I don’t recall the entire trip down the drainpipe to the floor below, although certain moments would reside in my memory with brilliant clarity for many years. Make it I did, however, and I have never been so glad to cling to the side of a building as I was then. With my back to the street four stories below, I shuffled my way down the ledge grasping whatever bits of the building I could find, peering intently into each blank window before I passed it. I approached the open window hesitantly, carefully looking in the dirty window before I slipped in. Like the other rooms, this one was unlit and empty, save for some broken furniture.
I knocked my shin against something wooden, and stifled an oath as I hobbled to the door. Opening the door slightly, I squinted through the crack. The hallway was empty, lit only by the single gas jet I had seen upon my arrival. Slipping out of the room, I tiptoed down the hallway toward the front door. Voices murmured ahead, causing me to hold my breath as I crept closer to the sound. The door to the sitting room was open, providing a perfect opportunity to eavesdrop. I hugged the wall and stopped just outside the door.
“I’m not showin’ you anythin’ ‘til you show us the money.”
That sounded like Percy speaking. I expected to hear Merlin in response to his statement, and almost had to bite my lip to keep my startled response from being spoken aloud.
“How do I know you haven’t damaged her?” Freddy asked.
My stomach turned upon itself, fear fighting anger as I struggled to keep from throwing open the door and asking him what he thought he was doing. Only the thought of Griffin waiting to fall into this trap kept me silent.
“She’s all right, although we had to give him a little tap on the head to keep him quiet.”
“I don’t care about him so long as he’s out of the way. I just want to make sure there’s nothing apparently wrong with the girl when the clergyman comes.”
Girl? Clergyman? Freddy’s words had me concerned, but I ignored them to worry over Merlin’s reference to a man. Could it be that Griffin—
“She’ll be right as rain. Locked up safe she is, with no way out,” said Merlin, interrupting my unpleasant musing.
Except the roof
, I thought to myself with no little smugness.
“You have the stuff?” Percy asked.
“What stuff? Oh, the laudanum? Yes, I have it here.”
“Give it over. I want to give the gent another dose in case ‘e wakes up. It took all we ‘ad to get ‘im up here.”
“You can have it later, after I’m done with the girl.” Freddy sounded annoyed.
A horrible picture formed in my mind as I listened. The mention of the opiate, myself, and a clergyman settled into a nauseating scene in which I was doped just enough to be married to Freddy, apparently with my full consent. If Freddy had a clergyman in his pocket—and Percy and Merlin as witnesses—it would be difficult for me to deny my willingness in the ceremony.
I had to find out if Griffin was the man they were talking about. I crept forward silently and peered into the room. The men were sitting around a fireplace that ran perpendicular to the door. Percy was in a high-backed chair with his back to me, and Merlin was stretched out on a couch that faced the door, but he watched closely as Freddy gazed out of the window. Next to the door was a battered sideboard.
My spirits picked up at the sight of it, for on the top lay a ring with three keys. I knelt on the floor behind Percy’s chair and inched my way forward, keeping one eye out for Freddy and Merlin. My hand snaked up the side of the furniture, touched metal, and closed over the keys with painstaking slowness. I held my breath, hoping the keys wouldn’t clank together.
Freddy turned his head to speak with Merlin and I froze, not wanting any movement to catch his peripheral vision.
“Blast the man. When did you say he would be here? It’s already half past and I don’t have all day to wait around. If I don’t get to Roget’s by mid-day, I might as well leave the country.”
Merlin laughed unpleasantly. “I’ve heard that old Roget employs men who know how to break bones without leaving a mark.”
Freddy shuddered, then asked petulantly, “Are you sure the girl’s all right? She has to look feasible, you know.”
“I’m sure, I’m sure. If you like we can check, although you aren’t getting her until we are paid.”
Freddy made an annoyed noise and turned his head back towards the window. Merlin tipped his head up to blow a smoke ring. With the keys grasped firmly in my fist, I crawled quietly out of the room into the hallway.
Down the hallway I went, trying the doors gently. There were only two locked—mine, and the one across the hall from it. I turned the key in the lock and slipped into the room.
There were wooden slats across the window, but enough light filtered in for me to recognize the still form lying on the floor. I rushed to Griffin’s side and examined his head carefully. He had a lump on his temple and a small trickle of blood, but no bones gave under the anxious pressure of my fingers.
I sighed with relief and hurried back to the door to look out into the hallway. No one was in sight, so I closed the door quietly and locked it from the inside. Tucking the keys into my bodice, I went back to Griffin and tried to bring him around.
Chapter Twenty-one
Kisses and endearments didn’t do Griffin any good, but it made me feel quite a bit better, although worry about the amount of laudanum he received soon had me gravely concerned. I’d seen people under the influence of that opiate, but never had I seen someone so completely unconscious.
