“As much as I’d like to, it’s impossible today.” She picked up her grey gloves and put them on. “Good day to you both.”
She opened the door and stepped out in the corridor. Laurence gritted his teeth. He sure needed to know what that secret project was and if it had anything to do with Napoleon and the war with France. And even if it had anything to do with his own quarters being ransacked. As if someone thought he himself might be hiding something for Mr. Hale. Like he’d ever compromise his own integrity for anyone.
It was worrisome that he hadn’t figured out who’d done it, though. It had been preying on his mind. Once this current mission was over, he’d find the culprits and give them a lesson in gentlemanly behavior.
Chapter Fourteen
Later that evening, Hetty and her mother, dressed for dinner, waited in the parlor for her father to return home. His absence was an odd occurrence since he usually made sure to be in his chambers in plenty of time for his valet to assist him into his formal clothing.
When the valet informed the butler that the master had failed to return from his appointment with Mr. Johnson at the laboratory, the butler sent her mother’s maid up to ask her to come down for a word.
When informed of her husband’s tardiness, Hetty’s mother sent John to the laboratory to chide his father and urge him to return home to dine.
“I cannot understand what is taking John so long to bring your father along. Surely James doesn’t think I’m so angry at the supper being late that he’d be afraid to come. He should know the longer it takes, the worse it will be. Besides, he hates his food to be cold.”
“I know Father can get deeply involved in his experiments and forget about the time, but this is really not like him. I confess, I’m a bit concerned that something may have happened to him.” Hetty didn’t want to believe what she was thinking was true, but what if her father had gone to his club and was drinking again? It was the most likely reason for him to be late and not concerned about eating. Back when he was drinking all the time, he was never hungry.
“Nonsense. You’ll see. All is well. He’s merely excited about that new lens he developed for the war effort.”
“It’s really a good thing, but it’s only going to make the French want our telescopes even more. They already take those away from the prisoners of war as soon as they capture them. I’ve even heard Napoleon himself is jealous of the distances our lenses can see.”
“And now that your father has found that coating that will make them even clearer over the smog and dust of the cannon fire, the Corsican will be more eager to get his officers’ hands on them.”
“I know and who can blame Father for being so happy he found this since it will help us win the war?”
Her mother looked across the room at the door as if willing it to open. “I just wish he’d come home. It’s getting later and later.”
“And where is John? I would think he’d be prodding Father along.”
“James has been keeping the lens hidden so maybe they are secreting it again. Your father is concerned someone will find out about it before he’s ready to reveal it and has changed its hiding place quite a few times.”
Hetty was glad she hadn’t shared any information with Laurence about the project. Mr. Johnson had been circumspect as well. It was a good thing she kept quiet, but it would have been nice if her father had told her it was really a secret. She had no idea until this minute and had only not shared what she knew because she was unhappy with Laurence’s response to her dilemma with Hammond.
Her mother stood and paced the room. “I’m afraid this is taking too long. Maybe something is wrong. I don’t know what to do now.”
“Can we send Simpkins to make inquiries at Father’s club?”
“I can’t imagine James went there. He said he was going to meet Mr. Johnson and would be home in time to dress for dinner.”
Hetty didn’t have any other suggestions, but the feeling that her father was somewhere drinking too much grew in her mind. This was exactly the way he used to behave. If someone told her two weeks ago that he would be back to his old ways, she would never have believed it. Since he’d married Penelope, he’d been sober. Could it be this new discovery for the telescope was making him so anxious that he would overdo the drinking?
“I don’t know where else to look then.” Hetty slammed her hands on her thighs. “Why doesn’t John come?”
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, the front door slammed open, hitting the jamb so hard the whole house seemed to shake.
Hetty and her mother dashed into the hallway.
John stood just inside the door, bent over almost double with his hands on his thighs, trying to catch his breath.
Her mother ran over to John. “What is it? Where is your father? Is he hurt?”
John continued to pant and held up one hand for her to wait a moment.
She continued, “Please. Do we need to send for the doctor? Has he had an attack of some sort? Is he ill?”
Finally, John caught his breath and said, “Father is gone.”
“Gone? What do you mean gone?” Hetty’s mother’s voice was shrill and rose an octave at the end of her sentence.
“I had to untie Johnson when I got to the laboratory.”
“What?” Hetty and her mother said at the same moment.
“Yes. Give me a minute to tell you what I know then you can ask questions.”
Hetty nodded. “Go on.” She reached out and took hold of her mother’s elbow as the lady looked as if she were going to fall. The lady of the house was as pale as a baby lamb.
“When I went inside, I immediately noticed things were turned over and there was a mess on the floor. I thought maybe some experiment went awry, but then I noticed Johnson in the corner trussed up like the Christmas goose.”
“Oh, my God. What if someone killed your father?” Her mother’s knees did buckle then and as Hetty sensed her going to the floor, she called for a chair.
