Daughter of Trade

by Lesley-Anne McLeod

  * * *

  CHAPTER NINE

  Sebastian embarked on the journey to return to Leeds with anticipation and a sense of homecoming. He had been five weeks away, and had ached with loneliness every day. Foremost he missed Dinah, her brown eyes warm with intelligence and emotion, her lively conversation, her fervent concerns and her ardent response to his touch. But he also missed her family: the laughter, the squabbles and the demands on his time and his intellect. He looked forward to seeing the town with the mass of the Moot Hall crouched squarely in the centre of Briggate, the hills rising gently to the north, and the busy activity of the canal building.

  Despite his sense of urgency, he found the journey by stagecoach fascinating. John laughed at his curiosity over every detail of the trip, its organization, its structure and its route. Despite his friend's amusement, Sebastian engaged everyone from the coachman to the passengers in conversation, and was not satiated. He soaked up information as the road soaked up the incessant rain. Though the roads became glutinous and slowed their progress, his mind became ever more lively and stimulated with information. His commentary held John in a continuous murmur of entertainment. His rare silences were filled with intoxicating thoughts of Dinah.

  Despite the rain, the coach made excellent time, and they entered the town on Thursday by Meadow Lane, crossed the Leeds Bridge and disembarked at the coaching house in Briggate into a crisp and clear but moonless evening.

  "Two days despite the miserable roads; an excellent journey," John said. "Shall we walk, Holly?"

  Sebastian agreed feeling that his own eagerness would help him reach Dinah more quickly than any hired conveyance. They instructed that their luggage be delivered to Park Square and set off apace; their sporadic conversation was cheerful and comradely. Even in the darkness, Holly noted every establishment of Commercial Street and Bond Street as if they were landmarks of national significance, and passed the bulk of the Infirmary and the tower of St. Paul's Church with rising excitement.

  He fell silent as they turned into Park Square and tugged, with something of nervousness, on his neckcloth. John hammered on the door of No. 5 and before his hand was lowered, Bubwith had pulled it open.

  The butler immediately burst into speech, quite without his usual self-possession and dignity. "Thank God that you are come gentlemen. Everyone is in the drawing room."

  Sebastian and John each gave him one startled glance, handed him their hats and, without requesting explanation of his obvious distress, stormed up the stairs.

  They entered on a scene of chaos. Adelaide was weeping in a corner, accompanied by Harriet; Hamilton and Geoffrey were huddled on a sopha. Mrs. and Mr. Driffield were in urgent conversation near the fireplace and Dinah and Joseph were absent.

  "My dears, thank heaven you are come!" Mrs. Driffield looked distraught, but had not abandoned her quiet, matter-of-fact manner of speech.

  "Dinah, where is Dinah?" Sebastian managed to ask, stark terror clutching his heart. He knew instinctively that whatever had occurred had touched Dinah. "What has happened?"

  "We don't know," Mr. Driffield said. "It is just possible there is a simple explanation, but Dinah has disappeared. She was to have come from the dame school at five o'clock, but it's gone nine and we have seen and heard nothing of her. We have sent everywhere that she might conceivably be but have been unable to locate her. Joseph is out searching."

  "Her maid?" Sebastian managed to ask, through his anxiety.

  "Pippy?" John reinforced the question, his pleasant face set into grim and thoughtful lines.

  "Dinah sent her on an errand; she came home some hours ago." Mrs. Driffield swallowed a sob. "Dinah told Pippy she herself would walk directly home."

  "Alone! What was she thinking?" Through a sudden haze of anguish, Sebastian collected his thoughts. The terror he felt clutching his throat would not help Dinah; careful thought and organized action would.

  "I expect she wasn't," Mr. Driffield replied heavily. "She's been that turned about since John's letter arrived--head in the clouds. She must have forgotten the Luddites, and neglected to notice the gathering darkness."

  "So Joseph has been searching...?" Sebastian prompted.

  "These two hours and more. With the footmen and all the grooms. Pippy left Dinah in Briggate at the corner of Commercial Street."

