…
She continued to replay Eleanor’s words as she made her way over to the latest Garden Society meeting.
Would she make a good mother? She had never really thought about it before. Certainly she dreamed of being married and having a family of her own, but was it because it was something she wanted, something at which she would be good? Or did she just desire it because it was what was expected?
No, she wanted what her friends had. That was one thing of which she could be sure. She saw every day what having a good man, a good partner, in your life could bring you. From the now alone Lady Lancaster to all her girlfriends. They were all happier and more complete people for having been loved. And now Hannah was pregnant…
Yes, Emily wanted to be a mother and she really, really wanted to be a good one. She wanted to be as good a mother as her own had been. She desperately wanted it all.
She ran up the steps to the front of the dowager duchess’s grand mansion. It was as familiar to her as her own home by now, but still she rang for entry.
Jacobs answered the door as solemnly as ever.
“My lady,” he intoned, “please do come in. You are expected.”
It was on the tip of Emily’s tongue to tease Jacobs for saying the exact same thing every time he greeted her, but over the years she had determined that the man had no actual sense of humor, so she kept her words to herself.
She followed the somber man to the Blue Salon and saw that she was again the last to arrive.
“Hello Emily,” Lady Lancaster said. “Please have a seat. We are all anxious to hear what is happening with our latest mystery. First tell everyone about Mrs. Young and that landlord.”
Emily looked at Rose with a grin, then, turning to the rest of the ladies, she said, “It could not have gone any better, my lady. Not only is Mrs. Young out of debt, she is also out of that horrid building.”
“Then she found another place to live?”
“Yes,” Emily said with no small amount of relief. “She has moved into one of the places I recommended. And Eleanor is checking in on her and the wee ones nearly daily. She says they are all infinitely happier.”
“That is excellent news,” the duchess declared.
“Speaking of Eleanor,” Rose piped up. “How is she? Are you still tutoring her?”
Nodding, Emily replied, “Yes, actually. And she is coming along just fine. I think she will be a wonderful addition to any home soon.”
“I ask only because I have heard of a small household in need of a housemaid,” Rose said.
“Really? Here in Mayfair?”
“No, it would be at a small country estate just outside of London. I am quite sure it could lead to a housekeeper position.”
“That sounds ideal. How soon do they need someone?”
“Good question. The property was just acquired, and I believe it needs a little work before it is inhabitable.”
“Oh, Rose,” Emily exclaimed. “That could be just perfect. Will you put in a good word for Eleanor? I promise by the time they are ready, she will be, too.”
Rose grinned. “I have already done so. She seemed a lovely girl when I met her, and she is clearly smart and responsible. I think we should do what we can to help her.”
Emily couldn’t keep herself from leaping across the room to give Rose a hug. She was still in her arms when a young lad ran into the room.
“Milady, milady,” Roddy said anxiously as he hurried to stand in front of the dowager duchess.
“Roddy, what do you think you are doing?”
“I’m sorry, my lady,” Kate said, just appearing in the doorway. “I tried to stop him, but he ducked past me.”
Lady Lancaster waved off the maid’s apology.
“Now, Roddy, what is this all about?”
The young Roddy was a boy of about eleven whom the Garden Society had been paying for information for some time now. He had been invaluable in Hannah’s first case regarding the Custom House fire.
“Eleanor is in trouble,” the boy announced gravely.
“What?” Emily exclaimed. “What kind of trouble?”
“She’s being ‘eld for ransom.”
“Ransom,” Hope and Hannah gasped.
Emily knelt before the boy and grabbed both his arms. “Tell us everything, Roddy.”
And so Roddy did.
As it turned out, the lad did not know much more than what he had already said. Eleanor had been accused of stealing from someone in the pub and was being held in one of the basement rooms until Emily brought one hundred pounds to the accuser. If she did not do so by the end of the day tomorrow, the authorities would be called.
Once his story had been told, Roddy was sent to the kitchen for some food by Lady Lancaster. When he was gone, she opened the floor to ideas from the ladies.
“Well, I have to go,” Emily said. “We can’t leave her to the authorities.”
“Certainly not,” Sarah agreed. “Children are much more likely to be hung for theft than anyone else. And I have seen enough innocent lives lost to the hangman’s noose to last me a lifetime.”
Emily remembered that Sarah’s recent mission had ended with a similar situation, and she reached out to squeeze her friend’s hand.
“Thank you for automatically assuming Eleanor is innocent.”
“Of course she is innocent,” Lady Lancaster scoffed. “This has been done expressly to extract money from you, Emily, not for any other reason. That poor girl must be terrified.”
“So, what are we going to do?”
“There is only one thing to do,” the dowager said. “Someone will need to go and distract the accuser, while someone else finds and rescues Eleanor.”
The ladies all looked at one another, aghast. Even Emily could admit that this sounded like a very dangerous task.
She gulped and said, “I will go and distract whomever has done this. Eleanor is my friend, and I must do what I have to do.”
