by Tamara Gill
“Josh won’t find out, and if you do as I ask, without raising an eyebrow, I’ll put in a sweet word for you in relation to Miss Cynthia Williams whom you’ve fawned over all night.”
“I do not fawn.”
She patted his arm and his eyes narrowed. “You do, my dear, but let me tell you, fawning and being sweet to a woman only makes me like you more.”
“Alice, what is it that you want?” he asked, a serious tone to his voice.
“Meet me at the doors of Tattersalls tomorrow an hour before the auction. Don’t be late.”
He groaned. “Alice…”
“And bring money, or however you pay for horses at such places.” She went to walk away and he pulled her back.
“Women are not allowed at Tattersalls, or have you forgot?”
Alice grinned. “I’ve not forgot. Good night, Lord Thetford. I shall see you tomorrow.” She didn’t laugh at his distraught face, no matter how much she desperately wished to.
Chapter Seventeen
“I think I hate you.” Lord Thetford threw a disgusted look at her as she walked into Tattersalls with him. Dressed as a dandy, Alice itched her nape, as the man’s short wig aggravated her scalp.
“Don’t be a bore, my lord. No one will recognize me and if anyone asks who I am, tell them I’m your friend from abroad and that I can’t speak English.”
His lordship looked disgusted at the idea. “I could never know someone who wasn’t multilingual.”
Alice laughed and at an odd look from a passing gentleman, adjusted her tone to be deeper. “You are such a snob.”
They made their way inside, stood in the courtyard, and found a location where they could see the horses when they were showcased to the gathered buyers. Alice spied Sir Liam Sledmere looking about and talking to other gentlemen. He spied Thetford and made his way over.
Alice shifted to the side, not wanting him to recognize her.
“Thetford, good to see you here.” Sir Liam slapped Thetford on the shoulder and he winced.
“Sir Liam,” Thetford replied, his tone a shade cooler than their guest. Alice watched them and couldn’t help but notice that Thetford’s dislike of the man was obvious. From the moment she’d met the baronet, she’d been uneasy in his company, and apparently, so were others.
Interesting…
“Purchasing any horses today?” Sir Liam asked, as the first mount was brought out. Alice recognized the horse immediately as Bandit and she cleared her throat, signaling to Thetford to bid on the thoroughbred.
The stallion was run around the perimeter before the auctioneer gave some information on the mount, height, breeding, owner, etc. At the mention of Callum’s name, a pang of regret stabbed her belly. She’d been judgmental and allowed her knowledge of his past to cloud her intuition of the man he really was.
Sir Liam scoffed when Thetford yelled out a bid for Bandit. “Do be daft man, look at the horse, it isn’t worth a ha’penny.”
Alice narrowed her eyes and was thankful that Thetford continued to bid and eventually won the purchase of Bandit. They stayed at the sale for some hours, Alice giving Thetford the signal each time she wished him to purchase a horse. By the end of the day she owned six in total, four mares and two stallions. All beautiful thoroughbreds, and well worth their money.
Sir Liam had slunk away when he realized his continual running down of Arndel’s horses had no influence whatsoever.
“Thank you, Thetford, for doing this for me today. I owe you more than a good word in Miss Williams’s ear.”
Thetford smiled and gestured her toward the gates. “All I ask is that you explain to me one day why I bought all of Lord Arndel’s horses. That will be enough recompense, I assure you.”
“I shall,” she said, relieved beyond measure that she’d secured Callum’s beloved horses. The despair on his face last evening when he’d admitted to having put them up for sale crushed her heart each time she thought of it. He’d looked as desolate as if someone had kicked his puppy right before his eyes. In a way, she supposed, she had.
Today had been her first step in showing him she did believe him, and now she wanted to know why Sledmere had taken an interest in his cousin so much that he would purposely talk down the value of horses to a potential buyer.
