by Rebecca King
Either way she felt submerged by a number of questions that for the moment she had no answers for. A part of her wondered if she really should go back to Cumbria and leave Clarence floundering for the money, but then had to remember that Clarence was desperate. There was nothing to say that he just wouldn’t follow her there. She needed Luke. She needed his protection and the safety of this house wherever it might be.
What she wasn’t sure of was whether she could cope with the burgeoning emotions that swirled around her with increasing force whenever she was around Luke. It made her wonder just what would happen between them now they were sharing the same roof.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Luke introduced Marcus and Barnaby to Poppy and then turned his attention to the contents of the bag. It all seemed legitimate and was a series of bank notes that totalled just under five hundred pounds. Poppy had taken a bit for herself, but a very small amount indeed; barely enough to live on for most people. That led him to wonder just what kind of lodgings she had taken since he had left her in the park because given the amount she had paid for it, she must have been living one step above destitution.
“We need to hide it. I take it you have kept some more for yourself?” Marcus asked softly. The woman beside him looked terrified, but was so achingly beautiful that the fear just emphasised the porcelain delicateness of her face, and the lambent softness in her strangely intriguing amber eyes.
Poppy nodded. “I bought a coaching ticket but missed it so will have to purchase another one. So I have kept some money for that and a bit extra for food and the like.”
“Well, you need to stay here for now, and we won’t charge you. You cannot risk leaving because the killer may think you saw him in the park. You are safe here.”
“You don’t think the killer is after me, do you?” she gasped.
She threw a wary glance outside at the thick smog visible through the window as she thought about the shadows that had flickered around her on the street. It was terrifying to even think about going back out there.
“We just don’t know, but it is a possibility we would be foolish to ignore. Then there is the woman in the coaching yard who accosted you, and Clarence to take into consideration,” Barnaby added wisely. “Whether they are working together or not remains to be seen, but it is irrelevant really. They are both a considerable danger to you until we can find out what they are up to.”
“You need to stay away from the coaching inn, the house in Camden you left Clarence in, and the house in Cumbria,” Luke added.
Poppy wondered if they were all being a bit melodramatic. “I think I would be better off going back to Cumbria.” She held a hand up when Luke tried to object. “The rest of my belongings were left in that house. If they are still there, I could speak to the new owner about purchasing them back. Whatever, if I am not in London then the killer won’t know where to find me, nor will Clarence for a while. I will have enough time to get there, do what I must, and then move on.”
“Take it from me, Poppy, that any one of them could be watching the coaching inn. Once you leave London we cannot protect you. There is nothing to say that they won’t wait for you to get off at one of the stops and accost you there. You could be left stranded with no money and no means of getting help. At least here you have a roof over your head, money in your pocket, and your cousin, Peter, not too far away.”
Poppy wanted to cry. She wanted to argue, and insist upon returning to Cumbria, but couldn’t. There was no credible argument to his logic. The last thing she could bear would be to find herself stuck in the middle of nowhere with no place to go and nobody to turn to for help.
“For now, then, I think I have no choice, do I?” she replied reluctantly.
“No,” all three men replied in unison.
“Come on, let’s store this in the front room,” Luke suggested. He pushed away from the table and stood beside her chair. Once he had settled her back onto the chaise in the front room he set about moving a panel on the wall beside the fireplace and revealed a rectangular space perfect for hiding things like her bag. Once the bag was safely tucked inside, the panel was secured in place with such perfection that if she hadn’t just witnessed them hiding the bag she wouldn’t believe it was there.
“What now?” she asked, looking at each man in turn.
“Now we wait,” Barnaby replied quietly.
Two weeks later, Poppy was still waiting. She was going quietly out of her mind with waiting. Boredom had long since taken root in her life, and she was thoroughly fed up with having nothing to do with her day but pace, worry, and fret about Luke. All concerns about Clarence had long since faded into the background.
Luke. She sighed and stared out of the window. What an enigma he has turned out to be, she thought ruefully, not really aware the rather quaint street scene outside.
With a shake of her head, she turned back to the room, but didn’t really see that either. The entire focus of her being was locked firmly on Luke. She had to wonder just how much more of the sensual tension she could stand. She knew he felt it too because she often found him simply watching her with a hint of something in his eyes that made her feel feminine and all too aware of herself. She didn’t feel anything like the same with his colleagues. In fact, all three of the men, Jeb, Marcus and Barnaby were friendly, helpful, and the epitome of perfect hosts. Luke was too, in his way. However, with Luke there was an undercurrent of sensual awareness that positively crackled in the air, and had driven her to distraction.
Even this morning before he had left for the day he had placed his mug on the table between them. Their hands had brushed, and the now familiar flush of warmth stole up her arm and made her gasp. He had looked at her knowingly, but been distracted before he could say anything. Minutes later he had swept out of the door without a backward look. She, meanwhile, had been a bundle of quivering nerves that was now unable to settle until he returned.
