Fortune’s Final Folly

by McKnight, Christina

  As he watched the two-story clapboard building across the way, a light flickered in the upstairs window, and someone could be seen moving about the top floor. Kate was likely preparing for the night. He wondered what occupied her many hours when she wasn’t teaching the children of Cheapside. What books did she read? What meals did she enjoy? What current events drew her notice? Joshua feared that during the evening hours and the days when the children did not attend school, Kate remained alone for hours—days—with no one to keep her company and nobody to banish the loneliness.

  Joshua knew better than most how lonely and solitary life could be. Though he had a large family, they had very little in common. And in Cheapside, Kate had nothing in common with her neighbors. At times, he could envision her gowned in silks—or satin—entering a ballroom alongside London’s beau monde, and he had no doubt she would fit in perfectly. She would do more than fit in. She would capture the hearts and attention of everyone in attendance.

  But that life would ruin a woman of Kate’s caliber. She was kind, caring, and compassionate—thinking of others far more than she thought of her own needs. The men and some women of the ton would mistake her kindness for weakness and strip her of all Joshua saw as good.

  Joshua hadn’t spoken to Kate since running into her outside the cobbler’s shop after she’d specifically requested he not speak with Mr. Cuttlebottom about the matter he’d overheard. In fact, while he’d kept a close watch on her, he’d been actively avoiding her. He had little doubt she would ask about his visit to Cuttlebottom, and Joshua was not prepared to admit he’d gone against her wishes, though indirectly. He did not wish to quibble over semantics, especially when he was well aware he was in the wrong on the issue.

  It didn’t matter that he’d done it to protect her, to show the old cobbler that while Kate’s family may be gone, she was not alone or without someone to look after her.

  Yawning, his eyes grew unfocused, and his stomach growled with a fierceness that clawed at his insides.

  Perhaps it was he who needed a decent night’s sleep and a hot meal.

  He’d lied to Henry when he said that he was planning to take his meal at the inn before returning to his Cavendish Square townhouse for the night. The truth was, he’d requested that his coachman collect him later that evening when he was certain the cobbler had closed his shop and had returned to his residence several streets over. He wished to make sure Kate was safely tucked in bed, and the last candle extinguished from her upstairs window.

  Only then would Joshua seek his own home for the night for a few hours of rest before returning to his post before the sun was up again.

  He wasn’t certain how long he’d need to keep up his watch. Days…weeks…years? Whatever it turned out to be, he’d do it. The cobbler would not take advantage of Kate while and if Joshua could prevent it.

  Perhaps Kate was correct, and Cuttlebottom’s threats were empty.

  Joshua rubbed his face, begging his eyes to focus—at least for another few hours.

  The night was falling, and the streets of Cheapside would be abandoned soon enough, businesses closing and families retiring for the night. Leaving the darkness to those who made their way in life by means that were frowned upon during the daylight hours when polite society roamed the streets.

  As if hearing Joshua’s silent pleas, the cobbler shuffled out of his shop, a bag hoisted over his shoulder as he glanced around before locking his door. It hadn’t taken much to discover that Cuttlebottom resided down one of the alleyways farther into Cheapside, past the inn. However, as the elderly man made to depart, he didn’t follow the path he’d taken the previous few nights. Instead, he turned toward the schoolroom.

  Joshua pushed from his desk and slipped his arm into his jacket, keeping his stare trained on the man as he hobbled down the street. If trouble were brewing, Joshua would be at the ready.

  With a sigh of relief, the old man briefly paused before the schoolroom but then kept moving down the street before turning into the alley two buildings down. Perhaps he was making a delivery—it would explain the large bag he’d slung over his shoulder.

  He thought for a moment about following, though he let the notion go when his vision blurred, and a dull ached pounded at his temples.

  It was Kate—and her well-being—that consumed Joshua.

