The Iron Duke (23 page)

“Thank you, sir.”

 

 

“You allowed a man possessing illegal Horde technology to
walk past you and assassinate an admiral of the Royal Navy. You boarded the ship of a known mercenary. You left England’s shores and your jurisdiction without waiting for approval from your superiors. You ignored obvious indications that a naval operation was in progress. You displayed gross insubordination resulting in rampant failure across the board, inspector, and you cannot explain yourself to my satisfaction. Do you admit that you failed to apprehend both Jasper Evans and Marguerite Bonnet, and allowed them to escape in a
war
machine?”

England, Mina decided, could use fewer damn dukes shoving their faces into hers and demanding answers. And this one had no greater authority over her than Trahaearn did. The Duke of Dorchester was the Lord High Admiral of England, but he was not her superior, and he would
not
be deciding whether she would be relieved of duty or reprimanded. That decision lay with Superintendent Hale and the police commissioner, Sir John Broyles—both of whom had already heard her report. Repeatedly heard it, now that the Lord High Admiral had arrived at the commissioner’s office and demanded to hear it again.

“Yes, Your Grace. Evans escaped in his tree harvester, and although I did not see her, I believe that Bonnet was inside, as well.”

Beneath his white hair, Dorchester’s dark blue eyes appeared hard as steel. All of him was like steel, thin and sharp-edged as a sword held on end. “Along with the weapon purchased in an Ivory Market auction.”

“He didn’t have the weapon—”

“Did you see the interior of that tank, inspector?”

“No, sir. An exploding firebomb from the nearby ships damaged the chamber ceiling, and I was not able to venture close to the machine.”

She probably shouldn’t have mentioned the ships or the firebombs. Dorchester’s face turned florid, and he began to cough, which seemed to enrage him further.

Broyles’s heavy jowl and bushy dark brows always gave the impression of anger, but Mina recognized the long-suffering expression on the commissioner’s features as he put in, “Your Grace, the inspector had been given leave by this office to investigate the matter to its fullest extent, but we do not encourage our officers to put themselves at unnecessary risk. Even armed, she could not have stopped that machine without incredible danger to her person.”

Dorchester latched onto one phrase. Never taking his eyes from Mina’s face, he said, “You must agree that she took more leave than given, commissioner.”

“No, sir. As had been ordered, she sent regular updates to this office. The Metropolitan Police Force has no argument with the steps she took in the progress of her investigation.”

Dorchester’s gaze narrowed on Mina. “Did you update this office after observing the flotilla headed for Calais?”

“It was impossible to send a gram from the airship, sir—”

“Then you should have turned around and waited for instruction!”

The response from behind Mina came from a voice both familiar and unwelcome. “She wasn’t in charge of the airship. I was.”

Oh, no.
When had the Iron Duke come in? Mina wanted to close her eyes. Perhaps Trahaearn wanted to help, but he couldn’t have said anything worse.

Those steely blue eyes flicked away from her face, and registered surprise before hardening again. Trahaearn must have just entered the room if Dorchester was only now noticing him, too.

“Thank you for your input, Anglesey. If you were in command, it clearly demonstrates that she lost control of her investigation.”

She would not stand for that. “No, sir. I believe what Anglesey means is that he paid for the use of
Lady Corsair
. I was told to use all avenues available to me in order to identify Haynes’s murderers, and apprehending them, if possible. At all times, my objective aligned with the duke’s, and I remained in pursuit of the Dame until pursuit became physically impossible. The investigation was never out of my control.”

Dorchester’s brows rose. “Is this true, Anglesey? You’d have let this inspector order you about?”

Tension gripped her, angry and hot. The bastard. That wasn’t at all what she’d said, and he knew it. And no man as arrogant as the Iron Duke would let it be thought that—

“It’s true.” Amusement filled Trahaearn’s response—and infuriated Dorchester, Mina saw. A muscle began to tick in his jaw. “After observing her investigative talents and the speed with which she identified Haynes, I trusted that Inspector Wentworth knew what she was about. I’d have done anything she asked of me.”

