“Blood money?” Lily asked in confusion.
“Rewards given him by private citizens for finding and returning stolen children. Knox has collected rewards for resolving
several such cases this year.”
Lily’s eyes widened with surprise and anger. “Then the gang abducts children … Mr. Knox returns them … and they all
divide the reward money amongst themselves? Why has he returned everyone’s child except mine? Why not Nicole?”
“Giuseppe may have persuaded him that they’d make more by keeping Nicole and draining you of everything you had.”
Lily was still. “He was right,” she said numbly. “I handed over several fortunes to him. I gave him whatever he wanted.”
She dropped her head into her hands. “Oh, God,” she muttered. “What a naive, blind fool I’ve been. I made it so damned
easy for them.”
While she remained hunched over, his hand settled over her head, his long fingers sifting through her curls in an easy, repeated stroke. Until now she had winced away from his attempts to embrace her, but she allowed the soothing massage, the tense muscles in her neck loosening.
“Don’t blame yourself,” Alex said gently. “You were alone and frightened. They took advantage of that. It’s impossible to look
at things objectively when you’re afraid for your child.”
Lily’s mind seemed to spin with questions. What did he think of her now that he knew all about her past? … Did he feel pity
or censure? … Was he only being kind until he felt she was strong enough to face his rejection? She told herself that she
couldn’t make a move toward him until she had the answers. She would rather die than force herself on him … but rational thought was becoming impossible with his fingers playing softly in her hair. A surge of need rose inside her, and she couldn’t
stop herself from lifting her head with a quiet plea. She didn’t care if it was pity. She just wanted him to hold her.
“Sweetheart.” Alex gathered her into his lap, cradling her tenderly as she buried her face against his neck. He seemed to read
her thoughts easily, as if she were a treasured volume he had paged through a thousand times. By telling her secrets, she had given him that power over her. “I love you,” he said against her temple, brushing back her hair with his fingertips.
“You can’t-”
“Quiet. Listen to me carefully, Wilhemina. Your mistakes, your past, your fears … none of it will change how I feel about you.”
She swallowed hard, trying to absorb the statement. “I-I don’t like that name,” she faltered.
“I know,” he said gently. “Because it reminds you of when you were a girl. Wilhemina is frightened and eager, wanting to be loved. And Lily is strong and brave, and would tell the world to go to hell if she wanted to.”
“Which do you prefer?” she whispered.
He nudged her chin upward, staring into her eyes. He smiled slightly. “All of you. Every part of you.”
Lily trembled at the assurance in his voice, but as he lowered his mouth to hers, she flinched. She wasn’t ready for sensual
kisses or embraces … her inner wounds were raw … she needed time to heal. “Not yet,” she whispered pleadingly, afraid he would be angry at her refusal. Instead he gathered her close again, and she rested her head on his shoulder with a weary sigh.
*
It was ten o’clock in the morning. At the East End of London shops had been open since eight, the streets filled with the noise
and bustle of vendors, wagons, fishermen, and milkmaids as they all went about their work. Here in the West End, the populace awakened in a far more leisurely fashion. Having arrived early at the corner of Hyde Park, Lily watched the world outside the carriage window. Milk women, chimney sweeps with their soot bags, newsmen, and bakery boys rang at the doors of fine
homes, greeted by maidservants. Children walked along the streets with their nannies to take the morning air, while their
parents would not stir from bed and partake of breakfast until early afternoon. In the distance was the drumbeat and music
of the guards marching from their barracks toward Hyde Park.
Lily’s gaze sharpened as she saw a lone figure come to stand by a timber post next to the street corner. It was Alton Knox, garbed in the traditional Learie uniform—black breeches and boots and a gray coat studded with shiny brass buttons. A low-crowned hat topped his head. After taking a steadying breath, Lily leaned out the carriage window and beckoned with her handkerchief. “Mr. Knox,” she said in a low voice. “Over here. Please come to the carriage.”
Knox complied, exchanging a brief, pleasant word with the footman before climbing into the privacy of the enclosed vehicle. Removing his hat, he smoothed his salt-and-pepper hair, and murmured a greeting. A solidly built man of medium height, he
had a nondescript face that could have belonged to a man much younger than his forty years.
Lily sat in the opposite seat, giving him a nod of welcome. “Mr. Knox, I appreciate your willingness to meet here instead of
at my residence. For obvious reasons, I cannot allow my husband, the earl, to discover that I have conducted any business
with you. He would insist on explanations …” She let her voice trail off and looked at him helplessly.
“Of course, Miss Lawson.” Knox paused and corrected himself with a faint smile. “But of course, it is Lady Raiford now.”
“My marriage was an unexpected turn of events,” Lily admitted self-consciously. “It has altered my life in many ways …
except one. I still am determined to find my daughter Nicole.” She lifted a money pouch and jangled it slightly.
“Fortunately I now have the means to continue the search. I would like your help in this matter, as before.”
Knox’s gaze riveted on the money pouch, and he gave her what was intended to be a reassuring smile. “Consider me
reinstated, Lady Raiford.” He reached out his hand, and she gave him the small but hefty bag. “Now, tell me how matters
stand with Gavazzi.”