When her mother was seated, John went on. “He’s not dead, Johnson was sure of that. When I got him loose and his mouth uncovered, he said he and Father finished up the work they wanted to do in time for Father to return for dinner. They hid their work and when they were ready to leave, the door burst open and three men came in.”
Her mother moaned. Hetty placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and waited for the rest of the story.
“He said the men made a search of the place yelling about the secret project, but Father refused to say anything. They tied up Johnson and dragged Father out saying something about taking him to their superior.”
“How will we ever find him? How do we know they haven’t killed him already?” Hetty’s mother wailed.
“They want his invention. They won’t kill him.” John sounded stern.
“Until they get it,” Hetty said. She didn’t want to upset her mother more, but it had to be said. Her father was in dire trouble.
“Did you have to say that?” John snarled at her and cast a troubled look at their father’s wife.
“Yes. It’s better to face the problem than ignore it. What are we going to do? Did Mr. Johnson have any idea who these men were?”
“He’s talking to two constables now. That’s what took me so long. I sent a boy to bring them to us and waited for them to arrive. I’m going back, but wanted to bring you the news myself.”
“I’ll go back with you. Maybe I can help,” Hetty said.
“Nonsense. You should stay here and take care of Mother. I’ll send word as soon as I know something.” John turned back to the door. “Now, I really must leave.”
Furious as he walked out, Hetty whirled around and stared at her mother for a moment. “I have to go. I must.”
Her mother nodded once and indicated with a wave of her hand that Hetty should go on.
Trying to decide the quickest way to the laboratory, Hetty stood on the stairs for a moment.
“Perhaps I should call for the small carriag
e?” Simpkins said at her ear, startling her.
“Yes, yes, of course. It wouldn’t be seemly for me to run down the street, would it?”
“I’ll have one of the footmen bring it around. Mr. Hale the younger has taken the larger one back since your father sent it home earlier. I hope the master comes home safely.”
“Me, too.” Hetty needed her father to be all right. Sure, she was upset with him at the moment over the situation with Mr. Hammond, but she didn’t want any harm to come to him. It was all she could do not to burst into tears at the fear in her heart for her sire.
The carriage finally came and once she was handed in, she asked the driver to make haste to the laboratory.
Shocked at the state of disarray when she arrived, Hetty almost collapsed. There were broken stools, all the cabinets were open and there was broken glass strewn everywhere.
There seemed to be an inordinately large number of men in the room, all of them talking at the same time. It was so loud, Hetty couldn’t even think.
In a few moments, as she moved around the area, she noticed Laurence in the corner speaking to Mr. Johnson. She hurried over.
“Mr. Johnson, tell me what happened? You were here when they came in and took my father, weren’t you?”
“Yes, Miss Hale. I was. It happened so fast, I don’t even know how to tell you about it.”
“But he wasn’t hurt? When he left here was he all right?”
“Yes, Miss. He was. There might have been a bit of a cut on his face where one of the men hit him, but otherwise, he was on his feet.”
“I’m so glad to hear it. That relieves my mind. Do you have any idea who the men were?” Hetty asked.
“No. As I was explaining to Mr. Fortescue here, I have no idea who they were. All I know is they were big and nasty. Smelled of old fish and the waterfront.”
Hetty looked at Laurence. “Do you think they may have taken him down to the river?”
“I don’t know, but I’m going to see if I can help find him and that sounds like a good place to start. You should return home and I’ll send word to you later,” Laurence said.
“You’re exactly like my brother.” Hetty wanted nothing more than to stomp her foot in anger, but knew that would only serve to show him he was correct about women needing to sit home and wait for messages about their loved one. “He said the same thing. Neither of you know me at all if you can think for even one moment that I would sit idly by while my father is in danger.”
“Putting yourself out in the streets at night is even more dangerous than you realize. There is evil afoot in the darkness. Men who wouldn’t think of heinous acts in broad daylight are likely to amuse themselves with a woman they find out after a certain hour. Trust me on this, Miss Hale, you need to return to the safety of your own fireside and let your brother and others try to find your father.” Laurence shook hands with Mr. Johnson. “Better get your own wounds seen to.”
“I will. Thank you.” Johnson smiled a grim smile at Hetty. “Do you want me to see you home?”
“No, thank you. I have the small carriage.”
John, seemingly just noticing her, charged across the room directly at her. “What are you doing? Didn’t I tell you to stay with Mother?”
“I can’t sit aside while Father is in danger. I won’t.”
Grabbing her elbow, John dragged her to the hallway. “I’m sending you home and you better be there when I return. We do not have time for this behavior. It’s not suitable for you to be out here and you will obey me in Father’s absence.”
Laurence followed them to the street. As John handed her into the carriage with orders to the driver to make sure they returned immediately to her father’s house and that he see her inside, Laurence stepped up.
“I promise to come tell you what we find as soon as we know something. Your brother is right. If you were out in one of the search parties, we’d spend a lot of our time worrying about you and that won’t help your father at all. We need to focus all our attention on finding him before he comes to any harm.” Laurence leaned his head into the carriage. “We’re friends, right? You trust me to do all I can to help find your father, right?”