Oh, sweet heavens.
To Mina’s ears, that last statement couldn’t have possibly sounded more suggestive. Perhaps only to her, however. Mina didn’t dare glance at Hale.

Unwilling to let Trahaearn steer him off course, Dorchester zeroed in on Mina again. “And so you
could
have ordered the airship to turn around, inspector.”

On this point, Mina would never back down. “No, sir. I could not. Above and beyond my duty to investigate Haynes’s murder is my duty to protect English citizens. I knew that the Dame was likely holding eight young men at her fort. When we saw the ships and the steelcoats, I formed the opinion that the marines planned to invade the fort in order to retrieve the Dame’s hostages. I received information from the Duke of Anglesey that led me to believe that should an invading force be used, the young men would be murdered by the Dame.”

“You assumed that I had ordered the flotilla to recover the hostages?” Blue eyes narrowed. “I see. You did not assume that after the Admiralty learned Haynes’s nanoagents had been destroyed, that we might have linked it to a weapons auction in the Ivory Market. Or that when the Dame’s ransom demands confirmed that she’d taken
Marco’s Terror
, we had reason to be concerned that she’d also brought the auctioned weapon from the Ivory Market, to within spitting distance of this nation’s shores. And you did not assume that we had sent the Royal Navy’s ships to protect England. You thought we’d attacked like dogs when the merchants whistled.”

The quiet anger burning in Dorchester’s gaze seemed genuine, and Mina had to admit she’d been wrong. Baxter was not the only admiral who put the interests of England above the merchants.

But although she’d thought exactly what he’d accused her of, sometimes it was prudent to lie.

“No, sir. I assumed that your objective was the same as mine: to protect English citizens. It’s true that I lacked information regarding this weapon, information that the Admiralty was obviously in possession of, and so I misinterpreted the flotilla’s objective. Now that I understand that your orders to the flotilla had not been to rescue the boys, but to destroy the weapon and the fort, I admit that I assumed wrongly. But I
cannot
regret my decision to continue on to the fort and attempt to save the lives of eight English citizens.”

Dorchester’s face paled with anger, his nostrils pinched and thin. “And your presumptuous actions demonstrate a dangerous lack of restraint and good judgment, inspector. You needlessly risked the life of a peer and of the constable under your authority. Commissioner Broyles, I
strongly
recommend that the inspector receives the severest disciplinary action.”

Broyles nodded. “Your suggestion will be taken under advisement. Be assured that Detective Inspector Wentworth’s actions will undergo a rigorous review.”

“Very good, sir.” With another hard stare at Mina, Dorchester turned his attention to Trahaearn. “And I will remind you, Anglesey, that
Marco’s Terror
is His Majesty’s ship. Your interest in her situation is neither warranted nor wanted.”

Mina’s lips parted. Without leave to move from her post in front of Broyles’s desk, she couldn’t look around to see Trahaearn’s reaction—but Hale’s said it well enough. The superintendent’s alarm and indecision was clear, as if two bulls were about to lock horns in front of her, and she wasn’t certain whether to step between them or to get out of their way.

But Trahaearn only said, “I will also take your suggestion under advisement, Dorchester.”

If the Lord High Admiral meant to respond, a cough got the better of him. His hacking coughs continued until Mina heard the door close behind him.

Broyles shook his head. “Imperious bloody bounders.”

Hale’s brows rose. “Sir?”

“No offense to you, Hale.”

The wry, thin-lipped smile Hale gave him said that none had been taken, but still managed to chastise him for the comment. Broyles’s lips twitched before he looked to Mina.

“Inspector Wentworth, your actions
will
be taken under review, and statements collected from everyone involved. But upon these initial reports already received from Superintendent Hale, the Chatham police, the Admiralty, Constable Newberry, the heads of several prominent families, and the comments from His Grace”—he tipped his head toward Trahaearn—“this office is not dissatisfied with your performance today, inspector.”

Even as Mina’s throat tightened, some of the tension drained from her muscles. “Thank you, sir.”

Leaning back, he steepled his fingers. “And I do not appreciate that the Admiralty is trying to save face at the expense of my officer’s. By your account, you’d have apprehended both Evans and Dame Sawtooth had the fort not begun coming down around your head.”

