A Lady's Deception

by Pamela Mingle

  Eleanor and Sarah found their room. After the maid had helped her bathe and change, Eleanor flopped down on the bed. “I want to close my eyes for just a moment,” she said.

  “But, miss, you hardly have time for that.”

  Nonetheless, she fell into a deep abyss, and when Sarah roused her a mere fifteen minutes later, her mood was black.

  …

  When the group met for supper, Hugh realized they were all somewhat worse for wear. The deep grooves around Sir William’s mouth seemed more pronounced, and even Ned appeared haggard, while Eleanor’s eyes were puffy.

  It was late, past ten o’clock now. Hugh had ordered a light collation. A servant brought in cold mutton and fowl, vegetables, bread, and cheese. And wine. Plenty of wine. He’d borrowed a map of the Point from the innkeeper and spread it out on the table. While they ate, he suggested a starting point for running Jacob Abbot to ground.

  “We should start at the shipbuilding yard.” He tapped the location on the map. “That’s where the block mills are located, as well as any other labor that would involve carpentry.”

  “Agreed,” Ned said. “But how do we approach them? We can’t simply wander in and look around for Abbot. There must be hundreds of men employed in the yard.”

  There was general agreement with Ned’s statement. “Surely they have offices,” Sir William said. “We can start there.”

  Eleanor’s voice cut into the self-assured ones of the men. “You do realize that Edith Abbot will be the one looking after Lili? And she won’t be anywhere near the dockyard. She’ll be somewhere in this maze of streets, in lodgings. Or perhaps in a park.”

  Hugh winced. Leave it to Eleanor to get to the heart of the matter. “Of course, you’re right. But, unless we find her husband, how will we find her and Lili? I had thought to locate Abbot and follow him.”

  “While two of us are pursuing the lead at the block mills, others can be checking on the most likely areas where they might have taken rooms,” Ned said. “And visit parks, the quay, anyplace a mother might take a child.” He swept a hand over the pertinent areas of the map.

  “Eleanor, can you give us a description of Mrs. Abbot?” Hugh asked.

  “Of course.” She smiled. “Look for a woman who is heavy with child. She would be approaching confinement if she were in normal circumstances. But keeping a child Lili’s age in rooms all day would be difficult, so I don’t believe the usual rules would apply.”

  Broxton chimed in. “She’s a small woman, brown haired. Unfortunately, no truly distinguishing features.”

  “One thing,” Eleanor said. “She has a mole, just here.” She pointed to a spot above one corner of her mouth, by her nose. “The left side.”

  Hugh hated to ask the next question in front of the group, but it couldn’t be helped. “And Lili. Describe her, if you will.” He heard the coldness in his voice, and so would everybody else.

  Tears welled in Eleanor’s eyes, and a faint blush colored her cheeks. If he weren’t so deuced angry with her, he would wrap his arms around her and try to comfort her.

  Looking at him straight on, she said, “Lili has your coloring, Hugh. Dark hair, dark brown eyes. She is nearly two years old and is quite lively.”

  Hugh held Eleanor’s gaze. He’d been so sure Lili would resemble Eleanor, not him. He couldn’t help what burst out next. “She doesn’t look like you, then? I had expected she would.”

  The others had gone quiet, but after a moment, some judicious throat clearing interrupted the private moment between Hugh and Eleanor. Ned said, “Is she talking?”

  “Oh my, yes. She’s making sentences, quite coherent ones. She knows my dog, Bobby. If you should find her, ask her if she would like to play with Bobby. And see her mama.” She blushed and lowered her head.

  It struck Hugh then that Eleanor must see a good deal of Lili. In the throes of his anger, he had imagined she visited the child rarely. But he was wrong. She knew things about Lili that she couldn’t possibly know unless she saw her regularly. “She is close in age to my nephew, then,” Hugh said.

  “Yes.” He could see that Eleanor was on the verge of weeping, and he wasn’t feeling too well in control of his emotions, either. He cleared his throat. “The hour grows late, and we should all get some rest.

  “If we agree, in the morning Ned and I will take the dockyard, since we can both identify Abbot. Sir William, Adam, and Eleanor will divide up the streets and be on the lookout for Mrs. Abbot and Lili. You can ask the innkeeper about parks or other likely places small children might be taken by their nursemaids or parents before you set out.”

