“I cannot say for sure when I last saw Lilly come through here, but it must be a few days gone past. Had gotten her own place not long ago, what with the work she’s been able to get at Lady Phoebe’s place. Now there’s a saint for you. We’d have none of this,” her hand swept to take in the area around her, “if it weren’t for her.”
Many ladies of wealth often volunteered their time to help those in need, though most tended to keep a safe distance from the reality of things. He was surprised to find that Phoebe had volunteered her time here, in one of the poorest areas of London, despite the time constraints Viridis must put on her.
“Does Lady Hughes volunteer here often?”
“Volunteer? Och, I see what you’re getting at. No, no, you’re mistaken. This place is hers. She bought the building ‘bout five months back. Has food sent and a doctor that comes regular like. Even has us learning to read and write.”
He was stunned. “I had not realized. Is this where she made Lilly’s acquaintance, hiring her for Viridis?”
“Aye, that would be about right. As for Lilly, she stops in now and then to check on things and see how we’re doing. A sweet girl she is, and smart too. I do hope she hasn’t gotten herself into any trouble.”
William had to be careful. If he asked too much, too soon or phrased the question in the wrong way, any cooperation he received would be jeopardized. He gave her a reassuring smile, taking the time to enjoy his steaming drink and a bite. “No. No trouble that I’m aware of. Lady Hughes had not seen her at work in the last few days, but had this listed as her address. I just need to ask her some questions regarding a friend of hers. I don’t suppose you would know where her lodgings are?”
“Och, sure enough. Not far from the corner of York and Mason. Just a room, but it’s her own, and an accomplishment at that.” She poured him some more tea, all the while, keeping an eye on the girls as they worked.
“Lady Hughes mentioned a sister who works here. Do you know where I may find her or if Lilly has anyone else she might stay with?”
“None that would be able to put her up for the night. Has just the one sister, Anne. The girl does indeed work here, and stays with Lilly most nights. Should be around here somewhere.” She grabbed the closest girl to her, and sent her to find Anne. “She may know where her sister’s gotten to.”
“Thank you. I appreciate your help in the matter.” It wasn’t long before a slip of a young woman with a brisk walk approached them.
“Anne, this here is Inspector Thomas. He has a few questions to ask you.” Mrs. Farthing vacated her chair and eased the girl into her spot. “Now you be sure to help the Inspector in any way you can, you hear?”
“Aye, Mum.” Anne watched Mrs. Farthing’s retreating form, then turned her gaze on William. “What can I be helping ye with? I ain’t done nothing wrong.” Eyes the color of ice, pinned him with a matching glare.
“No, you haven’t. Not at all. I was actually hoping to find your sister.” He quickly continued, stifling Anne’s protest regarding her sister’s innocence. “I’m not saying she’s done anything wrong, either. I just need to ask her a few questions regarding a gentleman from the club, Viridis. Have you seen her of late? She hasn’t been to work and the last few days, and I know Lady Hughes is worried about her welfare.”
He could see her debating whether or not to offer him her honesty or assistance. If his instincts were correct, he suspected she too had not seen Lilly and was worried for her sister’s well-being. He only hoped her concern was greater than her suspicion of law enforcement.
“Lilly, she tends to come an’ go. Been gone days ‘afore, so it ain’t mean nothing that she’s not around. Just like ‘er it ‘tis to go missing, but she always comes back. Would ne’er leave me, seeings I’m all she’s got left of family.”
“I hope you are right. I’m concerned for her safety and worry she may be in danger.” He hated having to prey on her fears, but it was not far from the truth that she could come to harm. If she was not guilty of murder, than there was a good chance she may have seen or heard something that could put her in danger— if he wasn’t already too late. Why else would she be missing? Either she was guilty, had come to harm, or had been frightened into hiding.
He refocused his attentions on Anne. “Mrs. Farthing mentioned she has lodgings not too far from here and that you also stay there on most nights. I was wondering if you’d be willing to let me have a look around. There may be something to help us find her, or at the least, let us rule out that she is in danger.” Reluctantly, Anne agreed.