  The streets Sebastian had just walked with such joy and anticipation. He was all too aware of the cruel irony.

  "They must have examined the streets from here to Briggate by this time. We were about to summon more help," Mr. Driffield said.

  "We would like to search!" Geoffrey rose and Hamilton followed him.

  Sebastian forced an understanding grin for the two lads, and said, "I am certain your parents need your support here." He turned back to Josiah Driffield. "Should we suspect Luddites?"

  "We simply cannot know."

  Mrs. Driffield was now holding back tears. John crossed the room to embrace his mother. Adelaide and Harriet joined him, to reassure and be reassured.

  There was a clatter on the stairs. Joseph burst into the room, followed by a groom. "Any word?"

  "None. But we have at least more help." Mr. Driffield indicated Sebastian and John. "You have had no success?"

  Joseph greeted his brother with a smack on his broad shoulder, and looked at Holly disdainfully.

  "Some help at any rate," he said. "No, we've learned nothing."

  "Where have you looked?" Sebastian said. He resented the implication that he would be of no assistance but this was not the time to pursue it. He did allow a steely note into his voice as he snapped, "Have there been any communications regarding her disappearance? Have you queried her friends? All her schools? Her charity cases and dependents?"

  "Everywhere from Queen Street to Briggate and Park Lane to the river. We've asked everyone, heard nothing," Joseph replied. He appeared startled by Sebastian's incisive questioning.

  "How many men have you?" Sebastian said.

  Still pale and shaken, Bubwith appeared at the open door of the chamber, followed closely by Bernard Humberstone.

  "He would not be gainsaid, ma'am," the butler said.

  "Mr. Humberstone, we are really not receiving," Mrs. Driffield collected herself to cross the room to the big man. She dismissed the butler with a kindly nod.

  "Mrs. Driffield, I have news of Miss Driffield. I have had a note from her captors." Humberstone was sweating, and met no one's gaze.

  Sebastian impaled Humberstone with an ice-cold stare. "How can you know of Miss Driffield's disappearance? Why should they send you a note?" Something about the big man's dramatics did not ring true. He thought Humberstone paled a little upon perceiving him.

  "I did not know of Miss Driffield's disappearance until this note arrived. I assume they know that I am hopeful to be wed to the lady."

  Sebastian ignored that optimistic and untruthful statement and heard a snort from Harriet. He snatched the note from Humberstone's shaking hand, and scanned it.

  "It says little enough--a thousand guineas for her unharmed return. Signed 'A Luddite'."

  Adelaide moaned and clung to her mother. Geoffrey had crossed to stand beside his older brothers.

  "The Luddites have been subdued these past weeks. It is a surprising turn-up if this is their work," Josiah Driffield said, a frown twisting his drawn face.

  "I think it is Luddites," Humberstone said in a blustering tone. "I believe I recognize that handwriting; it may be that of my chief cropper, Ross. The croppers have threatened in the past to harm those dear to me."

  "So where does Ross reside, Humberstone?" Holly said, while continuing to bend an unwavering stare upon the other man.

  "I shall go there immediately," Humberstone managed to say though pinned under that ferocious glare.

  "I shall accompany you."

  "And I...And I." John and Joseph echoed.

  "I think Humberstone and I can deal with this possibility." Sebastian's stern and quiet authority brooked no oppositio
n, though Joseph opened his mouth. "I think you might be better employed taking your men east. If we meet back here as soon as may be, we could have a new clue to follow."

  Mr. Driffield supported him. "Holly's right. You two go to the factory again; see if aught has come to light. Send the grooms to search through Woodhouse and have the footmen hunt west of Queen Street. My lord, if you and Humberstone need support, you've only to send Dent back here." He nodded to the young groom who had followed Joseph into the room.

  In silence, Sebastian caught Humberstone cruelly by the elbow and hurried him into the hallway, down the stairs and thence into the street. The groom followed on their heels without a word. Sebastian heard John and Joseph set out with the eight or ten men who had waited in the Square for further instructions.

