The Scarlet Bride

by Cheryl Ann Smith

  He’d suffered through three days of a headache. Noelle’s mother was a harridan who’d somehow taken control over parts of Arthur’s life. The rest had fallen to bankers and stewards and Father. Unfortunately, Father hadn’t paid the attention he should have to the estate after their oldest brother, Noelle and Eva’s father, had died. Arthur had inherited, and as the youngest son, Walter was left to make his own fortune from an inheritance and prudent investments.

  Now the whole estate was in disarray, and it would take months to pull it into some semblance of order.

  Since the moment they’d received the grim news, the household had been overwhelmed. Simon was overwhelmed. He needed a moment to breathe. He called for Horse and turned him toward the courtesan school.

  Neither Sophie nor Eva protested his arrival, as the former led him through the house to the garden. Laura sat in a chair beneath a tree, a book open in her lap, looking devastatingly beautiful in the mottled sunshine.

  His heart skipped. Lud, how he’d missed her!

  With his attention drawn to her, he barely noted the guard loitering by the back gate as Laura looked up from her reading.

  “I had to come,” he said awkwardly. She placed the book on the table and rose. Without a word, she slipped into his arms and laid her head on his chest. He lowered his face to her hair and inhaled her sweet scent.

  “How is your family?” she asked softly.

  “We have fared better.” He kissed her head. The headache that had plagued him faded. “I wish you hadn’t left.”

  “I had to.” She lifted her face. “Your parents didn’t need a stranger in their home while they were dealing with their grief. And how would you have explained me?”

  He smiled grimly. “Your leaving didn’t silence the questions. They know you were Aunt Bernie’s companion, but nothing more. But you’re correct. Mother and Father will wait to press the issue of you until after the chaos has settled.”

  The wind fluttered through the garden, and birds chattered overhead. After days of sober silence and tears, the small space was a welcome respite.

  “Is Aunt Bernie well?” Laura eased from his arms and reclaimed her seat. Simon joined her in an open chair.

  “As well as she can be. She was closest to Arthur. I believe she hoped one day he’d surprise her and come home. Now she will never see him again.”

  Laura’s eyes clouded. “I am sorry for her loss.”

  “I will tell her.” Aunt Bernie had asked after her. Simon told his aunt that Laura was called away on a family matter.

  During the short time they’d been together, Bernie had developed a fondness for Laura, even insisting she call her “Aunt Bernie” as the family did. And his aunt had not once indulged in sherry while under Laura’s care. That was an added benefit of placing Laura as her companion.

  “His Grace spoke to Crawford last evening. The investigator met with a former footman who knew where Henry was staying before the murder. Crawford went to the inn and missed him by a day. He has vanished again. Fortunately, Crawford has new information as to where Henry might be hiding.”

  “Surely we can worry about this later,” Laura said and took his hand. He rubbed her soft skin with his thumb.

  “I need to keep my mind occupied. My father currently refuses my assistance and my mother is caring for relatives who are arriving from all corners of England.” He grimaced. “I cannot go back.”

  Laura sympathized. “I’ve never had more than my parents. I can only imagine how overwhelming so many family members in one town house can be.” In spite of his grumbling about his large family, she envied him. She’d longed for siblings while growing up—sisters to share confidences, brothers to frighten off unsuitable suitors, and cousins to come and fill their small house on holidays.

  A pang of longing tugged at her heart.

  “Hmm.” Simon watched a bird land on a rosebush. “It’s odd how life can change in an instant.”

  “I know that well,” she agreed. She wanted to kiss away his hurts, ease his mind, speak wise words to make his situation easier. However, it wasn’t her place. Now that he’d taken one step closer to the title, any future for them was impossible. “What will you do now?”

  “I will hide here with you for a few hours. Then, I will plunge back into the fray. Hopefully in a few days, when Arthur has been interred in the family crypt, all will settle again.”

