Alistair nodded at the guard. All seven feet of him bounded across the cell and grabbed Daniel.
He struggled, but it was no use. He was too weak from the attack of the evening before and his captor outweighed him by a hundred pounds. Pinning his arms behind him so tight, his shoulders were near to coming out of their sockets.
Pundington smirked and walked forward. “You will do as I say because I require a member of this damned English aristocracy to legitimize my business. Once the ton realizes that you have endorsed me, I shall be able to sell my harvest anywhere.”
“Harvest. Is that what you call stealing human beings off the street and selling them as slaves?”
“Exactly so.” He spoke about his criminal activities as if they were normal. “Do not act so self-righteous, Marlton. I never take society women, only peasants.”
Daniel’s stomach twisted and he was sure it was not from the knot on his head. Everything about Alistair Pundington repulsed him. “And you think that makes it right?”
He stood so close his sour breath turned Daniel’s stomach.
“Do not pretend to care about the masses of poor, my lord. I’ll lose respect for you.”
“You are planning for me to endorse your cause. Why would I do that?” Daniel wished to be anywhere in the world but near to this horrid excuse for a man. Even the brute tearing his shoulders apart was better than Pundington.
“You will sign papers to show our partnership because, if you do not, I’ll kill Miss Braighton.”
“You have my wife, Lady Marlton?” He said the last precisely. Daniel’s heart lodged in his throat. He had failed. Somehow, Pundington had gotten to his Sophia. He had to find her. He pulled forward, but the guard’s grip tightened and pain shot through Daniel’s shoulders.
Alistair smirked. “I had her first. She is mine. She never was yours, Marlton. You have stolen my property, but only for a time. Yet, I think her safety is important to you and you will do as I say.”
Daniel’s heart clenched painfully. The pain in his head subsided in favor of the wretched ache coursing through his chest. He’d failed her. It was his duty to keep her safe, but this monster had gotten hold of her again. “If you are crazy enough to believe she is yours then why would you kill her?”
“I can have any woman I wish. I just don’t like to have my property taken from me by some young upstart. You may have a title, boy, but you are nothing to me.”
“You are mad.”
Alistair nodded to the guard, who responded by slamming Daniel into the wall.
Agony ricocheted from his neck to his legs. Only his head was spared the abuse of the wall.
“I’ll be back with the papers for your signature in the morning. I suggest you sign them, my lord. I’ll not be able to keep you alive regardless, but I’ll spare Sophia if you do not give me any trouble.” Alistair turned and walked out the door.
The guard followed.
* * * *
“What have you found?” Thomas asked without preamble, as James Hardwig walked into his study.
The butler, who had announced the detective’s arrival, backed out of the room and closed the door.
James came up short when he saw there were two other men in the room. Thomas made the introductions.
“Sir Michael Rollins, of course, I have heard quite a lot about you and the sacrifices you have made for our country. It is an honor to meet you.” James fawned.
“Um…thank you.” Michael shook his head and avoided the amused look on Markus’s face. Michael’s military past had earned him a few moments of embarrassment. He believed everything he’d done for England was quite normal, but many worshipped him as if he’d performed miracles.
Eventually, James snapped out of his idol worship and turned back to Thomas. “Not a tremendous amount, Wheel, but I think it’s a start.”
“We do not have time to delay, Hardwig. I can feel the clock ticking. Tell me what you have.” Thomas sat behind his desk and motioned for the detective to take the seat in front. The other two men remained at the back of the room.
“I’m relatively certain he is being held near the port and is still alive.” Hardwig twisted his hands together.
“How do you know?”
James’s face reddened slightly. “I believe we would have a body by now if he was dead, my friend.”
Pushing back any emotion, Thomas agreed with the gruesome fact.
“I tracked his whereabouts to a meeting two days ago. He met with some unsavory characters at a pub a few paces off of the doc. Sailors love to talk so it was easy enough to find out that he met with a Frenchman, by the name of LeBute. He has quite a few associates whom my office would like to get their hands on. We suspect him of smuggling Absinthe into England. One of his recent associates is Alistair Pundington. No one could tell me what kind of business they are in together, but after our conversation I had a few of my men ask around and there have been quite a few missing persons of late. Most recently, a young girl of sixteen, who served at the same pub, went missing. Everyone was distraught about it, said she was a good girl. Never had any trouble with her, the owner said and she’d never missed a day’s work until a few weeks ago and then she just disappeared.”
Thomas shook his head. “That is really very little to go on, James.”
“Best I could do. Whatever Pundington is up to, he’s keeping it quiet. I don’t even know where on the docks to start looking for his lordship.” He ran his fingers through his thinning hair.
“We need to set a trap.” Michael spoke from the back of the room.
“What do you have in mind?” Thomas asked.
“We will need some help. Do you think Mrs. Braighton and Anthony would be willing to help?” Michael leaned against the bookcase and stared out the window. One could almost see the plot forming in his mind.