She nodded. Knowing how much he admired her father as well as the debt he owed him for all the assistance over the years with his projects, she was sure he would make every effort he could to find his mentor.
“Then go and try to rest. I’ll be by to talk to you before you know it. And God willing, bring good news.”
As the carriage rolled away, Hetty wiped a stray tear from her cheek and prayed Laurence was right. She also planned her escape from the house later that evening. They were dead wrong if they thought she was going to sit by the fire with tea and crackers and wait for news.
When Laurence heard from the men he had watching the laboratory that three men had broken in and taken Mr. Hale away, he made his way to the building to talk to Mr. Johnson about what happened. One of the men had followed the gang and Laurence was waiting for a report from him as to where they had taken Mr. Hale.
Knowing it may be the following day before he got that report, Laurence took his time at the scene and had several discussions with the others in the room.
Stunned to see Miss Hale come in, he was glad when she came immediately to speak to Johnson. He needed to know what she was planning to do since he had no doubt, based on her prior stubbornness when it came to certain things she wanted that were denied her, she intended to take some action.
Relieved after some conversation that she said she would return to her home and wait for him to bring her information, he finally decided to make his way to his own quarters and see if there was a note or any further information from his man.
Five hours after he arrived home, a knock came on the door.
Opening the door to one of the local men he used on occasion to watch out for him, he said, “Any news?”
“Yes. He’s being taken either to Bristol or Cardiff. Or at least that’s the word so far. They’re definitely heading that direction.”
“You think they’ll take him into Wales?” Laurence asked.
The man shook his head. “This is all I have. They’re still being followed so I’m sure we’ll have another report soon. I sent word back that you’d be following soon. We’ve arranged for letters to be left for you at various coaching stops along the way, approximately every thirty miles.”
“Thank you. I’ll be sure to stop as I can in order to receive word.”
As soon as the man was gone, Laurence packed his valise and went out to the carriage and driver he’d rented at the government’s expense. He was a bit confused why the men would be going in the opposite direction to France, but trusted they were definitely his quarry. Why wouldn’t matter once he caught them. This had to be the move to get whatever that new project was of Hale’s to the French.
He hoped he could get the whole group of them in this one trip. Having other agents on standby was vital and he’d already sent word to his superior and the spy ring that he’d forward the route they were taking and keep them aware as he moved in closer. He would need their assistance to capture all four men. He was hoping the spy ring leader would be able to find Hugh Bannerman to help in the mission. The man was a great ally and his help would be welcome.
“Drive me to Henry Hale’s home first, driver.” Knowing it was well past midnight, Laurence still wanted to go by and report to Miss Hale. He had no doubt if he did not that she would get herself into some terrible situation and he didn’t need that on his conscience.
When his coach arrived at the Hale home, Laurence stepped out and quietly approached the front door. He didn’t even have to knock as the butler appeared to have been waiting for his arrival. The door opened as soon as Laurence stepped on the porch.
“Miss Hale is in the parlor.” The butler moved to allow Laurence past. Laurence handed the man his hat and gloves even though it seemed silly under the circumstances.
She stood when he entere
d the room. Oddly, she had on a coat over her gown. It wasn’t cool at all and he wondered for a moment what was wrong with her that she’d be so wrapped up, especially with her higher body temperature.
“What news?” Miss Hale asked.
“Nothing really, but several groups of people are out looking for him.” Laurence couldn’t tell her what he really knew, but he didn’t want her to think nothing was being done. And besides, he wasn’t sure if her father was actually a victim or a co-conspirator. It seemed awfully odd for the man to disappear with no word to his family, but it was exactly what a man who planned to betray his country would do. Get himself out of harm’s way in case things didn’t go well.
“Will you be joining in?” she asked.
“I am. I’ve got a rented carriage outside and am planning to travel toward London in case they’re going that way.”
“How will you even begin to find them? How will anyone?” Miss Hale wrung her hands together in anxiety.
“I’m not an expert in such things, but I think with enough of us out there stopping at wayside inns and other outposts, someone will get a lead.”
“Would you consider taking me along with you?”
“No. I’m sorry, but this is not a task for a woman and, as you know, your reputation would be torn to shreds by all of society if you came along with me. Or any man, for that matter.” He could hardly believe she asked him such a thing. What was she thinking to even suggest it?
Laurence didn’t have to wait long to find out what she had in mind.
“Don’t you see? I need to help find my father, but if I was involved in a scandal, Mr. Hammond would no longer want to court me.”
“Have you any idea how reckless that is to wish upon yourself? Being ruined in society isn’t something you should desire, Miss Hale. Not at all.” Laurence couldn’t believe what she’d said. She was willing to risk her good name to avoid the marriage and she was even ready to have him be ruined as well for taking her with him.
Lightning Strikes Twice (The Heart of a Hero Book 4) Page 14