None of it made sense.
Within a block, the streets of London became crowded and her carriage made little progress. It was easy for Gabriel to follow on foot. However, he knew that wouldn’t last if they left the area. He found a hack.
“Where to, gov?” The driver asked.
“Do you see that carriage with the winged lion and the sword on the door?”
The man looked, squinted and then nodded.
“If you can follow it without being noticed, it is worth ten crown to you.”
The driver’s face lit up and he showed his yellowed teeth. “No problem, gov. I’m the finest hack driver in London. I’ll not be spotted.”
“See that you’re not and do not dare lose them.” Gabriel’s heart pounded as he jumped into the carriage. Sweat dotted his face and the tightness in his chest ached painfully. He wanted to know who was in the carriage with her and where she was going. How do I protect her?
The hack driver was as good as his word. He never lost sight of Belinda’s carriage nor did he ever get close enough to be seen in the crowded areas of London. Once they were near the port, the carriage stopped and so did Gabriel’s hack, though nearly two blocks away and around a corner.
“Two people just got out and walked down the alley on the right, gov.”
“Well done. Here is my card. Call on me tomorrow. I may have other work for you. You are indeed a fine driver.” Gabriel handed the money and the card to the driver who had jumped down from his perch.
The driver’s eyes widened. “How’s about I wait right here for you, my lord? That way you’ll be sure to get home. This is a bit of a rough neighborhood.”
“Much appreciated.” Gabriel hardly had the words out of his mouth and he ran toward the alley, where Belinda had disappeared.
Only a few steps down the alley the smells of vomit, urine, sweat and ale assailed his nose. Nothing else but a tavern, and a well-frequented one, could boast quite the same odor. He remembered it well from his school days. Belinda couldn’t have gone into such a place. When the door opened, a group of men stumbled out into the street.
Gabriel wished he’d worn different clothes. Still, some action was required. “Gentlemen, can you tell me if a young woman just entered the tavern?”
The three men turned. One stumbled badly, the effects of drink, no doubt. They looked him up and down. Their eyes were wide as were their mouths then two of them burst out in laughter.
The third only wobbled.
“Must be a night for the swells to come out with the salt of the earth,” one with a barrel chest and beady eyes said.
“I feels like a swell myself, Bob. Never spoke to so many upper-crusters before in me life,” the short skinny one replied.
The one who had stumbled stared dumbly at Gabriel.
Gabriel smiled, pulled two coins from his purse and tossed them to the coherent pair. They each caught one coin and looked down into their hands.
Bob recovered first. “Yeah she’s in there. Keepin’ good company too.”
“Who is she with?” He tried to sound unconcerned but the strain in his voice belied that.
Bob’s eyes narrowed and he looked back down at the crown in his hand. “Reece Foxjohn. He comes by now and then for information. Only seen the woman once or twice before. Usually he’s got Lilly with him.”
“What type of information?”
“That will cost you,” the skinny one spoke up.
“Tell me what I want to know and I will double what’s in your hand.” He didn’t have time for haggling with drunks.
“He always wants to know who has gone missing or been killed. Seems real concerned about crime and asks about strange types of people lurking around.”
“And what do you tell this Foxjohn?”
Bob said, “Dave Cobbie up and disappeared last week. Strange that, since he’s a real family man. Wife don’t know what to make of it. Jannie O’Hurly got killed by someone who took a bite out of her face two days ago. Must have been a madman.”
“How odd,” Gabriel said.
“Yeah,” Bob continued. “Not too often that one of your type cares what’s happening down here with the scum.”
Gabriel tossed them each a coin, which they caught. “Thank you for your time, gentlemen.” He nodded once and slipped into the shadows to wait for Belinda to leave the tavern.
The two men hoisted the third by his shoulders and started down the alley away from him. The sounds of them boasting their good fortune drifted back toward Gabriel.
Gabriel watched the tavern door. His muscles grew stiff from skulking in the shadows and he’d grown used to the foul stench. Several people stumbled from the door and each time it opened, his heart pounded.
Belinda and Foxjohn stepped from the tavern and walked quickly back to the street where they’d left their carriage.
“I appreciate you coming along, Belinda. It always goes better with a lady along to smooth any ruffled feathers. It is also preferable to have some backup, in case it goes bad.” The narrow alley allowed their voices to carry.
“I forgot to ask you, where is Lillian tonight?” Belinda’s voice was businesslike. The fact that she sounded as if she were talking to an associate rather than a lover only made Gabriel feel marginally better.
“She had a family problem to deal with.”
“Family? I had not realized Lillian had family in London.” Her voice rose with surprise.
“Yes, well we all have our secrets, do we not, Belinda?” The smile Foxjohn turned on Belinda made Gabriel want to kill him where he stood.
“That we do, Reece.”
They climbed into the same carriage and rolled away down the street.
Gabriel found his hack waiting exactly as he said he would. “What is your name?”
The driver was tall and broad, likely in his late twenties. “Thor, my lord.”
“What an unusual name?”