  Laura raked her gaze over him. Her heart squeezed painfully. She hated throwing another topic into the conversation while he was already troubled, but there was no better time. She had to know his thoughts about her.

  “No, I meant what will you do now that you are a viscount? You cannot push aside the fact that you are directly in line to inherit. You must plan for your future.”

  Simon stared thoughtfully at her for a moment. “You are wondering what I intend to do with you?”

  If only there were another option. “You cannot hide from your responsibility. Eventually, you will have to say good-bye.”

  Sadly, he did not deny it. There were too many obstacles to overcome: her past, her poverty, his title, his family, society.

  “Must we speak of this now?” he said. “I have many things to worry about in the next few days. My uncle’s funeral and catching a killer are only two. Once both have been settled, the picture will be clearer. Until then, I intend to enjoy your company.”

  Simon left two hours later. Laura was no closer to accepting his loss. She was deeply in love with her viscount. That would never change. However, she had to be practical. The end was bearing down on them. A broken heart was in her future.

  Thankfully, he did not love her. One of them had kept a sensible head, and it wasn’t she.

  “Laura?”

  Jane walked toward her, her timing impeccable. Laura wondered if the three remaining courtesans had been watching her and Simon from the window. They were concerned for her.

  The courtesans were told only that Laura was in danger through her former patron. This was to explain the guards and to keep them vigilant. Laura hated to put them in this situation.

  “Miss Noelle is taking Mariette, Polly, and me shopping. We were wondering if you wanted to join us.” Jane glanced at the guard at the gate. “Miss Noelle has arranged for Thomas and a second guard to go with us. You will be perfectly safe.”

  Her first thought was to refuse. Her second was that she could use a distraction. The tension in the household was nerve fraying for everyone.

  Besides, how could she win over her fear while hiding away at the school? “I would like that very much.” She reclaimed her book and followed Jane into the house.

  Laura didn’t know Polly well. The blue-eyed blonde was almost as shy as Jane. With everything happening in her own life, Laura hadn’t taken the time to get to know the young woman as perhaps she should have. Now it was too late.

  Bess and two other former courtesans had already married and were gone. Polly was matched and marrying tomorrow, and Mariette and Jane were in final arrangements to do the same, sometime that week or next. Soon the house would be empty but for Sophie and the small staff. Laura knew she’d miss them all very much.

  The positive of their leaving was getting them out of harm’s way. The negative was losing their companionship.

  “I thought the ladies would enjoy an outing,” Miss Noelle said as she pulled on her gloves. “It will be their last as unmarried women.”

  Laura’s eyes met hers. Tension had etched lines around Miss Noelle’s eyes. Laura realized the frivolous shopping day was as much for the courtesan rescuer as for the courtesans.

  “I cannot believe I will be a wife soon,” Jane said. Her excitement lifted spirits all around.

  Laura smiled, relieved for the lightened mood. “Mister Adams is an ideal match for you, Jane. He is clearly smitten.”

  Jane flushed. “I am as well.” The sweet-natured courtesan would make Mister Adams a wonderful wife.

  “My Mister Albert has readied his home in
Bath for my arrival,” Polly said with ill-concealed excitement of her own. “He assures me that his children are eager to meet me. Since his wife died, the poor little dears have been left in the care of a nurse. I cannot wait to be their mother.”

  This was the first time Laura had heard of this. She knew Polly’s Mister Albert had two very young children. She didn’t know that Polly looked forward to motherhood with such enthusiasm. Her respect grew.

  “You will make them an excellent mother,” Mariette said. “And they will adore you.”

  Polly smiled shyly as Miss Noelle shooed them out the door and into the coach. “I do love children.”

  Bond Street was relatively quiet when the five women arrived a short time later. For the next several hours, they went from shop to shop with no destination in mind. They looked at gowns, hats, and gloves. Small purchases were made. Even Laura managed to find a pair of lace gloves for herself.

