by Lucy Adams
“And my brother would not be foolish enough to return it,” Miss Hemmingway murmured, walking towards it and leaving the door ajar. “Even if he still has it, of course.”
Robert shook his head. “I do not think your brother has it in his possession,” he said, recalling the thin, older gentleman who had been at the scene of the carriage accident. “Whoever took it would not risk Lord Hamilton returning it to his house.” Coming towards Miss Hemmingway, he looked up and down each bookshelf, feeling himself growing a little frustrated. This would take a good deal of time, he was sure, given that the room appeared to be quite as he would expect, with no obvious knobs or levers anywhere. Seeing Miss Hemmingway running her hand over the books, he gave her a small smile and began to do the same in the bookshelf opposite.
They worked in silence for some time, neither finding anything of note. Robert found his mind a little distracted, a part of him aware that he was very much alone with Miss Hemmingway, just as he had been before. He had no intention of taking advantage of her but there was certainly something between them that, thus far, neither had put word to. Lady Callander was due to call on Miss Hemmingway this afternoon but as yet, had not arrived. Robert had no eagerness for her to do so either!
“Wait!”
Miss Hemmingway stayed her hand, pulling it back sharply as though she had been stung. Robert rushed over to her, but she was already busy pulling out books one or two at a time, setting them down in a pile in front of her.
“I noticed that this book here,” she said, indicating a large volume that was sitting directly in the center of the bookshelf, “stuck out a little further than the rest.” She continued to pull books out of the bookshelf, with Robert quickly assisting her. “I might very well be incorrect, but I believe that there is something…..” She trailed off, the final books in her hand as she stared at the large gap that now revealed what Robert had expected to be the back of the bookcase. Instead, there was a small square gap cut into the back of it, revealing what appeared to be a small, ornate wooden flower. It was painted pink, with dark green leaves, and had the bookcases not been in place, then it would have been very obvious indeed.
“I can hardly believe this,” Miss Hemmingway whispered, taking a small step back and placing the last of the books down. “Do you think it will open something within this room?”
A sudden warning began to ring in Robert’s ears. “I do,” he said, somewhat gruffly. “Which is why, Miss Hemmingway, you must be on your guard.” He gave her a tight smile but encouraged her to take a small step back, so that there was distance between her and the back of the bookshelf. Reaching forward, every sinew of his body tense, Robert pressed his fingers hard against the flower, but nothing happened. Running his fingers around it, he held onto it a little more tightly and tried to turn it to the right.
It did not move.
With another quick glance over his shoulder towards Miss Hemmingway, Robert tried to turn the flower to the left and, immediately, the flower rotated and something to his right clicked.
Miss Hemmingway gasped in astonishment, stepping back in surprise as her eyes fixed on something he could not yet see. Hurrying towards her, his heart beating furiously, he saw that a small part of the wall, just next to the end of the bookcase and behind one of the small wooden chairs, had apparently slid away.
“Hamilton?”
Miss Hemmingway’s hands clamped to her mouth, her eyes staring at the gap in the wall as a voice echoed from it.
“Is that you?” the voice continued, low and gravely. “I’m starving. Hurry up.”
Robert saw Miss Hemmingway shudder but she did not move.
“It is not Hamilton,” she called out, just as he reached for the paper knife that sat idly on Lord Hamilton’s desk. “It is his sister, Miss Hemmingway.” Silence met her words, with Robert marveling at Miss Hemmingway’s bravery.
Her head held high, she threw him a quick glance, her face pale but her eyes determined. Robert moved carefully to the space opposite Miss Hemmingway, pressing himself back against the bookcase. Somehow, they had silently managed to form a plan of action, which he now intended to execute perfectly so that Miss Hemmingway would remain quite safe.
With a quick nod to Miss Hemmingway, Robert steadied himself and turned his head to watch for any movement. Taking in a long breath, Miss Hemmingway set her hands to her hips and once more returned her gaze to the open space. “There is nowhere else for you to go,” she said, loudly, not a hint of fear in her voice. “Now remove yourself from this place and at once and explain yourself!”