  Wearily, they agreed to the plan.

  “One thing we haven’t discussed,” Sir William said. “What do we do with Abbot when we find him? Turn him over to the magistrate?”

  “I’ve been debating that,” Hugh said. “He’s guilty of several serious offenses. Arson. Extortion. And now, kidnapping. And we’ve yet to discover his motive for it, since there have been no demands for money.”

  “As much as I despise the man,” Eleanor said, “I have sympathy for his wife. What will happen to her if he’s transported, or hanged?”

  Hugh nodded, looking her in the eye. “I’ve thought the same thing. But perhaps arrangements could be made to offer her aid.” He pushed his chair back and stood. “We have time yet to think on it.”

  It was after eleven o’clock when they began to wander off to their beds. Hugh asked Eleanor to remain behind for a moment. She nodded, although she didn’t seem happy about it. He was not sure why he wished to speak to her, but he wasn’t ready to let her go just yet. For the first time, the vague abstraction of a child seemed more real to him. He was father to a two-year-old child, and she was that child’s mother. Despite everything, he loved her. God, how he loved her. For the last week, he’d been denying it to himself, but it was no use.

  “I know you are tired, and I won’t keep you long,” he said. Guiltily, he noticed the dark circles under her eyes.

  She resumed her seat. “What is it, Hugh?”

  Not a good beginning. Especially when he wasn’t sure what he wished to say. “I wanted you to know that I…perhaps…that is, I may have spoken too hastily and too harshly when I confronted you about Lili. I should have waited until I’d had time to sort matters out. Instead, I rushed to judgment and said some unforgivable things.” He hesitated, because Eleanor’s expression hadn’t softened one iota. He couldn’t blame her. He sounded weak and tentative.

  When she made no response, he bumbled on. “I can see you are an excellent mother, in the circumstances. I’ve recently learned that mothers oftentimes cannot do as they might wish where children are concerned. And I’ve come to believe they should be forgiven for it.”

  “What do you mean? How did you learn this?”

  “I found some letters my mother sent me after she left Longmere. My father had never given them to me. All these years, I’ve thought she didn’t give a damn about me.” He laughed softly, shaking his head. “And one night when I was at Adam’s, Wesley, my father’s old butler, mentioned that my mother had tried over the years to visit me, but Father had forbidden it. I never knew any of this.”

  “So you’ve forgiven your mother and now believe you should forgive me. I do hope, for both your sakes, that you can reconcile. However, my life will carry on, even if you never forgive me. As I tried to explain, I did the best I could for Lili. I love my daughter more than my life, and at present, my chief concern is finding her.”

  Hugh sighed. He seemed unable to say what was in his heart. Her words, her feelings, confused him. He’d meant this to be an apology, but he’d ended up sounding like God doling out absolution.

  Abruptly, Eleanor pushed back her chair and stood. “What about seeking custody of Lili? Are you going to carry on with that plan?”

  Because of his confusion, and her coldness, and the fact that he was weary to the bone, he said, “Yes.”

  She spun on her heel and exited the room, leav
ing him bewildered.

  Christ. How could things have gone so wrong? He slammed his wineglass into the hearth. The shards glowed like hellfire.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Eleanor avoided any direct contact with Hugh in the morning. She, her father, and Adam Grey, who had arrived while they were eating breakfast, conferred with the innkeeper before setting out. He showed them on the map where most of the dockyard laborers resided and pointed out a few parks. Eleanor, who had spent a restless night rehashing the conversation she’d had with Hugh, was desperate to do anything to end this nightmare. To see Lili safe, most of all, but also to confront the future and consider how she would learn to live with it.

  “I will head toward the quay, back the way we came in. I recall seeing a few green areas as we walked toward the inn, where a woman might take a child,” Sir William said.

  “Are you sure, Papa? I can pair with you if you’d rather.”

  “No, no. You and Mr. Grey will cover more ground without me. What should our approach be, if we happen to find them?” Sir William asked. Both men looked at Eleanor.