Leaving the shelter, they walked down several roads before coming to a boarding house in an area only a little safer than where they had been. They had not spoken on their way here, and even now William followed Anne in silence, up the narrow stairway to a dark landing where she fumbled with her keys. The door swung open, and he followed her into a small room with two beds, a wardrobe and an end table. Despite its size, the room was clean and tidy with a warmth William had not expected.
“Tis not much, but ‘tis safe and a start, aye?” Anne took a couple steps towards the center of the room and looked around. “As ye can see, Lilly’s not ‘ere.”
“Have you checked to see if anything is missing? Has she taken any clothes? Is anything of value gone?”
“I’m afraid there ain’t much of value, aye?” Despite the slight annoyance in her voice, Anne moved to the wardrobe and pulled open the doors. She shifted the clothing around to take better inventory, before finally saying. “I cannot be sure, but I do no’ think any of her clothing is missing.”
With an efficiency of movement that held a certain grace and power, she went on to check the single drawer in the wardrobe and then the nightstand in turn. William watched as she moved around the small space, garbed in drab grey designed for utility and several sizes too large for her slender frame. However, not even her dull clothing and dismal surroundings could put out the fire and intelligence behind those blue eyes.
“Nothing else here’s missing, but there’s one more spot I need to check. If ye do no’ mind, I’d rather ye turn around or step outside. I know ye’re police, but it ne’er hurts to be safe.”
A smile crept across William’s face as he turned, his back facing her. “No, it never hurts to be cautious.” From behind him, he could hear a bit of thumping on wood and some sliding sound where they obviously kept whatever monies and valuables needed stashing— probably a loose board in the floor or in a piece of furniture.
“Bleeding hell!”
The curse on her lips had William turning around to find Anne sitting on the floor with a foot-long board in her lap, and a look of distress on her face. “What is it, Anne?”
“It wasn’t much, aye? But Lilly and I, we were putting aside what little we could, in case we fell on hard times again, and needed it like.” She took the empty linen pouch she’d been holding and threw it back into the hole before replacing the floorboard. “Do ye think this means she’s in trouble?”
“I think it means that she is still alive, and that’s a good thing.”
He watched her run all the possible scenarios in her head, the brave face she’d been struggling to keep on, finally slipping. “She’s all I’ve left. Ye’ve got to find ‘er, Sir. I do no’ know what trouble she may’ve gotten into, but she’s a good person. I heard that you’d been asking Mrs. Farthing about this Lord that gone an’ got ‘imself murdered, an’ I can tell ye Lilly, she’d nothing to do with that. ‘Tis not in her to do that sort of thing. But there are other evils running the streets, from the Secret Service to the thugs that care ‘bout no law, no one’s safe anymore.”
It was clear she believed her sister to be innocent and not capable of murder, and it was true enough that the poorer neighborhoods were dangerous at best. He hoped, for Anne’s sake that Lilly was hidden away someplace safe.
“Are you aware of any relations or attachments? Anyone she may be close enough to where she could seek shelter or aid?”
> “She’s no’ really one to discuss such matters, but there’s always someone sniffing ‘round her skirts. She’s real pretty, ye see, but she’s ne’er paid them no heed— not that type o’ girl.”
“I know this must be hard for you, and I promise, we’ll do all we can to find her. But in order to that, I need complete honesty from you. I will not judge your sister, however it’s imperative that I have the facts. Had she mentioned Lord Niles Hawthorne?”
He saw a spark of anger flair in her eyes, but it was gone not a moment later. “There was someone, aye? She ne’er said his name, though the way she talked, she did make ‘im sound awful fancy like. But I’m telling ye, she’d have nothing to do with him like that. She only thought of him as a friend, though if he had other plans, it was no fault of hers. I tried to tell her nothing good could come of it, him a lord and her with nothing, but she was not one to listen to what’s good for ‘er.”