The man wasn’t to be trusted, which brought her to her second point in proving her love: gaining the location of Callum’s meeting with the moneylender to see for herself that the debt was paid and they could move on with their lives.
Together.
…
The following night, Alice, along with her sister Victoria, snuck out of Isolde and Merrick’s London townhouse, an easy feat, considering its size, and ran down the street where a hackney cab waited for a fare.
Both of them were dressed as street urchins and were out of place in the heart of Mayfair. The driver yelled at them to be off, before Alice shushed the fellow with a golden coin and jumped up into the cab, sighing in relief when the carriage moved forward.
Victoria adjusted the gun that sat against her hip, yelling out to the driver to take them to an address they had bribed out of Benny, Lord Arndel’s stable lad, who had come up to Town with his lordship.
A little guilt pricked her at tricking the boy in such a way, but in order to follow Lord Arndel to where the transaction would take place, then bribe is what they had to do.
“What is the plan when we get there? Do you have any idea what time this transaction is to take place?”
Alice clasped the strap above the door as the carriage rocked about a corner. “No, none. We may have to sit and wait for a time. From what I understand, the cottages that surround this moneylender’s premise are washrooms and whorehouses. I’m sure we could persuade someone to allow us to rent a room, which will give us a good view as to where Lord Arndel will be.”
“I have a bad feeling about this.”
Alice agreed with her sister, although she didn’t voice her concerns. The area in which they were traveling was not for the light of heart, which was exactly what they were. It was full of untrustworthy people who were desperate in their need. They would have to be careful and on guard at all time, if they wanted to make it out in one piece.
The carriage rumbled over cobbled roads, and out the window Alice could see the Thames glistening in the darkness, only the shimmering moonlight on the waters to light their way. “All will be well, I promise. We’re armed. Nothing will happen to us with such security.” Alice hoped, although her words sounded braver than she felt.
“What will you do if his lordship has the brooch and gives it to the moneylender? What then for the viscount?”
Anger hummed through her at the thought and then she dismissed the possibility. No, it would not occur. What Callum had said was the truth. He was innocent of the crime she’d laid at his door and tonight he would prove it to her, if unknowingly. “That will not happen, so it is a moot point.”
Her sister sighed. “But if it does, what will you do, Alice?”
She conceded that her sibling would not let this conversation go without an answer. “I will kill him.” And she would. Slowly and very, very painfully.
“Alice…”
“I will have to tell the authorities. There will be no other option. But with that, I will ensure that Amelia is taken care of and placed in a gentleman’s home, where she will be loved and cared for. I will not allow anything to happen to the girl.”
Victoria nodded, satisfied by her answer. “Very well. I concur. This is the right plan, even though I know it must be painful to think of such a thing.”
More painful than her sister could ever imagine. To have someone you love locked away would be a devastation she didn’t want to think about. “What will be will be. Only time will tell which way fate will play this hand.”
They rode in the carriage in silence for a time, both lost in their own thoughts when the carriage rocked to a halt before dilapidated buildings. Alice stepped down and Victoria followed close o
n her heels.
“Did ye want me to wait for ye?”
Alice turned to the driver. “Yes, if you will, and be on your guard. We may need to leave quickly.” The older gentleman’s brow rose, and he looked at her with newfound respect, or it could’ve been wonder. Alice wasn’t sure. She handed him another coin and hoped it would be enough to keep him honest and stationary.
The street that Benny had directed them to ran off from a main road of sorts, although with the linen hanging across from one building to another, the piles of rubbish stacked against walls, it certainly didn’t look fit for any human habitation.
Taking a deep breath, Alice walked down a narrow alley that no vehicle could travel through and came to a square with houses set out around it, some two story, while others remained only one level high. A water well stood in the center of the square, and the muffled sounds of a child crying somewhere in the vicinity reached them as they continued across the dirt courtyard.
