by Liese Anning
Verity nodded, 'with Mr Huntley's help.' She said, as a matter of fact.
'And how do the pair of you intend to do that? Walk in through the front door and ask for Miss Cassandra Stanford.'
'No, of course not,' Verity replied, 'Mr Huntley will smuggle me into the building, and I will then go and find Cassie.'
'And that is your plan?' Maisie said incredulously. 'You will go to that place, dressed as a maid and rescue your sister.'
'Yes,' Verity said defensively, 'that is my plan. What is so wrong with it?'
'It is a terrible idea,' Maisie said, in a loud voice.
There was a knock on the door, 'is everything alright in there?' Came the familiar voice of another member of staff. Maisie quickly stuffed the dress under the bed, before their inquisitive colleague entered the room.
'All is well,' Maisie said, as the young teacher poked her head around the door. 'Verity and I were practising a part for a play, nothing more.'
The intruder shrugged her shoulders and said, 'well, could you keep the noise down, I am trying to sleep.'
'Yes, yes, of course, we will.' Maisie replied impatiently. As the door closed, she pulled a face of disgust.
'Why is it a terrible plan?' Verity said, in a fierce whisper, resuming their conversation after the interruption.
Maisie sat back down on the bed and sighed. 'And what is Mr Huntley's role in all this?'
'He is just there to help me enter the club, via the back door.' Verity coolly said. 'I do not require his assistance once I’m inside.'
'What!' Maisie whispered, in despair, 'you are going to find her all by yourself?'
'Yes! I am,' Verity replied, trying to sound confident. 'I will find her.’'And how are you going to do that? A maid would not be wandering around in a place like that late at night. And if they were, they would not be wandering around looking for lost sisters.' As she spoke, Maisie's voice escalated into a sharp whisper. 'What if the maids have a different uniform to the one you are proposing to wear? You will get caught, and Mr Huntley will abandon you to your fate.'
'I am not planning on "wandering around." All I intend to do is find Cassie and talk to her.'
'Oh really, Verity,' she said, her hands on her hip, 'and do you suppose your sister will be tucked up in bed waiting for you to come to her. I do not wish to be cruel, but since your sister's disappearance, she has never attempted to make contact with you. Have you ever thought that she might not want to be found?'
'Yes,' Verity answered bluntly, 'many times. I think about those last weeks we were at Hadlands, and I relive all those final conversations we had. Looking back, with the benefit of hindsight, I believe that Cassie was in love. I tried to warn her like I tried to warn you, but she would not listen. She was blind to all my advice, and I was too busy, sorting out my affairs, to realise the danger she was in.'
'Did you know the gentleman in question?' Maisie asked as she sat back on the bed. Verity's last statement had made her feel a little uneasy. She too had done the same as Cassie; fallen in love with a man she hardly knew.
'Yes,' Verity said, 'his name is Major Ellington. I met him the same time as I met Colonel Mitford. On the night of the storm, I foolishly left him alone with her. I am now confident that he met with her and somehow persuaded her to go with him.' Verity stopped and looked at Maisie. 'He is also here in Brussels, and Mr Huntley has seen him with Cassie. Maisie, I do not like it one bit. After all, he is also Reggie's guardian. If he has so little regard for my sister's welfare, then how much regard will he have for my brother's?'
'If he is acquainted with the Colonel, why do you not let him talk to Major Ellington. He may be able to persuade Major Ellington to let you talk to Cassie.'
'Let me assure you; there was no love lost between Colonel Mitford and Major Ellington. It was the Major's cousin, Lord Melrose, who tried to trap me into the life of a courtesan. I need to find out why they have Cassie, and why they are now Reggie's guardians. Controlling both my brother's and sister's future is too much of a coincidence.' Verity now spoke with authority, 'they are my family, and it is about time that I started to take responsibility for them.'
'You cannot do this alone. Even with Mr Huntley's very limited help, it is far too dangerous.' Maisie said. She had now lost all the anger in her voice. 'I will help you, and I will not take no for an answer.'
