Captain Asher Newman hadn't changed a bit. He was still the same man Robert knew him to be; tall, with wide shoulders and brown hair. He stood before the Marquess, his strong hands placed on both sides of his uniform. Robert wondered what a captain like him would be looking for in his office. He was an old-time friend of his father but they seemed to be apart these recent years.

"Captain," He stood, extending a hand to shake him.

Asher shook his hands, his brown eyes steady, with no hint of emotion. "Lord Robert."

"Please, have a seat," Robert said, motioning at the black chair before him.

Asher sank into the seat, his broad chest moving up and down as he breathed. He glanced around the office, nodding his head impressively at the opulence of the place.

"I've been hearing a lot about you in Africa," he said, smiling.

"I guess my work speaks volumes."

"Indeed." He crossed his barrel size arms. "Especially your new work, the moon lamp."

"I'm glad you think so," Robert said. "So, to what do I owe this unexpected visit?"

Asher breathed deeply. That wasn't good. Robert knew that look. It was the look that people had when they knew something they shouldn't know.

"A month ago in my army camp, my soldiers brought in a group of men who claimed were on an expedition. They were following an illegal route to find a certain metal that could only be found in the Niger. We questioned them and it turned out," he slouched in his chair, "they worked for you."

Robert's heart slammed hard against his chest. No one knew of this expedition except for him and Howard. If the Captain knew of this, there was no need to lie about it.

"What happened to them?" Robert asked. He wouldn't want anything to ruin his only chance of making the moon lamp. That metal was more valuable to him than anything else. He needed to make sure they (the metal and his treasure hunters) were alive and well.

Asher continued, "British Law demands I arrest them for doing what they did but I didn't. I spared your group of treasure hunters and as we speak, they're on sea returning with your precious metal."

Robert wanted to leap out of his seat in joy but realized he would make a fool of himself. Finally, he was one step away from making the moon lamp. But he knew he shouldn't celebrate till he was out of the bush. Asher mentioned that he was meant to arrest them but didn't. That simply meant one thing- he wanted something in return.

"How much would it cost for you to keep your mouth closed?" Robert asked, leaning forward.

A flash of anger slashed past Asher's brown eyes. He didn't seem pleased with being bought out. But everyone had a price. This could be his way of boosting the bloody price.

"I don't want your money, Your Lordship." Asher locked his knuckles that had wrinkled with age. "I didn't do this because of my friendship with your father either."

Blimey, Robert thought.

"So what do you want?"

Asher stood up and strolled to a window overlooking London's office blocks. The sun danced in his brown eyes like fire on earth, the breeze making his coat flutter.

"Let me tell you a story, Your Lordship." He breathed in deeply." Years ago, I was in love with a woman. She worked as a maid in a home and I was still a recruit working under the command of Late Captain Finley. Months later, my lover discovered she was pregnant and didn't know how to tell her parents for she was scared. A week later I was among the soldiers deployed to the Niger and I was told by the Late captain that I would return in a month so I could be with my pregnant wife." He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. "I believed him and told my lover that I would be back in a month and when I do, I would marry her and save her from disgrace."

Silence precedented the office and an ominous tension lagged between the two men in the room. Robert knew the rest of that story wasn't female buttocks and pretty roses. If he were to assume, he would say it was full of cow shite.

"You didn't come back, did you?"

Asher curled a hand into a fist. "And I'll never be able to forgive myself for that."

"Why didn't you come back?"

"Two weeks in, I had the best stats even among some veterans and the Captain said he couldn't let me go back. He claimed he needed his best soldier with him. I tried begging him from the viewpoint of the both of us being friends and him having to keep his promise. But he declined."

Robert's heart sank for this man. He didn't even have the opportunity to be with his loved one. At least Robert saw his family every day and maybe he should begin to be more grateful for that.

"So what happened next? Did his heart soften?" Robert highly doubted that. Gerrard was the epitome of his father. So he was friggin sure the Late Captain kept on being a flabby wanker.

Asher sighed. "Worse than that. I wrote letters to her apologising for not being able to make it. For over eighteen years I was there in the Niger, unable to go back to her."

Bloody hell! Robert was taking back what he said earlier- Gerrard's father was worse than him.

"But you're back. Why not look for her?"

He ambled back to his seat and sat. "Because she's dead." He dipped his hand into his pocket and brought out a piece of paper. "She wrote me this letter telling me I had twins."

He extended the letter to Robert who took it, not knowing how this sad story had to do with paying Asher back for what he did for him. The sheets were browned with age and the ink was fading.

It read;

Dear Asher,

By the time you read this letter, I would already be dead. I waited for your letters but none of them came and you never replied to the ones I sent. I was scared and couldn't go back to my parents. So I ran away and a kind old woman took me in and helped deliver our children. You have twins. A beautiful boy and a beautiful girl. I have asked the nice old granny to give them away to homes that are willing to accept children. I also told her not to tell my parents where the children are. That way I wouldn't leave a burthen for them. I've forgiven you, my love and hope that one day you'll be able to forgive yourself too. There's something else you need to know. Captain Finley was in love with me and asked me to cut things off with you and elope with him. But I refused and he told me I'll rue the day I rejected him. Maybe he's behind all these. All I can tell you is to be careful of him. I wish you the best.

Yours forever,

Emily.

Robert turned the back of the letter and by the bottom right, it read; YHTC. What could that possibly mean?

