Dominic (32 page)

After
a
while
she
see
m
ed
to
calm and
rai
s
ing
her
from him he
took
his
handkerchief
and
gently
wiped
her
eyes. “Now,
m
y
Jack,
let
us
have
no
m
ore
of
this
distress,”
he chided gently.
“
W
here is that fighting spirit for which you are fa
m
ous?”

She
s
m
iled
wanly.
“I
do
beli
e
ve
it
has
deserted
m
e, sir.”

“Never!
If
you
would
but
look,
I
am
sure
you
will
find it hiding in so
m
e corner!”

*****

It
occ
u
rred
to
hi
m
,
when
he
r
e
tur
n
ed
to
his
r
o
o
m
s
a short
while
later,
t
h
at
he
had still
not
explained
his
actions at
Vauxhalls, but that
would co
m
e
at
another
ti
m
e.
More
pressing
matters
filled
his
thoughts
now
and
to
this
purpose
he ordered his
m
an
to
f
ind
Billy
W
ragg
f
or
hi
m
.
W
ragg
was
well
known
a
m
ongst
the
younger
gentle
m
en of the town; he procured infor
m
ation for those desirous of
knowing other’s movements and collected debts from
those
who
were
reluctant
to
pay.
If
anyone
should
know the whereabouts of a debtor it would be he.

W
ragg, when issued into Vale’s presence the next morning, proved to be a
s
m
all, rotund
m
an w
i
th heavy brows. He had several scoundre
l
s in his pay, but to his lordship
he was
charm
itsel
f
.
Quickly
ev
al
uating
t
h
e dia
m
ond
pin
in
Do
m
i
nic’s
cra
v
at, he rubbed his hands in anticipation
and bowed profusely,
feeling
assured
that
he would be handso
m
ely paid by such a well-breeched individual as the Earl of Vale.

When
he
eventually
straightened,
he
s
m
iled ingratiatingly.
“I have not had the honor of
s
erving you before,
m
y
lord,”
he
said
in
an oily
tone.
“But
I
can
ass
u
re you of
m
y
co
m
plete
discretion in any
m
atter you would be so gracio
u
s as to place in
m
y hands.”

Vale
liked
not
his
m
anner
and
looked
at
him with
so
m
e distaste, but dealings with this individual
would be a necessary
e
v
il.
“There
is
a
m
an,
I
will
not
qualify
him as
a gentle
m
an,”
he
said
harshly
as
W
r
agg
stood
before
hi
m
.
“
His
name
is
Raymond
Thornton
—ah
,
I
see
by
your
expression of aversion that you recognize the name.”

W
ragg
gr
i
m
aced,
showing
his
distaste
at
the
na
m
e.
“I do indeed, sir. A very unsavo
r
y character, and one that I have had dealings with on
a nu
m
ber of occasions. In a
professional capacity of course, you understand
.
He is
very
tardy
in
the
payment
of
his
debts,
but
if
I
am not
m
i
staken, I believe him
to be gone to France.”

“He
is
returned,
and
I
am desirous
of
knowing
his whereabouts. There would be fifty guineas for this infor
m
ation. Are you confident that you can supply it?”

W
ragg’s eyes widened with the
m
ention of such a generous
sum.
“Of
a
certainty, sir,” he said, already i
m
agining the coins lining his pocket. “There is not a person in
L
ondon I could not find for such a sum. Indeed, unless I am
m
uch
m
i
staken, there are th
o
se other than yourself who would welco
m
e the opportunity to know his whereabouts.”

“You
m
ust
tell
no
one,
do
you
hear?
No
one!
I
deal with
this
m
an
m
ysel
f
.”

“It would seem you have
a personal score to settle then, sir
?
”

“A very personal score and none
shall
cheat
m
e
of
it. Therefore I am
forced to
trust in your discretion.”

“Your
trust
will
be
ho
n
ored,
sir.
I
myself will
sta
r
t
t
h
e search
immediately;
there
is
no
need
to
involve
others.
I am
well
acquainted
with the
quarry.
I
will
report
to
you
as soon as I have any news.”

At
W
ragg’s
going,
Vale
sat deep in thought.
His first i
m
pulse
had
been
to
return
to
Bla
k
e
House
to reass
u
re Sophie,
but
he
would
not
go
until
he
had
received
the
required
infor
m
ation.
It
would
not
do
to
raise
false
hopes in her breast.

*****

The info
r
m
ation was not long in coming; no sooner had he finished supper the next evening than
W
r
agg stood before hi
m
, his face bea
m
ing with triu
m
ph.

“Your
m
an
is
found,
sir,” he said, grinning
in anticipation
of
the
wealth
that was
about
to
come
into
his possession.
“He
has
lodgings
on
the
outskirts
of
the
to
w
n in a very unsavory neighborhood, but one well befitti
n
g hi
m
.
He
is
at
The
Red Cockerel, a
low
ta
v
ern,
but
one where he would not easily
be found. He g
a
m
bles heavily, so
m
et
i
m
es he wins, so
m
et
i
m
es he
loses; but always he drinks.”

“You
have
done
well
to
find
him
so
quickly,”
said Vale
, throwing a leather pouch containing the fifty
guineas to
W
r
agg. “I shall r
em
e
m
b
er your service should I have like need in the future.”

“If
your
lordship
requires
it, I could provide the
m
en to ad
m
i
nister
whatever
retribution you require.”

“There is not the need.
W
hatever punishment is necess
a
ry
I will
ad
m
ini
s
ter
m
yself
a
nd
take pl
ea
sure
in
it. Now go, I have a visit to
m
ake
at
m
y
parent’s house.”