London Calling

by Sorcha Mowbray

  He frowned. “Doesn’t that get lonely?” He didn’t like the idea that she spent more time alone than with what was left of her family.

  “A bit at home. But I have a lot of interaction with people at the port so it’s not as if I’m completely cut off.”

  “That’s true.”

  He took her hand in his and stared out the window. Being here with her was right. Despite the hint of danger in the air, peace crept into his soul. What did it mean?

  Perhaps after they found Peter and solved this puzzle he would explore it.

  They rode in comfortable silence for some time. Trixie’s head rested against his shoulder until a shout from one of the men outside of the carriage caught their attention.

  “What’s going on?” she asked.

  “I’m not certain.” Nathaniel scooted to the window but he couldn’t see anything other than passing landscape. Trixie shifted closer to the other one.

  There were more shouts outside.

  “Gerard. Wake up.” Nathaniel slapped Gerard on the knee.

  “Hmmm? What?”

  “Man that window.”

  Gerard didn’t even question the command. He slid over, forcing Trixie to scoot to the interior so he could get close to the door.

  “What’s going on out there?” Trixie asked from right behind him.

  “I’m not certain. The most logical estimation is that we’re either being pursued or someone has attacked one of the men.”

  “Billie hasn’t changed speed,” Gerard pointed out.

  “And we haven’t altered course since the alarm was shouted,” Nathaniel added.

  “That’s good, right?” Trixie asked.

  The men exchanged glances.

  “Probably,” Nathaniel told her.

  More shouts came from outside then a gun fired.

  “Get down,” Nathaniel ordered her.

  She slouched in the seat. “Get down where?”

  He pulled a pistol from beneath his jacket. “In the floor.” His heart beat against his chest. Normally he relished the excitement of engaging the enemy. This time, fear licked at his consciousness. The fear wasn’t for himself, but for Trixie. And it was dammed distracting.

  Almost in synch the men lowered the glass windows in the doors. Gerard pulled his pistol from the holster. Both men readied their weapon near the windows.

  “See anything?” Nathaniel shouted above the wind.

  “Only Jacob and Isaiah. You?”

  “No.”

  Trixie started to climb back up onto the seat but Nathaniel pushed her back down. “Stay down until we know what’s going on,” he growled.

  “But I can’t see anything.”

  “You don’t need to,” he said harsher than he’d intended.

  “But—”

  “No buts.” The possibility of being shot never bothered him, but just thinking a stray bullet could hit her made his stomach clinch.

  “Here comes Carrick,” Nathaniel told Gerard.

  Carrick maneuvered his horse next to the carriage. He shouted through the window, “Two riders. We took them out. We’ll regroup just ahead.”

  “Anyone hurt?” Nathaniel asked.

  “Jonathan.”

  Nathaniel gave him a brisk nod.

  Both Nathaniel and Gerard kept their weapons in their hand. When the carriage finally came to a stop Nathaniel told Gerard, “Stay with her.”

  Before she could protest Nathaniel slipped out of the carriage and slammed the door behind him. He needed a moment to control his emotions so he strolled to where Carrick and the other men had gathered to check on Jonathan.

  When returned he knocked on the side of the carriage so as to not startle Gerard. Through the window he told them, “You can get out but we’re only stopping for a few minutes.”

  “Where’s Carrick?” Gerard asked.

  Nathaniel jerked his head toward the rear. “He’s seeing to Jonathan.”

  “How bad?”

  “Not very. He might have some trouble riding but he’ll definitely live.”

  “Good.” Gerard jumped down from the carriage and headed in the direction Nathaniel had indicated.

  “I’d like to stretch my legs for a moment,” she told Nathaniel.

  He nodded and held his hand out to help her down. “Probably would be a good idea. Just don’t stray far from the carriage. It will give you some cover if anyone else comes.”

  “All right.” She paused when she stepped onto solid ground. With a groan she straightened her back then twisted in each direction.