“My communications with Count Gavazzi have not ceased, Mr. Knox. In fact, he boldly confronted me last night, making
entirely new demands.”
“Last night?” he questioned in surprise. “New demands?”
“Yes.” Lily gave a distraught sigh. “Before, as you know, Giuseppe wanted only money. That I was able and willing to supply,
as long as I believed there was hope I would regain my child. But last night …” She broke off and shook her head with a sound
of disgust.
“What sort of demands?” Knox asked. “Forgive my bluntness, but did he ask for your personal favors, my lady?”
“No. Although he did make advances that I found intolerable, it was even worse than that. Count Gavazzi threatens everything
I have, my home, my marriage, my social position, because of some ludicrous ambition of his to become a member of the
beau monde!” Lily hid her satisfaction as she saw that Knox’s face was wiped clean with astonishment.
“I can scarcely credit that,” he managed to say.
“It’s true.” She lifted a lace handkerchief to the corner of her eye, pretending to blot a tiny tear. “He approached me at
Lady Lyon’s birthday celebration last night, arrayed like a straggly peacock, in front of hundreds of people! He demanded
that I introduce him, and become his sponsor so that he would become accepted into the elite circles. Oh, Mr. Knox,
you should have seen the dreadful spectacle.”
“The fool!” he burst out angrily, paying little heed to how odd his sudden fury must have seemed.
“He was witnessed by several people, including Lord Lyon and my own husband. When I managed to coax him to a private corner, he revealed his bizarre ambitions. He said that he would return my daughter back to me soon, but first he wants my infl
uence to gain him a position of social consequence. The idea is quite unsupportable. He’s known in Italy as a scoundrel,
a criminal! How could he imagine he would be well-received here?”
“He’s nothing but foreign scum,” Knox said grimly. “And now it seems he’s not only worthless but unstable.”
“Exactly, Mr. Knox. And unstable men tend to betray themselves—and their schemes—with foolish mistakes. Is that not so?”
“You’re correct,” he said with a sudden and unnatural calmness. “In all probability he will become a victim of his own greed.”
There was a cold flatness to his gaze that chilled her. His grave face had taken on a reptilian expression—sinister and predatory. There was no doubt, Lily thought, that he intended to put an end to Giuseppe’s dangerously unrestrained behavior. If Knox truly was involved with Giuseppe and some rookery gang, his fortunes were tied to theirs, and the wagging of loose tongues was untenable.
Earnestly Lily leaned forward and touched his arm. “I pray you will find my Nicole.” she said softly. “Mr. Knox, I can promise
you a significant reward if you succeed in this.” She placed a delicate emphasis on significant, and he visibly savored the word.
“This time I will not fail you,” Knox said firmly. “I shall resume my investigations this very morning, Lady Raiford.”
“Please, use discretion in notifying me of your progress. My husband … the necessity of secrecy …”
“Of course,” Knox assured her. Replacing his hat, he bid her good day and left the carriage, his weight causing the vehicle to
lurch slightly. He walked away with the brisk stride of a man with a destination in mind.
Lily’s appealing expression vanished as soon as he turned away, and she watched him through the carriage window with cold,
dark eyes. “Go to hell, you bastard,” she whispered. “And while you’re at it, take Giuseppe with you.”
*
After telling Alex and Sir Nathan the details of the meeting with Knox, and placing every possible construction on his words,
there was nothing to do but wait. Henry had gone to the British Museum with his tutor to study Greek vases and antiquities. Although none of the servants understood what was going on, they were all subdued, aware of the tension that permeated
every room of the mansion. Lily longed to go for an invigorating ride, but she was afraid to leave the house in case something occurred while she was away.
Half-wild with the need to do something, she attempted a bit of needlework, but she kept accidentally pricking her fingertips
until the handkerchief she was embroidering was spotted with blood. She couldn’t understand how Alex remained so
maddeningly calm, attending to paperwork in the library as if this were any other day.
Drinking endless cups of tea, she paced, read, and endlessly shuffled cards in a rhythm that had become second nature to her.
The only reason she managed to swallow a few mouthfuls at dinner was because of Alex’s bullying and his sardonic comments that she would be of no use to anyone if she starved herself.
Finding the privacy of her room unendurable, she seated herself in the corner of one of the settees in the parlor, while Alex
read aloud from a book of poetry. Lily thought he had deliberately chosen the most tedious passages. His deep voice, the
ticking clock, and the wine she’d consumed at dinner combined to make her eyelids heavy. She settled deeply against the
brocaded cushions of the settee, and felt herself drifting into the quiet gray mist of sleep.
What could have been minutes or hours later, she was aware of Alex’s voice close to her ear, and his gentle but urgent hand
on her shoulder, shaking her awake. “Lily. Sweetheart, open your eyes.”
“Hmm?” She rubbed her eyes and murmured groggily. “Alex, what are you—”
“Word from Nathan,” he said, picking up her slippers from the floor and shoving them onto her feet. “The men Nathan planted
on Knox have followed him to the St. Giles rookery. Nathan and a dozen officers have cornered him in a nethersken. We’re
to go there immediately.”
