by Aston, Alexa
They went through the doors and as they arrived at Caroline’s office, Luke saw Walton at the desk.
He stopped. “What are you doing in there?”
Walton shot to his feet. “I’m the new bookkeeper, my lord,” he said nervously. “Lady Caroline offered me the job and use of this office.”
“When?”
“On Saturday.”
“Where did she go?”
Stinch answered. “We’re not sure, my lord. Lady Caroline told me she’d learned of her father’s murder. She hadn’t known the circumstances of his death. She felt it best for Evie’s if she stepped away from being seen here on a daily basis. She mentioned going to the country.”
Walton added, “I’m to send her monthly reports regarding both establishments. She said she would send a forwarding address soon.”
Despair filled Luke. Caroline had simply vanished—and he hadn’t a clue where to search for her.
“I believe you could contact Mr. Higgins,” Stinch said. “I saw him give her a key yesterday morning. He may have arranged for a place she could stay.” He looked to Walton. “Did you hear her say anything to the driver when you took her trunk out to the cab?”
“No, but as I left, something odd happened.”
“What?” Luke prompted, desperate for any helpful clue.
“I accompanied Lady Caroline to Leland Netherby’s bookstore before Evie’s opened. He invited her to come speak to him and was quite rude to her, insisting Evie’s would fail and that he’d rally his fellow booksellers to ensure it did.”
“What does that have to do with Lady Caroline’s departure?” Jeremy asked impatiently.
“As she left yesterday, a clerk from Netherby’s approached her. In fact, I saw him climb into the cab with her. I wondered if Netherby had a change of heart and wished to see her. It’s all I can think of.”
“And you don’t know where she was going after that?” Evan asked.
Both Stinch and Walton shook their heads.
“Let’s go to Netherby’s Bookshop first,” Luke said. “If we learn nothing there, we can visit Higgins and see what he can tell us. Thank you, gentlemen.”
“Wait,” Walton said. “Might I go with you? I could point out the clerk. He could possibly know where Lady Caroline went to after she left his employer’s bookstore.”
Luke agreed and they climbed into his carriage after he told his driver their destination.
“It is peculiar that Caroline would ride somewhere with a clerk from Netherby’s,” Evan noted.
“Hopefully, we’ll have some answers soon,” Jeremy said.
They arrived at the bookstore before its opening. Once more, Luke knocked until a clerk came and opened the door.
“We are open for business at ten o’clock,” he said haughtily and started to close the door.
Luke placed his foot in the doorway, preventing it from closing. “We have business with Mr. Netherby.” He pushed the door open and their group swept inside.
“Mr. Netherby hasn’t arrived yet,” the man told them.
“That’s him!” Walton cried and pointed to his left.
Another clerk froze in place and then took off running, disappearing behind the stacks of books. Luke and the others pursued him, catching him as he exited through a door leading into the alley. Luke grabbed the man by the collar and slammed him against the brick wall.
“Where is she?”
“I don’t know!” the clerk cried. “I don’t even know who you’re speaking of.”
Walton stepped between Luke and the man. “You do, you little bastard. I saw you get into a carriage with Lady Caroline yesterday. Where is she?”
The clerk’s eyes darted about and he sagged against the wall, seeing there was no means of escape.
“I only did as I was told,” he said bitterly. “I would have lost my position otherwise.”
“Told what?” Luke asked menacingly.
“Mr. Netherby—old Mr. Netherby—told me to take her to his son’s place in St. James. Across from Mrs. Leach’s on King Street.”
Understanding rippled through Luke. “You mean The Blue Door. Ralph Netherby’s gaming hell.”
“That’s the one,” the clerk agreed nervously. “I was to leave her there. And I did. I don’t know anything beyond that.”
Luke slammed his fist into the man’s face. “You left a lady in a gaming hell. Do you know what might happen to her there?”
He rained a series of blows until Evan pulled him off. “He can’t talk if he’s dead, Luke.”