  "If you know where this Ross lives, get moving." Sebastian said to Humberstone as the big man turned east from Park Square. "But be advised right now. Dinah is mine. I think she has refused you, and you should know why. She has made her choice. She. Is. Mine."

  There was no other speech as they strode down Infirmary Street into Bishopsgate. They followed Swinegate and Briggate on to the Leeds Bridge at a pace that left Humberstone panting and Sebastian and the groom unbothered. In an alley lined with shabby buildings, just off Water Street, Humberstone paused.

  Sebastian's every nerve was alert; the big man had found his way too easily to this place. Something was seriously awry. Humberstone lifted a huge hand to hammer on the door before them, but Sebastian kicked it open before the other man could land the blow.

  He took in the scene with a glance. The sparse furniture in the room was wrecked and two men lay groaning on the floor. The sullen fire smoked, but revealed another room beyond. Sebastian investigated, but it was empty.

  He returned to Humberstone who was trying ineffectually to rouse the men. The fat merchant was shaking as if he suffered an ague. Sebastian found a pewter jug of water and tossed half of the liquid in the face of each man. They spluttered and sat up, one nursing his jaw, the other rubbing the back of his head. Dent, the groom, guarded the doorway.

  "Ross? Maitland, what happened?" Humberstone said to the men.

  Sebastian noted that the big man looked horrified, and frightened in a way that he had not previously.

  "The plan went wrong, Mr. Humberstone. We didn't know them. They was croppers so they said, but no one we know. Luddites, I guess. They said they'd heard of our plan, thanked us polite for making it easy for them. Knocked us down and took Miss off gagged and bound."

  Sebastian grabbed Humberstone by his husky right shoulder and flung him against the nearest wall with ease. He had no need to instruct the croppers not to move; his surprising strength and the fury his actions displayed was enough to hold them immobile.

  With one hand, Sebastian pinned Humberstone to the lime-washed plaster and said, between clenched teeth, "Tell me 'the plan', you fool."

  "I...I... It was a simple, an innocent thing. Just to m-make Miss Driffield see me in a positive light, you understand."

  Sebastian swore with a fluency that made the groom grin, and brought respect to the croppers' faces.

  "You will never see Dinah again, no matter what happens. It doesn't matter what she thinks of you. What was the plan, you fat oaf?" The steel in his voice reduced Humberstone to a blubbering mass.

  "They were only to detain her here. And I was to rescue her. They would get clean away, M-Miss Driffield would think I was a hero, and she would accept my hand."

  "And now the Luddites really have her, damn you to hell. If I had time I'd beat you to your knees, but you may take this on account." He drew back his left hand and drove it into Humberstone's jaw.

  One of the croppers could not restrain himself. "Eee, for a finicky looking fellow, you've a good arm, sir."

  But he drew back as Sebastian rounded on him. "You two, get out there and see if you can find out anything. Bring any information you can obtain to Driffields in Park Square, No. 5. If you're useful, I'll see if I can keep the authorities from hanging you. If anything happens to Miss Driffield, I'll hang you myself!"

  The croppers hurried out the door without a backward glance at the moaning Humberstone. They seemed to have no doubt of the truth of Holly's statement.

  "Humberstone, you should take a holiday journey--in fact I think you should plan a move to another town."

  "I cannot...my mill...my factory," Humberstone dragged himself to a sitting position, one ham-like hand cradling his jaw. "My mother!"

  "I'll buy your damned mill to rid Leeds of you. Tell your solicitor to expect correspondence from mine. Your parent is your problem, just take yourself off, with or without her. The Driffields shall not be bothered by your unwelcome presence."

  Sebastian swung around without further words and strode off to return with the groom to Park Square.

  * * * *

  Holly and Dent were admitted to No. 5 by a large stablehand who had no social graces but the size and strength to deal with violence should it come to the house. The fellow greeted Dent by name and deferentially directed Sebastian to the morning parlour. The gentlemen of the family only were there. A brace of pistols lay before them on the small central table, with several lanterns.

