“Lady Anna.”
She turned to find a young footman standing beside her. “Yes.”
“This came for you a moment ago.”
She took the envelope and recognized the penmanship immediately. She tore it open and read the note from Mrs. Markham. Several of the boys were sick. Panic welled up inside of her.
She turned to Lord Greenwood as she ordered herself to calm down. “I do apologize but something has come up. Could you tell my mother that I had to go home?”
There was no reason why she should tell her mother that she had to leave for the orphanage. It would only take a moment to stop by and double check on the boys. Mrs. Markham could take care of it herself, but the truth was the doctors tended to come faster if they knew the summons was from her and if she were in attendance.
“If you are—”
“Nothing all that important, but I need to make sure this staff member is taken care of.”
She smiled at him and he seemed to lose his concentration as he stared at her.
“Lord Greenwood?”
He shook himself out his stupor. “Of course, Lady Anna.”
She thanked him again, then made her way out of the ball room. If one good thing came out of the illness hitting the children, it had helped her escape early.
Daniel crept down the street ever aware of the danger around them. Yes, meeting a former French spy was dangerous, but Daniel knew the bigger danger was those who inhabited the streets here. They were the lowest form of scum on the earth, and many of them could care less whether they lived or died.
“Do you think there is a chance the froggie will run?” Jack asked.
“I have no doubt he will be here. He owed everyone in town.” And he had said he knew of the Viper. That had been enough to pull Daniel away from anything, especially the ball.
When they stepped onto the street, he realized that they were just a block or two over from Anna’s orphanage. He would have to come up with something that would keep her out of here. He was not a man who thought women should be sheltered, but running around the East End was just not the thing. Even during the day. He knew he didn’t have a right to tell her what to do, but he truly didn’t want her hurt. If she continued in this fashion, something would happen.
He pushed those thoughts away. Having a woman, especially this woman, on his mind was not a good thing considering their mission. He had to keep his mind on what was happening around them. As they made their way to the pub, Daniel sensed a stir in the air. It gave him a sense of foreboding before the man stepped out of the shadows.
“I hear there are wolves running loose in London.”
Jack jumped, his hulking figure moving toward the man. Daniel stopped him. “No.” Then he turned to the man. “You should not pay attention to the gossip of the ton, my lord.”
The man stepped into the light and the nerves that had bunched up seemed to relax. Both Jack and he walked toward the man. They were not alone, Daniel was not stupid. He had brought backup, some of his own, some of Jo’s.
“I understand you have news of the Viper?”
The man licked his lips. As Daniel moved closer, he realized the man was not that old. A shame for someone so young to be entangled in such a mess. He would not recognize Daniel in his costume, but Daniel knew him. A baron that had come into his fortune early on and squandered it. There was a reason he could sell the secrets to the French. The man’s brother worked in the home office.
“Yes. There have been a few people talking.”
“And?”
“They say he is back in business. And he has put it out that you are his quarry.”
Which made no sense whatsoever. If the man needed the money to spy again, that he understood. But what he did not understand was the man calling him out. Or the way he was making it known he was after Daniel. It was dangerous to him.
“Do you know who this man is?”
He shook his head. “No, but I know he is from the Dover area.”
“How?”
But the man was no longer paying attention to him. He looked over Daniel’s shoulder out onto the street. “Lord, have mercy.” He uttered the whispered plea the moment before a knife flew past Daniel’s face and into the man’s neck.
Jack was already shouting for their reserves as Daniel turned to face their attacker. Another knife was thrown, catching Daniel in the shoulder. He barely noticed the sting of it as he made his way to the figure standing at the entrance to the alley. It was too dark to see the man, but if he could get closer he might be able to get at least an impression.
When the man realized the number of people flooding the area, he backed away across the street and began running. Daniel tried to chase after him but a carriage pulled in front of Daniel and stopped. His vision blurred and his head began to spin. He blinked twice and tried to focus on the carriage. He recognized the crest as Sebastian’s the moment before he sank down on the street.
“Daniel?”
He could not open his eyes, his head fuzzy. The scent of rose water surrounded him as he felt a hand brush against his face.
“Daniel! Jeffries, it is Lord Bridgerton. We must get him inside. Good Lord, he has a knife in his shoulder.”
“Ma’am? I think I can take care of him,” Jack said.
“And just who are you?” Her voice was filled with indignation.
“I’m his friend.”
“Not much of one if you let this happen to him.”
Daniel thought he heard snickering.
“Well, all of you need to help me get him up into the carriage.”
“But…”
He wanted to tell the men not to let her take him, that it was a risk to her, but his brain did not seem to be able to tell his mouth to function. He opened his mouth but nothing came out. A wave of nausea hit him just as his world faded to black.
Chapter Seven
Daniel returned to consciousness as he was being jostled from the carriage.
“Oh, do be careful. He is an injured man.”
“That one does like to tell a man what to do,” Jack mumbled under his breath.
“I heard that.”
