by Wendy Vella
Jacob searched his eyes and knew he was telling the truth. Releasing him, he left the house with Leo once again on his heels.
“Where to now?”
“Miss Saffron’s.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Poppy had been tossed about on the floor of that carriage for at least forty minutes as it had raced through the London streets. Her body hurt from rolling from side to side, but her anger far surpassed that. She had then been carried somewhere, and then down steps until she had reached the cell she was currently occupying. Walking around the room took a few seconds, and no more than fifteen steps. There was a chair and a small cot, but no blanket. Checking each of the three stone walls for any escape route, she had found none.
The door was solid and had a small window with bars in it. Poppy had dragged the chair to look through it, and found a narrow path that led to another wall to the right, and the steps to the left.
The sound of the door opening had her off the chair to see who approached.
“Stand back.”
A man entered. He was short and solid and did not look at her as he placed a blanket on the floor.
“Please let me go.” Poppy briefly felt fear surpass the anger. She had thought to rush at him, but his strength was far greater than hers. “Whatever Lord Revel is paying you, I-I shall double it,” she lied. Her pleas were ignored and the door once again squeaked loudly on its hinges as he slammed it closed. She dragged the chair back to the window and once more climbed on to it. “I have friends who will pay you whatever you need. Let me give you his name, I beg of you! He will....” Her words faltered as the man once again walked away. She listened with a deepening sense of dread to each of his footfalls recede until there was only silence.
“Where am I!” Fear had her crying out the words, but they merely echoed around the small room.
Gripping the bars in both hands, she lowered her head and breathed deeply several times.
“You are not a person who panics, Poppy March.” That job was given to her youngest sister, Rose. She straightened after these bolstering words. She had no notion of how long she had been here, but felt it was at least a day and night… possibly more.
“Dear Lord, have they left me here to die?” The thought made her shiver. Could there be a worse fate than to slowly starve to death? How long would it take? Looking down her body, she hazarded a few weeks as she was not large, but neither lean. Panic had her screaming and yelling for several minutes, but all that heralded was a raw throat.
Making herself walk briskly around the room once more, she managed to ease some of the chill from her body after a few laps, and only then did she sit on the chair with her back to the door and draw the blanket around her. Sleep had been fitful and usually Jacob came to her in her dreams, so she’d stay awake until exhaustion closed her eyes again.
He was Jacob to her now, no matter how angry she was with him. Had he really made love to her? She held the edges of the blanket close and allowed herself a few minutes to remember the magic of what had transpired in his carriage. The feel of his large body pressed to hers. His lips on hers. Poppy shivered as the first tear fell. She would never see him again. Likely he would not even worry when she did not show up for work. Indeed, he would probably be relieved that she was no longer his problem.
Beast.
When she heard the sound of feet approaching on the stairs once more, she climbed on top of the chair to look out the window. Perhaps she could try again to convince whoever approached into letting her go. Poppy could be persuasive when she put her mind to it.
She felt the color drain from her cheeks as she saw who had abducted her.
“You!”
“Hello, Miss March.”
“Why have you done this?”
“If you will remember the last time we met, I did say I would have you.”
Poppy didn't want to show fear to the man before her. She even dug her toes into the soles of her boots, but nothing could stop her climbing off the chair, and retreating until her back was pressed to the wall.
Dear God, Jacob, please, please find me.
“Charlie,” Jacob said for the fourth time. “I need to speak with the man who works here called Charlie.”
They had arrived at Miss Saffron's brothel ten minutes ago, and he had asked several women after Poppy's friend, and all had simply fluttered their eyelashes, pushed out their breasts, and tried to lure both him and Leo into a room. Leo did not seem to mind, and was enjoying the experience. Jacob was not.
Grabbing the wrist of the hand that was currently making its way down his chest, he shook it gently. “Look, do you know a lady called Miss March. Poppy,” he added.
“The cleaning girl?” The woman shrugged, then looked sulky when Jacob eased her away.
“The very one. I am a friend of hers, and believe she is in danger. I must speak with Charlie to see if he knows where she could be.”
Leo fished some coins out of his coat pocket and handed them to the woman, and Jacob realized just how unsettled he had become, that he hadn’t thought to do that first.
The sulky look was replaced with a smile as she tucked the coins away. “Up them stairs to the top. He has a room, second on the right. If he's not in there try the one at the end.”
Jacob ran up the stairs and pounded on the door.
“Are you Charlie?” Jacob asked the tall man who answered. He had short dark hair and bloodshot eyes.
The man nodded.
“I am Lord Hatherton and this is Lord Vereton, and we are friends of Miss March and fear she is in danger.”
The concern on his face was genuine, and seconds later Charlie had ushered both Jacob and Leo inside. The room was spacious and furnished well, which suggested he held a position of some power within the brothel.
“I have not seen her since she came here to tell Miss Saffron she no longer needed the employment.”
“She should not have been working here,” Jacob growled. “You should have made her go home.”
