The Rake and The Rose (A Rake's Mistake)

by Amelia Clearwater

  "Lottie is getting Alex?" her hope crested.

  "Yes, I told her the chemist where Richard and Cromwell sent me to. I also told her where the wolfs bane is. It's under my floor board in a tincture." She wiped her face unceremoniously with her sleeve. "I am so-so sorry." she began to weep bitterly again.

  "Shh, it's alright...Life has not been kind to you has it?" Charlotte felt herself, despite all the torment, pitying the poor woman who sat crumpled in the chair before her.

  "Evelyn was the only one to be kind to me. She was a saint. A bloody saint!" She slammed her hand against the chair in emphasis.

  They both started at a slight strain of a couch. And then it went back to normal "Where are we?" Charlotte asked looking about the bare room.

  "Richard's home." Giselle said grimly.

  "Can we not escape?" Charlotte whispered.

  "He has the house locked from the inside, there is no way to unlock it without a key. He has it." Giselle shrugged. "He let Lottie out to go to the grocery store. Oh that poor girl, when she saw you she nearly fainted. She was in such a rage. Not that she has had an easy life…the house has always been like this.”

  "I hope Alexander is kind to her."

  "I do not even want to know what he shall have done with me."

  "I shall speak for you." Charlotte whispered, "You are being kind now. That is what counts."

  Giselle choked on a sob. "You are such a kind soul. Please forgive how wretched I've been." She patted Charlotte's face and took a napkin and gently dabbed her cheek where she had been cut from the slap to her face. "He should not have hit you. Alexander will kill him,” she said resignedly.

  "You know this?" Charlotte's face paled.

  "I do." Giselle nodded. Charlotte sighed, as Giselle undid her ties

  "I have an idea," she whispered "A way Richard won't suspect you." Her smile confused Giselle and she leaned in an ear as they plotted.

  It had been three days. Three. And nothing, he had the money, but no contact at all. Alexander paced the house and the entire estate was in a constant feeling of turmoil. No one spoke; no one did anything, what could they do? He kept reading the letter over, and over, and over again. It seemed he was locked in another battle with Death. And he would win, just as he had won with the poison.

  He would not let her go. Alexander growled when the front door was flung open and Kade lurched in "Anything?"

  "Nothing damn it all. I've scoured every place I can think of! No one knows where this bastard lives. Apparently he's been renting a place in Caversham, but they bloody well aren't there now!" Kade threw his hunting hat off in frustration his light eyes filled with lightning.

  Alexander exhaled harshly and sat in a chair holding his head "God, Kade I need to do something! Anything!"

  Kade blew out a breath that nearly and raised a brow when James walked through the door with a letter, faster than either of them had ever seen him walk in fact. James usually remained stoically standing, walking and they hardly ever saw him run. He certainly was running now. "Sir! My Lord! Here!" he shoved the letter into Alexander's hand and he ripped it open.

  Lord Cromwell,

  I take it that you shall pay the seventy thousand pounds for the return of Miss Charlotte. She is being taken care of and is fine. We shall meet in London Park tomorrow afternoon sharp, where we shall swap our...commodities. I do hope this finds you well Mr. Cromwell, as we wouldn't want anything to happen to you would we?

  Sincerely, R.D

  He crumpled the paper and growled low in his throat, got up and walked to his study and ripped open his gun safe and ripped out his pistol, saber and dagger. Kade watched him with a grim look "If I hadn't ever seen it in other men, Alexander. I'd say you were calm, but you're not are ye?"

  No, Lord Cromwell was not calm at all, though his countenance remained stoic and straight. His eyes blazed like emerald steel and with murder. Kade sighed and looked at his own pistol "Well. We are going to kill the little roach aren’t we?"

  "Yes, as soon as she's safe. Disarm him...but I get to kill him." Alexander snarled looking at the glint in his dagger. Kade nodded and soon, in a few hours even Leroy was there. All three men standing with decided grimness armed up to the teeth with daggers, swords and pistols.

  The women in the house tiptoed around them for the rest of the day, as any quick movement set them off in a flurry of questions asking if there was news.

  Charlotte scribbled a note and opened the window; grateful that Giselle had unlocked it, she waited and saw the boy that she heard the other day asking for Sovereigns "Psst." she whispered to the little boy in the street.

  "Oi. What you doin up there miss?"

  "Hush! Do you want fifty pounds?" the boy's eyes went large "Then be quiet!" she hissed. "Take this to Kade Morrison Lincoln, Leroy Jethro Gibson and most importantly Alexander Cromwell!" She let the note float down to the boy and threw out her writing pen.

  "Miss, you ain't happen to be the one that gone missing? The whole towns talking!"

  "Where are we?" she asked.

  "Why. London Miss…" The boy's voice was soft. Suddenly a bang was heard outside the door. “Don’t ye know dat? And what you doin up there anyway?”

  "Never mind that! Run!' she squeaked and closed the window.

  Hours later in the middle of the night, Alexander heard a commotion as the magistrates came in. "Cromwell, we have a boy that claims there was a note from Miss Charlotte."

