Just a Little Wickedness

by Merry Farmer

  “I’ll kill anyone who’s harmed so much as a hair on any of their heads,” Joe growled as they waited for the officers to appear from below with the children.

  “Get in line,” Lionel said in a voice as cold as ice, his face a mask of fury.

  Alistair nearly burst into tears as the first, bedraggled child in tattered clothes was brought out onto the main deck from below. The terrified little girl’s face was streaked with dirt and tears, and she didn’t know what to do with herself. Two more girls followed, then a shivering little boy.

  “Toby,” Joe called, the sound ripped from him, and leapt forward.

  The boy jerked his head up. The moment he spotted Joe he burst into tears and ran for him. Joe crouched and opened his arms, wrapping them around Toby with a cry of pure heartache that squeezed Alistair’s throat with emotion. A few seconds later, a small girl raced to join them, and Joe enfolded her in his arms along with Toby.

  “Emma, thank God,” Joe wept.

  Alistair wanted to go to him, to join in the moment, but far less tender emotions assailed him. He turned to Darren. “Do you still think we’re perverted beasts?” he snapped, shaking with anger. “Are you still proud of yourself for threatening to disown me and standing in our way? Would you have been proud if we’d been just fifteen minutes late?”

  Darren met his eyes. His mouth dropped open, but nothing came out. The pain and shock in his expression was everything his brother deserved until he let go of petty prejudices and faced the bigger problems of the world.

  “We need to get them off the ship and someplace warm,” David said, moving forward to speak to Wrexham. “And we need to get them something to eat.”

  “Agreed,” Wrexham said. He turned to his officers. “Search the ship for Burbage or Chisolm, or anyone connected to them.”

  His words had a paradoxical effect. The sailors—who had all shrunk to the sides of the ship and sat gloomily, waiting for their punishment—suddenly stirred. Half a dozen dashed from their spots to the edges of the ship and the gangplank. Before the police officers could move in, one escaped and climbed a rope down the side of the ship.

  Alistair dashed to the railing and looked over to see where the man disappeared to. He swore under his breath when he spotted the man tearing up the wharf and pushing people aside as he did. “He’s gone to warn Burbage,” Alistair shouted.

  Wrexham shouted orders to his men, and two of them charged down the gangplank to chase after the escaped man.

  “Lily!”

  Alistair whipped around at the sound of Joe’s shout, hope thundering through him. But that hope was instantly dashed.

  “Lily?” Joe stood, Toby and Emma clinging to his sides, searching the children who had come out from below. “Lily, where are you?”

  Alistair knew immediately he wouldn’t find her. Wrexham’s men had a dozen children clustered together to one side of the deck. Lionel and David were with them, repeating the same sort of soothing act Lionel had used with Maude. But all of the children were young, none of them more than ten years old. They wept and shivered, shrinking away from the police officers and sailors. None were even close to being a fourteen-year-old girl.

  Alistair pushed away from the side of the ship, striding to Joe’s side and resting a hand on his shoulder. “She’s not here,” he said as carefully as he could.

  Joe meet his eyes with a look of such pain that tears stung at Alistair’s eyes. His mouth worked, but he couldn’t bring himself to speak.

  “Just because she isn’t with these children doesn’t mean she isn’t still out there to be found,” he said. “We’ll find her. We’ll catch Burbage and pry everything out of him. We will find her.”

  Joe nodded, but it wasn’t enough. Alistair threw his arms around him as best he could with Toby and Emma wedged against him. The children seemed to sense that Alistair was someone who could be trusted too, and Emma hugged his leg. It was strangely endearing.

  “Eccles House,” Joe said at last, peeling himself away from Alistair. His grief had transformed into vengeance. “That’s where we have to go. If someone went to warn Burbage, that’s where he’ll be.”

  “You’re right,” Alistair said, pivoting to search for David. When David glanced up from the children and met Alistair’s eyes, Alistair called, “Eccles House. We have to go there to catch Burbage and Chisolm before they can make another move.”