Verity smiled and took her hand, 'even if I wanted to, I could not stop you from helping me, could I?'
'No,' Maisie answered, 'there is nothing you could to do to stop me. But, we do need to come up with a better scheme. I am afraid that yours will not do at all.'
Verity nodded, 'I am willing to take suggestions.'
'Good,' Maisie said, 'for I think we could adapt your scheme and make it work.'
Chapter 14
Late on Sunday night, when everyone at the school was tucked up in bed, Verity and Maisie crept out. The only creature that observed their departure was the old kitchen cat. He lifted his head and opened a sleepy eye. Once he had established that there was unlikely to be any victuals on offer, he closed his eye and curled up once more next to the dying fire.
Late at night, Brussels looked a very different place. Gone were the pedestrians, that crowded the pavements, and gone was the constant stream of traffic through the cobbled streets. Only soldiers, who had spent the last few hours drinking, were out in force. Some of them had stopped to shout lewd comments at the two women. However, much to Verity's relief, they did not impinge on their progress as they meandered through the streets. After being a recipient of this unwarranted attention, Verity pulled her cloak tightly around herself and buried her head in the hood. Within its dark folds, she hoped that she would find the anonymity she desired.
Ever since she had told Maisie, about her sister, her friend had been formulating her scheme for her rescue. After their frank conversation, Verity had seen little of Maisie. It was not until she had made an appearance, late the previous evening, when the two women could, at last, talk.
'Where did you find these?' Verity asked suspiciously. Looking at a pair of old evening gowns that Maisie had brought back to their room.
'Never mind,' was the almost curt reply, 'what you do not know, will not hurt you.'
Verity took the dress that was offered to her and held it up against her waist. Being much taller than its previous owner, Verity was not impressed. 'I will look quite ridiculous,' she said indignantly, 'my ankles will stick out of the bottom, and it will make me look like a scarecrow. Not only that, but it is far too small. And, it will never do up at the back, however much I breathe in.'
Maisie, who was suffering from a lack of sleep, tugged at Verity's chemise and said, sharply, 'well that will have to go.'
'What!' Verity said, looking a little shocked at her friend's suggestion, 'but…'
'No buts.' Maisie said firmly. 'Try it on, without your chemise.'
Verity tried on the dress wearing only the stays that Maisie had also provided. Just as she had predicted, the dress was too tight and barely did up at the back. Verity felt exposed. She spread out her hands to hide her décolletage. 'Maisie, I need a shawl or at least a fichu to preserve my modesty.'
Maisie tutted, 'You will need no such thing,' she said, as she adjusted the sleeves by pulling them down. 'That is better,' Maisie said, standing back and observing Verity with a critical eye. 'It is a little short,' she said, as she began to rummage around in her needlework basket. 'But, I know just the thing that will help.'
In a few minutes, Maisie had pinned some lace to the bottom of the dress, making it a couple of inches longer. 'Perfect,' she said when she had finished. 'Tomorrow evening, we will put these on to meet Mr Huntley.'
The following day started as a beautiful sunny Sunday morning. However, Madame DuPont received some disturbing intelligence from one of her closest and most reliable friends. The news from Paris had been worrying. Ever since Napoleon had escaped from Elba, he had been marching through France, gathering together an ar
my. Soldiers, once loyal to the French king, were now turning back to their previous commander in their droves and marching across France.
Madame DuPont had decided, several months ago, that if the political situation deteriorated further, she would relocate the school, possibly to Antwerp. With this thought in mind, she began to make plans for their subsequent removal. Everyone was far too busy discussing their relocation, to notice either Verity or Maisie. During supper that evening, even though the dining room was buzzing with the day's events, Verity ate very little, she was far too nervous. All she could think about was the task she was about to undertake.
Once the meal was over, and Madam DuPont had given her rather long after supper address, Maisie and Verity returned to their room and began their preparations for the night ahead.
'Maisie,' Verity said, pulling up the bodice of the dress, 'I would feel more comfortable with at least a shawl around my shoulders. I am displaying far too much flesh for comfort.'