Chapter Twelve
Carolyn did not know what to expect. There was such a sense of trepidation washing over her that it was all she could do to keep her chin lifted and her eyes sharp. Whoever was within this small space at the end of what appeared to be a small corridor would only be able to see her at present, and would think that she was no great threat. Had it not been for Lord Franks’ presence then she would have been utterly terrified but, seeing him there waiting bolstered her courage.
Just what have you been doing, Hamilton? she thought silently to herself, more than a little sorrowful over her brother’s actions. There was no-one else in the house who might could have concealed someone within. Yet again, her brother was proving his guilt without even having to admit to a single thing.
Her heart leapt into her throat as a small man appeared in the narrow space. He could not leave it simply by walking through it but would have to turn to walk sideways, pressing his body against each side of the small entranceway. She looked at him steadily, quite sure that Lord Franks would be able to tell from her quickened breathing that she had seen the interloper.
“You say you are Lord Hamilton’s sister, eh?”
The man’s voice was sing song, teasing her as though she were nothing more than a foolish child. “And just whatever are you doing here?”
“Remove yourself from there at once,” she demanded, despite the pounding of her heart and the fear that raced up and down her spine. “How dare you infiltrate my brother’s townhouse?”
The man chuckled. “Don’t you know that it was your dear brother that put me in here?” he said, making Carolyn swallow hard. “Not that he had much choice in the matter, of course, he does what he is told.”
Something like relief attempted to wrap itself around Carolyn’s heart but she did not allow it to distract her. What the man meant by it, she did not know, but surely there was a small hope that her brother was not entirely responsible.
“Foolish man,” the brute continued, his dark eyes glinting at her all the more ominously as she looked back at him steadily, unable to see the whole of his face as he stood facing her. “And it seems he has a foolish sister also.”
Knowing full well that he wanted her to react to that, wanted her to retort that she was not at all foolish and certainly nothing like her brother, Carolyn chose to remain silent, and, as she watched, she saw the smile begin to slip from the man’s face.
“And you think now I’m going to just come out here because you demand it?” he spat, his smile gone and his brows knotting together, his face cast in shadow and giving him a dark ethereal appearance that had her breathing all the more ragged. “I shall not.”
“You will,” she stated, firmly. “Else I shall ring the bell—” she glanced at it, so that he could see it was only a foot away from her, “and the household staff will enter her within a few moments.” She saw him frown and knew she had chosen the right sort of threat. “The choice is yours.”
The man laughed cruelly, throwing his head back and, in the darkness, making himself appear almost entirely disembodied. Carolyn took the opportunity to glance at Lord Franks who, in watching her, gave her a tiny smile of encouragement. Letting out her breath slowly, she returned her gaze to the man in the wall, who was still laughing.
“And what shall you do when I remove myself from here?” he asked, turning his body and taking a small step out of the room, his face still turn
ed towards her. “What do you have that might protect you from me?” He chuckled again, turning his head away for just a moment so that he might pass through the door. “Do you know what sort of man I am, Miss Hemmingway?” He stopped, standing in front of the gap now, as though he wanted her to take him in completely. “I am a man willing to do almost anything….so long as they pay me well.”
He did not move and Carolyn did not dare glance towards Lord Franks for fear that the man would see her eyes move away from him and would know that there was another in the room.
“And what is it that you have done that requires you to hide?” she asked, aware that this might be her one opportunity to find out more about him and his connection to her brother. “Are you the one telling Lord Hamilton what to do, threatening him so that he does it without question, whilst you hide away in his house, for fear of being discovered?” She let her tone become a little scornful, seeing the anger flicker across the man’s face and feeling her stomach tighten with fear. She was taking something of a risk in speaking to him so, but she knew she had to find the courage to find out all she could.