  “Agreed,” David said, breaking away from the children. “Lionel, can you take care of them?”

  “Yes,” Lionel said, gesturing to some of Wrexham’s officers.

  David crossed the deck, motioning for Alistair and Joe to follow. Alistair squeezed Joe’s shoulder and started after him. A still-stunned Darren came with him.

  “Go with Lionel,” Joe told Toby and Emma, in spite of their protests, as he freed himself from them. “He’ll take you someplace safe, and then I’ll come and see you, I promise.”

  They let him go. By the time Alistair made it down to the wharf, Joe had caught up to his side.

  “I’m going to make Burbage pay for this,” Joe hissed.

  “We both are,” Alistair agreed.

  Chapter 20

  Every second that it took for the carriages taking Joe and Alistair and the others from the far end of London’s dockyards to Eccles House in Mayfair seemed to drag by.

  “Can’t they go any faster?” Joe hissed, leaning against the window and looking out. “We could run there faster than this.”

  “We couldn't, and they’re going as fast as they can,” Alistair assured him, resting a hand on Joe’s knee.

  Alistair’s brother had leapt into the carriage with them. He sat with his arms folded tightly over his chest, studying Joe and Alistair with an unreadable expression. At least he’s stopped raging on about perversion and indecency. Joe didn’t think he could handle any sort of tirade against his personal life at the moment. Not when he was so close to discovering Lily’s fate.

  He was a breath away from finding his sister, he knew it. Toby and Emma were in safe hands now, and he clung to his desperate hope that Lily would be in his arms again by the end of the evening. They would catch Burbage and Chisolm and bring them to justice. He knew it as deeply as he knew his own soul.

  When the carriage ground to a halt just a block before Mayfair, his patience snapped.

  “I’m going the rest of the way on foot,” he growled, throwing open the carriage door.

  “Then I’m going with you,” Alistair said.

  The two of them jumped down to the pavement. Alistair’s brother followed silently. As the three of them raced past the carriage holding David, Wrexham, and another officer, David stepped down.

  “We’re going on foot,” Alistair told him before he could ask.

  “Right,” David said, nodding back into the carriage, then following.

  Wrexham and his officer launched into motion too. The six of them were an intimidating sight as they charged down the otherwise peaceful and posh street, looking as though they were out for vengeance. Night was beginning to fall, and those residents who were just stepping out for their evening entertainments gasped and dodged out of the way as their group charged on.

  Joe ignored them, only one thought on his mind. Burbage would tell him where Lily was, and then he would pay.

  “I beg your pardon. What is the meaning of this?” Mr. Vine demanded as the six of them pushed past him the second he opened Eccles House’s front door. He spotted Joe, and his eyes went wide. “You cannot just barge in here. You’ve been sacked.”

  “This is a police investigation,” Wrexham said, stepping forward, David right behind him.

  Mr. Vine’s mouth flapped as the full impact of what was happening hit him. His confused gaze landed on Alistair. “Lord Farnham, what is going on here?”

  “It is as Officer Wrexham said. This is a police investigation. Where are Chisolm and Burbage?”

  The color drained from Mr. Vine’s face. “They aren’t at home,” he snapped, back
ing up a few paces and searching the hall.

  He caught the eye of a footman at the far end of the hall. The young man turned and ran.

  “He’s going to warn them,” Joe shouted, launching into a chase.

  Wrexham and his officer immediately followed.

  “What is going on?” a female voice sounded from one of the parlors as Joe ran past. He caught a brief glimpse of Lady Matilda before putting his full energy into chasing the footman.

  “Stay where you are,” Alistair ordered her as he joined the chase.

  “Why are you here?” Lady Matilda followed them regardless.

  Joe didn’t hear his answer. The footman turned a corner, and instantly Joe knew where he was going. “He’s in his study,” Joe said over his shoulder to Wrexham. “You’ll find all the evidence you need to arrest him in there.”