  "Oi! Lemme go!" the young man scrambled for purchase to get away. "This ain't for no eyes cept for Leroy, some man named Kade and apparently most importantly as she said Alexander Cromwell." He straightened himself. "Nice miss said she'd gimme fifty pounds for me troubles."

  Alexander was on his knees before the boy, shaking him "What did she say!" he nearly yelled at the boy.

  "Easy mister! I don't know nuthin. She asked where she was, and I told her London."

  "Can you take me to where the house is?" He was desperate and the boy tugged his hands off.

  "Oi, sure I can!" the boy smiled. "I can take ye there quick as lightning, but she said for you to read this."

  Dear Alex,

  I am locked away in Richard's home. Giselle is helping me escape. Please do not fear, I am safe and so is the baby. But, he does not intend to let me live. He wants my inheritance from the Devisher estate. Giselle thought they would ship me to America. Please she is suffering. Lottie will be looking for you, but must be careful. If Richard were to discover our plot, our lives will be forfeit. I do not know where I am. I love you.

  Apparently I will not be at the meeting spot. He will keep me here and he plans to kill you from what Giselle has said. DO NOT GO!

  Be safe. I love you.

  Charlotte Devisher.

  Alexander exhaled his grief as he read those three words "I love you." The simple scrawl shattered his heart, as if she had been in panic to write.

  "She tossed her writing utensils out the bloody window too. Sneaky like a fox she is," the boy said. He kissed the letter and looked at the boy.

  "Charlotte is...that she is." He whispered a quick prayer. "Kade! Leroy!" Alexander handed them Charlotte's note and both men quickly read it with grim faces.

  Leroy chuckled "Crafty! I knew I liked something about her!"

  "Indeed, smart little witch." Kade nodded approvingly.

  "I say we catch him and hold him hostage." Leroy grinned in a manner that sent most running from his hulking height and rage.

  All the men agreed.

  They sat down and plotted their own plan. Alexander, keeping the boy with him and planned on having the maids tidy him up, get him a nice warm meal and a warm bed. "Boy, you shall work for me from now on as my apprentice. What is your name?"

  "My name's Kip, Sir." the boy murmured.

  "Kip?" he was smiling now.

  "Aye." he sniffed as if insulted. “Nuthin wrong with me name!”

  "Very well Kip, Francesca and Laura will take care of you. Get a good night’s re
st. Tomorrow you shall take me to where he has her."

  "Aye! Yes sir!" the boy bounded away. And Alexander realized this boy could not be more than ten. Kade and Leroy watched him.

  That evening they were shocked to see Lottie was standing at the door. "Thank God you are here!" She flew into the room. "I cannot go back." She gasped as Alexander held her up and sat her in the chair. She looked as if she had been crying for quite some time.

  "I got a letter from Charlotte, what in God's name happened?"

  Lottie gasped as if not believing what she was about to say. "Oh, dear heaven my Lord I did not believe it myself!" Tears sprang from her light eyes and her black corkscrew curls trembled.

  Leroy, his gaze sparking slightly, gently took his pocket-handkerchief and handed it to her kneeling near. "Thank you Mr.? Oh! I met you before…Forgive me this situations sees desperate to set me on edge…I cannot remember-“ she became flustered.

  "Leroy, dear it’s alright. And this is Kade."

  "Hello Leroy…Kade." Lottie nodded and promptly burst into more tears. "He has her locked away! I was at home cooking and he and Giselle came in. Granted they’re always gadding about, but I never knew it would lead to this. He had Charlotte tied up and was dragging her in. She fought like hell spawn. But the moment he threatened her she stilled...I now know why...He struck her"

  Alexander's face tightened and she shrank away. Leroy glared at him and Alex reined in his rage. She sighed deeply. "Giselle she looked stricken, I didn't know why till she pulled me aside when Papa was asleep..."

  He inhaled to control his temper and kept it barely in check. "What did she say?" he growled.

  "Oh my Lord...a sad story." Lottie exhaled her eyes shifted between the colors of light green and pale ice as the light reflected on them, before finally clouding with pain.

  "What?" he prompted.

  "Your father...He had Giselle quicken your mother's death. She had letters from him and everything. And then, with his grief and guilt begged her to do the same to him." Lottie burst into another torrent of sobs.

  Alexander fell back into his chair. It wasn't true. Kade glanced at the young woman, his eyes wide and startled.

  "She has proof." Lottie said softly and Alexander nodded.

  Leroy just patted her shoulder, seemingly struck by the tiny girl. "It's alright, then what?" he prodded.

  "Then-" she sniffed "Then, Giselle told me about how she had wanted Charlotte to leave. Giselle was afraid she'd be turned out from here once you'd married, my Lord. So she tried to make her sick...Papa knew who she was, and had told Giselle that if she got sick and left no one would get hurt!"

  "Of all the damnable things!" Alexander sputtered.

  "Understand, she was poor, Giselle was very poor and with no one to look after her. Life wasn't exactly kind. But the moment she realized Papa was going to kill Charlotte, she turned round and began begging him to just send her off. But he said no, that a...a..." she gulped and looked ill.