“Me mum was Norwegian, said it would make me a god.” He looked back at his vehicle and laughed.
Gabriel liked the hack driver. He gave him the direction to the Clayton townhouse and climbed in. When they arrived, Thor climbed down.
“Thank you for your assistance tonight.” Gabriel handed Thor more money.
He put his hand up and shook his head. “Keep your money, my lord. You still want me to come by tomorrow?”
“Yes. As I said, I may have further use of your particular talents.”
Thor grinned wide. “Then we can work out my wages tomorrow, my lord.”
Gabriel nodded and extended his hand.
Thor looked down at the hand and after a pause, took hold and shook it firmly then looked up at the Clayton townhouse. “You sure you don’t need me to wait?”
Gabriel shook his head. “I can manage from here.”
“Tomorrow then.” Thor jumped back up in his seat, set the horses in motion and turned the corner out of sight.
Chapter 5
Belinda arrived home and collapsed into an overstuffed chair in the front parlor. It had been along while since she’d had such an easy assignment, but her bones ached with weariness just the same.
Claire lit the lamps and made sure Belinda had a warm fire, as the night was cool. She left a pot of tea and a light meal as well.
Going into a seedy tavern and questioning some unsavory people had made for an interesting evening. The man with a family that had gone missing disturbed her, as did the woman found bitten during her murder. Normal murders didn’t usually include biting. She shivered at the idea.
The plate of stewed beef, potatoes and peas no longer looked appetizing, but she sipped her tea and thought about what demon might bite his victim.
Normally she didn’t go out on nights that were strictly for information-gathering. Reece and Lillian always handled that. They were well known and trusted in the taverns and boarding houses. It was the Company’s policy that no one worked alone and so tonight
, Reece needed her.
“I find myself wondering what it is you are thinking about.” Gabriel’s voice cut through her reverie. Dressed in black and white evening clothes with his cravat perfectly tied, he leaned against the door jam. A few strands of hair had escaped his queue and fell over his forehead and cheek.
Her cup teetered in the saucer before she stilled her nerves. “Gabriel, what are you doing here?” She wanted to be angry with him for always showing up when she didn’t expect him, but her mind was too full of other thoughts and she was too tired.
His eyes narrowed on her. The muscle in his jaw ticked in spite of his casual stance. He entered the room and sat next to her. He immediately began picking at the food on her plate.
“Help yourself.”
He smiled, though the expression didn’t touch his eyes.
“You are angry with me again?” She already knew the answer.
“Yes.”
That one word descended on her as if it were an anvil. Why couldn’t he leave her in peace for one exhausted evening? She needed to calm her mind and then sleep. She did not need to have a battle of wits with her soon-to-be-erstwhile fiancé. “Would you care to tell me why?”
He didn’t speak as he finished off her food. He leaned back and watched her for longer than was comfortable.
She squirmed and had to force herself to remain still under his scrutiny. “If you do not wish to tell me why you are angry, then you may as well go home, Gabriel. I’m not in the mood for games.”
His mouth lifted on one side into a smirk. She did not care for the expression one bit. “I think my irritation with you is caused not by you as much as by what your actions have caused me to do.”
“What have you done?” Her voice lowered with concern. Her heart beat faster.
He shook his head. “We are getting ahead of ourselves.”
She watched him.
He reclined, but the muscle in his jaw ticked and his stared never moved from her eyes. There was a ferocity in his gaze, which she would never have expected from Gabriel.
Her instincts told her to tread carefully.
“I have taken note of your servants.”
Her mind reeled. What was he playing at? “Have you?”
“Indeed. How long has your maid been with you?”
“Since I was a girl.”
He leaned forward frowning. “No. When you were a girl, you had an old gray-haired maid named Dorothy. I remember her very well. We used to play pranks on her and vex her quite regularly.”
The memories of playing with Gabriel as a child or those of her beloved Dorothy brought her a bubble of joy. “Dorothy retired a few years ago. Claire was the downstairs maid and I promoted her. Why do you ask?”
“She seems loyal and very familiar.”
“Why should my staff not be loyal to me?”
He nodded. “The butler is quite young.”
“Faust has proven himself a very good butler.”
“I’m sure he has. When did he begin working for you?”
“Why do you not just ask me what you want to know, Gabriel? Stop interrogating me. I am not a criminal.” Now she was angry. How dare he try to obtain information in such a way?
The laugh that erupted from Gabriel’s lips grated with distaste. “Believe me, Bella, if I thought there was the slightest chance that you would answer my questions, I would ask you directly.”
“For goodness sake, what do you want to know about Faust?” She was tired. Maybe if she answered his questions, he would go away.
“How long has he worked for you?”
“Three and a half years.”
“So he was hired just after your abduction?”
She didn’t like where the conversation was going. Why did he ask so many questions? She tried to think of a way to change subject. “What of it? The old butler was ailing. Father pensioned him, and I hired Faust.”
“You hired the butler, not your mother of father?”
“They were busy.”
“Do you have an answer for everything, Bella?” He stood and paced the room.
