Saving Grace (Victorian Vigilantes Book 1)

by Wendy Soliman

  ‘I agree with you, Eva. The waiting always gets to me, especially when I am considered too delicate to play a part in the operation.’ Olivia treated Lord Torbay to an accusatory glare but since he was still hiding behind the newspaper, presumably the gesture went unnoticed and unappreciated by its intended recipient. ‘I do so hate to be idle.’

  ‘Have you always lived in Chelsea?’ Eva asked, just for something to say.

  ‘No, when I was married we lived not far from here. I gave that house up when…well, when things became awkward. I prefer to live quietly, away from the hubbub.’

  ‘You are not that far away,’ Lord Torbay said from behind his paper.

  ‘Not in terms of distance perhaps.’ Olivia shrugged. ‘But just like me, Chelsea isn’t particularly fashionable.’

  A snort sounded from behind the newspaper. ‘No doubt you plan to make it so.’

  Eva smiled at Lord Torbay’s miserable attempt at disinterest. ‘Do you have a country house?’ she asked Olivia.

  ‘No, although I am thinking about purchasing a small estate somewhere close to town. The country air is more beneficial for children. Tom has a weak chest, you see. And besides, the railways make coming up to London very convenient.’

  ‘Yes, I would enjoy living in the country again.’ Eva tapped an impatient tattoo on the rug with her toe, then stood up and paced the length of the room, her skirts swishing almost as rapidly as her racing heart. ‘Oh, for goodness sake, I shall go out of my mind if I don’t soon discover what is happening.’

  As though summoned by the strength of her feelings, the door flew open and Isaac stood there, looking uncharacteristically flustered, a chilling cast to his expression. Lord Torbay put his newspaper aside and stood up.

  ‘What is it?’ he asked.

  ‘Franklin’s been taken,’ Isaac replied.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Lady Eva gasped. ‘This is all my fault,’ she said breathlessly, looking close to tears.

  Isaac sent her a strained smile. ‘You had absolutely nothing to do with it.’

  ‘What happened?’ Jake asked.

  ‘I was at the warehouse, just as you asked me to be. Woodstock had an appointment with an agent, but was late. The man we had watching Woodstock’s house sent a message to say he left with Stoneleigh and then came back again a short time later, presumably because he had forgotten something.’

  ‘Of all the damnable luck.’ Jake scowled as he considered the situation. ‘Was Franklin in a bad way?’

  ‘He had been beaten, certainly,’ Isaac replied.

  ‘We were a little too clever. If we hadn’t set Woodstock against Stoneleigh, presumably he would have left for his appointment on time and had everything he needed with him.’ Jake shook his head. ‘Still, what’s done is done.’

  ‘We have to rescue Franklin,’ Lady Eva said, an urgent edge to her voice.

  ‘I am well aware of that.’ Jake threw back his head and sighed. ‘Just give me a moment to think.’

  Lady Eva tossed her curls. ‘If you raid the warehouse you might well recover Franklin and be in a position to arrest the Sikhs, but my husband and those using him will escape scot free. Still, Franklin’s welfare comes before my personal concerns.’

  ‘She’s right, Jake,’ Olivia said softly. ‘You need to recover Franklin before they…well, you know what they will do to him if we leave it too long.’

  Isaac nodded. ‘They will persuade him to talk eventually.’

  Jake ground his jaw. ‘They won’t touch him until this evening.’

  ‘You can’t know that,’ Lady Eva said in an accusatory tone.

  ‘People are coming and going all the time from that warehouse, in daylight hours at least,’ Jake replied. ‘Matters are at a delicate stage with the theft and he won’t risk doing anything to draw attention to himself.’

  ‘Whereas the area’s much quieter at night,’ Isaac added, grimacing.

  ‘We need to find whatever my husband has in his desk to condemn his partners in crime.’ Lady Eva fixed Jake with a mulish glare. ‘The only way to achieve that ambition is for me to return to Sloane Street.’

  ‘No!’ Isaac said.

  ‘Possibly,’ Jake said at the same time.