“That is the very reason you should be the one to find her,” Lady Lancaster said. “Eleanor will trust you implicitly, whereas anyone else will have to gain her trust. There will likely be no time for that.”
Emily was confused. “Won’t I be the one expected to make the payment?”
“Yes, and that is going to be the biggest problem.”
“How Emily can be in two places at once?” Hannah guessed.
“Precisely, Hannah,” the older lady concurred. “But I believe I have an idea that may just work.”
Lady Lancaster stood and walked over to the doorway.
“Melinda, dear,” she called out. When she heard footsteps coming toward the room, she returned to her seat. A few seconds later, Melinda Wilmot appeared.
“Yes, Lady Lancaster?”
“Please come in and sit down, dear.”
Melinda did as she was asked. She looked fantastically curious, but to her credit, she waited until she was given the opportunity to speak.
“I’m sorry to pull you from your studies, but I am afraid we have need of you.”
“Is this something to do with the Society, my lady?”
Having been so integral to Sarah’s case, Melinda was one of the few outside the group to know their real purpose.
“Yes, and the mission is likely to be dangerous. If, at any time, you feel uncomfortable with what we are asking you to do, you simply say so. Do you understand?”
Nodding, Melinda said, “Of course, but I am happy to help any way I can.”
At this point, Lady Lancaster turned to include the whole group. “In my opinion, Melinda has the best chance of pretending to be our Emily. She is petite and has a similar shade of hair. In the right dress and pelisse, I believe she could pass.”
Emily had to agree. Of all her friends, Melinda was the closest in appearance to her. In fact, now that she thought about it, they could be sisters.
“I’m sure you are right, my lady,” Emily said finally, “but do you think it would be wise to send Melinda by herse
lf to be this distraction? What if she is found out?”
“That is why I propose we send Alexander with her.”
“My Alexander?” Emily burst out before she could think. “I mean, ah, Alexander Bredon?”
Where had that come from? He certainly wasn’t her anything. Good Lord.
Lady Lancaster looked at her curiously, but she made no comment and instead answered her question.
“Yes, Bredon. You have worked well thus far. I see no reason to involve him further. Although perhaps the kissing could end, unless you intend to let the man court you.”
Emily felt beet-red. She looked at her friends in an attempt to find out who might have told the dowager about her encounter with Alex, but they all seemed to be avoiding her gaze, which only led her to believe they had all said something.
She sighed. Now was not the time to confront them, but this would not go unaccounted if she had anything to say about it.
“Fine. We can enlist his help, but I cannot guarantee he will want to participate.”
“He would not dare deny my request,” Lady Lancaster said with a wink. “I will send him a note right now. I don’t believe we should wait until tomorrow to carry this out. If we hurry, we can get into London, rescue the girl, and be home in time for tea.”
While the older woman carried through with her note to Alex, Emily and the other ladies worked out the rest of the details for delivering Eleanor from her captors.
Melinda would accompany Alexander to the pub—both dressed appropriately for their destination—with a small bag full of metal bits and bobs that should pass inspection until opened. They would keep whomever made the accusation busy, while Emily and Roddy snuck to the basement and ferreted out wherever they were keeping Eleanor. Somehow they would find a way to release her and get her safely away. Once that was done, Roddy would circle back and alert Melinda and Alex, and they too would find a way to extract themselves from the situation. When all was said and done, they would meet back in Grosvenor Square at the Lancaster House.
It was a plan…but only time would tell if it was a good one.
Chapter Sixteen
True friendship is always a sweet responsibility, never a sour obligation.
~The Duke of Lancaster
Alexander arrived at Lady Lancaster’s home within fifteen minutes of receiving her summons. It would not do to dally in the face of such a woman’s request, but moreover he was frightfully curious as to why she had written to him. Her note had been succinct and to the point, but also rather mysterious.
Mr. Bredon,
Please convey yourself to the Lancaster House, forthwith. It is a matter of some urgency.
The Rt Hon Lady Lancaster
It obviously had something to do with Society business. He wondered if it had to do with the cloaked man. So he found himself there at the lady’s front door waiting for it to be opened. To his surprise, Emily greeted him at the door.
“Oh good, you are here,” she said, pulling him into the house and shutting the door behind them.
“We really have come a long way in our relationship, if you are so glad to see me that you are now opening doors for me,” Alex replied dryly.
“Hush, there is no time.”
“No time for what?”
Emily looked at Alexander pointedly. “For you to be so very much yourself.”
“Well, I’m not so sure I like that.”
“Listen,” Emily said as she took his hand and led him back into the bowels of the massive home. “Our friend is in a lot of trouble, and she needs our help.”
Alex could barely hear anything Emily was saying. The moment she took his hand, all he could focus on was the feeling of her tiny, cool hand in his. It was a sensation he liked far too much.
“Alex? Alex! Are you hearing me?”
“Wha—? Oh, y-yes,” Alexander stammered. “You need my help to do…ah, what exactly?”
Emily exhaled in what could only be exasperation.
“We are mounting a rescue for Eleanor. And we—I—need you.”