“I do not know what you want me to say. You want answers and then when you get them you berate me for having them.” Her voice was rising as frustration muddled her good sense.
“I want you to say that Faust is a big strong man and you hired him to protect you after you were abducted. I want you to say that you were afraid and needed protection,” he shouted.
She calmed herself as much as possible. She couldn’t let him make her unstable and force her to do something she’d regret. “Fine, that is true. He is a capable bodyguard as well as butler. Are you satisfied?”
Anger flashed in his eyes. “Hardly, but it is a start.”
Belinda tried to change the subject since the conversation flagged. She took a sip of her cooling tea. “Shall I call for more tea?”
“Who is Reece Foxjohn?”
Her tea slipped from her fingers and clattered in the saucer. She eased the china into the saucer before looking up at Gabriel. “Who?”
He studied her, watched her every move. What was he looking for? “Do not play with me, Bella. I am in no mood. You were with a man named Reece Foxjohn tonight.”
“Do not be ridiculous.” She raised her voice hoping she sounded outraged.
He rubbed his jaw and ran his fingers through his hair. The action pulled the locks free from the tie leaving them falling around his face. The tie tumbled to the plush carpet while Gabriel paced stiffly across the room. He stopped gripping the back of an overstuffed chair. “You are a terrible liar, Bella.”
“Actually I’m an excellent liar, you somehow…” She decided not to finish the thought that admitted her falsehood.
He smirked. “I know you.”
“It is irrelevant.”
“I suppose it is. Let’s get back to that thing that I have done that I’m not entirely proud of.”
She sat forward. “Yes?”
Gabriel was the most honorable man she’d ever known. What was the cause of his shame and how did it involve Reece?”
“I followed you.”
Her heart leapt into her throat. What was he talking about? Suddenly the empty pit of her stomach roiled with dread. “When? Why?”
“You would not tell me where you were going or where you had been. I had to find out.” He said it as if that were enough explanation for his behavior.
Her initial shock ebbed as anger took its place. “I think you should leave now, Gabriel.”
He claimed to know her so well and yet he did not note the rage welling up inside of her. Most people and demons would likely back down when they saw her becoming angry. Even Reece with all his joking, knew when he pushed her too far. Her youthful temper had evolved into something else since the time of her abduction. Something she controlled with moderate success.
“I’m not leaving. I followed you and I know who you were with.” His eyes burned with his own rage.
This might turn out all right. She could live with the fact that he had betrayed her trust by following her. The outcome of the evening might be worth it in the long run. “Then you saw me with Foxjohn. You know he is my lover.”
Oddly, he smiled. “I watched you leave this house. You walked, hooded, to a carriage with insignia I do not know. You got in. I assume Foxjohn was inside with you. And while I’m not entirely comfortable with you risking my name by behaving in such a way—”
“Your name!” She leaped from the chair. Her hand twitched and it took all of her restraint to keep from pulling the knife from under her skirt. “I think your own behavior puts your honor in much more jeopardy, my lord. You betrayed my trust by following me. You are dangerously close to being something other than a gentleman.”
His eyes narrowed. “I admit that it is not the most gentlemanly thing I have ever done, but it is also not the least. You forget I have been a soldier, Bella. I have done unspeakable things.”
“Are you trying to frighten me? It will not work.” She moved sideways for a better angle.
“I know you do not have any other lover than me, Bella. I want to know what you do at night besides meet strange men and kill others in cold blood.”
Her heart stopped and pushed into her throat. “What are you talking about? I do not—”
“I saw you.”
“You do not know what you saw.” Her mind reeled.
His face turned red and his fists clenched and unclenched. “I saw the woman I love and who is mine by signed contract, kill a man on a Southwark street and just leave him lying in the gutter. A couple of thugs came and cleaned up your mess. You showed no remorse at all for burying your knife in that poor man’s gut.”
Belinda’s stomach flipped as if she’d eaten an eel. She’d put the entire organization at risk. “You do not know what you’re talking about.”
“I know what I saw.”
That was two nights before. He’d followed her more than once. Rage burned inside her, but at the same time, the fact that he hadn’t abandoned her even after believing she’d killed a man in cold blood was remarkable. He’d come for her since then, held her in the garden and followed her again. “Why are you still here, if this is what you think of me, Gabriel?”
The fire in his eyes dimmed and the hard line of his lips softened. “Because I do not want to believe it. Tell me what’s happening. Make me understand.”
She was trapped. How could she have been so foolish? She leaped onto the low coffee table, reached down, pulled the knife from under her skirt and came down on her other leg in front of Gabriel. She stopped with the point of her blade just under his jaw. “I do not have to explain myself to you.”
He stood his ground. “So now you’re going to kill me in cold blood too?”
Kill him? Kill Gabriel? Obviously she couldn’t do it and he knew it too. “Why can you not just accept that Reece and I are lovers and leave me alone?”
With no apparent regard for the knife at his throat, he smiled. “Because I know you are not. You are still mine, Bella.”
She pressed the knife and drew a bead of blood from his neck. “I do not belong to anyone.”
Ascension Page 6