“You have got a sharp tongue on you,” the man sneered, leaning a little closer to her. “And I do what I am told just like your brother does, only I get paid to do it. He does it because he has no courage.” The man shook his head, holding out one finger towards her. “If I get told to stay in here, to wait for his instructions, and I get coin for doing so, then that is precisely what I am going to do. Although,” he continued beginning to step closer to her, “he never said what I was to do if Lord Hamilton’s prying sister came and found me.”
“Most likely, this person you speak of did not expect a lady to be able to show enough gumption or intelligence to be able to do so,” she answered, aware that her voice was shaking but refusing to back down from her challenging words. “He clearly thinks just as little of me as you do—something that I fear you will find only adds to your shame when you are caught and punished for what it is you have done.”
“I was only following my orders!” the man shouted, taking another step and then another, now only a few feet away from her and a few inches out of Lord Franks’ reach. “They told me to shoot that gun into that house, told me to let someone grab the cloak from my shoulder. I did what I was told. That’s all.”
Carolyn tried not to shriek as the man reached for her, seeing Lord Franks move at once in a swirl of light and color and sound. He shouted aloud as he reached out for the man, startling the fellow, who fell back against the bookshelves as Lord Franks’ fist caught him hard in the stomach.
Her breathing was ragged as she saw Lord Franks standing over the man, who lay groaning on the floor, his hands clutching his stomach.
“Might I suggest that you remain where you are,” Lord Franks said loudly, the paper knife held tightly in one hand, pointing down directly at the man on the floor. “Whatever it is you have done, whoever it is you are loyal to, that is now all at an end.”
The man continued to groan and Lord Franks narrowed his eyes, still tense and ready to move at any given moment. Carolyn did not know what Lord Franks intended to do next but found herself slowly moving towards the door on instinct. She had no weapon but realized she would not know what to do with it even if she did have. Her heart in her throat, she moved around the desk, no sound coming from Lord Franks and the man’s groans slowly beginning to subside.
Then, everything happened at once. The man on the floor suddenly straightened and threw out his legs, his feet hitting Lord Franks and throwing him backwards in surprise. Lord Franks did not stumble back as much as perhaps the man had expected, but it was enough time for him to get to his feet. Lord Franks roared in either pain or frustration, pushing himself forward just as the door opened to admit not only Lady Callander, but also Lord Millerton who came in immediately behind her, a thin, black cane in his hand.
“Millerton!” Lord Franks shouted, as the man spun around, his eyes wide and flared with evident fear that he was not about to be able to escape. Lord Millerton pushed Lady Callander aside, stepping forward and spreading his arms wide, the cane dangling from one hand.
“You cannot escape,” Lord Millerton said, clearly aware that this man, whoever he was, needed to be contained. “There is nowhere to go.”
Carolyn moved quickly towards the door, just as Lady Callander came to shut it. She herself turned the key and then turned to press her back against it, as Lady Callander did the very same.
Lord Franks began to move forward, the paper knife still held tightly in his hand. Lord Millerton moved towards the other side, cutting off the man from the front and the back. Carolyn could barely breathe, fearing that something horrific might happen, that the man might attempt to attack both Lord Franks and Lord Millerton and that, somewhere within his clothing, he had a pistol or a knife of his own.
The door handle rattled, making a small exclamation escape from Carolyn’s mouth. A quiet muttering came through the door, only for the handle to rattle again. Carolyn said nothing and nor did she move, keeping her gaze fixed on the man in front of her and seeing how, just for a moment, his attention was diverted.
Lord Franks moved immediately. One fist connected with the man’s face, just as Lord Millerton moved to thrust the tip of his cane into the man’s stomach.
“Carolyn?”
The voice of her brother came through the door, just as the man fell to the floor, soon grabbed and held tightly by both Lord Franks and Lord Millerton. She could barely breathe, sagging back against the door as Lady Callander grasped her limp hand, her chest heaving with evident relief.