  If the cobbler wanted to walk the deserted streets of London all night, it wasn’t Joshua’s concern. If the man was fool enough to risk his safety entering the dark alleys, it wasn’t Joshua’s place to warn him against it.

  He’d given the man quite enough warnings for the time being.

  He glanced back at the window above the schoolroom. The light was no longer as bright as it had been. Kate had moved from the front of the building to the back. Was she preparing her last meal of the day? In truth, Joshua had never been to Kate’s private rooms above, not even when the vicar and his wife were alive. They’d always met at the parish or in the schoolroom when he’d brought their envelope or other paperwork from his uncle.

  A dim light appeared in the schoolroom on the ground floor.

  Kate must have forgotten something—a book, her shawl, something more intimate?

  At first, he’d feared it would prove difficult to maintain a watch on her and keep the cobbler from pestering her again. However, since the day he’d spoken with the elder man and nearly collided with Kate, she hadn’t left the schoolroom. Not even once. She hadn’t ventured out to the market, and only had two visitors besides her pupils.

  The faint light on the ground floor disappeared, and Joshua imagined Kate climbing the rear stairs, her pristine nightshift fluttering around her legs as she ascended, holding her candle aloft to see clearly in the dim stairwell.

  He slid his arms from his jacket and dropped it on a chair, pacing the office.

  He was being overly drawn to the situation to the point of allowing his responsibilities to be neglected. Though, in all honesty, both of his offices ran with seamless efficiency even when Joshua dedicated his time and thoughts to other matters.

  A small part of his mind yelled at him that Kate was part of those responsibilities, and he was wholly justified worrying about her. He’d managed to convince himself it wasn’t that Kate could not care for herself—she had done so for many years—but that Cuttlebottom was unpredictable. Therefore, it was the old cobbler whom Joshua didn’t—and shouldn’t—trust.

  It would stand to reason that since the cobbler had closed shop and departed for the night, Joshua had nothing to fear until the man returned on the morrow. Which meant, Joshua had no reason to linger in his office any longer.

  He collected his jacket once more and slipped it back on. Though it was late summer, the temperatures could turn frigid quickly.

  His driver would be busy in the stables, awaiting Joshua’s call to depart. Perhaps Joshua would relish returning to his townhouse early that evening before everyone had retired to their chambers for the night. Dolly would be overjoyed to spend a few hours with him and perhaps share a meal. The older woman had been a godsend since Joshua had taken up permanent residence in Cavendish. While the elderly woman, his grandmother’s bosom friend, saw herself as needing to earn her keep in Joshua’s home, her very presence had dispelled the emptiness in the townhouse that had reigned following his grandmother’s passing.

  Since purchasing the building in Cheapside, he’d become accustomed to closing the office in the evenings. On the rare occasion that Henry stayed late, Joshua remained, as well. Henry had been a welcome addition to the office, and he finished enough work that he was equal to three associates. Despite the assistant’s accomplishments, Joshua did not expect Henry to work as tirelessly as he had. More to the point, as relentlessly as Joshua had up until a few days prior. He was confident Henry hadn’t noticed Joshua’s distracted air of late.

  The candles extinguished, Joshua opened the front door and stepped into the empty street, turning the lock behind him before slipping the key into the hidden pock
et of his jacket.

  He stared up at Kate’s window, hesitating for a final moment before making his way around the building to the stables. No light shone through the thin drapes. All the lights were out in the cobbler shop, as well.

  It was time he returned to his townhouse.

  Though he spent little time at his residence, it was the closest place to a home he’d ever known—even if he always sensed something was missing. His father’s garish townhouse and extravagant country estate were nothing but hollow halls filled with luxuries and wastefulness. Joshua could not understand surrounding himself with such expensive things as rugs, paintings, purebred horses, and such when so many in England went without even the bare essentials.

  His father and brother hoarded possessions and wealth, while the children who attended Kate’s schoolroom were lucky to have more than one meal per day. Joshua preferred an existence of simplicity over profligacy and extravagance. The life of the ton made Joshua uncomfortable and, in many ways, useless. His grandmother had held similar ideals, which had bonded them closer than most.