  Nathaniel kept his hold of her hand. Her discomfort worried him. “Are you all right?”

  “Yes. It’s just been a while since I rode any distance in a carriage.”

  “I suppose travel by airship isn’t so confining, is it?”

  She grinned. “No, it’s not.” She took a few steps. “If you need to check on the men, go ahead. I’ll just walk a bit right here.” She gestured to the flat area in front of her.

  He released her hand but stayed close as she walked. Leaving her unprotected just wasn’t in him. “My priority is you. Carrick is seeing to the men.”

  She had only made a couple of laps when Carrick approached.

  “How’s Jonathan?” Nathaniel asked.

  “He’s fine. Once he gets a bottle of whisky in him, he won’t even know he was wounded.”

  “He’s not drinking it now, is he?” she asked. “Didn’t you say we had a bit further to ride?”

  “No. Just a wee sip. We poured more on the wound than into him,” Carrick reassured her.

  Carrick gestured for Nathaniel to step aside with him. “As far as we could tell there were two attackers. One was shot point blank. The other just wounded. Isaiah chased the wounded man down. He’s now tied up on the back of one of the horses.”

  “Is that wise?”

  “I assume you don’t want to put him in the carriage with Trixie.”

  Nathaniel glared at Carrick. If it were up to him, she wouldn’t be in the same county as one of the attackers. “Of course not.”

  “When we reach Keswick, Jonathan will take the man we captured to the constable,” Carrick told Nathaniel.

  “Are you sure he can manage if he’s wounded?”

  “He says he can manage. If we make sure the man is unconscious, it definitely won’t be an issue. Especially not the way he’s tied up.”

  “All right. At least he’ll be able to get to a surgeon quickly. How far to Keswick?” Nathaniel asked.

  “Not even an hour on horseback. Less if you take the path across the meadow. Unfortunately the carriage won’t make it on that path and I don’t want to send Jonathan across a wide open space alone with one of their men.”

  “Me either.”

  When they rejoined Trixie near the carriage Carrick said, “I hope you were not unduly stressed by that incident.”

  “Not unreasonably so. I’m just thankful no one else was hurt.”

  “So we all are.” Carrick tipped his head. “I’ll rejoin the men. We should be off momentarily.”

  “We’ll be ready,” Nathaniel reassured him. After Carrick walked away he said, “How much of our conversation did you overhear?”

  Without a hint of remorse, she said, “Most.”

  He shook his head. “What am I going to do with you?”

  She batted her eyes at him. “Perhaps the same that I do with you?”

  He stepped closer and told her in a lower tone, “You have no idea what I’d like to do with you.”

  Her eyes dilated and her cheeks turned pink. “Perhaps you could enlighten me?”

  “Perhaps I will.” He looked to where Gerard was marching in their direction. “But not right now.” He took a step back. “Gerard. Are you ready to reclaim your seat?”

  “No, I was just coming to say that I will not be joining you. Jonathan will be riding up top with Clark. I’m going to take his mount until we reach Keswick.”

  “That sounds reasonable,” Nath
aniel said.

  Gerard reached into the carriage and tucked two of his books into a storage compartment. The third book he slid into his jacket pocket. “There. Now you’ll have the carriage to yourselves.” He tipped his hat at Trixie.

  “Be careful back there,” she told Gerard as he walked away.

  “Always am.”

  20

  The carriage pulled away at Carrick’s signal.

  While Gerard didn’t take up any more room than Nathaniel, it was nice to have the space to themselves. She scooted closer and rested her head upon his shoulder.

  He shifted and wrapped his arm around her back and pulled her firmly against his side.

  “Do you mind if I ask you a question?” she asked.

  “No, go ahead.”

  “I was curious about a point of, well… intimacy.”

  His entire form became still. “What about it?”

  “Does it always take a while for men to…” She waved her hand in the air hoping he might suggest the right word.

  “To?”

  “To find their pleasure.”

  “Why do you ask?”

