aware that Sara and I are in your debt. I expect half of London is in the same situation.”
“Not half.”
She ignored that. “But I want your word that you will not allow Beatrice to dream dreams that can never come true.”
“What of my dreams, Mrs. Flint?” he asked.
“I can only imagine what your dreams are like, sir.” She glanced rather pointedly at his scarred face and then at his cane. “Given what I know of your past, I suspect they are not particularly pleasant.”
She did not wait for a response. She rose and walked to the door, leaving him alone.
He waited until the door closed behind her.
“My dreams have improved considerably of late,” he said to the empty room.