  A brisk breeze blew down the street, ruffling his collar and hair. The crisp cold was welcome on his skin. It was only here, in Cheapside, that Joshua had found his place—a new outlook on the future and what was possible. He was able to help people here…those truly in need of his assistance. Unlike his Bond Street office, were his staff toiled day in and day out, drafting agreement after agreement between wealthy, titled lords who’d never know the struggles of inaccessible legal services and education.

  A light flickered in the schoolroom across the street, and Joshua wondered if he’d been caught staring up at Kate’s rooms. Had she been watching from inside while he stared at her window? Whoever was in the schoolroom must have moved closer to the front door because the light from the candle grew brighter, illuminating the entire downstairs.

  Crossing the street, Joshua smiled. Perhaps he’d ask Kate to join him for a meal at the inn—or she’d invite him in for tea as any woman would likely do if they noticed someone they knew watching them from the street. The ironic twist of his musings was not lost on Joshua. What he should do was warn her of the danger inherent in her uncovered front window. He halted outside the door, waiting for the scrape of the key in the lock.

  His chest tightened when he glanced toward the front window and saw flames licking up the interior walls of the room, growing in size and intensity from what he’d foolishly mistaken for a single candle only a moment before.

  The building…was on fire! And the flames were spreading to devour the first-floor schoolroom.

  For a brief moment, Joshua froze, his mind and body unable to work together to process the imminent danger before him or think how to proceed.

  As the orange flames moved, growing in intensity, he hurled his shoulder into the door. The resounding crack could be heard over the music coming from the tavern down the road, but the door did not give way. He needed to get in, to warn Kate, to make certain she escaped safely.

  What if she’d found her bed already and was wholly unaware of the flames overtaking the ground floor?

  He slammed his body against the wooden door again. It flew open, crashing on its hinges, to reveal half of the schoolroom…ablaze. It hadn’t spread as far as the stairs. If Joshua hurried, he could make it up and back down before the fire overtook the room.

  “Kate!” Lifting his arm, he used his jacket sleeve to cover his mouth from the smoke and ran across the room to the rear stairway, heat blasting his previously chilled face. “Kate! Kate! Are you up there?”

  His sleeve muffled his calls, and he could barely hear them over the pounding in his chest.

  He followed the thick, black smoke where it traveled up the stairwell.

  Taking the steps two at a time, Joshua reached the top landing without incident and took in a deep breath of less smoky air. He needed to find Kate. He hadn’t seen her leave; she had to be inside somewhere. Three doors opened off the landing, and he lunged for the one with the room that would face away from the street. Crashing the door open, he found himself in a small kitchen area with a wood stove, a small table with several chairs, and shelving with assorted foodstuffs. But no Kate. The room appeared separate from the destruction spreading below.

  As he left the room, the door across the hall opened to reveal a startled Kate, her dark hair tucked under a nightcap and a single candle clutched in her hand.

  Her eyes widened as she took in the smoke trailing up the stairs and into the two open doors.

  “Mr. Stuart?” Panic filled the space between them on the landing.

  “There is a fire downstairs,” he said, pulling his sleeve away from his mouth long enough to speak without his words being muffled. The heat infiltrated the second floor as he spoke, and the space filled with the smoke from below, seeking an exit. “We need to get out. Now.”

  It took no further prodding as Kate started for the stairs. He took hold of her arm to steady her as her bare feet tangled in her nightshift in her haste.

  “We need to keep our wits about us,” Joshua shouted. “The fire is spreading quickly. I had to knock down the door.”

  They reached the bottom stair, and it was as Joshua had feared; the flames had spread toward the doorway. The air from the gaping door fed the raging blaze.

  Kate’s glare swiveled from one corner of the schoolroom to the other. “There is a door in the storage room that leads outside.”

