by Laura Landon
That’s when he realized his worst fears. He knew the player’s identity. Winnie’s habit was to look at her cards a final time before laying them down, as if memorizing the cards everyone played for future reference. When the bewigged player did that same thing, he knew that Winnie had returned to The Dove. And he knew that just like the last time, she’d be lucky to escape with her life.
Nick cast a glance around the room and saw Winnie’s brother, Lord Benjamin, with Lord Cavanaugh. They stood on the opposite side of the table, and were observing what was happening just as he was.
He knew Lord Benjamin had recognized him. He’d told him that he’d be wearing a black jacket with a silver waistcoat. But his attire was the only part of the plan he’d followed. Nick was supposed to be playing cards when they arrived. He was supposed to have already lost more than he’d brought, so he’d be given the chance to cover his losses in the box.
Instead, Nick hadn’t played one hand yet. But Winnie had. And she’d won more money than she could fit into her reticule. Enough money that she’d drawn the attention of both Basil Ellsworth and Harvey Willard.
The crowd surrounding her stared intently. Everyone wanted to see what cards the second redhead would lay down. She hesitated a moment, as if she knew what Ellsworth and Willard would do, then placed her cards on the table. The crowd erupted into cheers and shouts of congratulations.
Nick looked at the cards she’d laid down—an ace and a king. Twenty-one.
For several moments the large crowd continued to cheer. There were calls of admiration at Winnie’s unparalleled good luck. There was also a cry of dismay from the fiery redhead when she realized that she’d not only lost the amount she’d wagered, but she was out of chips and couldn’t cover the amount she owed.
With tears streaming beneath her mask, the young girl looked at Basil Ellsworth. “I was sure I’d win,” she cried. “I wouldn’t have wagered everything if I had known there was another ace still in the deck. But I thought they’d all been played.”
“That’s not my problem, my lady.”
Nick watched Cavanaugh. He needed to see his reaction to the young female who’d lost everything she had. What he saw, though, made several facts obvious to Nick.
First, Cavanaugh was indeed the third partner in The Dove. The look Willard shared with the marquess confirmed that he was. What confused Nick, however, was the message relayed in the look the two men shared.
The look they shared wasn’t one of two partners who understood the roles they each played, but more an adversarial glare. Willard definitely issued a warning that said Willard was in charge of what happened at The Dove. Cavanaugh may be a partner, but he was a silent partner. The look was a threat that ordered Cavanaugh that he had no say in the means Willard and Ellsworth used to make a profit.
Cavanaugh looked noticeably uncomfortable. He blanched when Willard narrowed his gaze, then lowered his head in submission.
And Nick vowed that even though Cavanaugh wasn’t aware of what Ellsworth and Willard were doing at The Dove, he was by omission allowing it. Nick swore he’d make the marquess pay for every young girl who’d had their innocence stolen from them, the same as Ellsworth and Willard. But he had to let this scene play out. The authorities needed enough proof to prosecute the three of them, and convict them.
Nick took note of what was happening. He looked around and saw that two other brigadesmen had taken their places at various locations throughout the room. Their presence was reassuring. Especially when Ellsworth and Willard moved.
Basil Ellsworth nodded to two burley guards and they forced the sobbing female to her feet. They also motioned for Winnie to stand.
Nick felt as if his heart was being ripped from his chest. He watched as one guard led the sobbing redhead to the stairs. Another guard pulled Winnie along behind them. Ellsworth and Willard followed.
“I’ll bring the money the next time I come,” the distraught female promised as she was being led away.
Her plea went unanswered.
When Ellsworth reached the top of the stairs, he turned to face the crowd below. The guards pushed the two females forward so the crowd below could get a good look at them.
“The auction will begin in ten minutes! Gather your winnings! This promises to be a very special night!”
Then he turned and led the group away.
Nick watched Winnie until she disappeared from sight. His heart continued to thunder in his chest. Blood rushed through his head and exploded as wave after wave of terror consumed him.