Sensing movement in the kitchen, she silently thanked the heavens that someone was around for her to talk to, and hurried into the kitchen to greet the men. When she got there though, they were already deep in conversation.
“I need to speak to Simon about releasing Joshua Samson’s body,” Barnaby announced when they had finished. “The family are asking for it now because they want to get the funeral over and done with. Once I have sorted that out I am going to go to visit a family in Storton. News is in that Rupert Balgravia has vanished.”
“Vanished?” Luke lifted his brows in disbelief.
“He was sitting in front of his fire last night. When his wife went in to say good night he was nowhere to be found. The French doors were locked tight and there was no sign of forced entry, but he has not been seen since. The house has been searched from top to bottom but there is no trace of him.”
“What else?” Luke prompted. He knew from the look in Barnaby’s eye that there was more.
“A large painting worth about a thousand pounds has gone too.” Barnaby sighed.
Marcus nodded. “I am going to re-join the search of the house and the gardens. You need to speak with the pick-pockets as soon as possible. The sooner we can get them to keep their eyes and ears open for this painting the better. I have already sent word that I need to meet with Toby, but am now needed to help search Balgravia’s house instead so you have to go, Luke.”
Luke nodded. “I need to ask Toby if he has been successful in locating the man’s house.”
“The man?” Barnaby asked.
“The one I chased out of the woods when Samson’s body was found. He may be the killer.”
Everyone nodded. Luke turned to the woman who had just entered the kitchen. He felt so in tune with her that she didn’t even need to speak for him to know she was there. When she sat beside him, he smiled and offered her some ale.
He didn’t dare leave her in the house by herself. Although Clarence hadn’t been seen or heard of for a while, nobody was prepared to consider that he had gone away completely. With everybod
y busy there was nobody to stay with her. Luke had to be the one to go to see Toby because he was the only other person in the Star Elite who Toby and Lucy would recognise. That meant only one thing – he had to take Poppy with him to meet them.
“What?” Poppy asked when Luke sat watching her. She suspected she wasn’t going to like what he was about to suggest.
“I need you to come with me.”
She was right; she didn’t. She glanced nervously toward the rapidly thickening smog outside and began to shake her head. “I will stay here. You said it was safest for me to remain indoors. I will wait for you here. Really, I will be alright by myself. You needn’t worry.”
“You cannot be left here alone, Poppy.”
“Why?” she challenged, determined not to have to go outside again unless the house was on fire.
Luke sighed impatiently. “Just because Clarence hasn’t knocked on the door yet, doesn’t mean he has gone away. When I brought you here the smog was too thick to be certain that we weren’t followed. It is too risky to leave you unchaperoned for the time being. You must come with me.”
“But I couldn’t see you when we were out there. If I couldn’t see you then Clarence couldn’t see me, right? Besides, if we were followed they may still be out there, you know, waiting. Wouldn’t I be safer inside, behind a locked door?”
Luke was already shaking his head. “I could see you in the smog, Poppy. I just knew how to use the smog to mask my presence and stop you from seeing me.”
Poppy tried to ignore the flurry of nerves deep in the pit of her stomach but couldn’t. While she didn’t want to go outside, she didn’t want to stay in the house all by herself either, no matter how nice it was. Over the last several days it had started to feel like a veritable prison. She longed for a bit of fresh air. If only she didn’t have to experience the smog again to do it she would be happy to go out whenever he wanted.
“It won’t take long. The kids I work with are two of the gang who accosted you, but they are friendly enough. All they need are food and pennies. They are not pick-pocketing for me,” he hastened to reassure her. “They are just gathering information for a few extra pennies.”
Poppy wasn’t sure how she felt about that. It didn’t seem right that Luke was employing criminals, especially children, but then she couldn’t really pass judgement because she didn’t have all the facts. From the look on his face, she suspected the argument could go on for hours so conceded defeat and went to fetch her shawl. By the time she returned to the kitchen everybody had left except for Luke.
“Do you not have anything thicker?” Luke asked with a frown when she joined him in the kitchen wearing her thin shawl.
Poppy shook her head. “I didn’t think we were going to stay in London for long so only brought the basics. My cloak is with the belongings I left back in Cumbria. Heaven only knows where everything is now.”
Luke was already making his way toward his room at the back of the house. Within minutes he was draping a voluminous cloak around her shoulders.
Poppy was immediately encased in warmth; slightly scratchy, but wonderfully thick. However, her senses were more tuned to the man before her, especially when he didn’t step back once he had secured the clasp. Rather than move closer, he remained where he was, far too close than was polite, looking down far too intently than she was comfortable with.
“Stay close to me. Keep hold of my hand and don’t wander off. Don’t speak to anyone unless you have to and keep your hood up.” With that he tugged the hood up over her head and arranged it so that most of her face was hidden. “Clarence will not be able to tell if you are male or female. My colleagues will have left using various methods to make sure they aren’t observed or followed. We are going to do the same so that anyone watching this house will not know who you are. Unless they can follow four people at once we stand every chance of not being followed. When we reach the end of the road we will turn left and make our way to the meeting place, but while we are there you need to stay quiet and let me do the talking. Trust me, Poppy. I won’t let anyone hurt you.” His voice dropped to a husky whisper.