“Forgive me, darling,” I whispered as I smacked Griffin soundly on the cheek. He stirred briefly, then fell back into a stupor.
I slapped him again. His eyelids flickered, but no more. I looked around the room for some water, but there was nothing. I returned to slapping him, trying desperately for ten minutes to rouse him. At the end of that time I sat back on my heels and let a tear trickle down my cheek. I could not wake him for more than a few seconds at a time. I tried sitting him up, thinking I could half carry him out of the room, but he was too heavy for me in his drugged state.
A door banged down the hall and I jumped up, terrified. I ran to the door and listened, but heard nothing. Cautiously, and with a glance back at my recumbent prince, I slipped out, locked his door, and dashed across the hallway to my own room. The key turned in the lock with a squeak, but I managed to make it in and lock the door from the inside before I heard approaching footsteps.
I stood with my ear pressed against the door.
“’Ow do I know where the blasted keys went? I’m not the one as was in charge of them. That’s Merlin’s job.”
The doorknob to my room rattled and there was a sharp knock. “You in there, miss?”
I moved back from the door, and said in my most arrogant voice, “Yes, I am, and I am getting tired of being held in here. I demand that you let me out!”
“Not yet, miss. Your time will come soon enough.”
“What about the other door?” I heard Merlin ask.
“It’s locked too.”
“Well, come on then, don’t just stand there like you have all day, let’s find those damned keys.”
Their voices rumbled back down the hallway and I heaved a sigh of relief. I had been worried that they might have a duplicate set, but was heartened by their response. I just hoped they would not think of a skeleton key before I could get Griffin out.
I had to wait some time before I could go back to Griffin’s room; Percy and Merlin were all over the top floor of the building searching for the missing keys. Judging by the acrimonious comments that were being bandied about by Freddy, no one had yet thought of a skeleton key. Taking my chance at a rare quiet period, I left my room, locked it from the outside lest they decided to check on me, and dashed into Griffin’s room, locking the door again from the inside.
I managed to rouse him by resorting to several sharp slaps, and had him in a sitting position with his head between his knees when I heard voices outside the door. After unnecessarily cautioning the barely conscious Griffin to be quiet, I crept to the door and listened. What I heard turned my blood to ice.
“Well, someone must have a pass key! Go downstairs and check, you idiots.”
“Now then, Mister Black, there’s no reason to be calling us names. I’ll just send Percy downstairs to the manager, like, and ask politely for a key. She likes you, doesn’t she, mate?”
Percy sniggered.
“Good. Fine. Just do it! I’m already an hour late for my appointment, and Mr. Hope won’t wait around here forever.”
I assumed Freddy was talking about the clergyman. Crawling back to Griffin, I found him with his head sunk down on his chest, sleeping.
“Griffin, you must pull yourself together,” I hissed, smacking him on the cheek.
“Huh? What? Cassandra?”
“Yes, my love, it’s me. You have to stay awake and concentrate.”
He blinked at me groggily, and I slapped him again. His head snapped back, his eyes opened wide but unfocused. I reached out to slap him again, but his hand shot up and caught mine.
“Listen to me, Griffin, this is very important.” I spoke with my face close to his, peering intently into his beautiful, clouded amber eyes. “We are being held prisoner. We have to get out, now. Do you understand?”
He blinked at me a few times, then said thickly, “Prisoner. I understand.”
I helped him to his feet, which were none too steady, and unlocked the door. There was no one in the hallway, and only occasional sounds from the sitting room. I put both hands on Griffin’s head and shook it until he started to protest.
“Be very quiet. The men are in that room, and they are armed. We have to go past them without them seeing us. Can you do that?”
His eyes were still confused and clouded, but he nodded his head. I grasped his hand and started to lead him from the room, but stopped when someone pounded on the door to the flat. Pushing Griffin back into his room, I held the door open a fraction and watched as Merlin emerged from the sitting room to answer the door. I expected to see Percy—my jaw dropped when I saw a familiar face.
“William Jones, I want to speak with you!”
It was Annie,
my
Annie, come to confront her paramour.
“Why haven’t you answered my letters?” she demanded, shaking her fist and unleashing a torrent of angry comments.
Merlin backed up, his hands outstretched, obviously trying to defend himself against the tongue-lashing Annie was giving him. He held up a hand, said something too quiet for me to hear, and went into the sitting room, closing the door behind him.
I didn’t have time to dither. “Annie,” I hissed, poking my head out of the door.
She looked up, her hands on her hips, the very picture of a righteous, indignant woman. Surprise flooded her face as she saw me.
“Shhhhh!” I cautioned. “Don’t tell him you know I’m here, but I need you to help me.”
The sitting room door opened and Merlin appeared, his back to me as he carefully closed the door behind him. I peeked out carefully.
