A Dangerous Pursuit (Regency Spies & Secrets Book 1) by Laura Beers (romantic love story reading TXT) 📕

“Lord Hawthorne, a word.”

Baldwin turned towards Lord Desmond and watched him cross the busy yard. “What is it that you wish to discuss, Lord Desmond?”

Lord Desmond stopped in front of him and smiled. “I need your support on my bill,” he said plainly. “With your support, I believe we could turn the tides on it.”

Baldwin chuckled. “I’m afraid that won’t happen.”

“Why not?”

Growing serious, Baldwin said, “I am not opposed to building workhouses, but I don’t believe the Home Office should oversee them.”

“Ah, yes,” Lord Desmond mocked. “And how exactly do you propose we finance them?”

“I am not sure, but the Home Office has other responsibilities and obligations.”

“The parishes cannot handle the influx of the poor,” Lord Desmond argued. “We need to change the Poor Laws.”

“That may be the case, but I can’t in good conscience have you cut funding to agencies within the Home Office.”

“Have you at least read my bill?”

“I attempted to, but it is much too long and convoluted for me to wade through.”

Lord Desmond looked displeased by his admission. “We are in a position to make real changes here, Hawthorne. If we place the workhouses around the rookeries then we can save hundreds, if not thousands, of people’s lives.”

“I can respect that, but you need to find another way to fund it.”

“There is no other way. Currently, the parishes support the workhouses, but many can’t afford the cost of one. We need to oversee the poor and not just leave it to the parishes anymore.”

“I’m afraid I can’t support your bill.”

“I don’t have the faintest idea why,” Lord Desmond said, “but the Tory party is looking to you while deciding how they intend to vote on this bill.”

“You flatter me, but I daresay that is not true,” Baldwin dismissed the argument, brushing past him.

Lord Desmond’s voice came from behind him. “When will you stand for something that is greater than yourself, Hawthorne?”

Baldwin slowly turned around. “How dare you presume to know what I stand for?”

Lord Desmond took a step closer to him, his voice accusing. “You cry off your responsibilities for three years, and then you stand here and deny poor men and women an opportunity to survive.”

“I am doing no such thing,” Baldwin argued.

“I have been contracted to run many of these workhouses in London, and I have seen them change lives for the better,” Lord Desmond contended.

“I don’t dispute what you are saying is true.”

“But you won’t help me.”

“Not at the expense of the Home Office.”

Lord Desmond shook his head. “Why are you so protective of the Home Office?”

“Why aren’t you?” Baldwin asked. “They are warding off potential threats.”

“The people are rioting because they don’t have enough to eat. If we give them hope, then the people will disperse.”

“You can’t possibly be as naïve as that!” Baldwin declared.

Lord Desmond tugged down on the lapels of his jacket. “I thought if I appealed to your common decency that you would come around, but I see that I was wrong.”

“Withdraw your bill. If you can find another way to finance the workhouses, I will support it,” Baldwin said firmly.

“I will not.”

“Then I look forward to having your bill defeated.”

Lord Desmond narrowed his eyes. “You have just made a dangerous enemy in me, Hawthorne,” he warned.

“I assure you that I won’t lose any sleep over it,” Baldwin smirked in reply.

“You are just as much of a blackguard as your father was,” Lord Desmond growled as he brushed past him.

Baldwin turned to watch the man’s retreating figure. He didn’t understand why Desmond was attempting to push his bill through the House of Lords at such a quick pace. It was fundamentally flawed.

Lord Brinton came to stand next to him. “That was rather painful to watch,” he said.

“Percy,” Baldwin greeted. “You saw that?”

“I did,” Percy admitted. “It wasn’t as if you two were keeping your voices down.”

Baldwin turned to face Percy. “Why is Desmond so determined to have the Home Office oversee the workhouses?”

“I suppose it is the quickest way to get funding,” Percy suggested.

“It is a foolhardy thing to do.”

Percy nodded. “Desmond is hoping to have us overlook that by tugging at our heartstrings.”

“I heard that Lord Liverpool is against the bill, as well,” Baldwin said.

“That doesn’t surprise me in the least,” Percy acknowledged. “I am sure the cabinet members are complaining to the Prime Minister about this bill at great length.”

Baldwin reached into the pocket of his waistcoat and pulled out his pocket watch. “It is almost time for the session to begin.”

“Shall we?” Percy asked, gesturing towards the building.

Chapter Eleven

“I must admit that I am rather nervous about being abducted,” Madalene shared as she rode in an open carriage with Lord Hawthorne.

“It is technically not an abduction, since you are going along willingly,” he pointed out.

Madalene smiled playfully. “I know, but it sounds much more exciting to call it that.”

Lord Hawthorne looked at her with mild amusement. “Regardless, you need not fear for your safety.”

“What if something terrible goes wrong?”

“It won’t.”

“How can you be so sure?” she asked, hands clasped in her lap.

“Because I have planned for any situation,” he explained. “There are times when I have to go into a situation unprepared, but that is not the case here.”

“What kind of situations?”

Lord Hawthorne arched an eyebrow. “Are you always this much of a busybody?”

“I am,” she replied, unabashed.

“It is not very becoming.”

“I just can’t help but notice you are shrouded in a cloud of secrecy,” she said with a half-shrug, “and I find it fascinating.”

“My life is rather dull.”

“It doesn’t appear that way to me.”

“You would be wrong, then,” he remarked dismissively. “Do you have the muff pistol on your person?”

She nodded. “I do.”

“Good.”

Lord Hawthorne turned the carriage down a road that she was unfamiliar with. “Where are we going?”

“We need to get rid of the open carriage and travel the rest of the way in a closed carriage,” he explained.

“But I can’t ride in a closed carriage with you,” she declared, her voice taking on a