“By my account, too,” Trahaearn said behind her. “She’d all but convinced Evans that the Dame could be saved with a physician’s attention. Given a few more minutes, she’d have had him carrying Dame Sawtooth to the airship himself.”

“Thank you, sir.” Broyles nodded before looking to Mina again. “And had it not been for your presence at the admiral’s residence in Chatham, I believe that his murderer would not only remain unidentified, but would have fled rather than commit suicide. Frankly, inspector, a dead murderer that no one can identify is better than one who remains unidentified and continues walking English streets.”

“The credit for that belongs to the duke, sir.”

“Take it if you can, inspector, because it is all that you will get. You haven’t yet heard, but the official story from the Board of Admiralty is that you were under the command of the Iron Duke, who acted in conjunction with the navy.”
Now
Broyles was angry. His jowls shook when his jaw tightened. “And this office has decided it is not worth the bad blood between our agencies if we insist on the truth.”

Sickened, Mina looked to Hale for confirmation. The superintendent nodded.

All right, then.
She didn’t relish the thought of public recognition, anyway. All that mattered was that her superiors knew the truth of it. “Very well, sir.”

Broyles leaned forward. “Those within the force will know who brought those boys home, inspector. They’ll know why the Dame and Evans aren’t in a cell at Newgate. We won’t make an issue of it. But we’ll know.”

“Thank you, sir.” She swallowed, then said, “Sir, regarding Baxter’s assassin, I must put forth that ‘unidentified and dead’ is not enough. The device he used suggests that he acted under orders, and so although he pulled the trigger, he was not the admiral’s murderer. If the case is stamped closed, I fear
that
person—or group—will continue to go about unidentified and walking English streets.”

“I share your concern, inspector. But without concrete evidence linking Baxter’s murder to Haynes’s, we don’t have justification to take the case out of Chatham’s hands. Now that we have evidence of a freezing device, however, we will look more closely at rumors of the Black Guard.”

As he spoke, Broyles looked squarely toward the Iron Duke, but whether Trahaearn felt the commissioner’s unspoken admonition for having had one of the devices and not bringing it to police attention, Mina didn’t know.

After a moment, Broyles’s attention returned to Mina. “Your brother is serving on
Marco’s Terror
, isn’t he? The young one. Not Henry.”

This time, the tightening of her throat almost choked her. “Andrew. Yes, sir.”

“Then I suppose facing Dorchester was easier than the task before you.” With a heavy sigh, he sank a little deeper into his seat. “Go home and tell your parents, inspector.”

 

 

When the Iron Duke caught up with her on the main floor,
Mina was formulating how best to thank him and then dismiss him. He stopped her with, “I promised Newberry that I would escort you home.”

And so she was well and trapped. She might as well make the best of it, and discover whether he still planned to pursue the
Terror
. “Has the Lord High Admiral’s warning dissuaded you from leaving tomorrow?”

His deep laugh was the only answer he gave—and the one she’d hoped to hear. It continued as they left the building. Across the crush of traffic on Whitehall, light still shone from several windows in the Admiralty building. They were usually all darkened by this time.

Mina started for the familiar steamcoach waiting by the walk. “Dorchester was furious with me,” she said, “but it was only aimed at my investigation. His anger toward you was personal. Do you have a history?”

“I’ve never met him before, but the mutiny is reason enough. And I’ve deserted countless naval officers, taken gold and cargo, made fools of them as they escorted merchant ships—”

“Killed them?”

“When a navy ship came up on me looking to sink the
Terror
or to take my crew to hang, I fired back. Men died on both sides.” He paused as the driver hopped down from his bench and opened the carriage door. His gaze met hers. “Unlike Broyles, I’m not hobbled by fear of bad blood—there’s already plenty of it between me and the Admiralty. And if you want recognition, I’ll stir it up.”

And probably enjoy stirring it, too. “I’d prefer not to be at the center of it, in truth.”

Smiling slightly, he nodded. “Then I’ll trade my silence for the
Terror
.”