Page 85 of A Mismatch Made in London

“No, Dawson,” Jeremy said to the Bow Street Runner he’d hired to help him find Fairweather. “I think Wallcroft is trying to do better. Are you not, Wallcroft?”

Dawson cracked his knuckles, first one large hand, then the other, while staring down at Wallcroft.

Jeremy almost felt sorry for him. Except that if he were a decent fellow, he wouldn’t have befriended a snake like Fairweather. And he’d helped Fairweather by not notifying Juliet’s cousins and Amelia that she had left with him.

What would Juliet do if this whole affair caused her to lose Shelley, cost her her chance at marriage with a good man, love, and happiness?

Only slightly less on Jeremy’s mind was how this was costing him time with Amelia, when he still hadn’t convinced her to marry him yet.

No, he wouldn’t pity Wallcroft.

The man swallowed, his throat bobbing. “I will tell anyone who mentions Miss Beaumont in an unfavorable way that they are speaking lies and that if her brother, Mr. Beaumont—”

“Mr. Jeremy Beaumont,” Dawson said.

“Mr. Jeremy Beaumont—if he hears of it, he will make them sorry. He will make them rue the day they spoke such lies about his admirable sister, Miss Juliet Beaumont.”

“Very good.”

“And they must answer to me as well,” Dawson said. “I am not a gentleman, and I do not fight duels, but I do make good on my threats.” He smacked his fist into his palm.

They watched Wallcroft hurry away down the street.

“Shall I follow him?” Dawson asked.

“Surely he wouldn’t be foolish enough to go straight to Fairweather. Let’s try Fairweather’s place again.”

It would take a bit of luck to find the weasel, but they had to keep looking.

24

Jeremy was packing his bags when the servant came to his door and said Mr. Shelley was there to see him.

Jeremy wondered at him coming at such a late hour, but he went downstairs to meet him.

“So what is your plan?” Shelley asked. “You said you would keep me informed, but I hadn’t heard anything, and—”

“Forgive me, Shelley. I was running all over town. I hired Dawson—I think you met him.”

“The Bow Street Runner?”

He nodded. “We are leaving at first light to go to Shropshire to find Fairweather.”

“And what will you do when you find him?”

“Depends on him, to be sure, but whatever is necessary.”

“Listen, Beaumont, I understand how much you want to stop this man Fairweather from hurting Juliet’s reputation—no one wants to stop him more than I do—but it’s not worth the guilt you’d feel if you killed him.”

Jeremy sighed. “I don’t intend to kill him, even though he deserves that. No, I came to the same conclusion. I won’t kill him, except in self-defense.”

“I am glad to hear you say it. You know violence and vengeanceare not the answer, and you would regret bringing the man to harm.”

“Perhaps. But if he comes at me or he challenges me to a duel, I—”

“We both know that sometimes a man is killed unintentionally in a duel. It’s a deadly game, and once your opponent is dead, there is nothing you can do to bring him back.”

“What would you have me do? Juliet is being hurt. She feels her life has all but ended because of this, and you know as well as I do how gossip can ruin a lady’s reputation. I cannot just sit here and do nothing and let that snake get away with what he’s done.”