He wanted to rush after her, but he couldn’t. This is what they’d come to witness. This would provide the proof they needed that Ellsworth and Willard were dealing in sex trafficking.
Nick scanned the crowd. Mack Wallace was here now, along with a stranger Nick didn’t recognize. Undoubtedly, the man represented the authorities.
The end result would be exactly what they wanted, except nothing was happening as they’d planned.
Winnie wasn’t supposed to be the one Ellsworth was taking to the third floor. He was.
Winnie wasn’t supposed to be in danger. He was.
Winnie wasn’t supposed to be alone and unprotected. He was.
Nick glanced at Lord Benjamin and saw the confusion on his face. He would have been more confused if he knew the woman going to the third floor was his sister.
“Have you ever witnessed an auction at The Dove?” he asked Lord Benjamin when he made his way to them.
“No, never.”
“Have you, my lord?” he asked the Marquess of Cavanaugh.
“I wasn’t aware they held auctions,” he answered. “But it seems exciting.”
Nick considered Cavanaugh’s admission and found that he believed him. The marquess may be the mysterious third partner, the one who fronted the money for The Dove, but he had nothing to do with the daily running of the club.
“Yes, exciting is one word for it,” Nick said, then continued to move forward.
Hopefully, Winnie’s brother would follow Nick to the third level.
Nick’s heart beat more frantically with each step he took. Why? he asked himself, each time his foot touched the ascending step. Why would she take such a chance? And tonight, of all nights?
Why would she risk winning hand after hand when she knew the men patrolling the floor watched for winners the same as they watched for losers? Why would she take such a chance when she knew how violent Ellsworth and Willard could be? If they believed she’d been cheating before, they’d be convinced of it this time.
Nick took the next step upward, then stopped. A flash of certainty exploded inside his head. She’d done this intentionally. She knew he’d be here and intended to draw attention away from him. Somehow she’d overheard the plan, and was taking his place. She was putting herself in danger to protect him.
His heart swelled with love for her. And anger. Didn’t she know that he would suffer a thousand times over rather than let her take the risks she was taking? Didn’t she know that he’d gladly give his life to protect her from the harm Ellsworth could inflict?
Nick pushed past several men filing into the large room. He was desperate to get there as quickly as possible. He couldn’t risk her being out of his sight too long. Anything could happen to her while Willard had her.
He finally walked through the doors of the large room where the auctions took place. He looked first to the dais where the females being auctioned off would stand. The platform was empty.
A stabbing of fear washed over him. Every second she was in Ellsworth’s grasp was another second something could happen to her. Another minute when she could be mistreated.
He glanced to where Lord Benjamin stood with Lord Cavanaugh. The frown on Winnie’s brother’s face made it evident that he was still confused by their change of plans. Thankfully, though, he didn’t react, other than to watch Nick for instructions. Nick gave him a reassuring nod, then focused again on the stage.
A side door finally opened and Ellsworth entere
d the room. The gleam in his eyes caused shards of terror to slice through every part of Nick’s body.
Winnie followed next, being supported on either side by two burly guards. Her head hung lower than usual, and she seemed to stagger slightly when she walked.
Nick watched her closer, wanting her to lift her head so he could see her face. He needed to see that she was all right. He needed to know that Ellsworth or Willard hadn’t touched her. But she didn’t look up.
The procession walked to the dais, including the sniffling redhead, followed by two young lasses, obviously taken from the streets. But they weren’t his main focus. He was too interested in watching Winnie.
Her mask was gone, but her bright red wig was still in place. Thankfully, it was almost impossible to recognize her. That was one blessing. Perhaps she could survive this night without Society knowing she’d been auctioned.
Ellsworth stepped front and center on the platform. He held up his hands for silence. The crowd made up almost entirely of men, quieted.
“Patrons of The Dove. Welcome to our first auction of the night.”
Several men cheered and clapped.