“Carolyn, is that you?” came Lord Hamilton’s voice, now sounding a little annoyed. “The butler said you were within but the door…..” The handle rattled again and Carolyn forced herself to move away from the door, with Lady Callander making to turn the key.
“Lady Callander, Miss Hemmingway,” Lord Franks said.
Carolyn turned her head, with Lady Callander’s hand frozen on the key. Lord Franks and Lord Millerton had already pushed the man into the chair where, surprisingly, he now sat without struggle. Carolyn narrowed her eyes, seeing that Lord Millerton now had the paper knife pressed near to the man’s neck—which was clearly the only thing that was keeping him there.
She shuddered.
“Lock the door immediately,” Lord Franks said, firmly. “Do not permit your brother to exit.”
Carolyn swallowed hard, seeing the hard look in Lord Franks’ eyes. “I will take the key from the lock,” she said, her voice shaking with a mixture of shock and sheer emotion. She held his gaze for a moment, drawing strength from him. “Do you think he will tell us everything?”
Lord Franks nodded. “I do,” he said, brusquely. “Now, if you please, Lady Callander.”
“Who is it you are speaking to, Carolyn?” Lord Hamilton’s voice was louder now, clearly irritated, just as Lady Callander turned the key. “Explain….”
Carolyn pulled the door open and stepped to one side, allowing her brother to walk into the room. She saw his eyes flare but did not hesitate. Pushing the door shut, she turned the key, heard the click of the lock and then tugged it from the keyhole.
Her brother began to tremble almost at once. His eyes rounded, a look of horror in his expression as he turned back to glance at her.
“We have found him,” Carolyn said, coming to stand next to her brother and forcing herself to speak with as much firmness as she could. “You must tell us everything, Hamilton. It is the only way.”
Her brother took in the scene but said nothing. She came to stand to his right, seeing his eyes resting on the man in the chair, flicking to the knife and then going up to first Lord Millerton and then to Lord Franks.
“I presume he has told you about Miss Swift,” Lord Hamilton said, his voice hoarse and tight with despair. “Has he not?”
Carolyn blinked, entirely confused. She looked towards Lady Callander and then to Lord Millerton, who both looked just as she felt,
only to see Lord Franks’ expression change from one of anger to one of awareness.
“Miss Swift?” she said, looking from one to the other. “Who was she?”
Lord Franks cleared his throat, looking pointedly at Lord Hamilton. “She was my betrothed,” he said, a frown beginning to lower his brows. “I had an arrangement with her father. However, without any particular explanation, I found myself without a bride and without a wedding.” His eyes narrowed as they rested on Lord Hamilton. “And are you trying to tell me that you are the reason for the end of my engagement?”
Carolyn stared at her brother, expecting him to refute it at once, only to see him hang his head in shame. “Hamilton,” she breathed, taking a step forward and putting her hand on his arm, despite the horror that filled her. “But you are already wed!”
“To a wane, dull creature who does nothing but take every bit of joy from me and replace it with despair!” he cried, his expression wretched as he turned to her. “I was invited to a house party and discovered Miss Swift there. She…she did not know I was wed. Indeed, I did not inform her of it and made it clear to those who knew me that I did not wish to discuss my wife.” He looked away. “I was much too free with my affections, I grant you, but I truly did care for her.”
Lord Franks’ frown remained as Carolyn dropped her hand, a mixture of compassion and disgust washing through her. Lady Hamilton was precisely as her brother described, but that was no excuse for him to behave as he had done.
“And her father discovered you?” Lord Franks asked, as Lord Hamilton nodded, clearly too wretched to speak. “Which explains not only the end of my betrothal but her swift marriage to another.”
Again, Carolyn felt the swirl of revulsion rise up within her as her brother nodded again, his head lowering. It was clear that he was deeply ashamed of what he had done - but Carolyn felt no compassion or sympathy for him. Instead, she felt a deep anger, resonating loudly within her, burning right through her core and up into her heart.