by Wendy Vella
Her laugh was more a snort of surprise. “I'm loath to agree with such a harsh edict, yet, in that, Lord Needly, we are in total agreement.” She could not allow herself to become enamored of this man. Once he had found the missing ladies, they would never see each other again. He would live his life several steps higher on the social ladder than her lowly one, and not think of her again.
“I shall, of course, give your words consideration, Lord Needly, and assure you that although it appears I am constantly throwing myself into danger, it is far from the truth.
I have been living this way for many years and am still in excellent health. Furthermore, I have no wish for you to investigate my father, and reiterate that your main concern must be those women.”
Chapter Seven
He could not dispute that she was in excellent health, Marcus thought, remembering her lovely body pressed against his as he’d kissed her. He’d lost his head when her lips had opened beneath his. She was soft and sweet and so bloody alluring he couldn’t remember when a woman had aroused him with such ease, especially considering she had no intention of doing so.
When he’d seen her walk into the room, he’d been so angry, he’d wanted to shake her. Instead, he’d grabbed her, pulling that soft body into his, kissed her to keep her quiet, and everything had changed.
She had no arts or allurements, dressed in old worn gowns with her hair pulled back in a simple bun, and he wanted her. Wanted to undress her and kiss every inch of the lush curves he’d felt pressed to his. He wanted to hear her cries and swallow her moans. The woman was a temptation and did not even realize it.
“You will not stay in excellent health if you do not take more care in where you walk and who you associate with, Charlotte. It would pay you to remember that in future.”
She turned her head as she was about to enter her house. Her eyes had a way of looking at a person that held them in place. The intensity with which she often studied him was unnerving.
“I do not frequent your world, my lord. I am not a coddled young woman.”
Her words were softly spoken, but he heard the intent behind them. Her father had not cowed her and she would not be cowed by him, no matter how many words he threw at her.
“Being coddled has nothing to do with displaying common sense, Charlotte. What you did tonight was foolhardy.”
Her sigh was loud. “My choices are mine alone to make, Lord Needly. I answer to no one.”
As far as she was concerned, the matter was now dealt with and closed. Marcus had news for her, however, he’d deliver that tomorrow.
“Go inside now, and lock the door behind you.”
“As I always do,” she said, having the last word and making him smile. “Come along, Fred, we shall have a cup of warmed milk to put us off to sleep.”
He watched her nudge the boy inside. “But what of you, my lord? You are now alone out there. Surely it is not safe for you either?”
“My colleague is close. I am in no danger.”
“Colleague?” She leaned forward and looked up and down the street. “I see no other gentleman about.”
“It warms me to know you care, Miss Radley. However, I assure you he is close, and that I am more than capable of looking after myself.”
She ignored his teasing, and Marcus was sure she’d never had a man speak to her in such a way before. He knew Leo was close, but he would not make his presence known until Marcus was alone.
“If you are sure, I shall bid you good night then.”
“I am, thank you.” Marcus moved closer, took her hand, and then bowed deeply.
She looked flustered by the gesture. Another thing the indomitable Miss Radley wasn’t used to was courtesy, it seemed. He wondered what kind of hell she’d lived in with her father.
“I shall call upon you soon with any news, Charlotte. Good evening.”
She nodded, then shut the door, and Marcus waited until he heard the sound of the key turning in the lock before he walked away.
“I cannot work out if that woman is incredibly foolish or brave for walking into Klipper House.” Leo appeared at his side as he reached the end of Thimble Lane. He’d known he would be near. They always carried out their investigations in pairs; you never knew where danger lay.
“It was foolish,” Marcus said. “Extremely so and I told her as much.”
Marcus felt Leo’s eyes on him. “I bet she responded well to that.”
“She told me she had been living this life for many years and did not like my censure.”
“I can’t imagine you took that well either.”
They walked toward the docks. Their informant had told them of a warehouse that someone had been seen being dragged into.
“Are you suggesting I’m managing, Vereton?”
“Of course you are,” Leo said calmly. “You control every aspect of your life, including your relatives. It’s what we love about you.”
“I am not controlling!”
“Not controlling, managing.”
“There is no difference!”
“You let James leave England with his friends, but only after you had spoken extensively to each of them and their families, and I’m almost certain you were tempted to accompany him.”
Just the thought of his brother out in the world alone made Marcus feel ill. “I know what can happen when you are alone out there. I know the type of people he could meet.”
“He is sensible and not traveling alone, Marcus. For pity’s sake, let the boy grow up.”
“I let him go, didn’t I?”
“You told your sister’s husband on their wedding day that if he made her cry, or hurt her in any way, he would have you to deal with. If that wasn’t enough of a threat, you then said we, your friends, would not be far behind you. The man won’t look at me now.”
When Leo put it like that he did sound managing, but he was only looking out for his siblings. Surely that was not a bad thing.
“I raised those two from a young age, Leo. That is something I do not take lightly. I wanted to make sure that before marrying Beth her future husband understood I would still be watching over her,” he said, refusing to believe he was wrong.
