Victorian Vigilantes 01 - Saving Grace (8 page)

William wanted to argue. It hurt to accept that Eva loved the child more than she loved him, even though he knew it was true.

“Of course, you could send the child to the country. If Lady Eva does have ears everywhere, she will hear about it and fancy her chances of rescuing her. It will be easier for you to spot her if she arrives at a country location.”

“I will think about it.” William tapped on the roof with his cane. “Hyde Park, and make haste. I’m late for an appointment.”

The driver knew which part of the park to head for without being told. Indeed, his options were limited since most of the park was off limits while the finishing touches were put to the magnificent building that would house the Great Exhibition. William had to admire his associate’s guile in arranging to meet in the shadow of the event they planned to cause great scandal and political unrest by ruining. They made this journey frequently and William always found a closed conveyance, blinds drawn down, awaiting them. As soon as they arrived William alighted from his carriage, telling his driver to wait for him. As soon as he entered the closed carriage, it moved off.

“You’re late,” remarked the superbly attired gentleman inside the carriage.

“My apologies. I was unavoidably detained.”

“Have you located your wife?”

William wanted to tell the man to go to the devil. It was none of his damned business. Unfortunately, he wasn’t in a position to do so and, in some respects, it
was
his business. This man was his ticket to a life of social acceptability. Not only had he singled William out to co-ordinate the theft of the Koh-i-Noor diamond, but he had also promised to pay him handsomely for the risk he was taking
and
sponsor his introduction into the right circles. By offering him a foot in the door of high society he had hit upon the only thing William wanted and couldn’t purchase for himself. It was those sorts of weaknesses that William looked for in others and so, even though he didn’t like or trust the man, he could reluctantly admire him for turning the tables on him.

However, it would only work if he had Eva at his side. Even his high-born co-conspirator couldn’t make William appear socially acceptable without Eva’s impeccable credentials to ease his path. Infuriatingly, this man knew it and used William’s ambitions to keep him honest.

“I know where she is,” William said, attempting to sound bored with the entire business. “She will be home before the sun sets today.”

“That is what you said the last time we met,” the man replied languidly.

“This time it’s true.”

The man crossed his legs elegantly at the ankles and examined the sleeve of his coat. “I do hope so, for your sake.”

William’s tone was as indolent as his companion’s. “Are you threatening me?”

“I can’t help feeling you’ve lost your edge, Woodstock. First you allow one of our hot-headed Sikh guests to murder one of their fellows in broad daylight, where anyone might have seen. Where someone
did
see. Your wife to be precise. And then you carelessly manage to lose said wife and devote all your energy into finding her, instead of focusing on the things you have agreed to do for me.”

“She ran because she was scared for her life.”

The man flexed an indolent brow. “Too scared to return home and seek protection from her husband?”

His upper class drawl was staring to wear on William’s nerves. “She has no reason to be afraid of me, if that’s what you’re implying. She’s frightened and confused after what she saw and lost her wits for a while. Any lady of quality would react in the same way, especially one of Lady Eva’s sensibilities.”

“And yet she has the wits to…well, to outwit you, old fellow. It makes me wonder if I have chosen the right man to help me with the repatriation of the stone. I mean, if a mere woman without funds can lose herself in the middle of London and you, with all your resources, fail to locate her—”

“Everything is under control,” William said through tightly clenched teeth. “You have no cause for concern.”

“Oh, I am not the slightest bit concerned for myself because no one knows of my involvement, nor will they ever. It’s your neck on the line if things go awry, in which case I would recommend you follow your wife’s example and disappear as fast as you can. You knew the risks when you agreed to become involved. Your life won’t be worth living if you fail. Nor will I be able to protect you if that happens.”

“I am well aware of that. And nothing will go wrong. The plan is fool proof, the final details have been agreed; nothing has been left to chance.”

“I am very pleased to hear it.” He handed a plain, unsealed envelope to William. “Here is the information you asked me for. I don’t wish to know why you need it. In fact the less I know of the particulars the better.”