  He was right. The footman reached the open door to the office and shouted, “My lord, the police—”

  He got no further before Wrexham lunged ahead of Joe and into the office. Joe managed to rush in right after him, in time to see Burbage hunched over his desk, his arms full of papers that he appeared to be feeding into the fireplace across from the desk. Burbage recoiled at the sight of them, dropping everything in his arms.

  “Don’t move,” Wrexham shouted. “Stay right where you are.”

  Burbage’s startled look lasted for only as long as it took him to notice Joe. Then his expression pinched into one of hate and revulsion. “What is the meaning of this invasion?”

  The others crammed into the room. David shot straight toward the desk, gathering the papers Burbage had dropped.

  “A transaction of the vilest nature has been stopped just now at Batcliff Cross Docks,” Wrexham explained. “A dozen children were rescued from trafficking. The crew of the ship has been taken in for questioning, and perpetrators have been named.”

  Joe peeked at Wrexham out of the corner of his eye, wondering if the man was bluffing or if he’d been too occupied with Toby, Emma, and the others to notice questions being asked. Either way, he turned to Burbage and said, “The game is up. You’ve been discovered and you will be brought to justice.”

  “I’ve done nothing.” Burbage stood straighter, a calculating look in his eyes as he glanced from Wrexham to Joe, and then on to Alistair. “This is all a blatant lie designed to hide the perversion between these two.” He pointed to Joe and Alistair.

  “This is everything we need,” David said, the light of triumph in his eyes, as he pored over the disorganized papers on Burbage’s desk. “There are plenty of details about transactions, dates, and people involved.”

  “None of that is mine.” Burbage changed his tactic, backing away from the desk. “I don’t know what any of this is about.”

  “Is this not your house?” Wrexham demanded. “Your study?”

  “It’s…it’s my father’s house,” Burbage stammered. “He has been known to allow his friends to keep their things in some of our unused rooms. I’ve never even been in this room until tonight.”

  “That’s a lie,” Joe growled, stepping toward him. “You and I were in this very room not a week ago.”

  “How dare you?” Burbage rounded on him. “Who do you think you are?” He turned to Wrexham. “This is the man who should be arrested. This filthy sodomite was recently dismissed from my employment. I discovered his sins and couldn’t bear the sight of him. He has fabricated all of this as a means of revenge.”

  Joe wondered if Burbage would sing the same tune if he knew that most of the men surrounding him were members of The Brotherhood.

  David seemed utterly nonplussed by the drama unfolding around him. “Gather everything you can here and take it someplace safe,” he told the police officer with them. “There’s enough evidence here to bring the case to court at least.”

  The officer glanced hesitantly to Wrexham, but as soon as Wrexham nodded, he began collecting evidence along with David.

  “Stop this at once,” Burbage shouted. He stood as though he intended to take control of the situation, but his eyes were filled with fear. “You cannot simply burst into the home of a peer and confiscate personal property.”

  “I thought you said none of this was yours,” Alistair said, radiating confidence.

  “I—” Burbage stammered for a moment before blurting out, “None of it is mine. I’m not involved in the whole sordid business, I swear.”

  Joe sucked in a breath at the near confession. They had him. At last, they’d pinned Burbage into a position he wouldn’t be able to wheedle out of.

  Desperation clicked inside of Joe, and he lunged toward Burbage, grasping his arms and throwing him back against the wall. “Where is Lily?” he demanded. “Where is my sister?”

  “Joe,” Alistair cautioned him, rushing to lay a hand on Joe’s shoulder. It was a comfort, but not quite enough to calm the rage boiling in Joe’s gut.

  “I don’t know. I swear, I don’t know,” Burbage said, panic lacing his voice and draining the color from his face.

  “You do know. You know where she is just as you knew where Toby and Emma were until we found them,” Joe insisted.

  “I swear on my life, I don’t know anything,” Burbage said, his voice raw with fear.

  Alistair squeezed Joe’s shoulder, and Joe stepped back, breathing heavily. David and Wrexham moved in on either side, keeping Burbage trapped in his corner.