“I understand what you gave up to raise them, Marcus. All I’m saying is that now you can take your hand off the reins, as you have done an excellent job and they are more than capable of looking after themselves.”
“I’m not managing,” Marcus muttered.
Leo laughed softly. “I imagine you and Miss Radley are battling wills constantly, seeing as, according to your reports, she is also managing.”
“Yes, she is not the easiest woman I have had to deal with.”
But Marcus suspected that she was the way she appeared because she had never been able to control her life until she left her father. He suspected she also looked after other people because she never had anyone to watch over her when she needed it most.
“Do I detect admiration in your voice, Marcus?”
“She does not live an easy life, Leo, and never has, I suspect, but for all that she has not chosen an easy path. Danger presents itself the minute she leaves her house and often comes calling.”
“A most unusual female, then?”
“Very,” Marcus added. And beautiful, intriguing, and far too disturbing.
“Do I detect interest, Marcus?”
“She is a bastard, Leo. If I were interested, which I assure you I am not, I could do nothing with that interest.”
“A new mistress, perhaps?”
“Are you deliberately trying to anger me?” He looked at his friend. “She is a lady, and as such deserves our respect. Just because she does not live in our circle does not mean she is unworthy of that.”
“Just so,” Leo said calmly, and Marcus thought he may have missed some point his friend was attempting to make.
He would marry, it was expected of him, and Marcus knew his future wife would be of good birth because there was no other option open to him. But someti
mes, when his defenses were down, he wanted more than a woman who would agree with his every dictate. Part of him longed to be challenged, to have a mate who would stand alongside him, share his burdens as Nick had in Grace. He had run his family since he was fifteen years old, and he did not want to manage his wife as well; he wanted her to have an equal share in his life.
Marcus had been lonely for so long he’d just accepted the emotion. Yes, he had his friends, and for that he was extremely grateful, but when he sat in his house surrounded by servants and people who doted on his every word, awaiting his next dictate, he thought that just once he wanted someone to challenge him.
Visions of Charlotte pressed against his body filled his head, and Marcus knew that she would never be a woman to take a backward step when challenged by a man. Dismissing the thought because it had no bearing on his future, no matter how much she intrigued him, he focused on the task ahead.
Chapter Eight
The warehouse they were seeking was cloaked in darkness. Marcus signaled Leo that he had found a door, and after trying the handle and finding it locked, he pulled out his tools and went to work opening it.
“It’s nice to know that if you ever bring your family to its knees, you can take up a career as a thief,” Leo whispered.
Marcus grunted as he heard the lock give, and then pocketing his tools once more, he opened it slowly.
The building was large and in the center, Marcus could make out the hull of a ship. He and Leo drew their pistols as they moved forward slowly. Their informant had told them he had heard women were being kidnapped and then sold as sex slaves to wealthy men. What they didn’t know was if those men were outside of England’s waters or not.
Marcus knew the base nature of men, but to keep a woman as a slave purely for the purposes of his pleasure was beyond belief. He and his friends would see to it that whoever was behind this venture was brought to justice, and soon.
The quiet was interrupted by the rumble of a man’s voice, and to Marcus it sounded like whoever it was, was inside the ship. Looking for Leo, he watched him signal to the left. He would take the right.
Keeping his steps light, he moved close to the wooden hull, running a hand along it as he walked.
“Who’s going to make Jed a happy man tonight then?”
The words were spoken from above, but Marcus kept walking until he’d rounded the end and reached Leo, who was standing at the foot of a ladder. His friend started upward with Marcus following.
“Come on now, me and the boys just want to have some fun.”
The man who was speaking had his back to Marcus. His hands were braced on a railing, and he was looking downward.
Moving quietly, Marcus and Leo walked around the deck of the ship to see how many other men were on board. They found two and dealt with them before circling back to the man.
Raising his pistol, Leo pushed it into the side of the man’s throat. “Move and I put a bullet through your neck.”
The man raised his hands, and Marcus moved him to one side. He looked down into the hull and found four women staring back at him. All were bound hand and foot, and gagged. Descending quickly, he pulled off their gags first.
“Now him I wouldn’t mind tupping,” one of the women said, which made the others laugh.
“Good evening, are you the ladies who were recently taken from London streets?”
“Yes,” a blonde woman said. “Have you come to rescue us?”
“I have, but it was Miss Radley who initiated the search.”
“Told you.” The woman looked at the others, who all nodded back. “No one else gives a fig about us but her.”
Marcus pushed aside the guilt that he had been one of those people who didn’t care before he met Charlotte.
“Miss Radley is indeed a determined woman, and now, ladies, we need to leave before anyone else arrives.”
He quickly untied each of the women’s hands and feet, while Leo stood watch above.
“Are any of you injured?” The women shook their heads. “Do you know what they had planned for you?”
“We heard them saying they needed five more girls and then we were going to be sold,” one of the girls said.