  “Well I have heard stories of couplings in odd places such as a theater box or a dark corner of a garden. But I am having a lot of trouble reconciling what I now know of the act to those stories. It seems to me that based on the physical exertion involved, the amount of noise made, and the time spent, those couples would have most certainly been caught in the act. I don’t understand why anyone would take those kinds of risks.”

  He made a choking noise. “First, I should clarify that no, it doesn’t usually take men long to reach completion. Last night, I held out because I believed it was important for you find your pleasure.”

  A ripple of warmth rushed through her. “That’s most considerate of you.”

  The quick kiss he dropped on her lips made her heart flutter.

  “Secondly,” he continued. “Sometimes the need to be with someone overrides a person’s better judgement. And quite frankly the risk of being caught can lend to the excitement and amplify the pleasure.”

  “It can?” She frowned. “I should think the people involved would be so worried about being discovered that they wouldn’t enjoy the moment.”

  “You would be amazed by what you can block out when you’re lost in pleasurable sensations with the right partner.” He nuzzled her cheek. “If I didn’t need to remain alert to threats and we weren’t being escorted by a half dozen men I would demonstrate.”

  Disappointment settled in as she blinked back the erotic images his words had conjured. “This is probably not a good time to be doing something like that.”

  He put one finger under her chin and urged her to look at him. “That doesn’t mean that I don’t want you. I do. So much that I ache. But your safety must come before everything else.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Perhaps we could work on the journal to pass the time?” he suggested.

  She nodded. “Yes. That would be good.”

  He retrieved the journal from the hidden drawer while she took out a pencil and sheets of paper from her bag. For the reminder of the journey they worked on entries. There were a lot of equations and formulas. Most made no sense at all. But something in that book had value.

  Even if they couldn’t figure out what that something was, they would have a copy in case the original were lost.

  Like in the office their work was frequently interrupted with touches or kisses. By the time they arrived in Penrith she was ready to pull the shades over the windows and demand that he ravish her.

  “We’re almost there. You should probably straighten your…” He gestured to his own hair.

  “Ah, yes.” She blushed. “I suspect I do look a little, um…”

  “Lovely. You look lovely, even when a bit tousled.”

  Her cheeks heated further. “Thank you.” She tucked her blouse into her skirt then ran her fingers through her hair and repined a few loose strands. “There. That will have to do.”

  “As I said, lovely.” He took her hand and kissed the top of it.

  When the carriage stopped near the train station, Nathaniel climbed down. “Wait here for a moment.”

  She slipped the journal into her pocket and returned the papers to her bag.

  “Carrick has sent one of the men ahead to purchase seats for us. Should only be a moment,” Nathaniel told her when he returned.

  Once the bags were unloaded and Carrick had issued instructions for the other men’s return home, Nathaniel helped her down from the carriage. They walked to the train as a group. Trixie on Nathaniel’s arm, Carrick and one of the men ahead of them, Gerard and three of the men behind.

  Did the Queen feel this stifled when she went out in public? Their precautions were for her own good but they were quickly becoming tiresome. When they were safely ensconced in one of the private cars she breathed a sigh of relief. She loved being near Nathaniel but the extra space in the car was a blessing.

  “I have to admit, I’ve never had the opportunity to ride in a private car,” Nathaniel told Carrick as he evaluated the space. “This is rather nice.”

  Carrick poured himself a drink from the bar situated in the corner. “I don’t usually request one but it was the only way to guarantee we remained together. It also added an extra degree of security due to fewer people milling about.”

  “Whatever your reason, I appreciate it very much,” Trixie told him. “I’m just sorry you have been so inconvenienced.”

  Gerard scoffed. “We should be thanking you. Carrick gets frightfully out of sorts without something to shoot.”

  The other men muttered their agreement.

  Trixie pressed her lips together to stifle her grin as she glanced at Nathaniel. He didn’t bother to hide his chuckle.