  Isaac glowered so ferociously that deep lines etched his forehead. ‘No, I won’t permit it, and I can’t believe you are even considering something so risky, Jake. There has to be another way.’

  ‘There is no other way,’ Lady Eva replied calmly. ‘And I’ll thank you to allow me to make the decision for myself, Lord Isaac. I have had quite enough of controlling gentlemen telling me how to behave, thank you very much.’

  Isaac grabbed her shoulders and turned her to face him. ‘Think about what you’re suggesting, Eva,’ he implored passionately. ‘The moment you step through that door, someone will send word to Woodstock. Once he returns you will never get out of there again. Besides, he’s so angry with you for making him look foolish that his reaction is impossible to predict.’ He shook his head emphatically. ‘No, it’s too dangerous.’

  ‘The law would take a dim view of your breaking into his house without justifiable reason,’ Lady Eva replied. ‘Like it or not, I am your only hope, gentlemen. Besides, I know you will be immediately outside, ready to spirit Grace and me to safety.’

  Ah, so it’s her child that motivates her. That explains her passion. Jake made a mental note never to underestimate the power of a mother’s love. He could also see the argument between Isaac and Lady Eva would go on indefinitely unless he intervened.

  ‘Lady Eva’s in the right of it,’ he said in an authoritative tone that brought their bickering to an immediate end. ‘She is our only hope. If you are really willing to do this, Lady Eva, then we need to make immediate plans.’

  ‘Yes, I am at your disposal,’ she replied, sending Isaac a speaking look that briefly caused Jake to reconsider. He hadn’t realised that matters had progressed between the lady and his friend to quite such a degree.

  Isaac glowered the entire time they formulated their plans, barely contributing anything.

  ‘And so we are agreed,’ Jake said a short time later. ‘My unmarked carriage will drop Lady Eva in Cadogan Place and then continuously circle the square. Several of my people will be in the street in various guises, watching and waiting, ready to intercede if necessary.’

  Isaac reached for Lady Eva’s hand, grim-faced and subdued. Jake suspected he was urgently trying to come up with an irrefutable reason for the woman he had lost his heart to not to put herself in danger. Jake felt a moment’s sympathy for him, but no more than that. If Woodstock got away with stealing that damned rock, the international consequences didn’t bear thinking about.

  ‘Waste no time in going into your husband’s study,’ Jake said for the third time. ‘Once you have the information we need, pull back the curtains, the ones that are always kept closed on the first floor front. That will tell us you are about to come out and we will be there to collect you.’

  ‘What if something goes awry?’ Isaac asked, speaking for the first time.

  ‘If Woodstock comes back, we will see him.’

  Isaac pursed his lips. ‘And go in to rescue her.’

  ‘No,’ Lady Eva replied. ‘If I need help, I will open a window, probably on the nursery floor. He won’t follow me up there.’

  Isaac frowned. ‘What if he holds you hostage?’

  ‘If Woodstock comes back and we receive no signal from Lady Eva after half an hour, then we will go in,’ Jake said.

  Lady Eva nodded. ‘Agreed.’

  ‘Right, if there are no more questions then there is no time to lose.’ Jake locked gazes with Lady Eva. ‘Are you absolutely sure about this? No one will think the less of you if you decide against it.’

  ‘I am absolutely determined.’ She squared her shoulders. ‘Come, gentlemen, we are wasting time.’

  ‘I shall come, too,’ Olivia said, standing. ‘I might be able to help.’

  ‘Not dressed like th
at, you’re not.’

  Jake struggled to quell the lust that ripped through him whenever Olivia paraded herself in front of him in her tight-fitting breeches. He was sure she did it just to provoke him. The newspaper had been a poor disguise for the extent of her success and, judging by the knowing little smile that flirted with her lips, she was aware of the power she wielded over him.

  ‘Give me five minutes,’ Olivia replied, leaving the room at a trot.

  ***

  Eva donned the crepe hat trimmed with flowers that matched her gown and pulled on her gloves. She was surprised at the speed at which Lord Torbay had arranged things. One moment he was reading the newspaper as though he didn’t have a care in the world, the next men she had never seen before were everywhere, checking weapons and listening closely to his lordship’s instructions.