'Verity,' Maisie replied, 'I do not want to appear indelicate, but we are going to a...' Maisie stopped, as she thought of a word that would describe the club, without upsetting her friend. 'A house of ill repute. We must blend in with the other women if we are to have any hope of finding your sister. Wrapping yourself in a shawl will only draw attention to yourself.'
'At least, let me pull up the shoulders,' Verity said, trying to adjust the sleeves so that they would at least cover the top of her arms.
'No,' Maisie replied firmly. 'In fact,' she said, studying Verity's dress, 'you need to...' Then Maisie, much to Verity's horror, pulled down the sleeves further and adjusted the bodice to reveal more of Verity's décolletage. 'Now put on your cloak and stop complaining.'
As a finishing touch, Maisie applied a little rouge to their lips and cheeks and pulled out a few strands of hair from Verity's chignon, arranging the tendrils around her face. 'That is better,' she said confidently, 'now, we are ready to leave.'
As the clock struck midnight, the two women met Mr Huntley in the prearranged place, just outside the back entrance to the club.
'Good evening, ladies,' he said, looking up and down the street to check for any onlookers. 'I have procured a way in.' He said, with a smile, as he opened his coat to reveal a large crowbar. 'Follow me,' he said, motioning them to follow him down a dark, deserted alleyway.
Verity felt nervous. Once inside the club, there was no going back. She turned to Maisie. 'You do not have to come with me if you would prefer not to. It is very dangerous, and you should not have to risk your safety to help me.'
'Verity,' Maisie said gravely, 'I am your friend, and this is what friends do for each other. Please, do not feel guilty. Whatever happens tonight, I chose to be here with you.'
Verity was moved by her friend's declaration. 'Thank you, Maisie. That has meant a great deal to me.'
Mr Huntley coughed discreetly, 'if you don't mind ladies. I think I'll just get past you and open this door.'
As he began to jimmy the lock, using the crowbar, Verity and Maisie shuffled out of his way. The door hinges cracked, and they all froze to see if the noise had alerted anyone inside to their presence. After a couple of moments, once they had all realised that no-one had heard them, they all took a deep breath.
Mr Huntley looked left, then right, before ushering them into the back entrance. 'I will take you as far as the main salon. Then you are on your own.' Verity nodded reluctantly. It was, after all, what they had agreed.
They followed Mr Huntley into a hallway that leads into a boot room. A few straggly looking boys, dressed in rags, were cleaning mud from a pile of boots. They were so engrossed in their task that they did not look up when Mr Huntley motioned for the two women to follow.
Once they had left the hustle and bustle of the boot room, they found themselves in a narrow, but deserted corridor. 'I think we should remove our cloaks,' Maisie said, as they cautiously approached a narrow staircase, 'I believe that it may look a little strange to be wandering around inside, wrapped up in our winter cloaks. We can leave them here, just under the stairs.' Verity nodded in agreement, and they both carefully folded up their cloaks and placed them in a nook under the staircase.
'Come on,' Mr Huntley whispered loudly, 'I haven't got all day.'
Verity crept up the servants' staircase behind Mr Huntley and Maisie. There was a door at the top of the stairs. Mr Huntley put his hand on the handle and turned it slowly. The door softly creaked as it opened. Again, the small party froze to make sure that the noise had not alerted anyone, on the other side, to their presence.
'This is as far as I go,' Mr Huntley said, in a whisper. 'Turn left and go to the end of the corridor. The large door, on your right, will bring you to the main salon.' Before Verity or Maisie could even thank him for his help, Mr Huntley had vanished.
Maisie took a deep breath as she watched him disappear. 'We had better go,' she said to Verity in a loud whisper.
They crept down the corridor, trying not to draw attention to themselves. A couple of officers, dressed in their scarlet regimental uniforms, were leaning against the wall near the end of the corridor. They looked up to watch the two women walk cautiously towards them. 'What do we have here?' One of the officers said, his voice slurred.