  Surprisingly, their ride to London passed without incident. Along the way they made plans for the night and the next morning. Carrick’s men, Fletcher and Jacob, would go with Trixie. Samuel and Willis would go with Carrick and Gerard to Jamison Place to rest for the evening then take over the watch in the morning. Nathaniel planned to go to his townhouse to clean up and pack a fresh bag. He would return to Trixie’s during the night when he would be less likely to be seen. The threat to her family justified having two men in the house for security purposes but if he were seen coming and going, Nathaniel’s stay would set the town gossips aflutter.

  She might have moved beyond caring what the ton said or didn’t say, but Nathaniel’s mother and sister were another matter. There was no reason either he or his family should suffer undue scorn or whispers because of her. So she agreed to a discreet approach for his sake.

  Carrick promised to send out inquires on the missing scientists first thing in the morning. He would drop by Trixie’s after lunch. They said their farewells before disembarking the train with their belongings. Willis managed to arrange for two hackneys quickly. As soon as she took her seat inside she pulled the shade away from the window. The flickering gas lamps on the street corners cast odd shaped shadows on the pedestrians. But it wasn’t the shadows that made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

  Trixie reached for Nathaniel’s arm. “Nathaniel, there’s a man watching us across the street. Do you know him?”

  He leaned closer to the window. “What man?”

  When she turned to point the man out, he had vanished. “Oh. He’s gone now.”

  “What did he look like?”

  She described him, including the suit and hat he wore.

  “Doesn’t sound like anyone I know. You didn’t recognize him?”

  “No. Something about him stood out. Like he was out of place.”

  “Your gut is right more than you realize. Listen to it.” He searched out the window again. “Let me know if you spot him again.”

  She nodded and watched the people they passed. When they reached her home the men got out and checked the area before letting her out. Nathaniel escorted her to the door while Flet
cher and Jacob kept an eye on the street behind them.

  Mr. Ellison answered the door. “Miss Beatrix. The missus has been worried sick about you.” He eyed the men behind her warily as he opened door wider to admit her.

  “I’m so sorry to have caused either of you any worry. My trip to Edinburgh was supposed to be a fast turnaround. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned.” She gestured. “You may remember Mr. Dennison?”

  “Yes, of course.” He bobbed his head to Nathaniel.

  “This is Fletcher and Jacob. They are associates of a friend of Mr. Dennison’s. They will be staying to help keep an eye on things.”

  “What sorts of things need an eye kept on them?” Mrs. Ellison asked as she came to the foyer.

  Trixie greeted Mrs. Ellison with a hug. “Me, I’m afraid.”

  “What has happened? Did you learn anything about Peter?” Mrs. Ellison asked.

  “Let’s get the men settled then I’ll explain everything,” Trixie suggested.

  “Very well,” Mrs. Ellison reluctantly agreed. “Where should we put them?”

  “Peter’s room is likely too messy to be managed on short notice. Go ahead and use the guest room as well as my parents’ room.”

  Mrs. Ellison blinked in surprise. “Very well.” She motioned to her husband. “Mr. Ellison can show you where you’ll be staying. The guest room is already made up but I’ll need to put fresh sheets in the other room. I haven’t changed those in months.”

  “Don’t trouble yourself. I’m sure they’re fine as they are,” Fletcher assured her as they followed Mr. Ellison up the stairs.

  “Nonsense.” She hurried to the kitchens.

  Once they were alone, Nathaniel took her hand. “I’ll be back. Tell Fletcher to look for me at about eleven. Which room is yours?”

  “My window faces the east. At the top of the stairs turn left. It’s the third door down the hall.”

  He kissed the back of her hand. “Don’t lock your door,” he whispered.

  She shivered with anticipation. “Please be careful.”

  “I will.”

  He let himself out the main door leaving her alone in the foyer feeling somewhat discombobulated. She took a deep breath. The strain of the last couple of days wore heavily on her. Despite sitting all day, she wanted nothing more than a bath and to sleep in her own bed.