Edward paused, and then said, “Yes.”
“What’s the bad news, then?” Allan asked with curiosity.
“The bad news,” Edward said, “is that he wants double the price that we offered for her. He said that she is untouched and a perfect specimen, and because of this, he can only accept double.”
Allan didn’t know what to say, but he could feel the anger welling up inside of him. He had specifically set aside the money necessary for this transaction, and now he would have to go deeper into the coffers.
“Is he serious?” Allan asked Edward.
“He’s very serious,” Edward said. “And I even thought of going to take the child by force, but he will not reveal her location. I don’t believe that she is there with him.”
Allan nodded. “Have you informed Mary?”
Edward shook his head. “No,” he said. “I wanted to talk to you about that, too. As I have been corresponding with this horrible little man, I feel as if I don’t want to expose Mary to him. I think it’s best to leave Mary and Esther out of it, and just inform them that Julia is safe after the fact.”
“I agree with that,” Allan said. “I do not want to put Esther in any type of danger.”
Edward nodded. “Yes, Cousin. We don’t want this man to even know that Esther and Mary exist.”
“Listen, Edward.” Allan said. “I think you know what is best. I will come up with the rest of the money. Please contact Mr. Smith and tell him that I agree. We cannot let Julia stay in these conditions any longer than she absolutely has to.”
“Yes,” Edward said. “I will set it up as quickly as I can. It is very important that we get this set up before the wedding, and we must make sure that Esther and Mary don’t find out about it. I know my wife, and if her sister is the same, she won’t settle with sitting aside while I do all of the dirty work.”
“Good,” Allan replied. “The wedding is a month from today.”
Chapter 27
“I cannot believe that you are going to be married in only a fortnight,” Ruth said, as she was helping Esther and Mary discuss the wedding breakfast. Mary and Edward were visiting as Edward had business in the area.
“I know,” Esther said with a big grin. “It is happening so quickly!”
“It certainly is,” said Mary. “Since you are getting married in the parish church, have you gotten your license?”
“Not yet,” said Esther. “We will get it soon. Allan will be here when they return, so we should be able to do it this week.”
While Edward was in the area, Allan had come to meet him. They had been a bit private about what it was that they were doing, exactly, but Mary believed that it had something to do with a special wedding gift.
“Yes,” Mary said. “Though who knows when they will be back. Edward said it could be a couple of hours or a day-long excursion.”
“Hmm,” Ruth said. “That’s strange that they wouldn’t tell you what they were doing. Though, I guess if Mary is right, and it is a special wedding gift, then they might be unsure of the timing or might even be trying to trick you!”
Esther laughed. “I just want him to get back safe. I’m sure Mary agrees.”
“Of course, I do!” Mary said with a smile. Her expression soon changed, though. “Speaking of Edward and Allan, though,” she said. “Do we know what the status is of little Julia?”
Esther shook her head. “No,” she said. “We don’t know her status at the moment, and from what I have heard, Mr. Smith has not been very responsive to Edward’s pleas.”
“Yes, I knew that, of course,” Mary said, “Though I was hoping you have heard of her well-being.”
“Unfortunately, I haven’t,” Esther replied. “It is the one thing that is bringing a shadow over my days. Otherwise, I am so very happy.”
“I’m sure Edward will solve the problem before we know it,” Mary said. “In the meantime, let’s get back to the wedding breakfast preparations.”
* * *
“Do we have a plan for what we will do should Mr. Smith not allow us to take Julia?” Allan asked his cousin, Edward.
“No,” Edward said. “I am going into this with a positive attitude that he will keep his word.”
Allan was silent for a moment and looked out of the window of the carriage. They would be at the orphanage soon.
“I am hoping for the best, too,” Allan replied. “I’m not sure I could tell Esther if we fail at this.”
“Failure is not an option, in my opinion,” Edward said. “We have to make this happen.”
“I agree, Cousin,” Allan said.
“Allan, I also want to give you some advice,” Edward said. “Mr. Smith believes that you are buying Julia as a plaything. You shouldn’t give him any indication otherwise. If he believes that we are going to buy her for our intentions, he may raise the price again or he might not let her go, at all.”
Allan nodded, and a sickening feeling came over him. “I agree to do it, though I hate it.”
“So do I,” Edward replied. “But if we can get through this, we can guarantee Julia a life that she could never imagine.”
“We will also guarantee that Esther will adore me forever,” Allan said, in an attempt to lighten the mood.
Edward chuckled. “Yes,” he replied. “This will certainly guarantee that.”
Allan looked out of the window again, and he could see a large, gloomy building looming in the distance. Though the day had previously been sunny and warm, it seemed as if the sky darkened as they approached.