Maisie tried to walk past him, but he barred her way by standing in front of her. 'Don't be in a hurry to get away, my little beauty,' he said to her, slurring his voice.
Maisie stopped and looked up at the officer, who was now blocking her path and smiled sweetly. 'Nothing would give me more pleasure than passing the time of day with you gentlemen, but both of us,' she said, pointing to Verity, 'have to be somewhere else.'
She tried to duck past him, but he barred her way, by holding up his arm and leaning against the wall, 'where are you going in such a hurry?' He asked her quietly, 'and where could you be going, that is more important than spending a little time with me?' He lifted her chin and bent down to kiss her neck.
Verity could see that her usually confident friend was now frozen to the spot. There was a blank look in Maisie's eyes as the officer continued to kiss her neck. The other officer, who up to this point had still been leaning against the wall, walked over to Verity. He touched her cheek with his fingertips, 'I can keep you company, while your friend, and mine, become acquainted.' He then put his arm around her waist and drew her close. 'Relax, my dear, I will not hurt you.'
Before he could kiss her, Verity said, with more confidence than she felt. 'We are here at the request of Major Ellington.'
The officer slid his arm from around her waist. Verity now sensed unease in his countenance. She continued in her most authoritative voice, 'if you do not let us pass, I will personally make him aware of your impertinence.'
'Ohh!' he said, as he stepped back to lean against the wall once more, 'we will, no doubt, meet again when Ellington has completed your education. I shall certainly look forward, with pleasure, to our next meeting, ma'am.' He then bowed mockingly and motioned for her to pass.
'Ralph,' he drawled, 'I would put that tasty morsel down if I were you. They both appear to be Ellington's property.'
The other officer swore and released Maisie, 'that bastard always poaches the prettiest ones for himself.'
'Don’t worry,' his companion said, 'we will get acquainted with them another time.'
Slowly, with their heads held high, Verity and Maisie walked past the two officers. Once they were out of earshot, Maisie whispered to Verity, 'I thought we were going to get caught! Well done for mentioning Major Ellington. That was inspired.'
They continued to walk along the corridor, trying to display as much confidence as they could muster. Once they had reached the end, just like Mr Huntley had promised, there was a large oak door. As they stood staring at its panels, they could hear muffled voices on the other side. Verity looked down the corridor. The two officers were still staring at them, and she knew that they could not turn back. 'Well,' Verity said, her hand touching the door handle, 'It is now
or never.' Maisie nodded her agreement as Verity took a deep breath and opened the door.
The salon was a large room. A haze of smoke filled every corner, and it stung Verity's eyes, making them water. Throughout the chamber, candelabra were arranged on tables, and an enormous chandelier, made from the finest crystal, flooded the room with light. Large gilt mirrors, strategically placed on the walls, gave the impression that the chamber was even larger than it was. At one end, gaming tables, complete with various card games, had been carefully arranged. The rest of the salon was full of gentlemen in groups, conversing and drinking. Mingled with them were young women all wearing the same Roman style dresses and headdresses. Verity was shocked by their behaviour. She knew that it is hard to gauge the age of a young woman, especially when they were dressed up, but Verity was confident that some of them were no older than fifteen.
Verity had always known that she had lived a sheltered life inside the walls of an institution. However, it still came as a shock to observe such shameless and depraved behaviour on public display. These men, who belonged to the higher echelons of society, seemed to Verity to be lacking a moral compass. The women were there, for one reason and one reason only, for the pleasure of these men.
As Verity continued to stare, she became aware that they were receiving unwelcome attention from certain gentlemen in the room. Not wanting to be on the receiving end of their amorous attentions, Verity took Maisie's arm and said, 'follow me,' as she motioned with her head toward a window, hidden behind a thick, long velvet curtain. 'Let us hide behind here,' she said, as she pulled Maisie behind its dark folds. The anonymity, the thick material provided, allowed Verity, once more, to make a careful examination of the room and the people in it. 'I cannot see Cassie,' Verity whispered to Maisie.