Alice looked about for the reputed whorehouse that was located here, and gaining the opposite end of the square, she spied a group of women lounging in the doorway of a building, their gowns ripped and all but showing those who cared to look, what assets they had for sale.
Dressed as men, Alice boldly walked up to them, but their disguises didn’t fool the women for a minute, if their laughter was anything to go by.
“Well, well, well. What ’ave we here? Playing dress ups are ya? Well, lovies, we like all sorts of games ’ere, and if that’s what you’re into, we’re fine with that, if ye have the blunt to compensate us, of course.”
Victoria gasped and Alice rolled her eyes at her sister’s sensibilities, but then, they had been propositioned by whores, and were dressed as men… “We’d like to rent a room for some hours—one that looks out on this square.”
“Oh, aye, you want ye pretty lass friend ’ere and no one else. Aye, we know what you’re into now.” The whore laughed, and so, too, did her friends.
“She’s my sister,” Victoria said, outrage lacing her tone.
Her sibling’s outburst only made the whores laugh louder. “Our business in the room is ours, and ours alone. I’m more than willing to pay handsomely, if you’re able to keep those mouths of yours shut as to seeing us here this evening.”
Her words caused instant silence, and a flicker of respect entered the oldest, and seemingly highest ranking whore’s eyes who stepped forward.
“This way, then, my lords. We ’ave a room that’s perfect for ye and ye private business.”
They followed the woman upstairs, and as required they were given a room that looked out onto the square. Its large window, though grimy and with portions of glass missing from its square panes, was exactly what they needed.
“Thank you.” Alice handed the woman a gold coin, along with a shilling, not caring which one she kept for herself, or gave to her madam.
Closing the door behind the woman, Alice locked it and strode over to the window, kneeling beside Victoria, who had already hoisted the window halfway open to see the square better.
“Which building was it supposed to be?”
“The footman I bribed from Lord Arndel’s household said he’d delivered a letter to the house in this square with flaking red paint on its door.” Alice studied the houses and pointed when she spied the house. “There it is, that’s where Callum will go tonight.”
“Well, if Lord Arndel does arrive, at least we should see him well enough, as we have a clear sight of that cottage.”
“Yes,” Alice said, hoping that what she had assumed to be happening actually was. There was, after all, no guarantee that Callum would be here at all. But then, he was supposed to leave for Surrey tomorrow, so it left only tonight to pay off his cousin’s debts.
A large, burly man stepped out of the cottage, the red glow of a cigar blinking in the twilight.
“There’s a man,” Victoria gasped, dropping behind the wall lest she be seen.
“Victoria, he will not see you, he’s too interested in the whores talking to him below stairs.” Alice studied the man as best she could but didn’t recognize him. He wore clothing that looked at odds to the area in which he lived, where there were obviously poor people, struggling families, and whores who walked about. He wore a dark, well-cut suit, and even for his size it fit him well and looked like quality fabric.
His hair was slicked back and looked almost wet with some sort of wax. A small wooden cane dangled from his jacket pocket, and his bulging coat pocket left an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. He was armed.
Victoria brought up her gun to sit against the frame of the window. Alice did the same, forgetting for a moment why they were here.
“He seems to be waiting for someone, so that’s a good sign.”
Alice nodded, hoping that was the case, and then the sound of a horse trotting on a cobbled road echoed in the night. Her heart sped up when Callum walked into the square, his attire less fashionable than what she was used to seeing him in, he, too wishing to look less conspicuous in this setting.
“Be prepared for anything, Sister, and whatever we do from this moment forward, remember, Lord Arndel is to be kept alive under all circumstances.”
Victoria nodded. “I understand perfectly.”
…
The older gentleman laughed, crossing his arms against his bulging chest. “I did not think you would come. It’s pleasing that you, at least, have more respect for your debts than your cousin did.”
Callum fought not to lose his temper with the moneylender. In all truth, he was tired of the man’s threats and seedy business dealings. “My cousin’s debts, you mean. I, myself, owe you nothing.”