“This isn’t very cheery,” Edward said.
“No,” Allan agreed. “I guess, however, it is as I imagined.”
“True,” Edward replied. “Based on Esther’s description of Mr. Smith and now seeing this place on my own, I think we need to get Julia out of here as soon as possible.”
Allan just nodded. The carriage got closer, and he could see that the orphanage was is great disrepair. The building, which was made of stone, seemed to be crumbling, and it looked as if it was totally uninhabitable.
As they pulled up to the front of the orphanage, a shiver went through Allan’s body. He suddenly felt cold, too, as the area felt devoid of any warmth.
The carriage stopped, and he and Edward looked at each other, though they remained silent. The coachman got out of the carriage and came around to the side. He opened the door and Edward stepped out first, followed by Allan.
“Shall I wait here, Your Grace?” the coachman asked Edward.
Edward nodded. “Yes, please. I am hoping this doesn’t take long.”
“Very good, Your Grace,” the coachman replied and then walked around to the driver’s seat.
Edward looked at Allan. “Are you ready for this?” he asked.
Allan nodded. “Let’s just get it over with.”
The two gentlemen walked towards the decrepit door and had to maneuver around several puddles of acrid water before they were close enough to knock. Allan could feel himself sinking into the putrid mud with every step.
Edward reached out and knocked on the door, and then took a step back to wait for it to open.
After a moment of no response, Allan looked at him and said, “Perhaps try again?”
Edward leaned forward again and knocked a bit harder this time. Still no response.
“Shall I try again?” Edward asked.
Allan nodded. “One more time. He is supposed to be expecting us, today.”
Edward again stepped towards the door, ready to knock, when it began to open. He pulled away from the doorway and Allan saw that it was a female, dressed in ragged clothing. She was middle-aged, and had very sharp, unappealing features for a woman. Her eyes were thin and mostly expressionless, except for a look of disgust at the two men before her.
“Are you here to see Mr. Smith?” she asked.
“Yes, Miss,” Edward replied.
“It’s Miss Honora,” the woman said. “It doesn’t matter what your name is. I know what you are here
for. Follow me.”
So much for a warm reception.
Allan and Edward looked at each other and walked through the doorway. Honora closed the door behind them, and then began to lead them through a series of winding hallways. The inside of the orphanage was damp and cold, and there was certainly an odor that made Allan feel uncomfortable. It was a mixture of mold, human waste, and rotten food. The only good thing was that Allan had yet to see signs of any children.
“Are there children housed here?” he asked as they turned a corner.
“Of course,” Honora said. “Isn’t that why you are here?”
“Oh,” Allan replied. “Yes. I didn’t know if they were here or in another area.”
“Only our best offerings are kept here,” Honora explained. “You have chosen well. In fact, she might be the best we have had in years.”
The conversation was making Allan uncomfortable.
“Which one of you is the buyer?” Honora asked.
“He is,” Edward replied, gesturing towards Allan. “I have had some good experiences in this…industry…and when I told him about it, he was very interested.”
“I see,” Honora said. She then turned to Allan. “You should be very pleased.”
The trio came to a dead end with a single door, which Honora opened. The room was empty with the exception of a couple of chairs in the center. The odor of mold was strong, and Allan sneezed.
“God bless you,” Honora said. She smiled. “Please, have a seat.” She gestured to the chairs. “Mr. Smith will be with you shortly.”
Honora turned and left the room, closing the door behind her. Allan looked at Edward, who simply nodded, and then looked around the room. It was very damp and dark, and he noticed a large spider walking up the wall. He hoped that they could get out of there quickly.
Edward sat in one of the chairs, and Allan walked over to the chair next to it and also sat. He could hear the dirt and debris in the room crunching under his feet. He wondered when this room had been cleaned last.
He heard some noises out in the hallway but had yet to hear or see anything that indicated there were children here, even though Honora has said otherwise. Suddenly, the door opened and a frail, small, thin man walked in. He was dressed neatly and his graying hair was slicked back. He smiled, and Allan noticed that he was missing several teeth, which made him look even more disgusting than Allan already thought.
“Ahh,” the man said quietly. “Which of you are the buyer?”
Allan reluctantly raised his hand. “I am the buyer.”
“It is my distinct pleasure to meet you,” the man said. “I am Mr. Victor Smith, and I will be the one finishing up this transaction with you.” He reached out his hand for Allan to shake.
Allan cringed as he reached out to take the Mr. Smith’s hand, and he hoped that it wasn’t noticeable. Mr. Smith then turned to Edward. “And you are?”
“Simply a friend,” Edward replied.
“He told me about this…well, the possibility of this…interaction…” Allan stammered.
