Chapter 6

Phileas had been as angry with Chatsworth as Rebecca when he had learned of Sir Jonathan's rouse. He just did a better job of hiding it. Jules was no agent, but he was young enough to pass for a student, which would be something the average novice agent of twenty-six or seven would not.

If I were inclined to be charitable with Chatsworth, which I'm not, I might commend him for his ingenuity. I dislike the idea, but watching over a pair of nineteen-year-old hellions won't be dangerous. Rebecca says they have made good their promise to the judge, staying out of arrestable trouble, spending their days sightseeing, and peacefully gambling and carousing by night.

After their meal, Phileas and Rebecca fully explained what would be expected of him.

Jules laughed. "Seriously? I'm getting paid to gamble, drink, and visit brothels… Really?"

Rebecca looked down, smirking.

"I really don't know how to gamble. Well, I've never had the money to learn. I know how some games are played, but my upbringing frowned heavily on games of chance," Jules said, looking at Phileas, who was also smirking.

Jules didn't address going to brothels. He had been in a few low-class establishments with friends, but never did more than nod to the women working there. The hardness of seasoned prostitutes–no. I usually left as soon as the others headed upstairs.

Drinking; that I can do with the best or worst of them. Nice that for once, I will have the money to do it on decent vintages.

The next day, the Ridgemont twin's new surveillance officer came on a bit of luck sooner than had expected. The Americans were visiting the British Museum, which had been where Verne's lecture had just ended. Rebecca pointed them out to him as Verne left the lecture hall. As he approached the two young Americans, a big man in a black suit came by, knocking Jules into them, sending all three to the floor.

"Of all the…" Matt sputtered under his breath as he pushed his brother off his stomach. In doing so, he pushed him onto the other guy's leg. The cause of their collision had only just gotten one foot underneath him again. "Are you ok?" Matt said to the stranger, thrown at them.

"I'm fine." Jules removed a foot from his ankle to stand before lending a hand to the boy still on the floor. Young man, not even twenty. At twenty-three, Jules felt like this job was going to be like keeping up with his brother when on shore.

"Check your pockets," Mark said as he came up. "That looked like a classic hit and run to me."

Jules quickly checked his pockets and found his watch and wallet still with him.

"Must have been an amateur," Matt said, watching Jules repack his pockets. "The pickpockets in Galveston would have had you cleaned out before you hit the floor."

"The one's in Nantes, too," Jules said.

"Nantes? That's in France, isn't it?" Matt said. "That is where you're from? You do not sound French," the young man blurted out.

"And how would you know how the European French sound like?" Mark said, punching Matt's shoulder. "The closest we've come to a Frenchman are sailors from New Orleans."

Jules nearly choked on his laughter at the rebuke. "And you two are Americans, right?"

"From Galveston, Texas," Matt said. "This is my brother Mark Ridgemont. and I am Matthew. We are starting classes at Cambridge this fall. We are sort of taking in the sights until we have to be there."

Jules looked at the twins, wondering why they even bothered to state the obvious. If it were not for their clothing, they would be a matched set. Both were over six feet tall, dark-haired, with warm brown eyes. They had lean muscular builds that spoke of exercise, and lots of it. Their features, while somewhat boyish, promised to mature soon into handsome lines that would attract more attention than Jules was sure they were getting already.

"I am Jules Verne. I am to study at Cambridge, too. Sorbonne University is where I normally attend, but I was awarded a chance to study English law."

"Law student, huh," Mark commented. "You like that?"

Jules did not lie well and knew it. "No, not really, but my father is a lawyer, and that is what I am to study."

"We know how it is," Mark said. "Guess what we were sent here to study?"

"Law?" Jules said.

"Not so lucky," Matt said. "Our father was a Methodist Preacher." All three young men grinned ear to ear and started laughing. When he could catch his breath again, Matt said, "neither of us intend to be ministers. Our mother insisted, so here we are."

"I was just heading to dinner after a lecture," Jules told them. "Would you care to join me?"

The boys agreed readily. The three headed for the main entrance to find a cafe.

On the other side of the large hall, Rebecca and an agent in a dark suit watched the three young men talk and laugh together. "That worked well," Sutton said.

"Quite." Rebecca said. She still didn't like it, but kept it off her face better today. "Maybe it won't be so bad. No real danger in it other than giving Jules a taste of unaccustomed vices."