The man’s insistence on not knowing how they planned to execute the theft bothered William. He was meticulous to a fault but never allowed William to discuss specifics. He claimed the less people who knew the precise details, the less likelihood there was for word getting out. William suspected he was simply covering his own back.

“Oh, did you discover who just happened to be in the vicinity of your warehouse and was able to fire a shot at our murdering Sikh friend?”

No, William had not, but he wasn’t about to admit to another failure.

“Violent sailors swamp the area, waiting to pick up a ship. There’s a lot of resentment when they see foreigners taking their work. We picked up a man who claimed to see a seaman target the Sikh.”

William was unable to tell if his associate was convinced. Since it was a complete fabrication and William still had no idea who fired the shot that saved Eva’s life, he would be surprised if he was. William would have instigated thorough enquiries had not Eva disappeared, pushing the incident from his mind. Now it was too late. The area was a seething mass of ever-changing humanity. To see the same face twice in one day was unusual, and so William’s unease remained unappeased. If anyone was watching his warehouse—which he doubted—there were far more vantage points from which they could do so than William’s men could possibly keep under observation.

No, that shot was a lucky one, and there was nothing more to be said.

“I see.” The man straightened his legs in front of him and examined his feet. “It would be wise to ensure no strangers linger near your warehouse at this sensitive time.”

And how the devil was he supposed to do that?

“Naturally,” William said dismissively.

The carriage stopped where it had started from and William put his hand on the door. “I shall require a progress report in two days’ time, as usual,” his companion reminded him. “Be here and don’t keep me waiting next time.”

William mumbled something incomprehensible and returned to his own conveyance. Did these people take him for a complete idiot? Did they imagine he hadn’t made contingency plans on his own behalf, just in case? William had been born into a house even worse than the one his wife had spent the past week living in. He hadn’t pulled himself up from the slums without knowing how to keep one step ahead of the game at every turn.

***

Eva felt conflicted. On the one hand she was still out of charity with Lord Torbay and Lord Isaac for attempting to manipulate her into working against her husband. On the other, she felt a great sense of relief at having agreed to remain in Grosvenor Square and place herself in their care. She had nowhere else to go. Whitechapel was now compromised and she had neither the strength nor the will to seek alternative lodgings, to say nothing of the fact that she had no money to pay for them with.

A moment’s reflection was all it took for her to concede that in Lord Torbay’s position she would probably have acted in a similar fashion. Given the responsibility that rested on his shoulders she was almost able to forgive him. The theft of such a well-known and controversial diamond would start a huge diplomatic incident, reflecting badly upon the queen and her incumbent government. Of course they needed to do whatever was necessary to secure its safety. Her difficulties paled into insignificance by comparison.

“I have taken the liberty of ordering a chamber to be prepared for you,” Lord Torbay said, having just rung for Parker and exchanged a brief word with him. “You look exhausted. I suggest you spend the remainder of the day resting and we will meet again at dinner. We can talk some more then, by which time I dare say you will have more questions for us.”

“I expect I shall.”

Eva hadn’t realised how tired she actually was. She had barely slept this past week, as evidenced by the shadows beneath her eyes that had so appalled her earlier. Was it only this morning when she looked in that cracked glass? It seemed like days, and another world away when she had been forced by necessity to push herself to the limits of her endurance. The sounds and smells of Whitechapel were unfamiliar; everything seemed like a threat. She had tried to disguise her identity and remain hidden in her room as much as possible. Even so, she drew attention to herself when she was forced to venture out in search of food. Every time she felt eyes tracking her movements she feared she would be followed back to her room and attacked—or worse. The fact that William had now found her bolthole afforded her the perfect excuse to remain here. The thought of clean sheets and the opportunity to regain her strength overcame all other objections.

“You look ready to collapse with fatigue,” Lord Isaac said with a sympathetic smile. “Take some time to recover your strength and then, if you still wish to leave and return to your husband, we won’t try to prevent you. On that you have our solemn word as gentlemen.”