The clerk, his nose misshapen and his lip split turned his head and spit out blood and a tooth. “It’s not my fault. Old Netherby wanted to be rid of her. Hardly anyone came into the shop Friday or Saturday. He said there wasn’t room for the two of them and their bookstores in Mayfair. That one would have to go—and it wouldn’t be him.”
Jeremy stepped forward. “Go,” he ordered and the clerk fled, running down the alley and turning the corner without a backward glance.
“Why did you let him go?” Luke shouted at his brother.
“Because we have a dire situation on our hands. Do you know anything about The Blue Door?” he asked.
“I’ve been there twice,” Luke admitted. “It was nothing special. I thought the man running the hazard table was cheating the customers the second time I went, which is why I never returned. I wasn’t interested in the women upstairs. God only knows what diseases they carry. It was safer to keep a mistress.” He stopped. “Wait. You don’t think Netherby would force Caroline to prostitute herself?”
“Worse,” Jeremy said. “I’ve heard rumors of a secret auction that occurs every now and then. Where women are sold to the highest bidder. If Netherby truly wanted to eliminate Caroline, he could have asked his son to put her on the block.”
“What?” Luke’s anger exploded. He saw nothing but red. “I’ll kill him!” he swore.
Both Evan and Walton grabbed him and pushed him against the wall.
“Calm down, Brother,” Jeremy said. “If we’re to get Caroline back, we have to be careful.”
He struggled a moment and then stopped, knowing what Jeremy said was true. He slumped, the fight gone out of him, as he worried at what Caroline had already endured.
And what might happen to her if they didn’t find her in time.
“We need to hire as many Bow Street Runners as possible,” Luke concluded.
“We think alike, Brother. Let’s go to Bow Street now.”
Walton insisted on accompanying them. “I’ve known Lady Caroline since she was a child. If she’s in danger, I want to help.”
“Do you know how to use your fists?” Luke asked.
Walton cracked his knuckles. “Just watch me.”
They decided to go to Number Four Bow Street first, where the magistrate’s courthouse was located. The gang of men known as the Bow Street Runners operated from the space and acted as a detective force for London’s citizens.
The moment they entered, Luke knew they’d come to the right place. The men in the halls all had the size and rough look that it would take to invade The Blue Door and claim Caroline. Jeremy asked to see the head magistrate and they were ushered in quickly. His brother deferred to him, allowing Luke to explain the situation.
“I’ve heard rumors of these types of auctions before but never specifically where they took place,” the magistrate said, picking up a quill and dipping it in ink. As he wrote, he said, “I’m composing a list of five men to take with you. They’ll round up anyone at The Blue Door involved in this despicable situation. They’ll bring in this bookseller, as well.”
“I want his store shut down,” Jeremy said with quiet authority. “It—and The Blue Door—are never to reopen.”
“Of course, Your Grace,” the magistrate said deferentially. He handed the list to Jeremy. “Give this to the clerk outside. He’ll see these men are notified and ready at nine o’clock this evening. They’ll invade the gaming hell at that time. We
need to catch them in the act in order for charges to be brought.”
“I’m going with them,” Luke said, daring the magistrate to overrule him.
“That is your prerogative, Lord Mayfield. I hope that you will find Lady Caroline without problem.”
They gave the clerk the list and briefly explained the situation. He guaranteed the men would be waiting for them at the specified time tonight. He also suggest two other runners who would go to Leland Netherby’s home and bring him in at the same time this evening.
Their group left the building and returned to the carriage. Luke felt adrift, helpless to do anything, wondering what Caroline was suffering.
Jeremy placed a hand on his shoulder. “Hold fast, Luke. We’ll get her back.”
“Not soon enough.”
