Elizabeth Powell Read Online Free Page A

documents.”
    “If he keeps such documents,” St. Vincent added over the rim of his glass.
    Every aspect of this assignment went against Everly’s principles. They expected him to eavesdrop, to spy, to rifle through a fellow officer’s possessions? Worse yet, they wanted him to mingle with the
haut ton
, to exchangewitticisms and
on-dits
with fashionable fribbles. He was a frigate captain, not a society fop who delighted in dancing and gossip.
    St. Vincent must have sensed Everly’s hesitation. He downed the rest of his brandy and set the glass down on the desk with a thud. “These are your orders. If you want another command, you’ll accept them.”
    “With all due respect, my lord, that’s blackmail,” fumed Everly. He stared back at the three men who regarded him with expectant eyes.
    The accusation did not deter St. Vincent. “So it is. Make your decision now, boy. Help us ferret out this traitor, or never hold another command.”
    His patron had never been one to mince words, but hearing his options stated so baldly raised Everly’s hackles even further.
    Carlisle spared a disgusted glance in St. Vincent’s direction, then favored Everly with a persuasive smile. “The admiral has told us of your intelligence and resourcefulness, Captain. The mere fact that you hold the rank of post-captain at your age marks you as a man of exceptional talent. You’re the only one who can help us. If we don’t discover the identity of this traitor soon, it will mean more damaging information falling into French hands, and the loss of more English lives.”
    Everly balled his hands into fists and rested them on his knees. Was he up for such a monumental task, physically and mentally? He wasn’t sure, but if this was what he needed to do to win back his command, he would make the attempt.
    “I’ll do it.” His assent sounded strained.
    Relief swept the room in an invisible tide. St. Vincent rose and poured Everly a snifter of brandy; as an afterthought, he filled glasses for Carlisle and MacAllister, as well.
    “Good. It’s settled, then. Confusion to our enemies,” he said, raising his glass in a toast.
    Everly took too large a swallow, and the heady liquor clawed its way down his throat. He stifled a cough.
    Carlisle set his glass aside. “I will arrange for you toreceive an invitation to the ball, Captain. The rest is up to you.”
    “And what if I don’t discover anything?” Everly stared into the amber depths of his drink.
    The dark-haired earl assumed a pose of studied nonchalance. “If you find nothing tomorrow night, continue your surveillance. Attempt to gain Locke’s confidence. After all, you are both well-respected officers who sailed adjacent waters. Do your utmost to find out how much he knows, and who else is involved.”
    “And then?”
    “Then we go after the leader of this treasonous cabal.”
    Everly took another, more careful swallow of brandy. “How am I supposed to report what I find?”
    “You may send word to me any time of the day or night by way of the admiral. Do not attempt to get in touch with me directly, for that might jeopardize the entire operation. I will also make Mr. MacAllister’s services available to you. This is a dangerous business, Captain; consider him your secondary line of defense, someone to watch your back. Place him on your staff as a groom or footman—someone who can come and go without attracting too much attention. He will know where to find me, should you need to report anything urgent. He will follow your orders, but remember that he answers to me.”
    A “secondary line of defense” indeed, thought Everly with a wry twist of his lips. Well, at least Carlisle was diplomatic about it. He assessed the young Scotsman with a hard eye. True he might require assistance on this assignment. MacAllister also might have orders to keep watch on Everly, to make sure he did his job. Now Everly wasn’t sure if he could trust his initial judgment of the man’s