“I know some of you are confused as to why our first client is being auctioned off. It was obvious from the amount of chips in front of her that she was not the loser. She was the winner.”
Several men around him mumbled their agreement.
“Her crime was not that she lost, but that she won. By deceit. The lady is a cheat!”
Ellsworth motioned for the men holding Winnie to bring her forward and… Nick got his first good look at her.
The memory of Ellsworth’s whip flaying his back was nothing compared to the pain that struck him when he saw her face.
One cheek was already turning dark, and the eye above it was swelling shut. Blood trickled from her mouth, and her lip on the left side was nearly twice its size.
Nick thought he might erupt with fury, but a calming hand on his shoulder stopped him from rushing forward and ripping Ellsworth’s heart from his chest.
Nick turned his gaze to see Mack Wallace standing beside him. His reassuring expression told Nick that nothing would happen to the female on the stage, even though Nick knew that Mack had no idea who that female was. But Nick wasn’t worried about himself at the moment. He was more concerned about what Lord Benjamin would do if he realized that the female standing in front of him was his sister.
“Go to Lord Benjamin. Don’t let him do anything foolish.”
Mack frowned, but he moved to stand beside Winnie’s brother.
“The Soiled Dove will not tolerate cheating,” Ellsworth continued. “By anyone. Even a woman. She will therefore pay with her virtue.”
A few men muttered their agreement, but most in the crowd remained silent.
“We will start the bidding. Do I hear an opening bid of ten pounds?”
Someone in the back offered ten pounds.
“Do I hear a bid of fifteen?”
“Fifteen,” someone called out.
“Twenty?”
“Twenty,” another voice called out.
“Thirty?” Ellsworth asked.
“Thirty.”
“Forty?”
Silence.
“No one will bid forty pounds for someone who would cheat at cards?”
Silence.
“Then I will bid forty pounds,” Ellsworth said. “The penalty for someone guilty of cheating has to be more than a paltry forty pounds.”
Hushed murmurs sifted through the room, blanketing everyone with the disapproval that was growing more intently with every tense second.
“Do I hear fifty pounds?” Ellsworth said, the evil grin on his face broadening.
Nick waited. When no one spoke, he said, “Fifty.”
“Ah,” Ellsworth said on a laugh. “Someone agrees that a cheater should pay a higher penalty. Do I hear sixty?” he asked.
When no one answered, Ellsworth answered his own bid. “I guess I will have to raise the bid, then. Sixty,” he exclaimed. “Do I hear seventy?”
“Seventy,” Nick answered.
“And I raise it to eighty,” Ellsworth said.
“Ninety,” Nick said.
Ellsworth’s eyes narrowed. His glare when he looked at Nick turned more hostile. He obviously didn’t like anyone forcing his hand. “Is there a limit to how high you are you willing to bid, my friend?” Ellsworth asked with a threatening look that seemed more malicious than Nick could remember seeing on the man’s face.
“Continue bidding and you will find out.”
Several snickers echoed in the room. Ellsworth was used to making money at their human auctions, not losing it. But nothing mattered to Nick except winning Winnie.
“You may have her, then,” Ellsworth said. “We have other pretty players to auction off.”
The crowd didn’t react like Nick thought they might. No one cheered. No one congratulated Nick on his good fortune. But what they did do was lower their gazes en mass, as if they were ashamed that Ellsworth would auction off a member of the ton. It was one thing for a female to choose paying her debts in the auction ring. But another entirely for Ellsworth to force a young lady to be auctioned off. The cuts and bruises on her face told everyone that she’d been forced.
When Ellsworth declared Nick the owner of the redhead for the night, he pushed Winnie to the edge of the dais and dismissed her.
Nick rushed forward and wrapped his arm around her. Then escorted her away from the crowd.
“You’re safe now,” he whispered. “No one will harm you.”
As they made their way from the room, they passed near enough to Lord Benjamin that he was able to get a good look at her. His reaction when he recognized his sister was explosive.
