your questions and they are chafing my wrists. Surely with that mountain of a man behind me and the two of you between me and the door, you don’t believe I could actually escape. Do you?’
Colonel Collingsworth nodded to Brennan and the cuffs were unlocked. Immediately, Manning began rubbing his wrists. The men sitting with him might have missed his tactic for avoiding the last question, but Gabriel had not. Why did he not want to reveal where he had gathered his information? Was he protecting someone or fearful of them?
‘The information on the Prince Regent’s whereabouts. How did you acquire it?’ Mr Donaldson asked again, and Gabriel almost wished he had forgotten that he hadn’t received an answer the first time.
‘They will know you have me and that I have told you things. They will want retribution. Please, sirs, I beg of you. Please do not let any harm come to my child and his mother. They have had no part in this. They should not be made to suffer because of me.’
‘You are in no position to make any requests,’ Colonel Collingsworth said, clearly disgusted.
‘Then I have nothing else to say.’ Manning leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.
‘Cooperate with us fully, Mr Manning, and should you be found guilty, transportation might be an option.’
Manning said nothing as he stared at his captors.
‘Then I believe this interrogation is over,’ Mr Donaldson said, rising to his feet. ‘Colonel, you may take the prisoner now.’
He walked to the door and it wasn’t until he touched the handle that Manning called to him.
‘Sir, I shall tell you everything, if you promise to safeguard my family.’ He chewed his lower lip and fixed his gaze on Mr Donaldson’s back.
Gabriel was fighting the urge to shut his eyes. Olivia was too young to die now.
Turning slowly, Mr Donaldson walked back to the table and sat down. ‘I will do what I can to keep your family safe.’
‘I need your word as a gentleman.’
Mr Donaldson visibly bristled, but after pursing his lips together, he gave a curt nod. ‘You have it.’
‘Very well, I’ve gathered the information on the Regent’s whereabouts from my acquaintances.’
‘Tell us the names of those acquaintances.’
Manning shifted once more in his seat and he looked about the room before his gaze returned to Mr Donaldson. He took a deep breath. ‘Lady Abernathy and the Duchess of Winterbourne.’
The silence in the room was deafening.
Gabriel broke out in a cold sweat and his heart twisted in pain. If only he could pretend this day had never happened. But it had—and Olivia’s name was now linked to an assassination attempt on Prinny.
His right hand clenched into a tight fist. He glanced at his brother and the expression on Andrew’s face told him, in no uncertain terms, that he thought Gabriel was a fool for allowing other men to conduct this interview. Now, he wished he had listened. But strangely enough it was to protect Olivia more than he worried about saving himself.
He focused his attention back to the interrogation room. It appeared some of the candles had gone out and he squinted to adjust to the lower light. Colonel Collingsworth and Mr Donaldson were staring at one another in silent communication and Manning’s eyes shifted between the two men while he chewed his lip.
Finally, Mr Donaldson cleared his throat. ‘What information did Lady Abernathy give you?’
Manning’s right leg bounced rapidly. ‘She told me of the Prince Regent’s trip to Brighton on the fourth.’
‘I see. And did you forward this by a note left at Hatchard’s?’
‘I did.’
‘And the Duchess of Winterbourne, what information has she provided you with?’
Both of Manning’s legs were bouncing now as he rubbed the back of his neck. ‘She told me of a trip she was taking with him to visit a Mr Owen to purchase a painting by Titian, and today I heard about his plans to attend Lord and Lady Nettleford’s ball.’
Both Donaldson and the Colonel turned to the wall hiding Gabriel and Andrew. If Gabriel didn’t know any better, he would have thought they could see him rubbing his hands on his thighs. The smooth buckskin helped dry his sweaty palms.
Mr Donaldson leaned forward. ‘And this information the Duchess of Winterbourne provided you with, what did you do with it?’
‘I wrote the information down and placed it in the book at Hatchard’s.’
‘Did these women who provided you with information know you would be forwarding it to someone else?’
‘No. No. Of course not.’
‘You are certain they were not part of this?’
‘Yes. I’m certain.’
‘Did you ever discuss harming the Prince Regent in any way with Lady Abernathy or the Duchess of Winterbourne?’
Manning’s eyes widened. ‘No. Lady Abernathy is the gentlest of souls and Lady Winterbourne looks upon the Prince Regent like a father. Neither could ever consciously hurt him. And I have no desire to see him harmed. I told you I had no knowledge what was to be done with the information. I just wanted to protect my son.’
‘Who takes this information you leave?’
‘I do not know. I was told to place the information on page eighty-nine in the book and leave.’
‘And you never remained, out of sight, to see who comes to collect it?’
‘No, I just wanted to leave as quickly as possible.’
Mr Donaldson turned to Colonel Collingsworth. ‘I have no further questions. Do you?’
Colonel Collingsworth shook his head.
‘Very well, then. You will remain in Colonel Collingsworth’s custody until we determine if you will stand trial.’
Manning squeaked. ‘But I told you I had no knowledge of a plan to murder the Prince Regent.’
Mr Donaldson stood and turned towards the door. ‘Then you should have no problem convincing a jury of that should that be your fate.’
Falling back in his chair, Gabriel rubbed his eyes. He could breathe again.
‘You’re one lucky devil,’ Andrew said, standing up and stretching. ‘That could have ended very differently. Do you think he was telling the truth? About Olivia?’
‘I do.’ He felt it in his bones. And Manning was right, Prinny was like a father to Olivia. Guilt ate away at him that he had even considered she would want to see the man dead. It was disturbing to know the man on the other side of the wall understood his wife better than he did.
Andrew