“You don’t know Poppy very well, my lord, if you think I could tell her to do anything. She has her pride, and going home while she is down on her luck is not her way. I helped her the only way I knew how.”
“Of course, and forgive my friend if you took insult from his words. He is, as you will understand, extremely worried for Miss March.”
Jacob swallowed down any further words of censure and nodded after Leo had spoken.
“She has been working for us in the capacity of a clerk,” Leo continued, “but did not turn up for work either yesterday or today. We are greatly concerned, as we do not believe Miss March the type of woman to do such a thing.”
“Poppy would never fail to turn up to work. She's loyal to a fault, and allows people to take advantage of her good nature. Her siblings and friends were constantly looking out for her. Her mother told me she feared Poppy would give away the clothes on her back should someone ask for them.”
Jacob found himself nodding at Charlie’s words. He knew what she was. Knew she cared about people because he had seen in their short acquaintance plenty of proof. He needed to find her and apologize. He needed to find her and tell her of his love.
“She has always been the same. People abuse Poppy's generosity, and yet she will never change.”
I will protect her, Jacob vowed. But he had not done so; in fact it had been he who had hurt her most. He had taken her innocence in a carriage and then turned from her. He had to find her and tell her he was wrong.
“We have questioned Mr. Hardy and spoken with Lord Revel. Both have assured us they had nothing to do with her disappearance.”
Charlie snorted at Leo's words. “Hardy would never harm Poppy. He'd very possibly bore her to tears, but harm her... no. He loves her.”
No, I love her. Christ, was it possible to love with so much force on such short acquaintance? Poking around inside his heart told him that yes, it was.
“As for Lord Revel, you will know better than I if
he speaks the truth. But should I see him on the street on a dark night, he had best run,” Charlie said, and his anger made Jacob feel better. Perhaps he did consider himself Poppy’s friend, although Jacob believed he should still not have let her work here. She was a young, innocent woman, and would have been subjected to things that shocked her.
“I will ensure he is taken care of,” Jacob vowed. “Can you think of anywhere she would be? Can you think of anyone who would want to harm her?”
Charlie fell silent, and as the seconds ticked by Jacob thought about her. Was Poppy even now lying somewhere hurt? He needed to move, do something; the waiting was torture.
“I did not know this was happening until after Poppy had left, and I overhead some of the girls talking,” Charlie began. “There's a man who comes here, his name is Lord Kinsale. It seems he took a liking to Poppy, and one night Nell found her pressed up against the wall with the man trying to force himself on her. I questioned the other girls, and they confirmed his fixation with her, as they had seen him with Poppy also.”
“I know Kinsale,” Jacob said softly. He and the man had history, and none of it good.
“Nell said he threatened her, and that he was overheard saying that he would have Poppy one day.”
“And I’ll make him pay for that,” Jacob added.
“I'll have people search for her, my lords, and send word should I receive any, and would ask you to alert me if you find her.” Charlie took the card Leo held out to him.
When they got to the carriage, they found Nick waiting for them.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Leo said.
“Perkins told me something was afoot. I called a hackney, and through the process of elimination I found you here. I sent word to Marcus to meet us at Night Street.”
“Poppy is missing and I fear Lord Kinsale has her,” Jacob said.
“Why would he do that?”
They all climbed in the carriage, and Leo explained what Charlie had said.
“That doesn't mean she's there, Jacob.”
“She's missing, and Lord Revel is not guilty, but someone is,” Jacob snapped.
“It's a leap to suggest it's Kinsale, even considering what this Charlie had to say.” Nick's eyes went from Jacob to Leo. “Perhaps she has returned to her family?”
“Poppy's nature is such that she would never let her employer down, Nick. She would also never leave London without telling her friends or taking her belongings.”
“And your belief is that Kinsale has her?”
Jacob nodded. He did believe it. His chest hurt and his throat was tight. She was in danger... scared and in danger. He also knew what a man like Kinsale was capable of.
“He's an unpleasant sort, we all know that, and we've heard the rumors of his nighttime activities. But you're talking abduction?” Nick ran his fingers around the brim of his hat. “It's speculation with no evidence.”
“But what if it is the truth, Nick? What if even now Poppy is being hurt.”
Jacob held Nick's gaze, and his friend sighed. “So it's love, is it?”
He didn't respond but felt the rightness of the words. He'd never felt like this before. Never met a woman he could not live without... until now.
“In that case, we had best pay Kinsale a visit. But we take Marcus, and come up with some kind of reason for the visit. If she is not there, or he is not responsible, then we leave, and he is none the wiser.”
Jacob and Leo nodded. When they arrived at Night Street, Nick collected Marcus and they were once again on the move, this time to Lord Kinsale's house. Big men, they were squeezed into the carriage, but had done so many times before. Leo brought Marcus up to date with all the details.
“Kinsale has a considerable ego. I suggest we go and state we are starting a consortium, and wish his backing. We are looking to invest in gold, and believe we shall make an excellent return.”
Jacob listened as Nick outlined the plan he had devised. They were like that, quick on their feet and able to change and adjust with speed. Usually, Jacob added silently. He could field no other thoughts but those centered around Poppy.