  “I had reservations about inviting you today,” Miss Noelle said to Laura during a private moment. “However, you appeared so forlorn these last few days. I worried that you might slip into melancholia without a distraction.”

  Laura toyed with the fine white gloves. “You need not fear for my sanity. I am quite hale.” She paused and sighed. “I do fret about how my situation will affect the school, Simon, everyone. I could not have imagined how the repercussions of my escape would negatively affect the people I’d meet henceforth.”

  “Posh.” Miss Noelle lifted a scarf to the light. “None of this is your doing. Now, let us think of something else. Oh, look at that yellow fabric….”

  Smiling, Laura followed her across the store and temporarily forgot her troubles.

  Thomas kept watch and carried the packages to the coach. The other man lingered, out of sight, on the ready to protect Laura should the need arise. Nearing the close of their shopping day, they went into a milliner’s shop after Miss Noelle spotted a hat adorned with ostrich feathers in the window.

  The last one to enter the shop, Laura paused to look up the street for Thomas. He was taking a long time to reappear.

  Disquiet settled over her. With a killer still free, she’d taken comfort in the presence of the servant. It was late afternoon and people were now filling the street. She hoped he hadn’t gotten turned about somehow and lost them.

  She let the door close and stepped back onto the walk. She’d wait for him outside in case her hunch was correct.

  Minutes ticked by. No Thomas. Worried, she decided to walk back to the coach. With the street full of shoppers, she didn’t fear for her safety. And she knew the guard was nearby.

  The unadorned coach wasn’t hard to find in a row of fancy equipages. Miss Eva didn’t like to draw attention to her ladies. Laura waited for a moment for the street to clear before readying herself to dash across.

  A sound brought her upright. She turned to see a young girl of no more than eight or nine, standing near an alley at the side of the milliner’s shop. Her tiny face was clearly distressed. By her clothing, Laura suspected she was poor and was probably begging for coins.

  Laura had heard that some parents beat their children when they didn’t earn their keep. If giving a few coins to the child would keep her from harm, Laura would be happy to oblige.

  She reached into her reticule and walked toward the girl. As she approached, her heart tugged at the sight of dirt-smudged cheeks and a frayed coat.

  “All is well, dearest.” She held out a coin. It was then that Laura noticed there was blood on her coat, near the child’s wrist. “You’ve hurt yourself.”

  She cleared the last few steps when the girl spun and darted down the alley. Surprised, Laura stood rooted to the spot. She looked around for Thomas with a tug of apprehension. He was nowhere in sight.

  The girl needed tending. A killer was lurking. A war raged in her mind. The child won over her fear.

  Cautiously, she walked forward. The alley wasn’t deep and there was no hint of danger. She saw the girl slumped against a wall with her injured wrist cupped in her other hand.

  The child stared helplessly up at Laura.

  “How did you get such a cut?” she asked gently. The girl flinched against the wall as Laura approached. “Let me have a look and perhaps I can make it feel better.”

  Truthfully, she had no idea what she would do with the child. She had very little experience with children. Still, she had to do something to aid her.

  The girl clutched the injured arm tightly against her body. She opened her mouth to speak, and when she did, the words were not words at all but gibberish. Laura realized immediately that the girl was mute.

  Sympathy and pity welled. She forgot everything else but seeing to the child as she knelt in front of her. “Everything will be fine. Now let me see your hand.” The girl shook her head. Laura smiled. “Please?”

  With some hesitation, the child finally held out her hand. Thankfully the cut wasn’t deep. But Laura was shocked to discover that it was straight edged, as if made by a sharp tool.

  “Did someone do this to you, dearest?” It horrified Laura to think that anyone could intentionally hurt the little one.

  The girl met her eyes and nodded slowly. Outrage welled in Laura. She needed to get the child out of the filthy alley and find some help. Miss Noelle would know what to do.

  A sound grabbed her attention. The girl pointed behind Laura and rolled into a tight ball.