“I’m going to ask you to think about this one last time— is there anywhere else your sister could be?” If Lilly wasn’t the murderer, then the longer she stayed missing, the greater the threat to her life.
She shook her head no, a tear trailing its way down her cheek. “I wish I knew.”
Chapter Twelve
Phoebe watched Seth stalk the room, his body tense with obvious frustration. He had offered her the proof she needed to trust him by showing her the plans for his latest tinkering, but she was finding it difficult to put her hurt aside and give up control of the situation. “I do trust you, Seth. I don’t know what else to say.”
He turned to look at her, his blue eyes alight with emotion. She felt suddenly naked as she stood there in nothing more than her chemise, the light of the fire silhouetting her outline through the veil of thin fabric. Seth crossed to her side, the look in his eyes so intense it made her stomach clench and her heart pound. He now stood inches from her, and Phoebe found herself unable to break away from his gaze.
His voice was raspy and thick when he spoke. “I believe you, my love. But do you truly believe it?”
He pulled her to him and covered her mouth with his, taking, tasting, the force of his kiss catching Phoebe off guard, as she resisted for just a moment, before softening in his arms. With an arm around her waist, he dragged her back towards the bed, his kisses never ceasing as he consumed her, body and soul. With her heart thundering in her ears, she quickly freed him of his shirt, his skin like fire under her touch, her hands finding their way to loosen his belt.
With one quick move, he freed her of her chemise so she stood before him naked, her pulse thready as she went weak with anticipation. The firelight danced across his skin, catching the plains and angles of his body, casting him in gold.
And then he was on her like a tiger taking down its prey. Before she fully realized what he was doing, and with a startling economy of movement, Seth bound her wrists with his leather belt, quickly raised her arms above her head, and tied them to the bedpost. Phoebe struggled, but it was too late.
The curses that crossed her lips would have had even a dockhand blushing. She fought to get herself free, as Seth took a step back and out of her reach to catch his breath and admire his handiwork.
Her naked body stretched out before him, her skin and muscles pulled taut, her arms feeling like they might wrench free from her shoulders as she strained against her constraints. Though she knew she should not struggle, panic threatened to overtake her. Her attempts to free herself managed only to tighten her bindings.
A fine dew broke out across her skin, and the room suddenly felt stifling hot as she paused to catch her breath, now resorting to threats. “I swear to you, Seth, your days are numbered.”
The corner of his lips turned up in just a hint of a smile. “I do not doubt it, my love.” Ignoring her swears and curses, he took his time getting undressed, infuriating her further.
Finally, he stood before her naked and magnificent, his eyes dark and serious. “Phoebe, do you trust me?”
She was stunned into silence. Tied naked to his bedpost, a discussion on trust was not what she’d been expecting. He repeated his question once more. “Do you trust me? If you do not, then you need only say so, and I’ll cut you down. You’ll be free to go.”
She cursed him once again, not for tying her up, but rather for making her decide. She was torn. The way to freedom was an easy road. If she did not trust him, she need do nothing more than say so. But she had never in her life taken the easy road, and doubted she would start now.
“Damn you, Seth.” She once again bucked against her restraints.
He moved closer, nuzzling her cheek. “Do you, Phoebe? Do you trust me?” His words were just a whisper on her skin.
She could not help but lean into him, his scent making her dizzy with want. Her answer came out with a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. “Yes.”
She wondered how she could possibly love someone this much, wondered how her heart could withstand the sheer aching that it caused. He covered her face with sweet kisses, each barely a brush of the lips, finally finding her mouth as he gently took what she had to offer.
He looped an arm around her waist to support her weight, as his other hand skimmed over her skin, pausing momentarily to tease her nipples erect. Her heart raced with his every touch, and she strained against her binds, not to get free, but to get closer. As his kisses deepened, so did her need, heightened by the torturously slow pace he set. Every now and again, he would pause to ask her, “Do you trust me, my love?” waiting each time for her answer before continuing his slow exploration of her body.