  “I don’t think it would be wise for any of us to approach Mrs. Abbot alone. She’ll be frightened. With at least two of us there, we can be more…persuasive. If you should find her, Papa, send word of where you are, and we will come to you.”

  “Might she try to bolt?”

  “In her condition, and with a two-year-old in tow, she wouldn’t get far.” What else to tell them? “It’s been my impression she doesn’t entirely agree with her husband’s actions, but I believe she may be afraid of him. One of us, probably you, Adam, would need to find Hugh and Ned. Papa and I could stay with her until Abbot came home from his shift, if necessary.”

  “This will all be moot if we don’t make a start,” Sir William said.

  “We’ll meet you back here for supper,” said Adam.

  Before departing, Eleanor kissed her father’s cheek. “Thank you, Papa.”

  They walked up and down the cramped streets, with tall, narrow houses blocking the light. A stench rose from the gutters. Cooking odors wafted through open doorways and windows. Bacon, onions, fish. Eleanor hoped, if Lili were here somewhere, it would not be for long. They caught sight of only a few mothers, one with three children, another with a newborn baby. In both cases, Eleanor approached the women and asked if they’d seen anyone new about and described Edith Abbot and Lili. But no, they had not.

  After a few hours of fruitless exploration of the streets, Adam found a bench and told Eleanor to sit. They had worked their way toward the sea, and she had a clear view of Spithead, where the ships coming into port lay at anchor. She glimpsed frigates, schooners, even a warship. Now that the war was finally over, where would they moor all the ships? The air was heavy with moisture, and it seemed rain was inevitable. In a few moments, Adam returned with tea for each of them.

  “Thank you. This is most welcome.”

  They sipped quietly for a time. Adam finally broke the silence and said, “Eleanor, I realize this is not my business, so I’ll say only this. My brother was deeply hurt when my mother and I left Longmere, and he has never quite gotten over it. He’s making the mistake of equating your situation with Deborah’s at the time. I believe he knows in his heart that his thinking is wrongheaded—”

  “Does he? Just last night he told me he still intends to take Lili from me and raise her himself. It was wrong of me to not tell him about Lili the minute he returned. He knows how bitterly I regret it, but nevertheless, he is determined to punish me.”

  “He’s as stubborn as they come, the damned fool. Lately, I’ve noticed a softening in him, but this has been a setback. Allow him some time.”

  Eleanor didn’t comment, merely nodded.

  By four o’clock, they had reached the peak of frustration. The rain that had been threatening all day was falling, and they hurried back to the inn huddled under Adam’s umbrella. Sir William had also failed to discover anything useful. Adam suggested they remain at the inn and wait for Hugh and Ned. In Eleanor’s mind, the fact that they’d heard nothing from them didn’t bode well.

  “I’ll speak to the innkeeper about reserving the private dining parlor for this evening. Why don’t you try to get some rest?” Adam said.

  But once in her room, Eleanor was jittery. She tried to read but couldn’t concentrate. Sarah urged her to lie down, but she couldn’t relax. At length, she got to her feet and said, “I’m going out. You’d better come with me, Sarah.”

  When the maid looked as if she were about to protest, Eleanor said, “Fresh air will do you good. You’ve been indoors all day.”

  The rain had let up, but the air remained heavy with moisture. Although she did not do so consciously, Eleanor walked toward the dockyard. She had no plan, no idea of what she would do there. She knew only that she urgently wished to find Hugh and Ned and learn their news, if they had any to convey.

  They wound their way over to Otter Street. The dockyard itself was impossible to miss, encompassing factories, storehouses, a vast dry dock where ships were built and repaired, and enormous ponds where the riggings were soaked until the wood was cured. Eleanor had no intention of entering the area; she merely wanted to have a look at it. They ended up at the stairway leading to the ramparts, part of the fortifications surrounding the city. “Let’s go up,” Eleanor said, gesturing to Sarah to follow her. When they reached the top, the wind blew in their faces, carrying the smell of the sea with it.

  Eleanor turned and looked the opposite way, down into the yard. Was she dreaming, or was that Hugh and Ned she glimpsed standing near the dry dock below and looking upward? Had they seen her? No. They were looking at something else. She turned and saw a man racing along the ramparts, headed directly toward where she was standing.

