Britain in 1831 was very different from the Britain of only a year earlier.
From 1807 to 1830, the Tory Party had ruled for an astonishing twenty-three years. Now it had fallen back into opposition.
And even that statistic didn't tell the whole story.
The Whigs had held power briefly from 1806 to 1807—barely a year. If one traced the tiline further back to the days when William Pitt the Younger dominated governnt, the Tories had effectively governed Britain for nearly half a century.
With such a long-standing balance of power suddenly overturned, it was inevitable that the country would beco turbulent.
My father—the Earl of Arran—was busy trying to determine what this political upheaval would an for our family. As a result, he was away from the estate more often than not.
I decided the opportunity had arrived.
I invited Lord Wellesley to the house and deliberately arranged matters so that Jas would remain behind to serve him as a guest.
Naturally, Jas suspected nothing.
He escorted Lord Charles to my room.
"Master Killian," Jas announced politely, "Lord Charles Wellesley has arrived."
"Good," I said. "Lord Wellesley, please have a seat. Jas—you sit as well."
"Would it not be better if I left you two to converse?" Jas suggested. "I've just received so excellent tea. I could bring so."
"No tea," I said calmly. "Today Lord Wellesley and I both have sothing to discuss with you."
Lord Charles grinned and gestured toward the chair beside him.
With no excuse left, Jas awkwardly sat down.
"Very well," I said. "Lord Wellesley, did you bring the materials I asked for?"
"Of course," he said cheerfully. "Honestly, thanks to this I've been enjoying life lately. Not investing in Arican land when you first suggested it still stings—but now that I've started buying regularly, the profits from the gambling house make it feel like I'm catching up."
"In the beginning we didn't have much capital anyway," I replied calmly. "Even if the investnt tripled, the absolute gain wasn't that large. The real profits are still ahead."
"Yes, yes," Lord Charles said with enthusiasm. "I trust you completely, Killian. These days I sotis feel like every wealthy man in London is visiting our gambling house. Expanding into the building next door and turning it into a VIP club was brilliant. The word 'VIP' alone seems to enchant people."
Jas blinked in confusion.
"…A gambling house? What are you two talking about? And what do you an by investing in Arican land?"
"Jas," I said, "you heard that the gambling house where we first t Lord Wellesley last year was purchased by him, didn't you?"
"Yes… I did hear that."
"Well, half of it belongs to ," I said calmly. "More precisely, we're business partners. And we've been using the profits to buy land in Chicago."
"…What?"
Jas stared at us in disbelief.
"Business partners? But why would Lord Wellesley run a gambling house with soone as young as you, Master Killian?"
Rather than explaining, I handed him a set of docunts.
They contained a clear summary of the gambling house's recent profits, along with reports showing the rising value of the Arican properties we had purchased.
"This," I said simply, "is the answer."
Jas looked down at the numbers.
His eyes widened.
The figures spoke for themselves.
After a long silence, he finally spoke.
"Master Killian… I believe this requires a very long explanation. First of all—does the Earl know about this?"
"No."
Jas froze.
"The only people who know are Lord Wellesley and you."
"…Why?"
"Lord Wellesley must know because he's my partner. And you must know because I want you to act on my behalf from now on."
Even with Lord Wellesley acting as my public shield, I couldn't entrust everything to him.
As a nobleman himself, there were limits to where he could appear openly.
I needed soone who could handle the unpleasant work.
Soone capable of operating in the shadows.
And there was no one better suited than Jas.
"Don't misunderstand," I continued calmly. "I'm not planning anything illegal. But if soone like —a half-Asian, illegitimate Irish noble—appears too openly, it could attract unnecessary attention. And I'm still very young. Until I can speak with authority in politics, I'd prefer to remain unnoticed."
"If that's the case," Jas said carefully, "shouldn't the Earl be inford?"
"When the ti is right, he will be," I said. "But only when I'm certain the information won't spread to relatives or political circles."
Jas hesitated.
"The Earl loves you dearly. He wouldn't intentionally harm your interests."
"I know," I replied quietly.
But love was not the issue.
My father was deeply connected to countless people in society and politics. Especially now, when he was working to secure my legal inheritance, caution was essential.
I had learned that lesson once already—in my previous life.
One fatal mistake had been enough.
"So," I continued, "the fewer people who know the truth, the better. That's why it took ti before telling you."
Jas frowned slightly.
"And what preparation did you require?"
"To beco certain that you wouldn't refuse."
"…If all of this truly ca from your mind, Master Killian, it is extraordinary. But… the gambling house's inco really tripled in a single year?"
"Exactly!" Lord Charles burst in enthusiastically. "Jas, your young master is a genius when it cos to making money. Give him money and it simply multiplies!"
I allowed him to boast on my behalf.
It was more convincing than anything I could say myself.
"And it was Master Killian who suggested both the gambling business and the Arican land investnts?" Jas asked slowly.
"Absolutely," Lord Charles replied. "The Arican land I doubted at first—but the prices are skyrocketing exactly as he predicted. And as for the gambling house, Killian has completely reinvented how they operate. Soon every gambling house in London will copy his model."
Jas studied the docunts again.
But the numbers did not change.