  "Humberstone plotted the original abduction." Sebastian announced without hesitation or embellishment. "Wanted to rescue Dinah and appear a hero. He hoped to further his suit."

  "The fool!" Joseph leapt to his feet and made for the door.

  Sebastian caught his arm in a grip of steel. "I've explained his error to him. He is leaving Leeds." He bared his teeth in the travesty of a grin which quickly faded. He released Joseph and turned to Mr. Driffield. "The problem is that his plot was uncovered by some real Luddites, and Dinah has been taken from her harmless captors by those less scrupulous. There is no way to know where she is now."

  The four men stared at each other bleakly.

  "I must do something!" Joseph cried.

  "These are your precious workers who have taken my sister," his brother John said. "Should you not be glad they are making a stand?"

  "Eh, my lads, fighting 'twixt yourselves will not help our Dinah," Josiah Driffield said. He looked to Sebastian, who was deftly loading one of the pistols. "My lord, you've the clearest head it seems this night. What shall we do next?"

  Sebastian surveyed his companions. "I think that John should go and alert all your friends and business partners. If they have any men whom they can trust working for them, they should put out a call for assistance. Joseph, you have a natural rapport with your father's workers; exploit that for your sister. Put word about that you'll do whatever is required for her safe return. Sir, I think you should stay at home. Your ladies need you, and you can await information here and direct it to those of us abroad.

  "Humberstone's flunkies have been instructed to find out what they can, and inform us here. They know I will find them if they can give us no news." He slid the pistol he had been holding into the pocket of his greatcoat and, seeing that the other was loaded, took it as well. "Perhaps Dent has an associate? They can move between us with messages and the like. For myself, I think I shall go and tear Hunslet apart. "

  "Hunslet? The tenters? But they have no grievance." John said.

  "What better place then to hide someone?" Sebastian saw new respect in all their faces, but had little inclination to be glad of it. He was wracked with concern for Dinah.

  Sebastian had covered a great deal of ground before John and Joseph, accompanied by two large grooms and the scions of several manufacturing households, caught him up near the marshes of east Hunslet. He had found nothing, learned nothing, and he held despair at bay with a rigid will.

  He was considering the lanes of east Hunslet, in company with Dent, when the others hurried up. A chill mist had risen off the river and was wreathing its whorls down the mean streets. The lanterns cast a small but welcome glow in the moonless density of the dark at midnight. Not a light was to be seen in the buildings near
by.

  "All's been done. There's a suggestion that the hovels in the alleys near the Grey Walk might hold something of interest," panted Joseph.

  "Also we've had a note, found at the stable door in the mews," Joseph said. "It hints that if all the machines are removed from our manufactory, Dinah will be returned unharmed."

  Joseph added the news that Ross, one of Humberstone's hirelings, had arrived at No. 5 with information. He had revealed that someone knew someone who was related to a tenter. He had passed on a rumour that, as the tenters were presently unrelated to the violence, their community would be a good place to hide the captive.

  "It appears that a handcart was used to move Dinah," Joseph added.

  Sebastian nodded, and while assimilating the information, organized the men to search Hunslet and the marshes methodically, always heading towards the Grey Walk.

  Joseph took the opportunity to whisper to John. "The cropper's terrified of Holly. He said, 'Just protec' me from that other madman--the nob. He looks a niminy-piminy jack-a-dandy, but he can do more damage with his fives than six men. He's threatened to hang me and Maitland himself. So we'll help you in Hunslet; just don't let him at us.'" The brothers grinned at each other.

  Sebastian wondered what they had to smile about as he paired himself with Joseph, sent John with Dent, and the others two by two. The ranks of searchers swelled steadily.

  They had covered three-quarters of the area when Sebastian spotted a handcart barely visible in a building's derelict corner. As he silently pointed it out to Joseph a commotion erupted in a tumbledown cottage nearby. Sebastian threw his lantern aside, and Joseph did the same. Five strides took them to the cottage. Sebastian tossed Joseph a pistol from his pocket, and then applied his shoulder to the door. It splintered despite being barred within; Sebastian and Joseph crashed in.