Marcus thought about that as he helped them each to their feet.
“A few minutes more, ladies, then we will leave. My colleague and I need to speak with your guard.”
He headed back up the ladder to where Leo had tied up the man.
“Who are you working for?”
“Don’t have a name,” the man said.
“Who gave you your orders?” Marcus questioned him.
“Don’t have a name.”
Taking his pistol, Marcus pointed it the man’s head. “Try again.”
“A man acts as go-between. I never met anyone else. There are four of us. We pick up the girls and bring ’em here, and then payment is handed over by the man.”
“This man, what does he look like?” Leo asked.
“His face is covered, and a hat pulled low, so I don’t know.”
“How many women have you kidnapped?” Marcus said.
“This is the third lot.”
“Where do you take them? Are they going offshore?”
The man shook his head. “We just bring ’em here, watch ’em, then when they want ’em, we walk away, and they come and collect the women.”
Marcus thought the man knew more, simply because human nature suggested he had asked questions of someone who eventually had answers.
“Just kill him, Leo, he’s got nothing more for us.”
Leo went through the motions of preparing his gun, and Marcus began to nudge the man to the rear of the boat.
“No, wait!”
“Speak now, or he’ll kill you.”
“Brothels,” the man said. “I heard a rumor they’re being sold in a brothel.”
“What brothel?” Leo said.
“Don’t know that, only that the women have to be young and lookers, and that they are being auctioned.”
Disgusted, Marcus brought the butt of his gun down on the back of the man’s head, watching him fall to the floor.
“It disgusts me that I live in a world where a woman can be sold like cattle, Leo.”
“In that we are in agreement, my friend.”
They went back to the women.
“We will need to be quiet now, ladies,” he said, helping each one up the steps.
“Cor, he’s another handsome one,” one of the girls said when she saw Leo. He in turn swept her a magnificent leg and smiled, making them all giggle.
Rolling his eyes, Marcus said, “Follow my friend, and I will be at the rear.”
They made it outside with no further problems and had soon found hackneys to take the woman back through the London streets to safety, or at least back to their lives. It was as they turned into Charlotte’s street to drop off the last one that he saw the smoke.
Charlotte was woken by Fred calling her name. Throwing back the covers, she quickly pulled on the dressing gown and slippers she kept at the foot of her bed.
“Fire,” he roared.
Dear God, a fire would spread quickly through the building, Charlotte realized.
“The stairs are blocked!” Fred appeared before her as she ran from her room. Like her, he slept on the first floor. Only Dandy slept below.
“We can’t get down to Dandy, so I’m hoping he’s got out,” Fred said, his young face clenched in worry.
“He will. He’s a light sleeper.” Charlotte tried to look down the stairs. The fire was moving swiftly, and the smoke already filled the air. She had no time to gather any of her things. “We will have to get out through a window,” Charlotte said, hurrying to the one closest and pulling it open. Running back to her room, she grabbed the sheet off the bed before returning to Fred. She urged him to grab one side, and between them they tore it in two. She then tied the ends together.
“Come, Fred, you must go first,” Charlotte said, wrapping one en
d of the sheet around her body and lowering the other out the window. She prayed it would hold his weight. “Take that end and I shall lower you as far as I can, and then I’m afraid you must fall the rest of the way to the ground.”
“I’m not going without you!” He shook his head, eyes wide, and pale with fear.
“You will do as you are told, Fred. I shall tie this around the window and follow, and, as you are the stronger of the two of us, you will catch me.”
Charlotte coughed as the smoke drew closer. “Now, Fred! We do not have much longer before this entire floor is engulfed in flames.”
“I don’t want to leave you!” The anguish on his face made her want to weep, but she had to be strong. She needed to get him to safety.
“Fred, you are the child I will never have, and I love you with all my heart. Therefore, I cannot leave this house until I know you are safe, so you must do this for me. Do you understand?”
Tears rolled down his cheeks as he nodded. Reluctantly, he took the end and climbed onto the window ledge.
“Charlotte, promise me you will follow?”
“I promise.” She managed a shaky smile. Bracing both feet on the wall, she felt her arms wrench as he let go of the window ledge and she took his weight. Her hands shook, her legs threatened to buckle, and she was sure her back would never recover. It felt like forever before the sheet went slack, and she could hurry to the window to check Fred was safe.
Relief nearly dropped her to her knees as she saw Fred in the arms of Lord Needly. He lowered the boy then looked up at her.
“Tie the sheet around the window now, Charlotte, and lower yourself!”
His face was calm, and she felt his strength reassure her as she quickly did as he told her. Her fingers trembled, and it took precious seconds to tie a knot that she hoped was secure enough to hold her.
“Do not dally, Charlotte!”
“I’m not dallying, my lord!” she yelled, looking toward the door. The fire was close; she could feel the heat. Surely the floor under her feet would soon fall, plunging her to her death. “I am trying to secure this knot.”