“I’m sure Anthony will help, but Mrs. Braighton has gone to the country.”
“That’s a pity,” Michael said.
“My sister tells me Lady Marlton is an excellent mimic. I understand she can imitate her mother to a tee.”
“Brilliant,” Thomas said.
“Will she do it?” Michael asked.
Thomas shrugged his shoulders. “I’ll ask her.”
“What are the three of you talking about?” Hardwig’s head whipped around from one to the other.
Markus slapped the detective on the back and laughed. “Sorry. We’ve been together so long we sometimes forget that everyone else is not…Well, I’m not sure what you would call it, but we always know what we’re talking about.”
Michael sat in the chair next to the detective. He leaned forward and looked into his eyes. “Can you arrange to have Pundington followed? I’ll do my best to keep an eye on him, but it is always best to have several good trackers, men who know how not to be seen.”
James nodded. “Where would they be following him from?”
Michael looked up for confirmation. “Southerton’s ball?”
“The ballroom has some huge pillars and a few alcoves and the gardens can be quite concealing.” A bubble of excitement started in Thomas’s belly.
Michael said, “We could not ask for a better set up. Are you sure she can do it?”
Thomas nodded. “She can. I have heard her imitate people, including Mrs. Braighton. She is quite good.”
Markus frowned. “The girl has just lost her father and she believes Daniel has taken a mistress. Are you sure she will be willing to help?”
“I have not known her ladyship long, but I believe she loves her husband and she will do what she can to get him back. She will do it.” Thomas sounded convinced.
Chapter 20
“Absolutely not.” Sophia’s tone shook the walls.
Thomas gaped at her, a degree of surprise Sophia had not seen before. If she wasn’t so angry with him, she might have found it funny.
After arriving for tea, he explained his suspicions and p
lans to recover Daniel. He’d already recruited Anthony and brought him along for proprieties sake.
She’d spent the entire night tossing in her sheets. Her mind created every scenario of Daniel in the arms of his opera singer and several other women. She tried to be brave and accept the situation, since it was her own fault. Of course, it hadn’t worked. She’d cried herself to sleep only to be awakened by nightmares and wept once more.
“Perhaps you should rest and we will come back later,” Thomas said.
The comment aggravated her. “I do not need your advice, Tom. I shall do as I please. I’ll not help you with this silly scheme of yours either.”
“Why not, Sophie? He’s your husband. Don’t you want to save him?” There was no mistaking the petulance in Anthony’s questions.
“Save him from the arms of some other woman. I’ll not be made a fool, Tony.
Fire burned in Anthony’s eyes. She’d seen it a thousand times when they fought over the years.
Thomas put his hand up to stop what she was certain would have been a tirade. “Braighton, would you mind giving me a moment alone with your sister?”
“Won’t do any good. Stubborn as an ox, she is. Always has been. From the time she was born, you couldn’t convince her of anything.”
Thomas gave the younger man a stern look.
Anthony left the room mumbling about wives, stubbornness and some other unintelligible things.
Sophia got up and paced the room. She didn’t like being cornered and she definitely didn’t like being reminded that Daniel had chosen another woman over her. “You will not change my mind, Tom. I do not care whom he is sleeping with, but I’ll not have my personal business broadcast all over London. I’m not going to a ball alone while there is speculation of his infidelity.”
“But, no one will even know it is you. They will believe it is your mother and then you will go home.”
“No.” She was being stubborn, but she hated everything about this plan.
When Thomas spoke again, his voice softened though it was tight. It was so different from the easy manner she associated with him. “Sophia, I have known Daniel most of my life. I know him better than anyone else in the world. He has never taken a mistress and disappeared. He is in real trouble, or we would have heard from him by now. I had an appointment with him and I can tell you it was the first time he has ever missed an appointment in his entire life. He is meticulous, prompt, and at least would have sent a note if he could have. If you will not do this for him, then I must beg you to do it for me. I know I’m right about this. You must trust me.”
Thomas remained seated throughout his argument. She turned to look at him and his blue eyes seemed to implore her. He worried about Daniel. Was he right? Was Daniel really in trouble? Sophia walked over and stood in front of him. “Let me see if I understand you correctly, Tom. You want me to go to the Southerton ball, pretend to be my mother and pretend to convince Anthony that it is only fair to give Alistair Pundington part of my father’s money.”
She put up a hand before he spoke. “First, no one will believe I’m my mother, certainly not Alistair. Second, if he realizes our trickery, he will certainly kill me, or Anthony, or both. I cannot risk my brother’s life, Tom.”
“You will remain in the shadows. You are excellent at imitating your mother. Pundington will never see you only overhear the conversation. Markus and I will both be watching to make sure you and your brother are perfectly safe.”
“You really think Daniel is in danger?” Her voice broke. She walked to the other side of the room to hide the start of more tears.
“I know he is.”
