The Duke's Unusual Proposal

Chapter 24

        "Are you dressed?" she heard Simon say as he entered her room then stopped when he saw her coming from her dressing room. "I would almost think we were on your ranch getting ready to chase after rustlers again." Reggie was dressed all in black in her trousers, shirt and boots wearing her holster and gun. In one hand she carried a Stetson hat long with a long black coat over her arm.

        Smiling she dropped the coat and hat before returning to her dressing room and in a few minutes reappeared with another holster and gun handing them to Simon. "This was father's. I found it in my trunk earlier today when I was looking for mine. Sophia said I brought it along in case we might need it. Here let me help you put it on."

        She buckled it so it hung low on his hips and then knelt down to tie the bottom of the holster's leather strap about his thigh to secure it to his leg. She teased him then by running her hand up the inside of his leg to his crouch. "We're supposed to meet Jonathon and Lambert in a few minutes," he ground out through clenched teeth. He reached down and pulled her into his arms. "It's not as if we haven't pleasured each other already several times today."

        "You do know how to pleasure, m'lord," she teased him and Simon smiled. "Shall we join the others?"

        Reggie was pleased with the look on Lambert's face as she and Simon came down the staircase and even stone-faced Connor's eyes widened in surprise at them both in black wearing guns and holsters. "Duchess, I thought it would only be the three of us tonight," Lambert told her.

        "My wife isn't going anywhere without me. Are we all ready?"

        'Yes," Lambert replied to Simon knowing he was not about to change the man's mind about coming along.

        Simon helped Reggie on with her long coat keeping her hair inside the coat, which was tied at the nape of her neck with a black ribbon. After putting on her hat it would be hard to tell she was a woman. In the dark, she would easily pass for a man with her height and the bulkiness of her coat.

        The horses were waiting for then and once mounted the little group started for Davenport Limited offices. It was now past nine and Reggie was glad of the fog tonight to make it harder for anyone to see who they were or what they were up to. She estimated it would take them around an hour to arrive at the docks were the office was located.

        She rode next to Simon with Jonathon and Lambert following behind them. On the ride she once more went over their plan in her mind. Once at the building she and Simon along with Lambert would search Nigel's office while Jonathon acted as lookout at the door of the building.

        Arriving they tied their horses to a post at the side of the building where the horses were hidden in the shadows. Using one of her keys she opened the front door and the three walked in. Jonathon closed the door behind them and stayed at his post. Reggie led the way with Simon then Lambert followied as they walked up the stairs to NIgel's office. Reggie had to try several keys before she found the right one to opened the door.

        Inside Simon and Lambert walked to the several windows and pulled the drapes closed before they lit the small lantern they'd brought with them. While Simon and Lambert starting searching the room, Reggie sat down behind Nigel's desk and started opened drawers finding none of them locked. After a search of each drawer she found nothing of interest she sat and looked around the room.

        Seeing several pictures on the wall right behind the desk she rose to see what might be behind them. Finding nothing behind the first picture she then moved on to the second one. There she found an envelope partially stuffed in the frame behind the picture. Letting Simon and Lambert know, she sat behind the desk and removed the contents of the envelope and read what was inside.