Page 137 of The Boxing Baroness

“Well, Strickland had spies watching us from the moment we stepped off the packet in Calais,” Elliot said in between bites.

“Why didn’t you tell me that?” Sin asked, exasperated.

“Because I didn’t know.” Elliot jerked his chin toward Jo. “She’s the one who told me.”

“Why didn’t you tell us?” he asked Blade.

She didn’t appear to hear him and kept eating.

“Jo?” Marianne said.

Elliot chuckled when she didn’t look up. “If she doesn’t want to hear you, she really won’t hear you.” He continued his story. “Strickland revealed my identity to that same band who caused such problems in Lille, the Red Cats, and they grabbed me just as I was headed into Charleville. They roughed me up a bit, but before they could turn me over to the authorities and claim the reward for me—”

“What?”

Elliot ignored his outburst as effectively as Blade had done.

“—Miss Brown and the fellows you just met showed up.”

The woman in question was refilling her wineglass.

“Miss Brown has been one step ahead of us—and Strickland—ever since we arrived in France,” Elliot continued. “She suspected either Barnabas or Sonia, or both, were colluding with Strickland, so she didn’t want to make herself known to any of us.”

“You took the guns from the caravan?” Sin asked.

“Yes—sorry I didn’t tell you. But Miss Brown didn’t want to apprehend Strickland before he led you all back to his lair. She wanted to make sure she had access to any information he was planning to use to extort Marianne. So we followed you here.” He cut Marianne a quick look. “Your locket and the pretty enamel box are both safe, by the way.”

“Thank you.”

“How did you get past the guards?” Sin asked. “I know they weren’t exactly threatening, but they had guns.”

“Yes, and that’s why Miss Brown came in first. She managed to distract them all just long enough to prevent an exchange of gunfire. Cecile and Guy used the knife Angus brought to pick the locks on their cells. And they were free and waiting when we arrived.”

“Distract them how?” Sin asked.

“Arlette, Monique—the two ladies you just saw with the other gentlemen—and Miss Brown dressed up like, er—”

“Prostitutes,” Jo said, pushing away the plate and glancing around for a napkin. When she didn’t see one, she wiped her hands on the sleeves of her filthy coat.

“Who are you?” Marianne asked her. “And why did you do all this?”

Jo threw back the contents of the king’s wineglass and then fixed her flat gray stare on Marianne. “Who I am doesn’t matter. As for why: I was paid to keep you safe and get to the bottom of Strickland’s scheme. I was also paid to bring you to Reims.”

* * *

“Reims,” the duke snapped before Marianne could say anything. “That would be madness.”

It was only the second time she’d heard Staunton raise his voice.

“Yes, Reims,” Jo repeated calmly.

“And what is in Reims?” Sin demanded.

“I was paid to keep that information to myself,” Jo said. As usual, she had a knife in her hand and was spinning it, looking sleepy and bored. “But it was the same person who paid me to look out for Marianne on this journey.”

Marianne set a hand on the duke’s arm when he looked as if he’d argue. “I assume this is somebody who can answer my questions?”

“I’m not paid to know that.”