“He might have taken a mistress and will turn up in a few days. Then, we will all feel like fools, but I’ll be the one who will have to live with him knowing I care more for him than he for me.” She kept her gaze lowered, not making eye contact.
“You will not be alone, Sophia. Daniel is very much in love with you.”
“He told you that?”
There was a long pause. “No, but it is obvious.”
Sophia’s head hung, but then she stood straight and looked him in the eye. “I’ll do it, Tom. I’m not certain I believe he is in danger, but I’ll do it because I have not been a good wife thus far and he deserves better.”
“I’m sure that is not true. You are just tired. You should rest now. You are looking very pale.”
“I have not been feeling well for the last few days,” she admitted.
“Go and rest now.” He rose and kissed her hand. “Thank you, Sophia. I do not know what I would have done if you had refused.”
She chuckled. “I did refuse.”
He had the good grace to look contrite in spite of his grin. “Sir Michael and I’ll return later with full details of the plan. He is going to take a look at the ballroom and garden to see what will be best for our little charade.”
“How will he do that? Is he close with the Southertons?”
He shrugged. “No, but Michael has his ways of getting in and out of places without being noticed.”
“Interesting.”
* * * *
The girl with the gray eyes returned the next morning, removed the old tray and brought him another. It was only tea and bread, but the tea was warm and the bread was better than nothing. He was grateful to have something to stop the grumbling in his stomach.
She was emaciated and jerked away nervously every time he moved. Her feet were black with dirt and grime.
“What happened to your shoes, Susan?”
She took several steps back at the sound of her name from a stranger. There was intelligence in their depths and she narrowed them at him. “He took ’em to keep me from runnin’.”
Daniel looked at her more closely. She was young and frightened, but he had a suspicion. “He took more than just your shoes, didn’t he, Susan?”
Tears sprang to her eyes. “I’m not s’posed to talk to you.”
“Do they just beat you or is it more than that.”
Her expression darkened and she dashed the tears from her face.
“Where are we, Susan? If you help me, I’ll get you away from him. I swear it.”
She shrugged helplessly. “On a dock, somewhere. I don’t know.”
“Can you get word to someone that the Earl of Marlton is being held captive?”
Her eyes widened at his title. “He’ll kill me.” She picked up the tray and started toward the door.
Daniel rushed forward and grabbed her arm. “I’ll get you away from him, I swear it.” He repeated his words desperate to get her to comply. She might be his only chance to survive and keep Sophia safe.
She scoffed in a way that was much older than her years. These men had battered and likely raped this young girl. All of it showed in the hard line of her mouth and emptiness in her eyes. “What good will it do me now? I was only a serving girl at a pub before. Now, I’m only good as a whore. I was a good girl.” Her tears rolled unchecked.
Daniel pulled the handkerchief from his pocket and wiped her face. She was dirty and the tears created clean spots exaggerating the dirt. “You still are a good girl, Susan. I can help you, if you will help me. If not, he will sell you, have you shipped away to some island somewhere and you will never see your family and friends again. He will kill me as soon as he has what he wants. I think I can stall him for a day, maybe two, but no longer. We can help each other.”
“I’ll try to get word to someone, but I can’t promise you nothin’.” She pulled away and looked up at him.
“Where is he keeping you?” Daniel asked.
“There’s a rundown building a block from here. He keeps me on the second floor, but Bill guards me and he’s too big to get past.”
“This building, is it to the east?”
“Away from the water, one block. You’re only feet from the boats.”
“Is there another woman with dark hair and golden eyes?”
“My wife.” His heart ached so painfully he had trouble getting the words out.
“There’s no other women inside. He keeps ’em in a boat somewhere.”
He shuddered at the idea Sophia might be held somewhere in the dark hull of a boat. “Thank you, Susan.”
Daniel backed away as the door lock clicked and Bill’s beefy hand grabbed her and pulled her out.
* * * *
The rest of the day Sophia spent either in bed or waiting near the bedpan placed behind a screen in the corner of the room. She might become ill but so far, she was just nauseous. Cataloguing her food for the past day, she remembered her illness went back at least three days.
“Sophia?” Aunt Daphne’s voice called from the doorway.
“I’m here.” Sophia was behind the screen.
“What are you doing back there? Why are you above stairs again? I thought we had gotten past that. You are eating, aren’t you?” Daphne’s demand was aggressive, kind and particular to her personality.
“I’m eating, for all the good it does and I’ll be out in a moment.” Sophia found Daphne’s gruffness comforting.
When she emerged, her legs wobbled. She’d put on her favorite lavender day dress hoping to lift her spirits, but her weak stomach left her dragging.
Daphne said, “My word, child, you look terrible. Are you ill?”
“I don’t know what it is. I have had an unsettled stomach for days now. I feel sick if I eat and I feel sick if I don’t eat.”
Daphne sat on the chair near the dressing table and watched her shuffle back to the bed. “Sophia, I do not mean to be indelicate.”
“What is it?”
“When was your last cycle?”
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