His Wicked Seduction novel Chapter 39

In a private room of the gentleman's club Boodle's, Sir Hugo Waverly lounged in a chair, swirling a glass of brandy as he listened to the report from Daniel Shefford. Shefford had been his man for years now. Loyal, highly skilled, and one who would do anything he asked for king, country, or his more...personal whims. Shefford stood in front of Waverly, calmly narrating the events that transpired the morning before last when Lord Lennox had narrowly escaped death.

"I managed to track down the man you sent me to meet at the Garden. He said Lord Lennox was waiting in the Garden. He suspected it was because you had been overheard last night. Our man there confirmed that Rochester was at the Garden last night. It seems a likely scenario."

"Rochester was there?" Hugo frowned. Was there no place in London he could find refuge from those damned rogues? How was he supposed to conduct his business without tripping over one of those men?

"And what did he do when he saw Lennox?"

"He took a shot at him. I was told by the Madame of the Garden, acting as a concerned friend of Lennox, that he was shot in the arm. It did not appear to be fatal, but it was no scratch either."

It was fortunate that Lennox had suffered only a minor wound. It was only a matter of time before Lennox and his friends were rotting corpses in the ground. But not before the proper time.

Shefford crossed his arms over his chest. "I returned to my station outside the Sheridan house. It seems the Sheridans have left London, and my source there informed me that their destination was Rochester Hall in Kent."

"Lord Rochester was awarded the honor of playing nursemaid to Sheridan's sisters? How amusing. I daresay that makes things much easier, having the League divided. Did one of your men secure a position?" Waverly asked.

Shefford nodded.

Two months ago, Shefford had acquired five men to infiltrate the League's ranks. Most had already done so and were already feeding him valuable information, and unless told otherwise, that was all they would do. One, however, had so far only been able to find employment at the gentleman's club they frequented, but that particular person had unique potential and, unlike the others, just the right amount of desperation. "Excellent. Now I should like for you to send a message to Sheridan and Lonsdale. I think it is time we leave them both a little gift."

"Do you wish to send this message to Lonsdale's house on Curzon Street?"

"Yes. I'm sure that fool Lennox is watching the Sheridan townhouse carefully, since it is close to his own. I want you to get inside both houses and do what you do best."

Everything was falling into place. In time, the center of the League would be destroyed and their power disbursed to weaker men and less unified heirs. Then? Then the rest would be easy.