Heirs and Graces

by Wendy Soliman

  Olivia inclined her head. ‘Mrs Mansell’s charitable causes are hard to forget.’

  A ghost of a smile graced Mr Armitage’s lips. ‘She did seem rather formidable.’

  ‘Forgive me, Mr Armitage. I can see you are concerned about your sister but I would imagine that if she wanted you to know where she was, she would contact you herself. Personally, if I had a father forcing me into matrimony against my will, I hope I would have the strength of character to stand up to him. Miss Armitage deserves our respect.’ She fixed him with a resolute look. ‘Why, may I ask, do you wish to find her quite so badly? Do you mean to force her to return home?’

  ***

  ‘Any luck?’ Eva asked.

  ‘I cannot find her anywhere,’ Amelia replied, frowning.

  Jake strolled into the drawing room, where the ladies were taking tea. He was disappointed not to see Olivia amongst them but glad she was taking the opportunity to rest. He suppressed a smile, thinking of the energy she had expended earlier. She had certainly earned her repose.

  ‘Whom can you not find?’ he asked.

  ‘Olivia,’ Eva replied. ‘No one has seen her all the afternoon.’

  ‘She might be in her room,’ Jake suggested, trying not to smile at the thought. ‘We had a long fencing session earlier. Perhaps she is tired.’

  ‘No, she isn’t there,’ Amelia replied. ‘I checked. Nor is she in the nursery. Perhaps I should find her maid and see if she knows what has become of her.’

  Jake’s head jerked up. ‘She is not in her chamber?’

  ‘Green’s here,’ Parker said, scowling as he walked into the room ahead of Olivia’s faithful servant.

  Jake’s heart stuttered at the sight of Green’s anxious expression. ‘What brings you here, Green?’ he barked.

  ‘It’s Mrs Grantley, my lord. She came back to Chelsea this afternoon to collect Master Tom’s favourite toy.’

  ‘The devil she did!’ Jake seethed. Had she not listened to a word he said? This wasn’t a game, damn it! He didn’t enjoy restricting her movements and did so only out of necessity. If anything were to happen to her, if she was harmed because of her association with him, he didn’t think he would ever recover, or stop blaming himself. ‘I hope she permitted you to escort her back.’

  But Jake thought it unlikely, or Green’s presence would be unnecessary. Besides, his Olivia had a point to prove and would likely turn his hair grey in the process. Was it too much to hope that he could fall in love with a biddable woman? Love? Jake blink as the truth hit him harder than a champion’s left hook. Damn it, he did love her. He had done so almost since the moment he made her acquaintance but, by denying it to himself, had hoped the feeling would pass. Ha, self-restraint had only succeeded in making it ten times worse!

  ‘A caller came to the house shortly after Mrs Grantley arrived.’ Green paused to lick his lips, looking anxious. ‘A Mr Henry Armitage.’

  ‘My brother!’ Amelia leapt from her chair. ‘He’s found me?’

  Jake noticed Fergus lay a protective hand on Miss Armitage’s shoulder.

  ‘She received him, I suppose,’ Jake said, incredulous at her stupidity.

  ‘I tried hard to dissuade her but you know how she can be.’ Jake did know, all too well. ‘She banished me from the room and frankly, my lord, I would be no match for a young man of Armitage’s ilk. So I thought it best to come here as fast as I could and…’

  ‘Parker, the carriage. Fergus, come with us. Parker, have Franklin join us too.’

  ‘I want to come,’ Miss Armitage said.

  ‘Out of the question,’ Jake barked. ‘You ladies will do me the kindness of remaining here until we can bring Olivia home. I cannot worry about the two of you as well.’

  ‘Yes, of course,’ Eva said, briefly touching Jake’s arm. ‘I am sure she will be all right.’

  Jake wasn’t sure of any such thing and merely responded with an abrupt nod; the lump in his throat temporarily depriving him of the ability to speak.

