“Don’t you believe in romance, my lord?” Letitia asked.
Frost smiled politely. “I believe in knowledge, first and foremost.” He glanced back at the title he’d written on the paper. “I know I’ve seen the name referenced somewhere. If you could give me time to conduct some research, I should be able to offer more. It might help if I knew to what it was in reference.”
Nathaniel weighed his options, wondering if he’d built up the man’s curiosity enough to draw him into joining their forces. He glanced at Letitia to see if she’d give her opinion. At her nod, he looked back to Frost. “Have you read a recent book called The Seven Curses of London?”
“I tend to avoid anything published in this century.”
Nathaniel bit back his disappointment. Obviously he had no interest in the problems currently plaguing London. Nathaniel didn’t blame him. He’d served enough time on behalf of his country. Such a cause would more than likely not interest him. “Never mind then.” He glanced to Letitia. “We should be on our way. We’ve obviously interrupted your work.” He gestured toward the numerous books and papers littering the desk.
“What sort of curses?” Frost asked.
“The sort that plague our city,” Letitia offered even as she rose to leave. “Neglected children, professional thieves. That sort. But as Nathaniel said, we should leave you to your work.”
Nathaniel hid a smile as he realized his clever fiancé had understood what he’d been attempting to do. She’d given a little more information to wet Frost’s interest.
“How are the two of you involved in such a thing?”
“We are attempting to stop a very small part of it,” Nathaniel said as he stood as well.
“The neglected children curse specifically,” Letitia added. “But this goes even further. These men are tricking young girls—” She covered her mouth. “I’m terribly sorry. I’m certain you aren’t interested in such crimes.”
“Crimes? That involve tricking young girls? To do what?” he asked.
Nathaniel only smiled. “We’ve taken far too much of your valuable time.” He turned toward the door, taking Letitia’s hand to tuck it under his arm.
“You’re going to leave without sharing the details?” Frost asked.
Nathaniel turned back, feigning surprised. “Well, as Letitia said, it doesn’t seem as though it’s anything that would interest you. But these men offer young girls fraudulent positions, only to take them to brothels.”
Letitia faced Frost as well. “Some of the girls are only eight years of age. The men must be stopped.”
Frost shook his head. “While one hears of such terrible crimes, it is far easier to continue on to read the next article in the newspaper rather than dwelling on how something like that could happen in our own city.”
“I stumbled upon the situation by accident. Otherwise, I might not have investigated it any further myself,” Nathaniel admitted.
“What does The Book of Secrets have to do with the young girls?”
“Supposedly, one of the leaders of this nasty group claims to have gained powers through the book. I hope that by learning more about it, we might find some way to counter it.”
“That seems highly unlikely.”
“True,” Nathaniel said with a nod, “but sometimes it’s not the true power an object contains, but the belief others have in it that creates the power.”
Frost seemed to consider his words. “Give me a day or two, and I will see what I can discover.”
“Excellent,” Nathaniel said, hiding his disappointment. He’d hoped Frost would insist on joining them. But all was not yet lost. Perhaps the information he uncovered would stir his outrage enough that he’d assist them.
Letitia gave Frost a curtsy. “It was a pleasure meeting you, my lord.”
“The pleasure is all mine.” As Letitia moved into the foyer, Frost caught Nathaniel’s gaze. “She is special, is she not?” he whispered.
Nathaniel glanced to see Letitia had left the room. “Indeed she is. I fear I don’t deserve her.” He couldn’t help the note of honesty that slipped out. It was the truth.
“After all you’ve been through, you deserve happiness. Have no doubt of that.”
“What of you, Frost?” Nathaniel asked as he studied his friend. “How have you adjusted to civilian life?”
“What’s to adjust to?” He gave the cocky grin Nathaniel had seen so often over the years. But somewhere in the depth of his eyes, a darkness told of something more.
“In all honesty, it’s been a hell of an adjustment for me,” Nathaniel admitted. “Far more difficult than I expected.”
Frost lost his smile. “It has?”
Nathaniel nodded. He couldn’t help but run his hand along his injured thigh. “Still can’t sleep. Hearing loud noises makes me—” He paused with a shrug. “You know.”
“I do,” Frost admitted.
“Well, if you ever want to speak of it, I’m here. And I look forward to hearing what you learn about the book. The sooner the better as the men involved are nasty and have big plans.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
Nathaniel clasped his shoulder. “Good to see you. Thank you for your time.”
As Nathaniel walked out with Letitia, he had to wonder how Frost had adjusted—or if he truly had. He knew his friend didn’t move about in social circles. He hadn’t married. It didn’t sound as if ever left his house. That left only those piles of books to keep him company. What kind of a life was that?
In truth, it wasn’t so different from the empty life he’d led prior to meeting Letitia. She’d dragged him reluctantly amongst the living. He couldn’t imagine life without her now. That was a frightening revelation. The only thing he could do was draw Letitia closer to his side, determined to enjoy the short time they had together.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
“I trust and hope that what is here set down will not be regarded as mere tinsel and wordy extravagance designed to produce a “sensation” in the mind of the reader. There is no telling into whose hands this book may fall.”