Jack said nothing else but grunted as he stepped down from the coach. The knocker sounded and the door opened.
“We have your lord. He’s been stabbed,” Anna said.
“My lady?”
“What is it, Higgens?” His mother. Bloody hell, this was getting worse by the minute.
“Ah, it seems that Lord Bridgerton is indisposed.” From the sound of Anna’s voice she was not pleased his mother was home. He could not blame her.
“Indisposed? Oh, Anna. What in heaven are you doing here?”
“I had to attend to something at the orphanage, and on my way home I came upon Daniel who almost was run over by my carriage.”
“And why is Jack carrying him?” his mother asked.
“Well, he passed out and he is too heavy for me to carry. I assumed they were friends.”
“Passed out, as in drinking?”
Anna said nothing for a moment, apparently sensing the desperation in his mother’s voice. “No. He was stabbed. Jack, if that is the brute carrying him, pulled it out and the bleeding has stopped.”
She paused as Jack carried him up the stairs to the front door. With each step, the ache in his shoulder burned, a spark of pain shooting through his body. It took all his energy to keep himself from losing the contents of his stomach right there.
“Stabbed?” His mother’s voice had risen, desperation threading her tone. “Bloody hell. Get him inside.”
“Lady Adelaide, you need to step aside for us to do that.” Anna said the words firmly, but he could hear the compassion beneath it.
“Of course. Higgens, call Doctor Timms.”
“Oh, and we will need some good cloths and warm water.”
He would not have Anna in his sick room. He would not lose his dignity. It was bad enough how he had embarrassed himself in front of her alread
y. He lifted his head to tell her just that but his vision faded again and he felt himself slip under.
“Thank goodness he passed out again,” Anna said.
Lady Adelaide sighed as Jack removed Daniel’s shirt. “I am just glad you were there when this happened. Who knows what would have happened.”
“We would have taken care of him just fine,” Jack said.
She glanced at the man who was a strange companion for Daniel to be sure. He wore simple clothes, his demeanor was as if he worked for the Bridgertons, but she did not recognize him. He was small in stature and had a face that was quite unpleasant to look upon. His gaze moved from side to side as if he were waiting for the next attack.
When he pulled the fabric free of Daniel’s body, she gasped. Bruises marred his flesh, bright purple and yellow over his torso. They were at least a few days old.
“What in the world happened to him?”
“Oh, you know boys.” Lady Adelaide sounded as if she were trying to avoid the conversation.
“Yes, but he is a bit past the point of being a boy, is he not?” Anger surged at the complacency in the room. It was as if his mother did not care. What in heaven’s name was going on? She picked up the cloth and dipped it in the warm water.
“It is decidedly odd because I have never known Daniel to be into that part of town.”
“I am sure that he had a reason to be there.” Lady Adelaide sounded even more distant than before.
She wanted to argue with her, but the older woman’s position, and the fact she was a friend of her mother’s kept Anna from doing that. She pressed a cloth gently around the wound to clean it.
“It does not look all that bad. In fact, it isn’t that bad at all. A good stitching is all it needs.”
“I am glad to hear your analysis, young woman, but I am sure that Lady Adelaide would like to hear from a doctor.”
She glanced up at the older gentleman who came into the room. She recognized him immediately. “Dr. Timms. I am sure you are sick of seeing me.”
“Lady Anna?”
“Yes. I was checking on the children tonight. We had another one come down with fever, but he is doing just fine. Nothing too high.”
He smiled as he came toward her. He was her favorite physician to use and although she knew he only did it because of her position, she truthfully didn’t care. He showed a respect for the boys that most doctors did not.
“Ah, well I am here. I will be happy to take over.”
She frowned at him, not wanting to leave Daniel. She glanced back down at him, worried about the pallor of his skin. Anna looked up and opened her mouth but Lady Adelaide stopped her.
“Oh my goodness. Look at your dress.”
Anna looked down and saw the smudges of dirt and blood on her ball gown.
“Oh, I really hate to see that. Your mother will be wondering what happened.” She moved around the bed. “Whatever will you tell her?”
“What do you mean?”
“I would hate for anyone to find out about Daniel. Do you think you could…”
She glanced at the man in question and without hesitation said, “Do not worry, Lady Adelaide. I will tell my mother it is from the orphanage.”
She glanced at Daniel one more time and then allowed his mother to hurry her out of the room.
Two days later, Anna listened to her mother complain about her disappearance—again. Anna barely heard her. Since she had left Daniel’s townhouse, her mind had been on him…and those injuries. She desperately wanted to send a note to him but knew that would raise suspicions. She thought it horribly rude that Lady Adelaide at least did not contact her. What on earth had Daniel been doing down there? And just what was with all the men he was with? They were not his friends. Some of them looked much older and definitely much more experienced than he. Stabbed. She still worried that the wound was much worse than she had thought it to be. What if he lost too much blood? Or what if the hit to his head was worse than she had thought?
“Are you listening to me?”