It was clear that those words may have been the hardest ones Emily had ever uttered, but for Alexander, they were music to his ears. And not because he wanted to hold them over her, as he very likely would have done just weeks ago, but because for some reason he liked the idea of being needed by Emily Moss.
“Just tell me what to do.”
…
Emily could hardly believe her eyes. Rarely had she ever seen this side of Alexander. All at once, he became the vision of a hero. In a matter of seconds, his entire stance had changed. Suddenly, this was a man she knew, simply felt, would do anything in his power to help her.
What was happening? And why were there butterflies in her stomach again?
She had to physically shake herself to remember what they all were doing there. She continued to lead Alexander to the Blue Salon, all the while filling him in on the details of their plan. By the time they reached the others, he was completely informed and on board.
Polite greetings were given, as Hannah gave Alex some worn-out workman’s clothes and pushed him toward another room to change.
“Are you sure he understands what is expected of him?” Lady Lancaster asked.
“Quite sure,” Emily replied.
“Good,” the older woman said. “You should go get changed now, too. Melinda is already dressing.”
“Yes, my lady.”
Emily left in search of the other girl. She found her in the bedroom the Society always used to change into their disguises. It was fully stocked with every type of clothing one could imagine, both men and women’s. It also had various bottles and containers of makeup. Most of it had been purchased from a traveling theater show. It included powder, dye, charcoal pencils, and rouge of every color, but more often than not, the ladies used ash from the fireplace to give themselves the dusky look of the average lower-class individual forced to live in untenable locations.
Emily rather wished they had more cases to wear the makeup and fancier dress. It looked like a fun endeavor.
She was pulling on a holey pair of long stockings when she heard Melinda ask, “Do you think you could do my hair? You know best how you like to wear it.”
The girl sounded completely terrified despite her innocuous words.
“Of course, Melinda,” Emily replied, reaching for the brush and moving to stand behind her.
As she combed through the younger girl’s hair, Emily tried to think of something encouraging to say.
“Are you nervous?” she finally asked.
Melinda caught Emily’s eye in the mirror. “Very.”
“You probably want me to tell you there is nothing for you to fear, but honestly there is always a chance of things going wrong.”
“I see.”
Well, that wasn’t very reassuring, Emily thought.
She took a deep breath to try again when Melinda said, “But that man, Alexander, he will be with me, correct?”
“Yes, yes he will,” Emily replied, somewhat taken aback by the question.
“And you trust him?”
Emily didn’t even have to think for a second. She knew instantly that the answer was yes. When had that happened? When had she gone from thinking there was no bigger wastrel than Alexander Bredon to trusting him implicitly? Surely, if she thought about it, she would be able to pinpoint when exactly he had made such an impression on her. Was it his actions at the musicale? Or was it even before that? Suddenly the memory of the kiss bloomed as large and bright as life.
Was that it? Was it that one intimate act that had changed it all for Emily?
“Emily?” Melinda prompted. “You do trust him, don’t you?”
“I do, Melinda, yes,” Emily rushed to say. “I would trust that man with my life.”
And, in that moment, she knew it to be true, regardless of how or when it had happened.
“I suppose that is just as good as trusting him with mine.” Melinda laughed nervously.
Emily could only smile in return. Her emotions were in absolute turmoil. Better to focus on the matter at hand than whatever was going on in her heart.
With that in mind, Emily finished up Melinda’s hair and then she finished dressing herself. She demonstrated the best use of the soot to make them look more ashen and ever so slightly gritty, as most people of London’s inner city seemed to appear.
When they were finished, even Emily was impressed at their transformations. It was amazing how much the two of them resembled each other in the practically matching garb. This plan might just work.
With spirits higher than ever, Emily and Melinda made their way back to the Blue Salon. As quick as she felt they had been, Alex was already waiting for them, and she could hear him talking as she entered the salon.
“I still don’t understand why we don’t just contact the authorities ourselves,” Alex was saying to Lady Lancaster.
“Because,” the dowager replied, “in my experience, the Bow Street officers are the type to act first and ask questions later. More than likely they will arrest the girl on hearsay and, as you know, youths do not fare well in our city’s justice system. Even if we could get her released eventually, there is no telling what horrors to which she would have been exposed.”
Alex nodded. “I see your point, but surely there is a safer way to handle this. Perhaps William and I could go—”
“And do what?” Hannah interrupted. “Force them to let Eleanor go? Pay the demands? Don’t you see? That will just encourage others to possibly do the same to some other friend of ours. What if it is Roddy next?”
Emily knew that Roddy held a special place in William’s and Alexander’s lives. When the Society had first met the young boy and his sister, they were both being neglected in an orphanage, but William and Hannah had made arrangements for the children to be taken into a nice family that was unable to have children. William had really taken to Roddy, and he had introduced him to Alex. The brothers enjoyed visiting Roddy whenever they could.
“You realize no one would be in danger if you ladies hadn’t begun sticking your noses in other people’s business in the first place,” Alexander growled. Apparently, mentioning Roddy had touched a raw spot.
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