~ The Seven Curses of London
Lettie returned home to find chaos had ensued. Several servants rushed back and forth through the foyer as she removed her gloves. She raised a brow at the footman who’d opened the door for her, but he shook his head, apparently not privy to the cause of the commotion.
“Holly,” Lettie called out as her sister hurried down the stairs. “Whatever is going on?”
“Didn’t you hear?” Holly asked, her eyes wide with excitement. “The duke proposed.”
“He spoke with Father?” Lettie clarified. While Holly made it her business to find out what was going on in their household, she didn’t always have her facts correct.
“Yes. Rose is over the moon. I’d best hurry or Mother will be calling for me again.” Holly dashed through the foyer toward the rear of the house on some errand.
Excitement filled Lettie as she hurried up the stairs to find Rose. Her sister had been waiting for this day all Season long. As she neared Rose’s bedroom, she could hear the voices of her mother and sister.
“But why wouldn’t we have a celebration for Lettie as well?” Rose asked.
Lettie’s steps slowed at the sound of her name.
“Her engagement to the captain is hardly on the same level as yours to a duke. Besides, your sister is nearly on the shelf. Who knows if they will actually marry. In fact, I have to wonder what the captain’s intentions truly are.”
“What do you mean?”
“Yes, Mother. What do you mean?” Lettie asked from the doorway. While her expectations of her family’s reaction to her engagement compared to Rose’s were realistic, that didn’t mean this conversation didn’t shock her.
“Lettie, dear,” her mother exclaimed. “Where have you been? Your sister has the most exciting news.”
Lettie’s gaze shifted from her mother to Rose. The look of sympathy on Rose’s face was nearly more than she
could bear.
She didn’t know what to say. Nothing she said or did would change her mother’s opinion. She decided to do what she’d always done—ignore her mother’s comments.
Lettie kept her gaze on Rose as she moved forward to give her sister a hug. “You must be so happy. I wish you the very best, Rose.”
“Thank you.” Rose’s eyes filled with tears, and she blinked rapidly.
“I hope you and the duke have a long and happy life together.” Before her mother could say any other hurtful words, Lettie walked out.
Once she’d shut the door behind her, she leaned back against it, trying to catch her breath. What could she say when her mother had spoken the truth? Lettie would have to deal with all the “I told you so” comments once she broke off the engagement with Nathaniel. She hadn’t considered the details of exactly what would occur when it ended. There would be more pain than she’d anticipated.
No longer having Nathaniel in her life would be nearly unbearable, but she’d also have to listen to her mother continually say such things. Somehow, Lettie was certain her mother would never let her live this down. Then there would be the pitying glances from those who’d so recently congratulated her.
Maybe it was time to make plans for her future. She’d write a letter to her aunt to see if it would be possible to join her. At the very least, some time away would be welcome once she’d said goodbye to Nathaniel.
She swallowed hard, trying to keep the lump in her throat from becoming a sob. After all, she’d agreed to the temporary business arrangement. It would never do to start believing it was real, even if Nathaniel had briefly made her think it meant something.
~*~
“Greetings, Langston,” Nathaniel said as the older man entered the library after being announced by Dibbles the next day.
“Good evening, Captain.” He took a seat before Nathaniel’s desk, his expression somber. “I fear I bring bad news.”
“Oh?” Nathaniel braced himself.
“Six girls have gone missing from the Whitechapel Workhouse off Charles Street. All between the ages of eight and ten.”
Nathaniel shoved back from his desk. “Damn.”
“Indeed. I just returned from there and came directly to tell you. I thought you’d want to know.”
“Any additional information as to their whereabouts?”
“Only that a man of medium build and dark hair, wearing a bowler hat was seen lurking about of late.”
“Which describes half the men in London,” Nathaniel bit out with frustration.
Langston shook his head, obviously discouraged. “Some days it feels as though we take one step forward and three steps back.” He rubbed his hands over his face. “Those poor girls,” he muttered.
“Indeed. We need more men,” Nathaniel said, trying to think of how they could gain additional help. “Can you try your contacts on the police force with this latest development to see if they’ll now take a greater interest in the problem?”
“It’s certainly worth a try. I’ll advise them we have a witness who can attest to the missing girls.”
“We’ll do all we can to rescue them. We have an excellent idea of where they are taking them.”
“Yes, you’re right. This battle is not yet over,” Langston agreed, seeming to regain some hope.
“Far from it.” Nathaniel felt obligated to do all he could to improve the man’s spirits though he knew exactly how he felt. “I am awaiting word from someone who might be able to give us more information on The Book of Secrets.”
“That would be helpful. If Smithby thinks he has some power over the others, or at the very least, has convinced them of such, knowing more would give us an advantage.”
“Exactly. Have you found out when the brothel opens?”
“In two days’ time. More men are guarding the place now.”
“So they’re expecting something or someone? Interesting. We must think of something we could do that would be unexpected.”
Langston frowned. “What might that be?”
“I don’t know yet. But I will see what I can put together.”
“Shall I continue to have the woman at the workhouse report any unusual activity?”