“You will excuse yourself and find a way to search the house while we keep Kinsale busy, Jacob. The window will not be a long one, and the house big, so make sure you search fast and efficiently.”
Was he right or was emotion and his past clouding his judgment? Was she being held against her will and in danger from Lord Kinsale? It seemed almost implausible that a second woman he loved was even now in the hands of that evil bastard.
“I never told you this,” Jacob said softly. “But I believe it was Kinsale who kidnapped Rachel.”
“What!” Leo thundered. “Why did you not tell us?”
“Because I could prove nothing, but at the time he was down on his luck, and had motive for blackmail. So I have waited and watched him. Rachel is safe and happy, and Kinsale has, until today, not put a foot wrong now he has money. I am still digging into his business and personal affairs.”
“We don't have secrets,” Nick said, and Jacob knew he voiced what Leo and Marcus were thinking.
“I would have come to you with this eventually, but until I had proof I could do nothing. My first thought was to go to Kinsale and beat a confession out of him, but of course that would help no one, least of all Rachel, so I decided to destroy him when I had all the evidence. In fact, what I plan to do is ruin him financially and then tell him why.”
“You haven't told Rachel?”
Jacob shook his head at Marcus's words. “She moves in society, as does Kinsale. I have no wish to upset her further, and she has put the incident behind her now, even if I have not.”
“And now you believe Kinsale has another woman you love in his clutches,” Nick said, then whistled softly.
“But this time he pays. All thoughts of ruining him financially are gone. I’ll kill him if I have to.”
“Aye.”
“Aye.”
“Aye.”
In this the Lords of Night Street were united.
Lord Kinsale was not a man Jacob or his friends associated with. He thought himself a touch above everyone else, and dressed like a popinjay. Not overly tall, he was a man who carried a great deal of weight on his frame. Jacob managed to shut away the rage he felt, and display a bored expression as he entered the man's house.
“I of course understand why you chose me,” Kinsale crowed, strutting around his study. “Men of influence and wealth. Of course we must unite and rise together.”
“Puffed up windbag,” Leo said beneath his breath to Jacob.
“What happened to your face, Kinsale?”
Nick's words had them all looking at the three scratches that ran the length of the man's left cheek.
“An encounter with a lively woman, nothing more.” He waved a hand, dismissing the injury.
Looking at the marks, Jacob prayed Poppy had not inflicted them. The thought of this man touching her made his stomach clench. He listened as Nick and Marcus poured on the charm and flattered Kinsale to the point where Leo began to look green. By the time Kinsale refilled his third glass of brandy, he was well on the way to believing himself firm friends with each of the men seated in his house. Jacob decided now was the time to make his move.
“I have need of a chamber pot, Kinsale. I fear something I ate today was off, and is now causing me a great deal of discomfort.” Jacob got to his feet and pretended to stumble as he clutched his stomach. “With haste if you please, as I have no wish to soil your carpets.”
Kinsale looked horrified and pulled the bell. Seconds later, Jacob was being ushered away to a small room where he could have privacy.
“You may leave now.”
After dismissing the servant, he waited a few minutes and then let himself back out the door. Kinsale's home was old, and he knew would likely have storage areas and rooms that would take him days to find. Making the decision to go down, he found the servants’ stairs.
“My lord,
are you lost?”
The footman looked horrified to find Jacob there. Deciding he had no time to wait, or use subtlety, he pulled money from his inside pocket and held it out to the man.
“Is there a room, passage, or anywhere in this house that your master keeps locked at all times, and only he has the key?”
The footman nodded once, so Jacob gave him the money.
“Take me to it, and more will follow.”
“We must go back up.”
Jacob motioned for the footman to go first, and once they had reached the top, he turned left and made his way back down a long hallway. Jacob soon found himself in a library.
“There is no door in here,” Jacob said, looking around him.
“Lord Kinsale has no idea that I or the other staff are aware of what lies behind those bookshelves.”
“What lies behind them?”
“One of the maids saw Lord Kinsale coming out just last week.”
“Did he see her?”
The footman shook his head.
“I will give you more money if you stand outside in the hall and alert me if anyone comes.” Jacob knew he was taking a risk, but it was one he had to take, and he thought perhaps that Kinsale was not a man to inspire loyalty in his staff.
“I will do as you ask, my lord.”
When the footman had left, and Jacob hoped not to call his master, he began to search the bookshelf. He started on the bottom shelf and ran his hand slowly from side to side. Pulling out books and checking panels, he found a small lever on the third shelf from the top, behind a copy of Pickwork’s Plants for Digestion.
Easing the lever forward, he felt the panel give and the shelf swing open. Slipping inside, he left it wide and hurried to the stairs. It was a cold, uninviting place, and Jacob did not like the prospect of Poppy being locked up here. Running down, he felt his anticipation rise. Was she here? He didn't want to think about what her condition was, or if Kinsale— No, he would not allow his thoughts to go there. Reaching the bottom, he found a locked door.
“Poppy?”