When she thought she could take no more, he lifted her up and wrapped her legs around his waist as he loosened his belt from the post. She kissed him with unbridled passion, wrapping her still-bound arms around his neck, pulling him in close. Taking great care, he lowered her to the bed, lying by her side, finally loosening the belt from her wrists. He gently rubbed them before he brought each to his lips, the blood rushing back through her limbs with a tingle.
Kissing her once again, he shifted on top of her, his own need held barely in check, his entire body taught in his restraint. Desperate to complete their union, her legs wrapped around him to pull him close. Yet he resisted, pausing one final time, to ask her his question. “Do you trust me, my love?” And when she said yes, he thrust into her, her trust in him complete.
***
Phoebe sat down by the fire in Seth’s room, lacing up her boots, as her head and heart swam in a sea of emotions. She still was not quite sure she could stand on her own two feet without her legs giving way, her head still dizzy from their coupling.
She felt a heat crawl up her face as she thought of it, but despite all that occurred, she felt a certain contentment. Though he got her to surrender to him, her surrender had not been one of weakness, but rather one of strength. Only by trusting in him completely was she able to let go of her anger, and finally become whole again.
Seth came around to crouch in front of her. Taking her hands gently in his, he brought each to his lips, his eyes cast in shadow.
When he spoke, his voice was barely a whisper, her hands still in his. “Can you forgive me, Phoebe?” He finally looked up into her eyes, waiting for her answer.
“I’ve already forgiven you for leaving, Seth. I know you did what you thought was right. The Cause hadn’t left you much choice.”
He looked away, shaking his head. “But can you forgive me this?” He raised her hands, turning them so she could see the red welts encircling her wrists. “I know not what came over me. You must believe me when I say, I meant you no harm.”
“There’s nothing to forgive.” She ran her hand down his face, the feel of his stubble pleasantly rough, a hint of a smile upon her lips as she hoped to erase some of his worry. “You did what you thought was necessary, and it worked. I trust you completely— not only with my person but with your promise to stay in London.”
Then before he could say anything more, she gave him a qu
ick kiss. “You’re an honorable man, Seth Elliott. No one could say otherwise. Now, do your plans for the day include accompanying me to find Lilly or am I going out alone?”
Chapter Thirteen
Seth and Phoebe spent the entire day searching for Lilly with no luck at all. He left her at home for the evening, with plans to meet her later at Viridis. He had received a request from Moore and Clarke to meet with them, and though he knew not what they wanted, it would be a good opportunity to ensure they knew exactly where he stood regarding the Cause.
Holed up in a pub with the two men, he was already having a difficult time keeping his anger in check as they tried his patience. “I have my own work to contend with, and will make my contribution to the Cause only as I see fit.” He had discussed his terms no more than a week ago, and already Moore and Clarke were trying their best to pull him back in. “I do what I can for the Cause, and the Cause only. Do not involve me in your manipulations. I want no part of it. I thought I made myself clear.”
Clarke held his hands up in protest. “Aye, lad, that ye did and fair enough. Few would’ve made the sacrifices you’ve made, and ‘tis much appreciated. But we would not be asking ye if it weren’t important like, ye see. And ‘tis really not much that we’re asking, aye? Gavin’s yer friend and will be more likely to listen to ye.”
When Seth spoke, it was through gritted teeth. “Gavin has no ties to the Cause or to England for that matter. Why would he involve himself? He’s no fool, aye?”
“I would think concern for you and Lady Hughes would be enough motivation to lend a hand. After all, if the Cause fails, the authorities may question your involvement. Revolution is a dangerous business, and your safety can only be guaranteed with our success.” Moore leaned forward, his elbows on the table. “We only ask that you explain the situation and tell him what a significant difference the weapons will make. I am sure you can make him see reason. You will let us know, won’t you?”
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