Page 59 of Surrender

The moment Theo spoke, the Earl of Melton swayed on his feet before he returned to his chair and sank down into the cushions, his face drained of color. Alarmed by his sire’s sudden state of despair, Theo quickly pulled open the side drawer of his desk and pulled out two glasses and a bottle of whisky. He poured the liquor into the glasses and offered them to his father and uncle.

To his surprise and dismay, the Earl’s hands were trembling as he accepted the whisky. The sight brought Genevieve’s words back to him. He was the heir to the Melton title, and Angus was the only other son his parents had to pass the earldom on to. Guilt assailed him. It was something Genevieve had understood, and a vise wrapped around his chest.

It wasn’t just her past that had made Genevieve refuse him, it was her belief he needed to produce an heir. But even if nothing happened to him, she was the only woman he would ever take as a wife. The Rockwood line would live on through Angus’s children, Tilly’s son, or even one of his cousins. He loved Genevieve far too much to marry someone else, all for the sake of an heir.

“Father, I know you’re worried, but I’m taking every precaution—”

“Peter took every precaution, too,” Percy Rockwood snarled. “And to think Genevieve…Christ almighty, to think she went back into that hellhole after escaping it years ago.”

“You know about Genevieve?” Theo choked out.

“Not everything, but we know Genevieve is involved,” Theo’s father said in an appalled voice, while he rubbed a hand down over his face. “Although Jamie and Vincent haven’t confirmed their activities connected to the Crown, they’ve been covering for you, which means they must be involved. Am I correct?”

“Yes, my lord.” At Theo’s soft reply, the earl stiffened as if preparing himself for bad news.

“Your brother?” There was a note of stark fear in his father’s voice as he met Theo’s gaze.

“No, my lord. I won’t let him, and anyone working for the foreign section who knows him have been instructed not to tell him. He’s to remain in the dark as to what we’re doing.” Theo’s answer made his father sag in his chair in obvious relief.

“How long has Genevieve been working for the Crown?” Percy Rockwood demanded harshly, although Theo could hear the pain and horror in his uncle’s voice. Theo didn’t reply, not wanting to cause Uncle Percy any further pain or fear. But when the earl scowled at him, Theo met his uncle’s fearful gaze with regret.

“She was gathering intelligence for the Crown before Peter’s death.” At his reply, his uncle’s face paled to a color one might see on a corpse. Theo grimaced with regret at having cause more distress to his uncle, and continued. “At the time, C was the only one who knew what she was doing. When Peter discovered she was working for the foreign section, he told her he would see to it she wouldn’t be allowed to work for the Crown.”

“C? You mean Cummings?” his father burst out in an angry tone. “The bastard actually agreed to letting her spy for him?

“You know how persuasive Genevieve can be, and it’s a rare man who can say no to her when she sets her mind to do something. The man really had no choice,” Theo said with frustration. “Genevieve threatened to return to the East End whether C allowed her to join the service or not. At least he had some control over her actions if she was working for him, but he made the mistake of allowing her to go in without a partner.

“Without a partner? Without backup?”

Percy Rockwood’s voice was an explosion of thunder that ricocheted off the walls of the small office. The Earl of Melton grabbed his brother by the arm and squeezed it hard.

“Keep your voice down, Percy. They’re already in enough jeopardy as it is. We don’t need to announce their activities to the world,” the earl said with quiet authority.

Percy Rockwood’s pallor turned ashen again at his brother’s words. With a nod, he struggled to regain his composure, but Theo could tell it was difficult.

“It wasn’t until last week that Peter appeared, saying you and Genevieve were in danger because of your work for the Crown,” Uncle Percy said softly. “It made little sense at the time as the an dara sealladh is never clear. Your father was the one who figured it out when Jamie lied to him at the family dinner this week.”

“Who else is working in the Secret Intelligence Service?” his father asked softly. When Theo hesitated to answer, the earl pinned his gaze on him as if Theo were to be pinned to a wall.

“Their names, Theodore.” The sharp command made him wince.

“You already know Genevieve and I do. Peter did before…before his death. Harry, Rufus, Charles, Ross, and Val also spy for the Crown. Amalie knows Val was in the field before William was born, but he didn’t want to worry her, so he chose to work out of the agency’s office, coordinating field agents.”

Uncle Percy gestured toward the whisky in a frantic, silent demand that Theo give him the whisky bottle. The moment it was in his hand, his uncle poured a full glass of the alcohol and threw it down his throat in one gulp. Percy Rockwood poured another stiff portion, then offered the bottle to his brother. Lord Melton poured a similar amount into his crystal tumbler, taking a long draught of the whisky as well. Setting the half-empty glass down on the desktop, Sebastian sat with his head bent for a moment before turning to his brother.

“Rhea and Louisa will not handle this well at all, and I’ve no idea how Constance will react, although maybe she already knows, given she’s the one with the strongest talent for the an dara sealladh, other than Jamie,” the earl muttered as he met his brother’s gaze. “God knows what I’m going to tell Helen. She’s already begun to comment on Theo’s absence. It won’t be long before she insists I learn where he is.”

Theo cleared his throat, and his uncle and father turned their heads toward him.

“Perhaps the best thing to do is say nothing at all.” Theo saw his father’s face darken with disappointment.

“Do you honestly think there’s a Rockwood woman on the planet who wouldn’t draw and quarter her husband for keeping this kind of information from them—even if it were to save them from fear and worry for their children,” his father growled with disgust at the suggestion. “When you and Genevieve are married, you’ll understand what a high price you’ll pay if you make the mistake of keeping a secret from your wife.”

At his father’s words, Theo rose from his chair and returned to the window. From the second-story office, he could see the wharf, where the latest delivery of sugar from South America was being unloaded and stored in the warehouse.

“Genevieve and I aren’t going to marry.”

Silence met his flat remark, and after several seconds he looked over his shoulder to see his father and uncle staring at each other in stunned disbelief. Lord Melton looked at Theo, and with a slight shake of his head, he frowned in bewilderment.