The man shrugged, smirking. “I don’t care whose debt it is, as long as it’s paid in full. Your last trinket is well overdue.”
An inkling of unease threaded up his spine and Callum took a look around the square, not seeing any of the man’s henchmen but knowing they would be around here somewhere. That he had no doubt.
“Do you have the jewel I wanted?”
Callum reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a large wad of cash, instead. The man’s eyes gleamed with excitement as he slapped the blunt into the moneylender’s outstretched hand. Callum’s clasp increased. “I could not get the brooch, but in your hand is an amount equal to its value. This immediately ends our association and my cousin’s debt with you. From this day forward, we will have no other contact or need for correspondence. Is that clear?”
The man grinned, snatching the money away and, not bothering to count it, placed it in his own coat pocket. “I suppose the cash will do just as well, but come, Lord Arndel. Let us not be hasty. From what I’ve been told, your financial woes are many and increasing. I can help you with that, if only you’d let me.”
Callum shook his head, in no way tempted by such words. “The payment in your pocket is all you’ll ever have from me. Do not ask for more.” He started back out the way he came, only too eager to leave for Surrey and Amelia, and if he could prove himself, to Alice.
“Not so fast, Cousin.”
Callum stilled, turning and seeing Liam come out from the cottage behind the moneylender. “We have much to discuss,” his relative said, gesturing for him to return.
“I think not.” Callum continued, and before he had the chance to react, the prick of a knife pressed against his back, halting his steps. Where had that blasted fellow been hiding?
“Turn about, my lord. We are not done here.”
Callum did as he was asked, his mind frantic as to what else he could do. He’d not thought to bring anyone with him, not even a servant, dammit, as he’d trusted the man his cousin owed money to, believing the transaction would be simple and over quickly.
Fool!
He should’ve known better, and now he would be lucky to get out of here alive.
“Why am I not surprised to see you, Liam? You were always a conniving, spoiled little brat who enjoyed trampling those you thought benea
th your Hessian boots.”
His cousin merely laughed. “And you are a fool who will not see another sunrise.”
He frowned, the thought of never seeing his daughter, Amelia, racing through his mind and making the blood in his veins boil to molten liquid. Who would see to her care and raise her as she deserved? Panic threatened to consume him and he swallowed. “Would you care to elaborate, Cousin? I would so like to know what your plan is.”
“Oh, there is no plan, other than the one where the authorities will find you floating in the Thames by morn.” Liam laughed. “But then no one will care, for who would miss a bastard viscount who should never have inherited the title in the first place?”
“I am the legal and rightful heir to Kester House and the viscountcy, and there are many who, should my death arise, deem it suspicious. Do not be a fool, Cousin, for I have made it no secret the hate that we feel for each other is mutual.”
The man merely shrugged. “And yet, I am unmoved by your plight. You will die tonight, and by the hand of my gentleman friend beside me.” Liam smiled. “For, of course, I could not do the deed myself, as much as I may wish to. Damn, bloody business it is—too messy for my kind.”
The moneylender pushed back his coat jacket and clasped the handle of his flintlock. Callum wondered if he could charge the man, get the gun, and possibly gain the upper hand.
Liam gestured to his henchman. “Get on with it, man. I have other affairs to attend.
“The debt is paid, what’s the reason behind killing me. It makes no sense.”
“I know you were born poor, but even I thought you had more smarts than that.” His cousin snarled. “Who do you suppose inherits should you die?”
You do.
Callum shook his head, wondering if the man before him had anything to do with the former viscount’s death, as well. “Did you kill Robert, too? Tell me, dear cousin, did you not look closely enough in Debrett’s before you removed him from your path?”
“Robert was a swine, and a stupid one. It wasn’t hard to make his death look like an accident. Hell, the man was always falling down stairs or out of carriages. It was no stretch to make his drowning in the Thames a foolhardy mistake.”
