The Guise of a Gentleman Read Online Free PDF Page A

distorted squares from the leaded glass. No fire burned in the fireplace, and the only sound in the room came from the ticking of a mantle clock. The servants had swept away the last vestiges of dust and neglect in the house. It didn’t even smell closed-in anymore.
    A dignified gentleman wearing an immaculate suit waited by the windows. About ten years Jared’s senior, Greymore had recently developed a few grey hairs near the temple, giving him a refined, distinguished appearance. Though slightly shorter than Jared, and a tad portly, he possessed a commanding presence.
    “Greymore,” Jared greeted.
    The man turned with a smile and clasped his hand. His bright, sharp eyes swept over Jared. When he caught sight of Jared’s swollen and bruised face and what little of his neck the cravat did not conceal, alarm replaced his smile.
    “Good grief! What happened to you?”
    “Merely a misunderstanding,” Jared replied.
    He might trust Greymore with his life, but he trusted no one with all of his secrets. He went to a side table and poured port from a crystal decanter into two glasses.
    “Is that a rope burn?” Greymore persisted.
    “An enthusiastic wench, to be sure. Fortunately, this time she used only a rope and not a chain.” He grinned and handed Greymore a port.
    Greymore frowned, clearly not believing a word, and sipped the port. “You are the most closed- mouthed man I’ve ever met.”
    “I’ve developed a dreadful habit of preferring to live.”
    Heaven knew he’d made enough bargains with the devil to live another day. Today was the first time he’d actually found himself within the embrace of a noose.
    It was also the first time he’d met an angel. He caught himself before he sighed at the memory.
    Greymore eyed him with speculation. “For the first few months on the Peninsula, I wasn’t sure if I could trust you, notwithstanding the Secret Service’s assurances.”
    “I’m sure you weren’t alone in that uncertainty.”
    “But Rebecca believed in you. And you saved my life. Twice.”
    Pain flared at the mention of Rebecca. Stifling it, Jared swirled the port and took a long drink. The liquid warmed him, numbing the ache in his ribs. And in his heart. He summoned a wry grin. “I have my moments. Few, but they do exist.”
    “I brought the information you requested.” Greymore retrieved a letter from a hidden inner coat pocket and handed it to him. “These gentlemen in the parish have a vested interest in shipping. Some are owners, others are merely investors. On the next page, you’ll see the name of each ship in their fleet, and which ones have reported losses due to pirates. There’s also a list of cargo stolen.”
    Jared scanned the names. Using the Black Jack alias, he’d been the pirate to take some of them. The Intrepid had been the one with the newly married couple traveling on board. The husband had glared at Jared murderously, watching for any sign that his wife would be molested. The bride had eyed him with revulsion and terror.
    Those were aspects of piracy Jared would not miss.
    “How can I help you?” Greymore’s voice brought him back.
    Jared drew a breath. He needed to learn to trust sometime. He pulled at the cravat and decided which of his many secrets he’d need to reveal in order to complete his task.
    “We have proof of a coalition of pirates. There have been a shocking number of hits on the most heavily-laden merchant ships over the last four years. Someone is passing information from the shipping business to a leader of the pirate ring. The leader goes by the name O Ladrão , but we don’t know who he actually is.”
    “ O Ladrão ? What does that mean?”
    Jared quirked a wry grin. “It means ‘the thief’ in Portuguese. O Ladrão then sells information to other pirates in his organization in return for a percentage of the plunder. There are at least three men between O Ladrão and the pirate captains. None of the informants know the identity of anyone in the