  The man was Jacob Abbot.

  In mere seconds he would pass by where she was standing. What should she do? Glancing down, she saw Hugh and Ned dashing toward the dockyard exit, probably to locate another access stairway. Should she try to stop Abbot? He’d get away before Hugh and Ned could catch him if she did nothing.

  She heard Sarah call to her, but she paid no attention. Abbot hurtled toward her, unaware of who she was. Suddenly, he was on her, and she screamed, “Jacob Abbot!” He slowed, but didn’t stop. She gave chase, hollering, “Mr. Abbot! Mr. Abbot!” To her amazement, he skidded to a halt and spun to face her.

  “You,” he said. He took a step closer. “You’re the cause of all this trouble.”

  “Yes, it’s me. What have you done with my daughter?” Eleanor couldn’t believe he’d stopped. Didn’t he know that Hugh and Ned were on their way up? A gust of wind nearly took her bonnet, and she clamped a hand on her head to prevent it from flying off.

  “If you’d handed over the money I asked for, none of this would have happened. My wife and me, we did our best taking care of your girl. Your father’s a rich man. He could’ve spared the blunt. Grey could have spared the blunt.” He drew closer yet. “But no, you had to be a bitch about it, and now see what’s happened.”

  What was he referring to? Unrelenting fear planted itself in her belly as though something were rotting there. “Where is she? Where is Lili?” Now Eleanor became the aggressor, moving closer to him, grabbing hold of his grubby coat. “Tell me!”

  He laughed. “Or what? What will you do?” Taking her by the wrists, he pulled her hands off him and gave her a shove. She nearly lost her footing.

  Behind Abbot, Hugh and Ned were approaching. They’d slowed their pace, creeping along so he wouldn’t hear them or sense their presence. She needed to hold his attention a little longer. “If anything has happened to her, I’ll see you hang.”

  “I’ll be long gone before the law gets its hands on me,” he said. Hugh and Ned sprang forward at that moment, each grabbing one of Abbot’s arms.

  “No, you won’t, Abbot,” Hugh said, panting. “You will take us to Lili, and then we’re going to turn you over to the magistrate.”

&
nbsp; Abbot didn’t waste time trying to break free. “You bastards! Money first, then I’ll tell you where to find her.”

  “Either lead us to her right now, or we’ll drag you directly to the magistrate. I don’t think he’ll show much mercy to a man who’s committed as many crimes as you have. Where is Lili? Is she with your wife?”

  Eleanor saw something shift in Abbot’s eyes. He was working something out. Probably a way to get money and make an escape.

  “Money first,” he repeated.

  Hugh, with a ferocity Eleanor had never seen in him, grabbed Abbot and dragged him to the edge of the rampart, so close that one of the man’s legs dangled over the side. Waves crashed against the walls below. For a heart-stopping moment, Eleanor feared both of them would plunge over. But Hugh, his strength seeming almost inhuman, kept a firm grip on Abbot. “I’ll shove you off without a single pang. In fact, I’m looking for a reason to do it. This is your last chance. Where is my daughter?”

  Eleanor caught a glimpse of Abbot’s terrified face and turned to Ned. “Stop him! If Hugh kills Abbot, we may never find Lili.”

  Ned didn’t need any encouragement. “Hugh! Think what you’re doing, man! You could hang for murder. Ease off, now.” Ned reached for Abbot’s other arm, and gradually they pulled him back from the edge.

  Hugh, still in a towering rage, said to Abbot, “Need any more encouragement? Let’s go.” Hugh gripped Abbot by one arm, and Ned took the other.

  Eleanor and Sarah hurried to keep up with the three men. Abbot seemed subdued, resigned to his fate. When they turned up a street Eleanor was certain she’d visited earlier in the day, Abbot slowed and finally stopped.

  “If you pay me, I’ll leave Surrey and never come back. But give it to me now. I’ve no desire for a wife or babe.”

  “You bastard,” Hugh said in a low, dangerous voice. “You would abandon your wife and the child she’s to bear to save your own skin? I should have pushed you off the ramparts when I had the chance.” A tense moment passed. “If you take us to Lili right now, I’ll consider recommending mercy to the magistrate.”