  “As a solicitor, I advise you to cooperate with this investigation,” David said in a commanding voice.

  “You’re a solicitor?” Burbage asked, his arms raised protectively in front of him.

  “I am.” David nodded. “I’ve been spearheading this investigation, and I can assure you, the only reasonable course of action for you at this point is to tell us what you know and hope the court is lenient with you.”

  “But I don’t know anything, I swear on my life,” Burbage insisted.

  “Your life isn’t worth much,” Joe spat.

  Burbage managed to glare at him through his fear. Even with his back literally and figuratively against the wall, his hatred was palpable. “Those two are the criminals you should be arresting,” he said. “Their sins are many. All I’ve done is invest in a private investment.”

  “Children are not an investment,” Joe growled. “They are people, precious people, with lives of their own.”

  “I saw the state those children were in,” Alistair seethed, narrowing his eyes at Burbage. “Only a truly evil man could allow that to happen, could invest in it.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Burbage said, moving restlessly from foot to foot. “I invested in a company, that was all. I never bothered to investigate all of its facets.”

  “These papers seem to tell another story,” David said, holding up a ledger.

  “As I told you, I don’t know who those belong to.” Burbage raised his voice, but also looked as though he might start hyperventilating. “My father allowed his friends to keep things here.”

  “Friends involved with your investments?” Alistair asked. He hadn’t removed his hand from Joe’s shoulder, and his grip was like iron because of his anger.

  “Where is your father?” Wrexham asked. “He should be fetched at once.”

  “He’s not here,” Burbage said, relief flashing into his expression. “He’s…he’s away.”

  Joe didn’t believe it for a second. He also noticed for the first time that the footman wasn’t in the room with them. “Someone needs to search the house,” he said, dashing for the door and glancing out into the hall.

  “He’s not here, I swear it,” Burbage shouted as Wrexham’s officer strode out into the hall as well.

  “He’s probably long gone,” Joe sighed, rubbing a hand over his face.

  “I’ll search the house all the same,” the officer said.

  Joe stepped back into the study. Wrexham and David still had Burbage cornered. Alistair looked ready to pummel Burbage. Alistair’s brother and Lady Matilda sto
od together near the door, watching the scene unfold with wide eyes and startled faces.

  “You can’t prove anything,” Burbage said, his shoulders dropping in defeat. “Even if you could, no court in England would touch a case against an old and noble family like ours.”

  “Is that an admission of guilt?” Alistair asked, swaying toward Burbage, fists clenched.

  “It is not,” Burbage barked. “I am merely pointing out that, should you be foolish enough as to take this matter any further, it will end in humiliation for you. I will be exonerated.”

  “Will your father?” David asked, scanning through the papers rather than looking at Burbage. “I don’t think so.” He glanced up, smiling at Burbage in a way that should have chilled the man’s blood. He turned to Wrexham. “I trust more of your men will be here soon. We’ll also need a wagon to take Lord Chisolm and Lord Burbage—” he glanced to Burbage, “to Newgate Prison.”

  Burbage recoiled. “How dare you even consider placing me or my father there? It is out of the question. We are peers.”

  David shrugged. “For a crime like this, nothing is out of the question.”

  “I told you, I have done nothing wrong,” Burbage insisted yet again. “I want you all to leave my house at once.”

  “The only people leaving this house are you and your father,” David said. He handed the documents he’d been studying to Alistair, then took a step toward Burbage. “You can leave this house one of two ways. Either you can be escorted by Officer Wrexham’s men and taken to whichever prison they see fit to deposit you in, or—” He paused, letting the tiny word linger in the air.

  “Or what?” Burbage asked, his eyes wide with worry.

  David shrugged. “Or you can cooperate, tell us everything you know about who is trafficking children, where those children have been taken, and what sort of headquarters the traffickers operate out of.”

  “But I told you, I know nothing,” Burbage shouted, a new sort of fear coming over him, as if he suddenly understood just how trapped he was. “I merely provided money. And occasionally alibis.”