“St. Giles,” she echoed, snapping awake. It was arguably the most dangerous place in London, a slum riddled with thieves’
kitchens and nicknamed the “Holy Land.” Even police officers did not dare venture past its borders of Great Russell and
St.Giles High streets. They knew it as a criminal stronghold, where thieves and murders could mine the riches of the West End and escape into the murky network of yards, narrow alleys, and crooked lanes. “Did the message say anything about Nicole? About any children—”
“No.” Alex fastened a dark cloak around her. He led her outside to the waiting carriage before she had time to ask more questions. Lily swept a quick glance at the half-dozen armed outriders, realizing that Alex was taking no chances with their
safety.
The carriage hurtled through the streets with a violent clatter. Two outriders traveled far enough ahead to clear the way of pedestrians or slow-moving vehicles. Clenching her hands together, Lily tried to calm herself, but she could feel her pulse throbbing in panic. The streets and courts they passed became older and progressively filthier, the buildings crammed together
so tightly that they allowed no air or light between them. The people slinking around the decaying areas were withered and
ghostly white. Even the children. The rank smell of thousands of uncovered cesspits drifted inside the carriage, causing Lily to wrinkle her nose in disgust. She caught a glimpse of the distinctive spiral tower of St. Giles-in-the-Fields, a church which had begun as the chapel of a medieval leper hospital.
The carriage stopped in front of a nethersken, an old, crumbling lodging house. Alex got out of the carriage and conferred
with one of the outriders and the driver, telling them to guard his wife carefully. If necessary, they were to drive the carriage
away at the first sign of danger.
“No!” Lily exclaimed, trying to leave the vehicle, but Alex barred the doorway with his arm, preventing her from climbing out.
“I’m going in there with you!” Her blood rushed with agitation and excited fury. “You wouldn’t dare leave me outside!”
“Lily,” he said quietly, giving her a hard stare. “I’ll give you leave to come in soon. But first I’m going to make certain it’s safe. You’re more precious to me than my own life. I won’t risk you for any reason.”
“The place is swarming with officers,” she pointed out heatedly. “At the moment it’s probably the safest place in London!
Besides, it’s my daughter we’re searching for!”
“I know that.” He swore underneath his breath. “Dammit, Lily, I don’t know what we’re going to find in there. I don’t want
you to see something that may hurt you.”
She stared at him steadily and made her tone very soft. “We’ll face it together. Don’t protect me, Alex. Just let me stand
by your side.”
Alex looked at her a long moment. Abruptly he slid his arm around her waist and swung her from the carriage. She slipped her hand in his as they walked to the doorway of the nethersken, where a battered door had been removed from its hinges and set aside. Two officers waited for them, greeting Alex respectfully. They looked askance at Lily. One of them murmured that there had been some deaths during the invasion of the building. Perhaps she wouldn’t care to go inside.
“She’ll be all right,” Alex said curtly, and preceded Lily into the nethersken, still retaining her hand. The air in the building was stifling and fetid. They climbed a few broken steps and proceeded down a narrow, garbage-littered hall. Insects crept busily
up and down the walls. The repulsive odor of burnt herring came strongly from one of the rooms they passed, where someone must have toasted fish in the blackened fireplace. There was little furniture except a f
ew bare tables and pallets strewn on the floor. Straw was stuffed in between the shards of glass at the windows. As they went deeper into the nethersken, toward the sound of voices, Alex felt Lily’s hand clench tighter on his until her fingers had formed a crushing vise.
They approached a large room crowded full of officers. They were engaged in subduing outraged suspects and reporting information to Sir Nathan. Wailing children were ratted out from the corners of the building and brought to him. Nathan stood
in the center of the room, surveying the scene calmly and giving soft-voiced orders that were obeyed with alacrity. Alex paused
as he saw three piled-up bodies before them in the hall, ragged men from the rookery that must have been killed in the fray. He heard Lily’s soft gasp, and he looked more closely at one of them. Nudging the lifeless body with his boot, he turned it over. Giuseppe’s glassy eyes stared up at them.
Lily recoiled from the sight and whispered his name.
Alex surveyed the blood-soaked body without emotion. “Knife wound,” he observed with detached interest, and pulled lily
with him into the crowded room.
Upon seeing them, Nathan signaled for them to stay there, and he made his way to them. “My lord,” he said, and gestured
to the bodies behind them. “The plan worked only too well. Knox made his way here as soon as night fell. It was only through
the efforts of our man Clibhorne, a specialist on the rookery, that we were able to follow him through the area—roof, yard, and cellar. By the time our forces arrived, Knox had already killed Gavazzi out of fear that he would betray the entire scheme. Knox has confessed to us that afterward he intended to return the child to Lady Raiford and collect the reward money she had promised.” Nathan gestured to the sullen Knox, bound and seated on the floor in line, his back to the wall. He was lined up
with four other men, all of them captured gang members. Knox glared at Lily with hatred, but she was too anxious to notice.
Her gaze traveled frantically over the half-dozen children in the room.
“What of these children?” Alex asked Nathan.
“All belonging to well-heeled families, according to Knox. We’ll try to return them to their parents— without accepting
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