He watched her eyes widen the more he spoke but knew from the flurry of awareness in her eyes, and the warm shiver of her sigh, that it was more from desire than alarm. Before sense could warn him to be cautious he lowered his head.
The smooth slide of his lips against hers elicited a gasp from her that he immediately took advantage of. This time, the kiss went far deeper than a mere token of affection. This was a branding, a possession that seared them both. Poppy clutched the edges of his cloak without even being aware that her hands had lifted. She knew she should stop this and put some distance between them, but couldn’t. She was curious; and wanted to know, and feel, everything this man had to offer her. She wanted to find out what happened next. She wanted to experience more of the wonderfully intriguing sensations now building ferociously within her. It was scandalous as much as it was daring, and it called to her reckless side, urging her to surrender everything and savour this precious moment for her, for him, for them.
She wasn’t surprised by the ferocity of the desire. It was now obvious that it had been building step by small step from the moment she had arrived. The odd shiver of awareness, the intimate glances, occasional murmured conversations, a gentle touch here and there, it had all been heading toward this one moment in time where everything changed between them.
Luke knew he was taking this far further than he ought to right now, but was helpless to ignore his desire for the woman before him. She looked almost lost in the huge folds of his cloak but that only emphasised her femininity and made him want to protect her more. There was nothing he wanted more than to keep her safe so that later, once they were all alone with the house to themselves, he could uncover all of her secrets and decide what the heck he was going to do next.
When the clock in the hallway chimed he realised that time was passing far too swiftly, and they needed to get a move on if they were going to make the meeting in time. With that in mind he reluctantly lifted his head and stood back.
“Stay close to me, Poppy,” he whispered, not altogether sure if he meant just while they were outside. He ushered her out of the door before she could speak and locked it behind them.
Their journey across London was the most fraught Poppy journey had ever had anywhere. The smog had, if at all possible, thickened, and rendered even the meagre street lighting useless. At times she struggled to see her hand in front of her face and was immensely grateful that Luke had insisted on holding her hand. She wanted to ask where they were but when something squeaked and scurried across her foot decided she would rather not know. Eventually, Luke motioned for her to stop and tugged her into what appeared to be an alleyway.
“Stay quiet. Remember, they don’t know you but may recognise you as being the woman they tried to target in the park. If they do they may not want to talk to me so let me do the talking. Just keep an eye out in case anyone is lurking in the shadows, and likely to overhear.”
Poppy nodded but suspected he couldn’t see her through the gloom. She frowned and realised then just how vulnerable she was. Not only was her precious supply of money back at the house, but all of her worldly goods as well. She had nothing on her that was actually hers, and had no idea where she was, or where the safe house was, so had no way of retrieving her belongings if she lost Luke. Sidling closer to him, she glanced around worriedly and, as instructed, remained motionless while they waited for the children to appear.
“You are late,” a small voice scolded from several feet away. A young boy appeared out of the gloom so silently that Poppy gasped before she could stop herself. “Who’s that?” Toby asked with a nod toward her. His step faltered. For a moment he looked as though he was about to run.
“The woman in the park you tried to accost a couple of weeks back,” Luke replied quietly. “Did you get followed?”
“Na, course not guv’nor,” Toby replied with a sniff. He sidle
d closer to Poppy and peered up at her. Poppy lifted the hood of the cloak and bent down so he could see her face. Once he recognised her he grinned cheekily. “No bag today?”
“No, I left it at home where it is safe,” she replied softly.
The sight of the boy’s grubby face disturbed her, but not as much as the thinness of the shirt he wore beneath the threadbare jacket that barely touched his wrists and did little to ward off the evening chill. Her heart went out to him because he looked frozen. If she had thought to bring some money with her she would have given him some so he could purchase something warmer.
Oblivious to the direction of her thoughts, Toby threw Luke a cheeky glare. “Is she yours?”
“Yes,” he replied without hesitation. “So mind your manners. She isn’t a target.”
Toby merely grinned and held his hand out.
“What do you know first? Have you seen the bigger gang?”
“Yeah, they are in the park,” Toby replied with a shudder. “I don’t wanna be anyone in that park tonight. They are a rough lot. Rumour ‘as it they are using a house in Mainwaring Street. Last but one house on the left, but I ain’t been near so dunno for sure who lives there.”
“Don’t go there, Toby. This group are dangerous. Keep yourself safe.” Luke glanced around with a frown. “No Lucy tonight?”
“Na, she went home. Her mam’s sick.” Toby sniffed again.
“Are there any rumours about who killed the dead man in the park?”
Toby frowned. “Just that he was a friend of Trent’s, and went to the Riverside Club a lot.”
“Have you heard anything about Sayers?” Luke knew he had to be cautious, but needed to start to focus on gathering information on the one person who appeared to be the most dangerous.