  Isaac tried once again to talk her out of her decision.

  ‘Don’t place yourself at risk,’ he passionately implored. ‘I can’t…’ He swallowed and took a moment to control himself. ‘I cannot bear the thought of what he will do to you if he catches you. There has to be another way.’

  Perhaps there was. Lord Torbay had the authority of the government behind him. If he decided to raid William’s house, she doubted whether even the best of barristers would get away with crying foul—especially if they found the evidence Lord Torbay was convinced was hidden in William’s desk.

  But what if it wasn’t? What if there was nothing to point them to the inside man, or even to connect William to the crime?

  Besides, this was about more than just stopping William from executing a traitorous crime, and had a lot to do with Eva proving something to herself. Thanks to Isaac’s liberated attitude and skilful hands, she was no longer the person she had once been. He had taught her something about herself, as had Olivia. She didn’t have to live by society’s rules if she preferred not to. Society had granted her few favours and Eva would vastly prefer not to. She was determined to throw off the shackles that had made her dutiful and dull for so long and take control of her own life.

  ‘It’s the only way,’ she replied, touching his face and committing his features to memory in case…well, just in case. ‘I can’t live with William and I can’t live without my daughter. He will never allow me to see her unless I return to him. The only alternative is to expose him as a criminal and a traitor.’

  He grasped her hand so firmly it brought tears to her eyes. Or perhaps they had been there already. Tears of passion and determination. ‘Yes, but—’

  ‘Don’t you see, Isaac? I have to do this.’ She lowered her voice and her eyes. ‘I absolutely must.’

  Lord Torbay joined them, as did Olivia, dressed in a smart walking gown in a bright colour that was just this side of respectable.

  ‘A brief lesson in opening locked doors, Lady Eva,’ Lord Torbay said, handing her a weird implement and leading her towards the room’s door. ‘Your husband locks his study and might have removed the spare key from his bedroom.’

  ‘Very well.’

  Eva took to it like a natural and a short time later she had mastered the rudiments of breaking and entering. She smiled to herself. If William did catch her and attempted to lock her in her chamber, he would be in for a surprise.

  ‘I clearly have talents I knew nothing about,’ she said, smiling at Isaac in an effort to lighten the depressed mood he was unable to hide. He looked away without returning her smile.

  ‘All ready?’ Lord Torbay asked.

  ‘Yes,’ Eva replied, squaring her shoulders. ‘I am prepared.’

  Eva took Isaac’s arm and together they walked to the waiting conveyance. Olivia sat beside her and the two gentlemen settled across from them, along with Parker, their backs to the horses. Eva shouldn’t have been surprised to see Parker shoulder to shoulder with the gentlemen. She had guessed almost immediately that he performed duties far outside of the scope of normal butlers. He looked positively lethal now, dressed all in black, armed to the teeth, his expression grim. Then he winked at her and Eva laughed aloud. The stately Parker actually winking was something she had never imagined she would see.

  No one spoke as they made the relatively short journey to the scene of her marital nightmares. The atmosphere within the carriage was tense but Eva herself felt inexplicably calm. At last she could do something to help herself. Even the thought of William coming home and catching her ransacking his desk was insufficient to deter her. Besides, she would see Grace again and that thought alone was sufficient to bolster her resolve.

  The carriage rattled to a halt on the northern edge of Sloane Gardens. A slight fluttering of her heart was Eva’s only reaction when she viewed the all too familiar surroundings. Today the situation with William would be resolved. Fresh determination spiralled through her as she caught Isaac’s tormented gaze. No matter how things turned out, she wouldn’t ever return to her husband, on that score she was fiercely determined.

  ‘Take great care,’ Lord Torbay cautioned.

  ‘I will.’

  ‘We will see you soon, my dear,’ Olivia said, reaching across to pat her hand.

  ‘Yes.’

  She locked gazes with Isaac but neither of them spoke. There was nothing left to say. The coachman opened the door and let down the steps. She smiled her thanks and accepted his help to leave the conveyance. She then squared her shoulders, looking to neither left nor right as she walked briskly towards the house she had once called home.