Well, that was one bloody letter. A lot was going on in just a piece of paper. Robert looked up from the sheet and locked eyes with Asher. All these wounds were hidden so deep in his flesh you could never see them on his face. He was suffering the guilt of a father who wasn't there for his children. At least he was trying to right his wrongs. Unlike the Duke.

"What did she mean by you should be careful of the late captain?" Robert asked, unable to hold back his itching curiosity.

"From the letter, you can tell Emily was always writing to me and I was always writing to her. But neither of us received our letters and once I saw this letter in my bedroom, it all made sense. Finley was making sure neither of us got our letters. It was his way of punishing Emily for rejecting him and which explained why he never let me come back to her."

Goodness, the Finleys were born evil geniuses. Now Robert saw where Gerrard got his deceptive skills from. It ran in their bloody veins. Except for Mrs Finley though. She was a precious woman who just loved telling boring stories.

"He was a man in love acting out of jealousy," Robert said. He didn't know how it felt since he has never been jealous of any man because of a woman.

"Indeed, and he ruined my life because of it."

"Do you believe she's dead?" Robert asked.

Asher blew out air. "I want to find her parents. That's the only way to know if any of these is true."

"And let me guess," Robert steepled his fingers, "that's where I come in."

The Captain nodded. "Help me find my children and if possible, my wife and you'll get your metal once it arrives on British soil."

"And if I don't?"

"You will kiss your metal goodbye."

Robert sighed. "You do know how to put someone in tight shoes."

"Part of the perks of being a commander." Asher smirked.

"If I may ask, why can't you do this yourself?" The Marquess asked.

"I didn't say I was leaving you to do all the work. I haven't been in London for eighteen years, Your Lordship. I need a man like you who has connections and is one of the leading conversations in London today. A man who knows London to its roots. Besides, we both have secrets we don't want London to know. I don't want to damage Emily's reputation and you don't want anyone to know your men followed illegal routes."

At least someone had admitted Robert was so close to the top of the social ladder. What more would make his father proud of him? But still, the Duke had to be such a royal arse. Also, damn those bloody treasure hunters! Couldn't they keep their floppy brain in order and try not to get caught?

"Alright," Robert said.

"Well, I hope to hear from you soon. Here's the letter. I believe you would need it. Her parents live at 103 Finley avenue. If you need anything else or want to reach out to me, I'll drop my number with the receptionist "

Asher handed the piece of paper over to the Marquess and headed to the door. The two men shared curt nods and the captain left. At that moment, Robert knew it was time to save his long-life mission. All he had to do was find a family. How hard could that be?

Ella had just finished setting the last piece of furniture in its right place. Everything was cleaned and she finally got a breath of fresh air. Over twenty minutes had passed and she hadn't heard from Robert. Wasn't he meant to call her asking for a file? Wasn't that the way archives worked? Or was she meant to sit down here all day doing absolutely nothing?

She crossed her delicate arms, a frown on her oval-shaped face. The chatters of Londoners sneaked into the archive through the windows, beams of lights forcing themselves past the glass panes. Her endless feet tapping against the floor irritated her with each flying second. She needed to do something or she would run insane.

"That's it." She huffed, stomping to Robert's office door like an angry employee looking for some work to do.

Swinging the door open, she came in contact with Robert and Howard. They were both having subtle conversations and the look on His Lordship's face wasn't one she expected to see.

He looked... disturbed. At that moment, every hint of rage she had towards him dissipated. She was worried for him and she didn't like it.

He noticed her presence, blue eyes widening in surprise. "Mr Law."

"Ah, it's you." Howard rolled his eyes. He seemed to have made up his mind on her. He didn't like her in the least.

"Yes, it's me." She turned to Robert, hands on her hips. "I was wondering why you've not given me any work."

Robert looked at her like she had nuts for brains. "You're the first worker I've seen that asks for work to be handed over to them. Even Mr Lithstone hasn't done that."

"Well, I'm not Mr Lithstone."

"And I thank God for that," Howard said under his breath.

She glared at him. "You have to give me something to do. I can't stay in that office idle."

"If you're bored of working, Mr Law," Robert started, "maybe you should resign."

"Never in a thousand years."

He shrugged, getting up from his seat. "Suit yourself then."

Before she could blink again, he was already going down the stairs. She went after him, his movements quicker than she expected.

"You have to give me something to do."

He ignored her.

"Oh, so you're not going to answer me now?"

He sighed. "I've told you, Mr Law. Resign if you feel you have nothing to do."

"You think I don't know this is another plan of yours to get rid of me."

"You don't say."

She hissed, trying to keep up with him. "Yes, I do say."

In a few minutes, they were in the lobby, the workers making way for their boss. Robert walked through the space, a tiger among cubs. His shoulders were as wide and impressive as usual and Ella considered it too distracting.

Focus on the task at hand woman! You need work! Work!

"You have to give me something to do. I came here to work."

"I have already—oof!" A lanky man bumped into Robert and he stumbled back, Ella instinctively holding him. When she realized how close they were, she released him like he was made of hot thorns.

"I'm sorry, My Lord." Turns out it was the doorman.

"It's fine." Robert didn't even spare him a glance before he hopped into his carriage. Giving Ella a curt nod, he gave the driver the signal to move. As Ella cursed under her breath, watching the carriage ride off into the hot afternoon, she could swear she saw Robert wink at her.

What on earth was happening?