At Nathaniel’s nod, Langston added, “ If only we had others like her who were willing to share information.”
“For a fee,” Nathaniel said dryly. Nobody was willing to do something for nothing. That seemed to be part of what was wrong with the world. But wishing it were different didn’t make it so.
Langston sighed. “I, for one, appreciate your efforts and the money you put towards the cause.”
“And I appreciate yours. We wouldn’t have gained this much ground if not for your assistance.” Nathaniel paused but felt compelled to offer a warning. “The more we threaten Smithby’s existence as well as his men’s, the more dangerous this will become.”
“I realize that,” Langston reassured him. “I am aware of the risks we take and face them willingly.”
“Don’t take any unnecessary ones,” Nathaniel warned. “Your life is just as important as that of each girl.”
Langston raised a brow. “I would suggest you remember the same. Especially now that you’re betrothed.”
Nathaniel nodded. “I will keep that in mind.” The image of Letitia came to the forefront of his thoughts. Not that she was ever far from it. He still worried about how much of a distraction she was. That he wasn’t thinking clearly because part of his thoughts were focused on her.
Yet how could he not do so? He was engaged to her, whether it was temporary or not. She was in danger as well, simply by her association with him. He had to assume Smithby and his cohorts, including Rutter knew who he was. They certainly knew where he lived since they’d dumped Teddy’s body on his back door. His staff was still fearful after that discovery.
Langston rose to his feet. “I’ll ask the woman to remain extra vigilant. I’ll send word if I can gain assistance with the police force. And if I can discover anything more about the brothel, I will advise you.”
“Perhaps instead of going directly to the brothel, you might find a pub in the area. The men guarding it will be thirsty after their shifts are over.” Nathaniel handed Langston some money. “Buy them a pint or two and see if it loosens their tongues. That might be more beneficial to us at this point than watching the brothel.”
“Excellent idea.” Langston stuffed the coins in his pocket. “I’ll send word when I learn more.”
“I’ll do the same.” Nathaniel hoped they had some sort of break soon. Otherwise it would be too late for those poor girls.
~*~
Nathaniel waited at Blackfriars Bridge for Frost just before luncheon the next day. His friend had sent a message telling him he’d uncovered some information he thought worth sharing.
Nathaniel had requested they meet here, partly to see if Frost would venture out of his house and partly to show him some of the young girls who crossed this bridge each day as they shuffled to and from work. Perhaps seeing them would prompt Frost to become more involved. He could only hope so.
He’d advised Frost to wear his oldest suit. No doubt his friend would think his request odd. With the brothel opening soon and more girls missing each day, Nathaniel was getting desperate to find some way to stop Smithby.
At this hour, little traffic clogged the area, so he anticipated easily seeing Frost’s arrival. Sure enough, Frost strolled down the street directly toward him as though he knew precisely where Nathaniel waited near the end of the bridge.
“I assume you have a reason for wanting to meet here,” Frost said as he glanced around.
“Have you ventured to the bridge before?”
“Can’t say that I have.”
“It provides an excellent view of St. Paul’s,” Nathaniel said as he gestured toward the cathedral in the distance.
“I doubt that’s why you wanted to meet here.”
Frost’s timing couldn’t have been better. The noon ho
ur had arrived, and the masses of girls who worked in the factories on the other side of the bridge started their trek home for a quick bite to eat. Nathaniel hoped that by Frost actually seeing the girls, he’d be more inclined to aid them with more than information on the book.
Nathaniel kept his gaze on the young girls as he spoke. “Smithby and his crew are taking girls anywhere from ages eight to twelve, occasionally older girls as well, depending on their condition. The girls who work in the artificial flower factories don’t seem to be in danger.”
“Why is that?”
Nathaniel pointed toward a group of girls just exiting the bridge. “See how gaunt they look? Their teeth are discolored, their noses chafed. That comes from using arsenite of copper for the green parts of the flowers they make.”
“Isn’t that poisonous?” Frost asked, obviously taken aback at the thought.
“Indeed.” Nathaniel continued to watch as people of all shapes and sizes, mainly girls, passed by.
“Have you considered going after the other end of their operation?”
“What do you mean?” Nathaniel asked.
“The men who frequent brothels are numerous, but surely those who request children are fewer. Exposing them or merely threatening to would surely slow Smithby’s business. Nothing like striking them at the source of their money.”
“That is an excellent idea,” Nathaniel agreed. “But I don’t have enough men to attempt such a feat. There is only Langston and myself.”
“And Miss Fairchild.”
“Yes, but I am doing my best to keep her at a distance from the worst of this. It’s far too dangerous.”
“How is that working for you?” Frost asked with a smile as he studied Nathaniel.
“Not well. She insists on remaining involved despite the danger.”
“She must be a special lady.” Frost glanced away, leaving Nathaniel to wonder at his thoughts. “As to the book about which you inquired, I can advise you that it is indeed an ancient text thought to be written in the thirteenth century by Albertus Magnus. Some would argue whether he is truly the author of the entire text or only a portion of it.”
Loving the Hawke (The Seven Curses of London Book 1) Page 25