  The carriage was brought round in record time and the driver made his way to Chelsea as fast as the crowded streets would permit, which was far too slowly for Jake’s liking. I will punish her, he thought malevolently. First I will rescue her and then I shall punish her. Of all the stupid, impetuous, disobedient things to do. Going to Chelsea alone was bad enough, but to receive Armitage when she knew of his father’s desperation…He shook his head. Even by Olivia’s impulsive standards, she had surpassed herself, exhausting Jake’s patience in the process.

  He recalled how she had looked when he left her earlier that afternoon. Delightfully dishevelled, a sultry yet satisfied expression in her eye, her lips swollen from his kisses—his beautiful siren who was so worldly wise in so many respects but had never known the pleasure to be had from the fulfilment of an unstoppable physical desire. Her expression of total abandonment as she climaxed would be forever imprinted on his memory and he had planned to keep his memory regularly refreshed as he taught her more about her body’s needs. Why would she risk all of that on a whim? She had nothing to prove to him.

  After what seemed like endless delays they arrived at Cheyne Walk. Jake jumped from the carriage before it had fully come to a halt and ran up the steps to Olivia’s front door. He thrust it open, his companions at his heels, dreading what he would find. Olivia abducted? A physical fight that she would surely lose? A violent argument?

  What he did not expect to hear was the sound of civilized conversation coming from the drawing room. Relief turned Jake’s anxiety into anger. He thrust open the door, filling the aperture with a body that radiated fury.

  ‘What is going on?’ he asked in a minatory tone.

  ‘Oh, Jake, there you are.’ Olivia appeared calm and composed. When Jake thought of all the alternative possibilities that had been running through his head, he ought to have been relieved. Instead he felt renewed anger at her recklessness. ‘This is Mr Henry Armitage. Mr Armitage, may I present Lord Torbay and Lord Willard?’

  ‘My lords.’ Armitage stood and inclined his head in a deferential manner. He seemed surprised but not unduly anxious to be confronted by two openly-suspicious aristocrats.

  ‘What is he doing here?’ Jake fixed Olivia with an icy glare. ‘More to the point, what are you doing here?’

  ‘I live here. Do stop posturing, Jake. No one is impressed by it.’ Jake couldn’t be absolutely certain but he was fairly sure that behind him Fergus was obliged to suppress a laugh. ‘Mr Armitage is looking for his sister.’ She explained how he had tracked her down. ‘Perhaps you would tell my friends why you are so anxious to find her, Mr Armitage.’

  Jake regained his composure and strode into the drawing room. Assuming a protective position beside Olivia’s armchair, he leaned one elbow on the mantelpiece and allowed Armitage to have his say. Once he had done so he would throw him out. Then he would deal with Olivia. She had given him the fright of his life, reminding him of all the reasons why he had avoided forming attachments with any female since the death of his brother. He was in too deep with Olivia now to do anything about that. But still, she would not be able to sit down for a week once he had finished chastising her for scaring him half to death.

  ‘I am unaware what you know about my family’s affairs, gentlemen, but if Amelia is in your care…I cannot establish whether that is the case, but hope she has been fortunate enough to enjoy Mrs Grantley’s protection these past few days. However, suffice it to say that no one dares to defy our father…or had not until Amelia decided she would not marry a man of his choosing. How I wish I’d had the courage to…However, Amelia’s attitude has made me ashamed of my own. It has made me realise just how comprehensively I obey my father’s every order, even when I do not agree with him, which is most of the time.’

  ‘This is all very touching,’ Jake said, ‘but does not explain your presence here.’

  ‘Oh, then let me reassure you. I want to find Amelia, not to take her home but to assure myself that she is safe and to see i
f I can help her to survive. Her life would be intolerable if she was forced to return to Limehouse through lack of funds. And most importantly, I want to tell her how proud I am of her.’ He fixed Jake with a look of absolute sincerity. ‘Rest assured, gentlemen, I have learned a valuable lesson from my sister’s courage.’

  Jake and Olivia exchange a look that spoke volumes. He could see that Olivia believed the man and Jake, suspicious by nature, was surprised to find that he did as well. There was an openness, a sincerity about him that made him suspect Henry Armitage would not make a convincing liar. This was the man who had captivated young Mabel with his amiable character, and Jake could see why. Even so, the situation called for caution.