Only Mack Wallace’s hand holding him on one side, and Hugh Baxter’s muscular hand clamped down on the opposite arm prevented him from charging the stage. Nick knew Ellsworth would die if Lord Benjamin got his hands on him.
Nick saw no reaction from Cavanaugh. No expression of guilt—or innocence. No indication of whether he knew what Ellsworth and Willard were doing. Only when they brought the sobbing redhead forward did he show interest.
“Here’s the next young lady unable to cover her wagers. Do I heard a bid of fifteen pounds?”
“Remove her mask,” someone in the back of the room demanded.
Ellsworth reached for the redhead’s mask and dropped it to the stage. Cavanaugh’s reaction was explosive.
“No!”
CHAPTER 22
Before Cavanaugh’s bellow had stopped echoing in the room, Nick’s fellow brigadesmen had rushed forward and surrounded Ellsworth and Willard. Several other men Nick didn’t recognize stepped inside the room. The weapons in their hands indicated that Mack had informed the authorities what was happening, and they’d come to assist.
The silence in the room was deafening as Mack Wallace walked through the crowd and stepped onto the dais. He faced the gathering of men and women, and in a loud voice said, “Anyone not employed by The Soiled Dove is free to go. File to the center exit, and give your name to the Bedford Street Brigadesman as you pass. All Dove employees will stay.”
Next, Mack spoke to the brigadesmen waiting for their orders. “Quinn,” he said motioning to the two girls Ellsworth had stolen off the streets, “find out how these girls got here, then take them home. Briggs and Jack. Question the employees. Find out everything they know about what’s going on here.”
The men moved to follow their supervisor’s orders, then Mack gave orders to the men guarding Willard and Ellsworth. “Follow me.”
Mack Wallace led the way out of the room, and the brigadesmen followed with Willard and Ellsworth. Cavanaugh and his daughter were being escorted from the room as well.
Nick wrapped his arms around Winnie’s injured body and held her securely. She was hurt. He could see she was. She leaned against him as if she needed his support to keep from falling.
“Hold on to me, sweethear
t,” he whispered.
Her arm tightened around his waist and she held on with grim determination.
It wasn’t long before her brother reached them. “Are you all right, Winnie?”
“I’m fine, Ben. Just a little shaken.”
“No you’re not. You’re bleeding. What are you doing here? How did you get involved in this?”
“Perhaps we should go someplace private,” Nick said. “Your sister needs to sit down. She’s about to fall on her face.”
Lord Benjamin nodded, and they left the room. Nick took them to the room where the authorities had taken Ellsworth and Willard. They were seated on two chairs at the front of the room. Lord Cavanaugh and his daughter were also there. They were seated on two chairs near them. Mack had already begun his interrogation.
“What is your connection to The Soiled Dove, Lord Cavanaugh?”
“I…uh…”
“Let me warn you, my lord. We’ll uncover the truth in time. So, it will go better for you if you tell us everything now.”
“Keep your mouth shut, Cavanaugh,” Willard bellowed.
The Marquess of Cavanaugh looked at Willard, then to his daughter, as if evaluating the tragedy that had unfolded tonight. His defeated expression indicated that he intended to cooperate. “The Soiled Dove is mine. I put up the initial money to start it.”
“Why did you invest in such an establishment?” Mack asked.
His question caused Cavanaugh’s mouth to turn up at the corners. Not in a smile exactly, but in a grimace. “Money, of course. I was desperate for money. My wife is convinced that money magically appears in her account each night to replace the amount she spent that day. And I have four daughters who believe the same. They are all enjoying their Seasons to the fullest.”
He turned his gaze on the daughter by his side. “I hate to admit that I was unable to curtail my family’s spending, but there you have the whole of it. Each of them has inherited their mother’s propensity for new gowns for every event. Outfitting five females can bankrupt a man if he doesn’t have a source of income to help him out.”
“So you came up with the idea of a gaming establishment,” Mack volunteered for him.