  "Do you need to lay down?" Leroy was desperate to calm her down and placed his large hands along her thin shoulders.

  "No." Lottie held him off with a thankful look.

  "He said there had to be proof.” She didn’t seem able to continue but gulped again and whispered “A body."

  A body? Alexander gulped down the bile that rose. "A body?" he said aloud.

  Lottie nodded. "Giselle went into a fit. And apparently talked him into letting me go out to get food and to 'help' you look for her. To throw you off their trail... He'll know, by now, that something has changed." she sighed, "I cannot go back my Lord," she repeated her prior comment. “Am I in terrible trouble?” her lower lip trembled and the expressive eyes poured tears down her pretty face “I feel so responsible!” she inhaled and squeaked.

  All the men rushed to assure her, even the magistrates who were usually tight lipped. "No, god, no! Of course not." Leroy was the most adamant petting her hair. Kade kneeling down finally had gotten his coat and draped it over her shoulders while Alexander promptly had a letter written to the Duke of Essex asking for assistance.

  "You shall stay here. You are in fact Charlotte's cousin. We would never turn out family." Alexander soothed with a smile.

  "Thank you,” she whispered through her tears. "Alexander, you are so very kind. She loves you so much." He gulped down his illness and ran a hand through his hair.

  "We need to do this right,” he whispered.

  "I have a key." she held up said key and handed it to him "It unlocks the back door to the home. He keeps it under lock and key. Giselle will be watching Charlotte and he will be at the meeting place."

  Alexander nodded. And they began to plan the rescue mission.

  Charlotte lay next to Giselle, they were both tied up and staring at Richard who sat in a chair looking at the door.

  “You know Giselle, I never did tell you that it was I who sent those letters, the ones that were supposed to be from your husband- begging to die?” her Uncle said softly. Giselle’s eyes went wide and glassy even with her pain. “Yes I did, and it worked too. Bloody git died, but then of course Alexander came along, and he was supposed to marry Lottie. Not that you did any good in that. I was supposed to have my fortune with Charlotte gone and we could’ve have been fine and right as rain.”

  With this he looked at Charlotte, “Oh and don’t think your parents’ deaths were a bloody accident either.” Her heart stopped for a moment. “Oh yes, your parents were so wallowing in their grief, it was easy. Didn’t take much of the wolfs bane in small doses either while I helped ‘Care for them’. Charlotte began to struggle in earnest.

  "Alexander is going to kill you!" Charlotte spat, earning a hard slap across the face after he walked over. Giselle looked worse for wear, her face bruised and swollen on one side.

  "I told you not to cross me Giselle," he sighed, as if she had brought it upon herself. Charlotte felt a longing to see her Uncle writhing on the ground.

  "I'm going to kill that little Lord of yours Charlotte," he fiddled with the gun, staring at her with sickly eyes. "And when I have that money, I’ll go to the Americas."

  "No one will give it to you! Your treachery is known!" she spat. Giselle simply lay against her whimpering in pain.

  “I didn’t know,” she wept softly. “You tricked me those letters were-“ Giselle choked off as if she couldn’t believe it “I showed them to you- he was in pain! I asked you and you told me to do it! He was in agony over Evelyn!”

  “Not enough to die. You did that.” Richard grinned.

  The women waited, with baited breath, for what was going to happen next, whether it was to be death or salvation.

  London Park . . .

  Kade and Leroy hid behind the trees in the park. Stealthily hiding their weapons from people. The magistrates were also posted around the entrances to the park. "He should be here by now, it's the afternoon." Kade whispered and Leroy nodded "Indeed. Something does not smell right, Kade."

  The men exhaled and decided to wait another half hour.

  Kip meanwhile was leading Alexander through London's streets. He ran and dodged through throngs of people bustling about, Alexander dressed in commoners clothing looked inconspicuous. "Kip are we nearly there?"

  "Aye sir, it's right up this street." Finally they got to a window "Up there's where she peeked her head through." Alexander looked up and he felt his chest expand and the weight of the daggers and sword become heavier.

  "Hang on Sweetling," he whispered softly as Kip lead him to the back of the house. They had to jump up over an iron gate and he looked around. Something did not feel right, and if Kade and Leroy had taught him anything it was to trust his instincts. "Kip, no matter what happens. Bring the police here, got it?"

  "Aye sir."

  "Good, now run along." Kip obeyed and Alexander unlocked the back door. Charlotte heard a door open in the house. "Ah, who's here?" Richard got up and slowly went to the door of the room.

  "Alexander! Don't!" she was sile
nced by a quick cuff to the head knocking her against the wall. "Ah!" she felt blood on her tongue and terror for herself and her unborn baby took over and she stayed silent.

  Alexander paused, hearing her. He didn't let his rage take over; he had to let it simmer and boil just above breaking point. He heard footsteps in the upstairs floor. He moved from the kitchens and went up the first flight of steps, the first floor was empty, and he inhaled looking around the rooms. Barren was the room with the exception of a few things that looked purely of Lottie and her style of taste.