The King's Code (The Lady Spies Series #3): A Regency Historical Romance Read Online Free Page B

and Falcon could not help admiring the mettle of a girl who was ruined last week and today sat before him, offering her service to the Crown.
    “Very well.” Falcon sat up, his mind mulling over the possibilities. His eyes sparkled, the full extent of the lady’s potential coming to him in one brilliant flash. “You shall report to me at ten o’clock tomorrow morning.”
    The girl broke into a bright smile, her freckled nose crinkling as she tried to contain her excitement.
    “I’ll not let you down, my lord, I swear it.”
    “Let us hope that you do not,” Falcon said, thinking that the lady was correct.
    He had little to lose by commissioning Lady Juliet Pervill, but much for Britain to gain.

Chapter Five
    ~
     
    Seamus McCurren dragged himself into the Foreign Office at ten o’clock, having never gone to bed.
    He had spent the entire evening gaming at Dante’s Inferno and in the end he had still come out losing. Not much blunt, but it was vexing nonetheless. He had wandered home at sunup to be shaved and change his attire, but his external appearance was merely a palatable façade of fatigue.
    “Morning, James,” he mumbled to his assistant.
    “Good morning, Mister McCurren.”
    The man eyed him suspiciously, prompting Seamus to inquire, “What?”
    “Are you feeling well?”
    “Just get me some coffee, will you?” Seamus’s brogue was extracted by his irritation. But the man’s brows were drawn together in concern and Seamus thought to ease his anxiety. “I’m just tired, James. I had a very late night last night.”
    The married father of five smiled.
    “I see.” What his assistant saw, he had no notion, but the man must have thought Seamus needed reviving because he dashed out the door, saying, “I shall just go and retrieve a strong cup of coffee for you.” His secretary was halfway out the door when he stopped. “Oh, you’ve just received a report and I’ve left it on your desk.”
    Seamus nodded, too tired to respond, and then opened the door to his large office and settled in his comfortable desk chair. He sighed heavily as he sank into the rich leather then reached for the report, leaning his chair back and propping his feet on the corner of his desk as he read.
    The report was from the Naval Office, giving a detailed account of the sinking of a British supply frigate just west of Bordeaux. However, it was not the loss of the ship that landed this report on his desk, but the manner in which the ship had been sunk.
    The frigate had been ambushed, by all accounts, by three French vessels that appeared to have been lying in wait at the port city of La Rochelle. And while this information could easily be disputed as a coincidental encounter, its occurrence within two weeks of the E anomaly appearing in the Gazette made the attack suspect.
    “Damn.”
    Seamus was reading the report for a second time when James knocked on the inner-office door.
    “Yes,” Seamus said, continuing to read.
    However, no coffee was produced and he looked up to find Falcon standing in the doorway.
    “Good morning.”
    Seamus dropped the front two legs of his chair to the floor as he sat up to meet the astute eyes of his powerful employer.
    “Morning,” he greeted politely, but upon seeing a woman at the old man’s side, Seamus dragged his boots off the abused desk and rose to his feet. “Good morning, madam,” he said and bowed with as much elegance as he had remaining before focusing his attention on the lady’s face.
    “May I introduce you to Lady Juliet Pervill,” Falcon offered.
    “That is not necessary, my lord.” The girl’s astonishingly blue eyes met his as she held out her hand in his direction, adding, “Mister McCurren introduced himself three nights ago at the Spencer ball.”
    Seamus kissed the back of her hand, taking her bait. “Aye, but I’m astonished that you remember, Lady Juliet, as I recall you were rather occupied at the time.”
    “Oh, no, speaking with my father never