  ‘Even supposing we were aware of your sister’s whereabouts,’ Jake said in an urbane tone. ‘What makes you suppose she would be willing to see you? If you and she are close then she would have found a way to contact you and reassure you as to her safety.’

  ‘Alas, we are not close, for which I must take the blame. Six years separate us and the only example I had to follow was my father’s. He is very much of the opinion that females should do as they are told and require little or no attention. I am ashamed about that and hope to put matters right between us. Amelia is intelligent and has proved to have considerably more backbone than I do. If it were otherwise then I would not have…well, never mind. I am not free to do as I please, or I thought I was not, when it most mattered.’

  Jake decided to take a chance. ‘If you were free to do as you please, you would not have married Cartwright’s daughter?’

  ‘You do know where Amelia is!’ Hope flared in his expression. ‘Is she all right? Can I see her?’

  ‘Not so fast.’ Jake held out a restraining hand. ‘As an act of good faith, what can you tell me about Samuel Lloyd?’

  ‘Mabel’s father?’ Armitage’s mouth fell open. ‘You know where Mabel is, too?’

  ‘The question is, do you know where her father is?’

  Armitage’s shoulders slumped. ‘Yes, but you cannot get to him.’

  ‘He is being held at the glassworks?’ Olivia asked. Armitage blinked at her in confusion. ‘We know where your sister and Mabel are,’ she continued. ‘Both are safe but Mabel is beside herself with worry about her father. Our price for allowing you to see Amelia, or rather asking Amelia if she would like to see you, is you telling us where Lloyd is and how we can rescue him. I assume he is still alive.’

  Jake shook his head. Olivia, as always, had gone straight to the heart of the matter. He wasn’t sure he would have trusted Armitage with so much information quite so soon. Even so, if he was acting on his father’s instructions, Armitage senior wouldn’t be foolish enough to try and forcibly extract Amelia from Grosvenor Square. Olivia’s instincts were sound—at least on this occasion.

  ‘Yes, he is alive but not in a good way.’ Armitage shared a look between them. ‘What do you know of my father’s associations?’

  ‘Enough to have a good idea what has been happening at the glassworks,’ Jake replied. ‘We know about the Radicals and think Lloyd overheard what was said at those meetings. He made the mistake of threatening to use it against your father if he did not get justice for his daughter.’

  Armitage hung his head. ‘I wish he had not done that. I assured him that…However, father was not prepared to take the risk. He had him captured and he is locked away in the bowels of the glassworks.’

  ‘What does your father plan to do with him?’ Olivia asked before Jake could.

  ‘He was waiting for his political allies to finish using the works as their meeting place. They know nothing about Lloyd, of course. If they did they would insist that he was done away with. At least father wasn’t prepared to go that far.’

  ‘Go on,’ Jake said.

  ‘I should have argued against the abduction, but father was so angry with me for having created the problem that I knew he would take even less notice of my opinion than usual. He couldn’t risk Lloyd talking about what he’d heard and seen. It would have been the end of Father’s political ambitions, or worse, so he had to get him out of the way.’

  ‘He can still talk when he’s released,’ Olivia remarked. ‘From what I have heard of his character, he most likely would.’

  Armitage shrugged. ‘Who would believe him? He would be seen as an angry man with a grudge against Father given…well, given his daughter’s condition. Father plans to give him the money he promised him, without signing any agreement, provided he moves far away from London and never comes back.’

  ‘Well, that’s something, I suppose.’ But Jake wondered if Armitage had just been telling his son what he wanted to hear.

  ‘That’s when Father stopped the evening shift at the glassworks and increased security,’ Armitage said. ‘He was determined there would be no further problems of that nature.’

  ‘The men who broke into Lloyd’s cottage and scared Mabel away,’ Olivia said. ‘What were they looking for?’

  ‘Father thought Lloyd must have a written account of what he overheard. He said that he had a list of names and dates and notes of what was said. Brody, my father’s henchman, sent men to look but nothing was found.’