“Now Annie, my love,” Merlin started to say in a placatory tone.
“Don’t you ‘Annie my love’ me,” she warned. “You have me in the family way! Why haven’t you answered my letters?”
“Letters? I didn’t receive your letters, my sweet—”
“Not much, you didn’t! Oh! Oh!” She suddenly grasped her chest.
“What’s wrong, Annie?” Merlin seemed more concerned in watching the door to the sitting room than with Annie.
“It’s my heart. The doctor said I should rest when it acts up.”
“You go home and have a good rest then, love.”
“I can’t—” she panted, clutching her chest harder. “The doctor says I have to lay down right away when I have these spells. It might be fatal!”
If Annie ever chose to go on the stage, I would be happy to support her endeavor by any means required. I had no idea she was such a natural-born actress, but the performance she gave Merlin was outstanding. Unsure if she understood the urgency of my message, I was half worried that she really
was
suffering from some sort of heart ailment.
Merlin settled her in one of the free rooms. “I’ll look in on you in a few minutes,” he said, returning to the sitting room. He didn’t even glance toward our room.
A soft tap on the door alerted me to Annie’s presence. “What are you doing here, miss—oh, isn’t that—”
“Annie,” I spoke in a low voice but with an urgency that was hard to mistake. “Your friend Mr. Jones has kidnapped us. Mr. St. John and me, that is. He’s drugged Griffin, and I don’t think I can get him out by myself. You have to help us.”
“William did?
My
William?”
“Your William. Will you help us?”
Her face set in a grim expression. “Tell me what you want me to do, miss, and I’ll do it.”
I hugged her. “I’m just worried that Percy will return from sweet-talking the manager before I can get Griffin out. I need you to cause a distraction that will focus the attention of the men away from the door so I can get him past it without being seen. Can you do that?”
“I’ll make a scene that William won’t forget in a long time,” she promised. “It will be a pleasure to tell him what I think of his ways!”
She slipped out and closed the door. I turned back to Griffin and alternately shook and slapped him into semi-consciousness. He staggered against me drunkenly as I tried to keep him awake and moving.
I could hear the raised voices even through the door. Opening it quietly, I gave Griffin one last shake and, putting my shoulder under his arm, led him down the hall. We came to the open door of the sitting room where I leaned him against the wall and hissed to stand still. I peeked around the corner of the door and saw Annie in action. She ranted, she yelled, she threw bits of crockery at the men. Bless her heart, she had all three men crouched in the far corner as she aimed a large jug at them. Whirling around, she slammed shut the door to the sitting room. A loud crash indicated the jug had fulfilled its destiny.
I grabbed Griffin and dragged him towards the door. He stumbled and fell against me heavily, but we managed to get out of the flat before the door to the sitting room opened. I didn’t stop to sigh with relief at our escape, knowing that Percy would be on his way up any moment. We started down the stairs cautiously, Griffin leaning on me and stumbling because his legs weren’t working as they should. I worried that Annie might have put herself in danger by helping us, and was relieved when I heard her voice echo down the stairwell.
“That’s the last you’ll see of me, William Jones,” she shouted.
Griffin
and I made it down two floors when I heard someone starting up the stairs. Annie was above, clattering her way noisily downward, muttering as she descended.
Panicked, I hurried down the passageway, pulling Griffin into the deepest shadows I could find. His head lolled sleepily, but he was still standing.
I roused him quickly. “Griffin, put your arms around me.”
“Mmmm?”
I lifted one of his arms onto my shoulders just as Percy paused on the landing.
“Oooh, Basil, stop that!” I squealed with a high pitched giggle, and rubbed my hands through Griffin’s hair. Poor man, he lifted his head and tried to focus his eyes on me, but failed. I peeked over his shoulder as Percy looked hesitantly toward us.
“Some people don’t have nothing better to do than watch them that are enjoying themselves. Get on with you and let those two have some privacy,” Annie sniffed in a disgusted tone as she passed him on her way down.
Percy, wilting under her comments, continued up the stairs.
With Annie’s help, we stumbled our way down the remaining two flights and out the front door. Angry shouts and oaths from above informed us that the pass key had been used and our escape was known.
“Blast,” I swore as Griffin tripped over the debris and rubbish that littered the street. He was leaning heavily on me as we stumbled along. “I’m not going to be able to last for any great distance, Annie.”
“What do you want me to do?”
I looked around frantically for a spot to hide. We half-dragged Griffin around the corner where I spied a side yard, similar to the one at my aunt’s house, although this one was full of trash bins.
“An excellent hiding place. You go look for a cab, while I hide Griffin.”
Annie took off at a smart trot while I hauled Griffin down into the side yard, and tucked him away behind two bins, pillowing his head with my coat. After covering his legs with the cleanest debris I could find, I was satisfied that no one could see him from the street.