  “I knew you couldn’t resist her.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Laura’s stomach lurched. She knew the voice. Henry. She’d allowed herself to be led into a trap.

  He was the one who’d hurt the girl. Somehow he’d known about the shopping outing and had lain in wait for a chance to get her alone. Leading her into the alley had been well planned.

  “How did you know how to find me? Who is the girl? Why would you hurt an innocent?” she asked, the questions tumbling from her. She did not turn to him but stayed crouched in front of the girl to shield her from further harm.

  Laura looked around for a weapon in the filth. There was very little to use for protection.

  The closest thing to a weapon was a shard of glass just out of reach. It wasn’t large, but if she could get to it, the sharp points just might persuade him to back away.

  “If I told you my secrets, then you would take the measures needed to protect yourself.” There was a sneer in his voice. “It is great fun to know that I can take you whenever I wish.”

  Sickening dread washed through Laura. She looked down at the girl and then at the glass. “Please do not hurt us.” She hoped the weakness she portrayed in her voice would be enough to make him believe that she would not fight him.

  He chuckled. “Oh, my dear Laura. You have no idea what I plan for you—”

  Any further verbal torment was cut off as Laura lunged forward on her knees and closed her gloved hand over the shard. Without pause, she spun around, gained her feet, and swung the piece out like a saber.

  Partially masked, Henry’s eyes widened in surprise.

  “I fear you will have to change your plans,” she sneered. “I have no intention of playing your game.”

  An ugly leer split his face as his eyes casually dropped to her breasts. Her flesh recoiled, but she didn’t waver.

  In his hand was a knife. If he lunged for her, she wasn’t certain she could escape unharmed. The shard would provide very little protection from the knife and his greater strength.

  “We are at a stalemate,” he said, snorting. “Bravo. You have won a point. But I intend to win the match.”

  “Then you will be sadly disappointed, for I intend to see you hang.”

  His confidence briefly faltered. He quickly recovered.

  “Tsk-tsk. And I thought we were friends. It saddens me to know that you do not share my affection.” He skimmed his gaze over her face. “If you put down the shard, we can speak calmly about my expectations for you.”

  She tightened her grip. She felt the sharp edges t
hrough her glove. “Or perhaps you should give yourself over to the authorities. I think the Bow Street Runners would be pleased with your confession. Unfortunately, they have focused too long on the wrong suspect.”

  They stood facing each other, each armed and unwilling to stand down. Laura sensed his arrogance and knew that if she showed fear, he would win.

  “Come to me, lamb,” he said to the child. He cocked his finger. The girl whimpered.

  “Stay put,” Laura commanded. She clutched the glass. It shook slightly in her hand. “Touch her again and I will carve you up like a goose.”

  His eyes darkened. He took a step forward, just out of reach, yet close enough for Laura to see the sweat dotting his lip. Perhaps he was not as confident as he portrayed.

  He bit out through clenched teeth, “I will enjoy torturing the defiance out of you.”

  “You will never get the chance.”

  It was the intervention of a stranger that ruined Henry’s plans. “What is happening here?”

  The voice drifted from the street and Henry jumped. The girl skittered out from behind Laura and ran down and out of the alley.

  Laura’s relief to see the child safely away diverted her attention from Henry for only a blink, but it was enough for him to take advantage. She felt pressure on her arm and swung her attention back. Henry fled like a startled hare seconds after she felt her arm sting. She looked down to see that in that instant of distraction, he’d cut her.

  The pain quickly followed, though it wasn’t great. The cut was no more than a scratch.

  Dropping the shard, she hurried from the alley. The stranger who’d spoken was elderly, but he held his cane with a young man’s grip. Clearly he’d planned to help her if Henry hadn’t run off.

  “He has hurt you.” The stranger took her hand and looked at the wound. “You must get that cleaned and bandaged.”

  “I will.” She clutched her arm and met his eyes. “Thank you for your assistance, sir.”