  ‘It is with his solicitor,’ Olivia said. Jake raised a brow at her. As far as he was aware, she couldn’t be sure that was the case. Olivia responded with a guileless smile.

  ‘It’s time to prove your loyalty, Armitage,’ Jake said. ‘You say you want to emulate your sister’s example and stand up to your father. That being the case, what say you to helping us rescue Lloyd?’

  Armitage fell into momentary contemplation. ‘It will not be easy. His political friends are using the glassworks later tonight for a meeting, so father is making sure that security is exceptionally tight.’

  ‘Do you attend the meetings, Mr Armitage?’ Olivia asked.

  ‘No. Father doesn’t want me involved and I have no interest in politics anyway.’

  ‘I suspect this will be the last occasion the Radicals use the glassworks,’ Jake mused. ‘Lloyd could be moved at any time after that so we have no choice but to make our move now. How can we get to Lloyd, Armitage?’

  ‘There is direct access to the glassworks from the river. He is being held in one of the underground rooms. No one ever goes down there without reason.’

  ‘Ah, so we could approach by water and bypass the guards.’

  ‘We would need keys.’

  Parker made a scoffing sound. ‘We can get past a locked door.’

  ‘Then yes,’ Armitage said. ‘We could certainly get in by that route. No one would expect intruders from that quarter.’

  ‘Then let’s prepare ourselves.’ Jake glanced at the clock. ‘It is almost six. That is when the shift ends, is it not?’

  ‘Yes. There will only be a few guards in the place after that, and the men who keep the furnaces stoked, but they never leave their area. They won’t be a problem. They don’t even know what is going on. Brody will be there, of course. He is not to be underestimated.’

  ‘I never underestimate anyone,’ Jake replied.

  ‘I shall come with you,’ Olivia said.

  ‘Not a chance!’ Jake replied.

  ‘Just a minute.’ Olivia sprang to her feet. ‘I found—’

  ‘No, Olivia,’ Jake replied, leaning close to her, their faces inches apart. He picked up Mr Rabbit from the arm of her chair and waved it before her. ‘Someone will be waiting for this chap and Eva and Amelia are anxious about you. You will reassure them and, if fortune favours us, we will soon join you with Lloyd. And,’ he added, dropping his voice to a drawl that only she could hear, ‘you are I will then have a frank discussion about disobedience and the consequences thereof.’

  ‘Have you thought this rescue through, Jake?’ she asked, looking anxious. ‘It could be a clever ruse to draw you out.’

  ‘It could be, but I doubt it. I have a good feeling about young Armitage.’

  ‘As do I, but still…’

  He touched h
er cheek. ‘If I am not back within three hours, get work to Thorndike.’

  ‘Will he help or deny all knowledge of you?’

  Jake chuckled. ‘Tell him you know everything there is to know about the Smallbrooke murder and that you will make it public if he does not.’

  ‘You work for a man who will not help you in your hour of need?’ She wrinkled her nose. ‘It is definitely time you ended your association with him.’

  ‘Off you go, and remember, you and I have unfinished business to attend to.’

  Olivia fixed him with a look as she mumbled something under her breath about autocratic, controlling men. She then swept up her son’s rabbit and turned to Parker.

  ‘Have the goodness to summon a Hansom for me,’ she said.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Once Olivia had been safety despatch in a Hansom, Jake breathed more easily.

  ‘Right, Parker,’ he said, turning to the man who had proved his loyalty times without number. Tough and resourceful, there was no one he would prefer to have at his side in a tight situation. ‘Suggestions?’

  Parker sniffed. ‘I know a waterman at Charing Cross who we can trust to help us.’

  Jake wasn’t surprised to hear it. Parker knew useful people in just about every trade in London. ‘Will he be there at this time?’

  Parker shrugged his massive shoulders. ‘Only one way to find out.’

  ‘What shall we do if he is not?’ Fergus asked.

  ‘Get someone else to take us,’ Jake replied. ‘There will be no risk involved for him. Gentlemen moving about by river transport is a common enough sight. What arms do we have?’