She glanced at her mother sitting across the room from her. “I understand you were upset. Did I not go to another musicale last night? Since it featured the Tate twins, I deserve something for that.”
Her mother offered her a little smile. The Tate twins were notoriously tone deaf. “True. But I want you to understand that your absence was noticed.”
Anna rolled her eyes. “And I am sure they all know I left because of the orphanage.”
“Yes. Just the thing you need to be known for, traipsing around the slums in the middle of the night.”
Anna barely held onto her rapidly fraying temper. Did no one think she had a brain? “I was never in any danger.”
“True, I understand that. But men do not want a woman who thinks nothing of running off to take care of children that are not his.”
Anna raised her chin. “Then I do not want a man like that. Why would I? I do not want to be a kept woman with nothing better to do than raise her children then bother them about marrying.”
Hurt filled her mother’s expression. “I am just trying to help.”
Regret stirred in Anna’s chest. She should have kept her temper under control. She did not want to hurt her mother, because she knew she wanted what she thought best for Anna. But she could not be that girl anymore. She rose and then seated herself next to her mother. She slipped her hands over Victoria’s.
“I know, Mother. I know you mean no harm. But I am not sure I can be what any man wants. What I need is to live with my past and create a future I am happy with.”
Her mother searched Anna’s expression. “Why do you think that cannot include a husband and children?”
“I am not sure a man would want a wife who feels the need to be involved in my work like I am. It may seem silly to you, but I feel as if I am doing something important at the orphanage. I need to be there.”
Her mother studied her and then turned her hands over, taking Anna’s between hers. “I need to see you settled.”
Anna paused, unable to discern her mother’s tone. She had been preoccupied lately. In fact, there were times Lady Victoria had disappeared for hours at a time. But this was different. There was something there she had not heard before, something she could not truly understand. It was as if there was a desperate need beneath those words. What did her mother have to be desperate about?
She opened her mouth, but Starnes interrupted her.
“Lord Bridgerton is here to see you, my lady.”
For a moment, her heart stopped. He was fine. In the next, her whole body heated with the thought of seeing him.
“My lady?”
She shook herself out of her stupor. “I will be done in a moment.”
Everything in her body seemed to shimmer in anticipation. What was she thinking? Was this because she was worried about him?
She checked herself in the mirror. With a deep breath, she straightened and made her way downstairs. All the way she continued to remind herself to stay calm. This was just Daniel coming by to let her know he was all right.
She reached the bottom of the stairs and noticed one of the footmen.
“Lord Bridgerton is in the front parlor, my lady.”
She wanted to run down the length of the hall just to get there faster, to witness with her own eyes that he was okay. But instead, she forced herself to put one foot in front of the other slowly. When she reached the doorway, she paused and watched him. His back was to her as he looked out the window. Bright sunlight shimmered around him, highlighting the flecks of gold within his hair.
He was fine.
She must have made some kind of noise because he turned around. The moment his gaze rested upon her, she found herself mesmerized. There was something in the way he looked at her that made every thought in her brain dissolve. It had been this way since that waltz the week before. It made her aware of everything in her body—her heartbeat, the prickles that moved over her skin and the overwhelming need to be t
ouched.
“Lady Anna.”
She shook herself and ordered her feet to move in the room.
“It is good to see that you are all right.”
He grimaced when he moved and instantly, she rushed forward. He put his right arm up to ward her off. “I am fine. I just moved it the wrong way.”
Silence filled the air around them. When he said nothing she finally asked, “Whatever happened to you down there?”
For a moment, Daniel could not get his brain to function. He could truly blame it on the medication he had been on, but he knew it had to do with the woman in front of him. Daniel tried to remember the lie his mother had helped him concoct in the wee hours of the morning. There would be no way hiding his injury from most people. But worse, Anna had seen him injured and there was no way avoiding her.
“Jack is the nephew of Higgens.”
“Did Jack stab you?”
He smiled. “No. He owed some money and I was trying to help him with the money lender.”
Her eyes narrowed. “But you were dressed oddly.”
“Well, I could not go down there in my own clothes.”
“Why ever not? I would think that would help you more.”
Daniel wanted nothing more than to crawl back into bed. His head was still fuzzy from the laudanum. Dealing with Anna in such a state was not a good idea. Even now, with his body aching and his head throbbing, he could feel arousal snake through his blood. She was wearing a simple white day dress with embroidered cornflowers along the neckline. There was nothing truly seductive about it, but that did not seem to matter. It just made him want to peel it away from her body and see what lay beneath.
“Daniel?”
He shook his head. “What?”
“I said, I thought that being dressed in your own clothes would have gained you more respect.”
The woman was too clever. He was trying to imagine just what she would look like wearing nothing but the sunlight, and she was questioning him as if she were the head of the War Department, Lord Michaels.
“I did not want to draw attention to us.”
She didn’t look like she believed him but thankfully she let it go.
The Spy Who Loved Her: Once Upon an Accident, Book 3 Page 7