*
Desperation filled Caroline. They’d discovered no way out of the cramped room and the auction would begin soon. She decided to do whatever it took to get through that process and then look for a means to escape once she was taken from the gaming hell. As a lady of the ton, whoever bought her would underestimate her. Caroline would act meek as a lamb and then make her move when least expected. She’d learned from Josiah Long, back at Morton’s Bookstore in Boston, that if a woman had a problem with a man, she was to knee him—or kick him—in the bollocks. Josiah swore it would incapacitate any man who bothered her. She’d never had to execute the move while in America but with her very life at stake, she was willing to do what was necessary to win her freedom.
And find her way back to Luke.
She regretted ever thinking she should leave him. She loved him and believed he loved her. The way he’d made love to her, both tender and fierce, spoke louder than any feelings he’d voiced. True, society might reject them but Luke was a St. Clair. They seemed to follow their own passions and not bend to society’s conventions. Caroline believed in the two of them together.
She only hoped she would have the chance to tell Luke how much she loved him.
The same woman appeared with Coswell, bearing a tray with three cups.
“Drink up,” he commanded as the woman gave each of them a cup.
Caroline took a sip of the unknown brew and thought it had an odd taste. She was unwilling to drink the rest, not knowing what it contained.
Suddenly, young Emily screamed shrilly, a last, desperate attempt to bring someone to their rescue. As every eye turned to the girl, Caroline tilted the cup and poured the liquid behind the bed. She quickly brought it to her lips and turned it upward as if she finished it off.
Coswell grabbed Emily by the throat and took the cup from her hands.
“Drink, bitch,” he said, his voice low and deadly.
The maid did as instructed, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. Belinda finished her cup, as well, and they returned them to the tray.
The women were left on their own again. Within minutes, both Belinda and Emily grew lethargic. Caroline supposed something such as laudanum had been placed in their drinks to make them more pliable. She would have to act the same when the others returned.
Within half an hour, Coswell and the woman were back, clothing hanging over both their arms. Coswell demanded they remove all their clothes. Caroline hid her horror and slowly began taking off her layers with the woman’s help. Emily could barely move, though. Coswell took out his knife and cut her layers away. Caroline had to lower her eyes to hide her rage and humiliation as she continued removing what she wore.
The woman rouged their cheeks and lips. She also powdered Caroline’s cheek, trying to hide the bruise from Coswell’s blow.
The woman had them sit on the bed and she dressed the first of them in a chemise and then did the same with the other two. Then she placed stays on Caroline and laced them so tightly that she had trouble breathing. The stays were cut to reveal a large portion of her creamy flesh, forcing her bosom up until it almost spilled from the stays. She let her head loll, pretending the drink had affected her. The woman continued dressing them until each woman wore a tight, revealing dress, so unyielding that they could no longer sit and had to be leaned against the wall. Emily began sliding down it and Coswell caught her, throwing her over his shoulder. He grabbed Caroline’s elbow and jerked her along as the woman brought Belinda.
They went down the long corridor and down a staircase, entering an anteroom. She could hear a voice and recognized it as Netherby’s, the owner of this gaming hell.
“Tonight, we have three very different beauties for you to choose from. Remember, gentlemen, only gold is accepted, so bid accordingly.”
Coswell propped her against the wall and pushed back a curtain. She could see Netherby standing on what looked like a raised platform, a light shining brightly on him. Coswell joined him and slipped Emily from his shoulder, standing behind her and holding her at the waist so she wouldn’t fall.
“This fresh-faced girl is but fifteen,” she heard Netherby say. “What can I get for her?”
Voices began calling out sums, sickening Caroline. When the bidding slowed, Netherby declared a winner.
“You can claim your prize, Lord Sims, at the conclusion of the auction, when all payment is due.”
Coswell lifted the maid over his shoulder again and brought her back, dumping her on the floor. By now, Emily didn’t look conscious. Coswell grabbed Belinda and walked her out.
“This is a lord’s daughter, though a bastard one. Only eighteen and a virgin, her nether curls as dark as her luxurious hair.”