  ***

  ‘Let me have ten minutes with ’im,’ Stoneleigh said as the carriage carried him, Woodstock and their semi-conscious prisoner towards the warehouse. ‘That’s all it’ll take to find out who put him up to this.’

  ‘All in good time.’

  ‘He’ll lead us to Lady Eva.’ Stoneleigh could see an opportunity to regain his rightful place in Woodstock’s pecking order and couldn’t understand why the master was being so reticent. ‘That’s what you want, ain’t it?’

  ‘We are late for our appointment. Let’s get that out the way first.’

  Stoneleigh grunted. ‘I can talk to our friend here.’ Franklin had been knocked to the floor of the carriage and lay there, unmoving. Stoneleigh kicked him in the ribs. ‘I told you not to trust him all along.’

  ‘We have arrived.’ The carriage came to a halt. ‘Wait until I have gone inside. I don’t want the agent, or anyone else for that matter, to see Franklin covered in blood. Conceal him beneath a blanket, put him up in the loft and lock him in. Set someone to guard the door and then join me downstairs.’ Woodstock waved a finger at Stoneleigh. ‘And don’t even think about exceeding your orders again. Sometimes you don’t know your own strength and if you kill him, I will have you killed. Leave him be until we’re in a position to interrogate him together without fear of interruption. I want to hear what he has to say for myself.’

  Stoneleigh clenched his fists, frustrated but resigned. ‘As you wish.’

  Stoneleigh did as he was told. He covered Franklin with a blanket, threw him bodily over his shoulder and carried him inside, grunting from the effort it took. Once up in the loft he made do with pushing Franklin down onto a bed of straw and kicking him a couple more times. The man was in a bad way. Blood spilled from between his lips and Stoneleigh wasn’t sure whether it was just a split lip bleeding or something more serious. Stoneleigh didn’t care how badly he was hurt, just so long as he could still talk. He spat at Franklin’s prostrate form and left the room, locking the door carefully behind him.

  Below stairs Woodstock turned on the charm for the agent as they poured over the contracts he was supposed to sign. Stoneleigh couldn’t understand why he was bothering. Once they had pulled off the theft of the diamond he, Woodstock, would have more money than he knew what to do with, and yet still he craved more.

  Someone hammered on the door. Woodstock looked up and frowned. People knew better than to interrupt when the master was negotiating contracts.

  ‘See who that is,’ he said curtly to Stoneleigh.<
br />
  It was Barker.

  Stoneleigh glowered at him. ‘What do you want?’

  ‘You’d best tell the master that Lady Eva has returned home,’ he said.

  ***

  ‘Lady Eva.’ The housemaid’s mouth dropped open when she answered the door and saw her mistress standing there.

  ‘Good morning, Alice.’

  With her head held high, Eva swept past the astounded maid as though she was simply returning from a morning’s excursion instead of being the subject of a capital-wide manhunt. Several other members of staff appeared in doorways, gaping. Eva ignored them all and ascended the stairs with a regal dignity that focused her resolve. She didn’t pause on the first floor but carried straight on up to the nursery. She heard whispers coming from below, talk of sending for William, but she had expected that.

  At the door to the nursery, Eva finally paused. Her heart lifted when she heard Grace singing to herself, something she always did when playing with her rag doll. Eva glanced around the door just as Grace looked up.

  ‘Mama!’

  The child hurtled herself at Eva’s legs. Eva swung her into her arms and smothered her face with kisses, breathing in the adorable baby smell of her beloved daughter and squeezing her tight.

  ‘Mama, you’re squashing me.’

  ‘Sorry, pumpkin.’

  Reluctantly Eva placed the child back on the floor. She clung to Eva’s skirts, as though afraid she might disappear again. Mary was still blinking with astonishment when Eva looked her way.

  ‘My lady,’ she said. ‘We were that worried about you.’

  ‘There’s not much time,’ Eva said in a whisper, aware that William’s staff would have organised themselves by now and someone might be listening at the door. ‘We have to get away from here but there is something I have to do first. Make Grace ready and be prepared to depart as soon as I give you the word. Leave everything behind except her rag doll and any other toys she is especially attached to.’