Nor did Lord Wellesley's confidence.
In truth, much of this success had been luck.
But gambling was one field where I possessed genuine expertise.
Aside from fraud—my forr profession—gambling was the subject I understood most thoroughly.
I knew exactly how modern casinos operated.
In contrast, gambling houses in this era were primitive—disorganized, inefficient, and poorly managed.
All I had done was introduce modern casino managent.
And the profits had exploded.
"Then your plan," Jas said slowly, "is to dominate every gambling house in London?"
"No," I replied. "This is rely a tool to generate cash. In a few years we'll sell them all."
Historically, such establishnts would eventually be outlawed.
I didn't rember the exact year, but it would certainly happen before mid-century.
My plan was simple.
Sell everything by 1840.
Lord Wellesley believed it was rely because a future statesman should not be associated with gambling.
In truth, I was simply exiting before the law arrived.
Jas took a deep breath.
"…Then what exactly do you intend to do?"
"The truth?"
I leaned back slightly.
"Jas, I realized sothing during my first year in England."
"The height I can reach here is limited."
I continued calmly.
"Yes, I'm a nobleman. But English nobles openly look down on the Irish. And I'm half Asian besides. The ceiling above is obvious."
Lord Charles quickly added,
"Well, I certainly don't think that way."
I smiled.
"I know."
Then I turned back to Jas.
"That's why I'm preparing in advance. Simply inheriting my father's earldom will never be enough."
"…That is true," Jas admitted.
"And you," I continued softly, "are not soone who wishes to remain a household steward forever."
Jas stiffened.
"What I want from you is to act as my representative. And such responsibility cos with equally substantial rewards."
For a man born as an illegitimate son of a noble family, denied inheritance and recognition, the offer was irresistible.
I pressed gently on the wound hidden deep inside him.
"Jas, I know exactly how you've lived. The frustration of having ability without recognition—only soone who has experienced it can understand. That's why we can beco excellent partners."
He lowered his gaze.
"So co with ," I said quietly.
"Let's play in deeper waters."
After a long pause, Jas asked:
"You said the gambling house is only a ans of generating cash. What cos next?"
Good.
He had already crossed the line.
"First," I said, "Lord Wellesley and I intend to create an information network."
"London is where Britain's wealth gathers. And where wealth gathers, manipulation follows."
I smiled faintly.
"So why shouldn't we take money from the people who manipulate it?"
Jas stared.
"…Did you acquire the gambling house the sa way?"
"Yes."
"But that was mostly luck. To make this truly effective, we need a professional organization dedicated to gathering information."
"However," I continued, "we cannot operate openly. The organization will have a respectable front. Jas—I want you to serve as the official head of both the gambling house and the new company."
"An intelligence network…" Jas murmured thoughtfully. "There are already so individuals in London who investigate cris and sell information about thieves and criminals."
Perfect.
That was exactly the direction I intended.
What I envisioned was sothing like a modern detective agency.
Such institutions would eventually appear in Britain and Arica later in the nineteenth century.
Demand clearly existed.
If used correctly, such an organization could gather intelligence—and generate enormous profit.
Jas studied for a long mont.
Then he stood and bowed deeply.
"I will accept the opportunity you have given , Master Killian."
"You will one day inherit this earldom. I shall serve you with the sa loyalty I show the Earl."
He hesitated.
"Though I still cannot understand how an eleven-year-old could conceive of all this."
"You made the right choice," I said with satisfaction.
"You won't regret it."
Jas imdiately began analyzing the plan.
"The idea is sound. In fact, two years ago Sir Robert Peel established the tropolitan Police. Since then the old thief-takers and Bow Street Runners have been losing influence. Recruiting them would give us experienced personnel."
I hadn't even considered that.
This was precisely why capable subordinates were essential.
My strength lay in broad strategy.
Jas excelled at details.
Together we were an ideal combination.
"Very well," I said. "I'll leave the implentation to you. I have an important eting tomorrow."
"A eting?"
Jas blinked.
"Oh—that's right. Your interview with Dr. John Keate, the headmaster of Eton."
"Yes," I said.
"Lord Wellesley wished to visit his old school, so he'll accompany ."
The school visit was rely an excuse.
In truth, he was delivering a ssage from the Duke of Wellington.
Jas understood without explanation.
"In that case," he said, "I will begin working on the organization. But once you enter Eton, you won't be able to move freely outside. Are you certain this plan will still work?"
"That's exactly why I'm appointing you as my agent."
Jas suddenly smiled.
"Ah… I see. You had already planned for that."
Students at Eton followed strict schedules and had little free ti.
But the studies of early teenagers posed no challenge to .
And the prestige of attending Eton would provide enormous advantages.
Jas would visit regularly in his capacity as the household steward.
No one would find that unusual.
And each visit would allow to direct our operations.
No one would ever suspect the quiet Irish boy studying at Eton of controlling anything in London.
Outwardly:
A diligent young Irish noble striving to overco his birth.
In reality:
The hidden leader of a rising organization within London's gray underworld.
For now, my task was simple.
Establish both identities.
And make certain that no one ever connected the two.
Fortunately…
Living multiple lives had always been my greatest talent.
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