Mr. Smith laughed. “First time, huh?” He patted Allan on the back. “I guarantee, Friend, that it will not be the last after you get a taste of this one.”
Allan forced a smile and nodded.
“Now,” Mr. Smith said. “Before I bring the merchandise out, I know we have a little monetary exchange to settle.”
“Yes,” Allan said. “Of course.”
“We have agreed on a price, yes?” Mr. Smith asked.
“We have,” Allan responded. He reached into his vest pocket and pulled out a parcel of bank notes. He handed it to Mr. Smith and said, “Please, count it. It’s all there.”
Mr. Smith opened the parcel and began counting out the money. He smiled widely and said, “Yes, it is all there. Congratulations on your purchase.”
Allan again forced himself to smile. “Thank you, Mr. Smith.”
“I hate to run off, but I am a very busy man,” Mr. Smith replied. “Please wait here and I will have Miss Honora bring the girl in. I’m sure you are looking forward to getting her home. Everything you need, as well as her feeble possessions, are packed in the bag she will carry.”
“Thank you,” Allan said.
“Good day,” Mr. Smith said, as he walked out and closed the door.
“This is making me sick,” Edward whispered to Allan.
Allan nodded, “Me, too.”
Allan stood and began pacing around the dank room. He was very nervous, yet he knew that he was doing a good thing here. He needed to tell the girl the truth as soon as possible. He didn’t want her to be frightened.
The door opened again, and Honora walked in. Following her was a small child, who looked even younger than her five years. The girl was wearing a sack as a gown and it was tied around her waist with a long piece of rope. Her brown hair was long, thin and stringy, and even though the room was so dim, Allan could see that her face and skin was dirty. He even thought that she had a bruise on her cheek, but he couldn’t quite tell due to the lack of light.
“Here she is,” Honora said, gently pushing the child towards Allan. The girl just stared at the ground. “She’s not much of a talker,” Honora said. “But I would say, in this situation, the less talking, the better.” The woman laughed, and it made Allan want to punish her as much as she had punished this little child.
“Thank you,” Allan replied. He looked down at the girl and said, “What is your name?” He wanted to make sure that this was the right child.
“Julia,” the girl whispered.
“Hello, Julia,” he replied. “Is that your bag?”
He noticed that she was holding a small bag, and it saddened him to know that all of her possessions were contained within it.
“If that’s all you need, we are done here,” Honora said. “I’m sure you are eager to leave. I will show you out.”
Honora opened the door for them and began leading them back through the maze of hallways. None of them spoke as they walked.
Eventually, they got to the main doorway, which Honora opened. As the light from outside poured in, Allan got his first good look at Julia, and he noticed that his suspicions were fact; there was a hand-shaped bruise on her face. He also saw that the girls eyes squinted together tightly, and he was certain that she had not seen the sun in quite some time.
“Well, I am sure I will see you again,” Honora said to Allan. “Again, enjoy your purchase.” She stepped back in and pulled the door shut behind her. Allan gently placed his hand on Julia’s back to lead her to the carriage. She jumped at his touch.
He came around in front of her and kneeled. “Julia,” he said. “You are safe with me, and I’m going to take care of you, all right? You never have to go back to that place again. Do you remember Lady Esther?”
At the utterance of Esther’s name, Julia’s face lit up. She smiled and nodded, and Allan could see tears forming in her eyes.
“We are going to take you to her, but first, we have to take you to see your new home.”
* * *
“I cannot believe you were gone for so long,” Esther heard Mary say from the drawing room. She was walking in the hallway towards the library and just passing by. She then heard Edward’s voice respond. Allan must be here!
Esther turned towards the drawing room, and she could see Mary and Edward talking. Mary saw her standing in the doorway and motioned for her to come in.
“Allan isn’t here,” Mary said.
“What?” Esther replied. Her heart fell.
“Everything is fine,” Edward said. “Nothing to worry about, Esther. In fact, he asked me to ask you if you would be interested in meeting at our estate next week to make final plans for the wedding. He received an urgent message and had to return home.”
Esther felt the disappointment flow through her body. She was so hoping to see him and knowing that it would now be several days before she could see him again really disappointed her.
She nodded. “I underst
and, and yes, I will meet him at your estate.”
Mary said, “I will ask Ruth, too, as she will surely want to be involved in any wedding planning.” Mary then turned to Esther and said, “I know you are disappointed, but you and Allan have the rest of your lives together. You can surely wait a couple of days.”
Esther smiled slightly, and then said, “Yes, Mary. You are correct. Are the two of you staying for dinner?”
Lusting For The Broken Earl (Steamy Historical Regency) Page 25