  Joshua pulled her close, noting the frigid temperature of her skin despite the growing heat. Covering her mouth with his sleeve, they huddled together and ran for the storage room. He hadn’t been in the room more than a couple of times, but he didn’t remember there being a door—or even a window large enough for them to fit through.

  “Over there!” She pointed toward the far corner, and he spotted a door, blocked by a waist-high shelf stacked with books. “We can move the shelf easily enough. The key”—she coughed as the air thickened—“is in the lock.”

  His lungs were burning and heavy. It became more difficult to breathe, and the room temperature continued to rise. He sucked in a breath, begging his lungs to expand even as his throat closed. They needed to get out before the building collapsed on top of them. There would be no hope if they became trapped.

  Releasing her, Joshua pulled at the stacks of books, scattering them across the floor, moving the shelf away from the door.

  Joshua’s panic flared brighter than the flames at their back. There was no key in the lock.

  Kate dropped to the floor before the door, her fingers clawing at the floorboards.

  The seconds ticked by as the rafters above creaked and groaned as the flames overtook them.

  Kate pushed back to her feet, her hand held high with something in her grasp—the key.

  They were almost free.

  A loud boom shook the room, and a large beam fell from the threshold between the schoolroom and the storage room, trapping them inside. Dread inched up Joshua’s spine as he turned back to the door—the only thing standing between them and freedom.

  Grabbing the key from Kate, Joshua jammed it into the lock and twisted with such force that he worried the key would break in half. Despite it being rusted from disuse, it began to turn before halting.

  Suddenly, Kate was at his side, attempting to help with the door.

  “The key,” he warned. “It’s stuck.”

  “It has to open.” She clawed at the door, utter terror distorting her face, her breaths leaving her in short, labored huffs. “We need to get out.”

  Joshua stared around the darkened room for anything he could use to smash the key loose. He spotted the thick cane the vicar had used in his final years to help him walk the block between the parish and the schoolroom. It leaned against a wall, untouched by the blaze.

  With both hands, Joshua moved Kate away and grabbed the cane, holding it over his head before he brought it down. The blow dislodged the metal, and Joshua turned the key, pulling the door open.
He could feel the flames eating through the walls at his back, threatening the room in which they stood. Thankfully, the knob did not scorch his palm. Though in his haste, Joshua was not confident he’d have noticed if it had.

  Their path was clear, and their freedom stood on the opposite side of the threshold.

  Joshua pivoted back toward Kate, but she no longer stood there.

  She’d crumpled to the floor in a heap, her nightgown covered in dust and soot. Her breathing was labored, made extra difficult by her exertion in trying to find the key and helping with the lock.

  There wasn’t time to stop, no time to think—only react.

  Joshua lifted Kate into his arms and pushed through the door and into the alleyway that extended in both directions. Smoke followed them outside. Sirens blared in the distance.

  An alarm must have been sounded to call the fire brigade.

  Joshua hurried down the alley to the narrow passage that would lead back to the main street and his office, Kate still held tightly to his chest. He needed to summon a physician to make sure she hadn’t inhaled too much smoke or had been burnt anywhere.

  “My home?” she asked, lifting her head from his chest. Panic and disbelief narrowed her eyes as she attempted to gain sight of her schoolroom.

  “The brigade is on the way,” Joshua soothed, hurrying down the passageway until he arrived at the main street, in the exact location he’d spotted Cuttlebottom disappear down earlier. A line of men, armed with buckets, had formed in the street leading down to Vicar Elliott’s old parish and the closest well for fresh water. Man after man transferred buckets full of water down the line until Joshua spotted his driver and stable hand at the front, attempting to stop the fire.

  “Chapman! Chapman!”

  His driver turned sharply. When he spied Joshua, he thrust his bucket into another man’s hands and hurried over. “M’lord. Ye building was locked up tight. We sent a lad fer the brigade but wasn’t certain where ye be.”