Caroline saw Netherby hoist Belinda’s skirts up, revealing her as the audience cheered. It took everything she had not to show her disgust. She would get through this, whatever Netherby did, and hoped he and all of the men in that room burned in hell come Judgment Day.
New bids were called out. It took longer to sell Belinda but she was finally returned and placed on the ground next to Emily. Then Coswell grabbed Caroline’s wrist and dragged her into the light. She let her head droop and her body sagged. Coswell latched on to her waist from behind to hold her up. He reeked of garlic.
“This, gentlemen, is our prize of the night. A caramel-haired beauty of the ton with everything your dark desires call out for.”
She sensed anticipation rippling through the room and then a man called out a sum double what Belinda had gone for. A bidding war ensued between two men.
“I won’t go a guinea higher unless I’ve seen her breasts,” one of them called out.
Caroline couldn’t believe his words. Already, more of her was on display than she’d thought possible. She bit her lip as Coswell’s arm went about her waist, holding her to him. Then he yanked at her neckline, tearing the material, and her bosom was bared to the room. Shame filled her as the group whistled and stomped their feet.
Then it became worse. Coswell’s hand squeezed her right breast hard and he called out, “Good and plump!”
The room roared in approval.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
The Bow Street Runners had arrived, truncheons in hand, primed for a fight.
Luke addressed them. “You’ve been told of the auction going on inside The Blue Door. The woman I love is in there. Do whatever it takes to get her back.”
“We will, Lord Mayfield,” one of them said. “Step aside and let us do our job.”
The five hardened men raced up the stairs, gripping their truncheons, and burst through the doors. Luke followed them, along with Jeremy, Evan, and Walton. Cigar smoke hung in the air and screams and shouts began as they disrupted the gaming. Scantily clad women began running and gentlemen of the ton, seeing what was happening, raced to reach the door and fade into the black night.
Luke didn’t care about the gamers or whores. Reaching Caroline was all that mattered.
The men whipped and snapped their clubs, creating a path through the chaos. One runner grabbed a woman by the arm and shouted, “Where’s the auction?”
“Upstairs. To the right.”
Luke ran up the staircase and down the
hall, ahead of the detectives, who sounding like a small army. Throwing open the last door he reached, a tiny waiting room was revealed. Two young women lay sprawled on the ground in revealing gowns, their cheeks and lips stained a dark red. An older woman started shrieking as the runners poured in behind him and ran through the anteroom into a larger one, where a raised stage stood.
Luke saw who stood on that stage.
Caroline . . .
A man held on to her, fondling her breast as laughter filled the room. Then Caroline’s head snapped up and her foot slammed down on the man’s. He cried out, releasing her. She whirled and viciously kicked him in the bollocks and he fell to the ground, gasping.
Luke followed the runners as they spread throughout the room. He ignored all the shouts and made it to Caroline. Quickly, he stripped off his coat and wrapped it around her, lifting her in his arms.
“Luke.” She repeated his name several times as he carried her away, through the anteroom and back into the wide corridor.
“You’re safe, love. It’s over.”
She stiffened in his arms. “Belinda! Emily! Where are they?” She began struggling. “I must help them!”
He saw Jeremy and Evan emerge, each of them with one of the unconscious women in their arms.
“See? They’re unharmed,” he reassured her. “We’ll get all of you away from this place.”
Tears cascaded down her cheeks. “I thought I would never see you again.” She hiccupped loudly.
Luke lowered Caroline to her feet and wrapped his arms around her. He smoothed her hair and then cupped her bruised cheek. “You’re going to see so much of me that you’ll grow tired of me, Caroline. I love you, my darling. I plan to spend every minute of each day with you.”
“You love me?” she sobbed. “I love you. I have for what seems like forever.”
“So have I, my love.” With that, he kissed her tenderly.
“Lord Mayfield? You need to leave,” a voice said.
He looked up and saw one of the runners near him guiding the man who’d touched Caroline. The man was now handcuffed and being led away. Fury exploded within him and he released Caroline.