To Deceive A Duke

Chapter 45

Daniel does as Clarissa asks, and he meets her outside Lygon Place as soon as he is ready. Dressed in a dark jacket and trousers with his hair brushed, the duke looks much better, even if his face is still a little pinched and thin. Clarissa is so relieved that he is out of the house that she has to turn her head away to hide her smile. As their carriage nears The Blue Anchor Pub, the nerves begin to creep in and she starts to fiddle with her skirts. George might be in a better place than when he last spoke to his brother but she is still wary of what his reaction might be, and that of Daniel's too. 

When the horses draw to a halt, she gathers her folders into her arms and leads the way down the alley and up the stairs, ignoring Daniel's questions as he trails behind her. She opens the door and steps to the side, allowing him to enter past her. He walks into the room and stops when he sees the group gathered around the table. Peter, John, Chuck, Phill and George all look at him, the tension spiking as the Cavendish brother's lock eyes. Neither George nor Daniel move a muscle, both are rigid and impassive as they stare at each other, conflicting emotions flashing in their eyes. Clarissa carefully shuts the door behind her, holding her breath as slips into her seat at the head of the table. Eventually, George gets to his feet and rounds the table to where his brother stands. He looks him up and down and lets out a low whistle. 

"You look like shit," He comments bluntly. 

"I feel it," Daniel says ruefully, running a hand over his stubble and grimacing.

"Me too," 

There is a moment of silence in which everyone is on the edge of their seat, waiting and wondering. 

"What I did was out of order...." Daniel begins to say but George cuts him off with a shake of his head. 

"As was what I said," He states, "Both of us were wrong, but we cannot afford to be on opposing sides now, so..." He looks around the room, searching for the right words. 

Daniel sticks out his hand, "Brothers?

George eyes it, but then shakes, "Brothers," He agrees. 

Clarissa busies herself with reading her documents to hide her pleased expression as the Cavendish boys take a seat on either side of her, the tension vanishing from the air. When she looks up everyone is looking at her expectantly. She clears her throat and holds her head up high. 

"It's been a hellish few days," She begins, "For some more than others, but I think we can all agree that Grace's unjust and despicable murder requires swift action, as we have tolerated the existence of these parasites in our city for far too long. This is our city and they are no longer welcome, they need to be dealt with," She shuffles some papers, looking down at her plans, "I know we originally planned to act in a few weeks, however, I called this meeting as I am proposing that we change the date to this Friday," 

There is a sharp intake of breath from around the room and several pairs of eyes grow wide. 

"This Friday?" Peter repeats, "Bloody hell, we can't get everything right in four days!" 

"I believe we can," She says, "I believe that between the seven of us we can do this," 

"The seven of us?" Phill casts a doubtful look around the room, "You don't wish to involve any of the others? None of the men that are actually trained to carry out such operations?" 

"I trust everyone is in this room implicitly," Clarissa replies, "The same cannot be said about everyone else. To me, this plan is too important to be put in the hands of others, no matter how skilled and competent they may be," 

They seem to accept her words but there is still a great deal of doubt on their faces. 

"Ignoring the time frame, what is this plan of yours?" Daniel inquires, leaning back in his chair as he considers her.