Reassured, Eva acquiesced. “Very well.”

She inclined her head and smiled at the engaging Lord Isaac. He really was a very attractive man. He clearly liked her and it was difficult not to feel the full force of the compliment he paid her by acting as her champion, putting her concerns ahead of affairs of state. She had overheard snippets of his private conversation with Lord Torbay a few moments earlier and knew it was his urgent entreaty that had changed Lord Torbay’s mind about using her to get to her husband. She obviously still possessed the power to influence a man of Lord Isaac’s standing and that knowledge went a long way to restoring some of the self-esteem that had been knocked out of her by William.

“Thank you,” she said, standing. “You are both very kind.”

Lord Torbay smiled and rang the bell. A maid appeared to escort her up the stairs and along what seemed like an endless maze of corridors.

“My name is Betsy, my lady,” she said. “His lordship says I am to take care of your every need.”

“Thank you, Betsy, but my only need right now is for a soft bed and solitude.”

“That’s easily arranged, ma’am. Here we are.” Betsy opened the door to a sumptuous chamber and stood back to let Eva pass through it ahead of her. “I hope this is to your satisfaction.”

Eva wanted to laugh hysterically. If Betsy could have seen her living accommodation up until that morning she would probably be shocked into giving notice. A bed of soft hay in a stable would be more satisfactory than the constant noise, smell and danger she had felt in Whitechapel. She bit back a smile and looked around the bright, tastefully decorated bedchamber with delight.

“It is perfect,” she said, eyeing the bed greedily.

“I’ll help you out of your gown, ma’am,” Betsy said. “The bed’s already been warmed through so I’ll leave you to rest after that. Then, later I’ll bring you your tea and I expect you would like a bath.”

Eva closed her eyes and groaned at the thought of hot water caressing her body. Of washing her greasy hair, drying it in front of the fire and brushing it until some of its former sheen was restored. Whitechapel had left many of its marks on her, she supposed. The fine layer of dirt could be removed from her skin and hair. The internal damage would take longer to eradicate.

“That would be wonderful, Betsy.”

Eva allowed herself to be undressed, obediently seating herself so that Betsy could let her hair down and brush it out. If felt so good to cede responsibility for herself to someone else, just for a short time. She closed her eyes as the rhythmic motion of Betsy’s brush agitating her scalp almost lulled her into sleep.

“You have lovely hair, my lady.”

“What…oh, thank you.” Eva’s eyes flew open. “It is sorely in need of a wash.”

“Well, that’s easily arranged.” She put aside the brush. “Right, here we are.”

Eva hadn’t realised she was down to her shift until Betsy held out a delicate lawn nightgown, encouraging Eva to put it on. It slipped over her head and whispered down the length of her body like a silent promise. Eva shuddered, feeling once again a strong premonition of both danger and excitement. She was about to cross into uncharted territory. She couldn’t say how precisely, or even in what respect. She simply knew it was the case.

And far from being afraid, the prospect excited her.

“This isn’t mine,” she said, almost to herself.

“I hope it’s all right.”

“Oh, it’s fine.” Eva fingered the long sleeves as Betsy tied it at the neck. “Who does it belong to?”

“I really couldn’t say,” the maid replied, sounding evasive.

“About my gown, Betsy.” It was the only one she had and Eva suddenly realised it was hardly fit to be seen, especially since she would be required to dine with two sophisticated gentlemen later that day. Not that it really mattered. She had far more important things to worry about than her appearance, but still… “Perhaps you would do what you can to make it respectable enough for tonight.”

“Don’t worry about that, my lady. Just leave everything to me.”

Betsy pulled the covers back, Eva slid between them and sank into the soft mattress with another appreciative groan. Now that she was safe, at least for the moment, she expected to be kept awake by guilty thoughts of Grace. How could she possibly sleep when her daughter was probably pining for want of her?

She was asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

It was all too good to be true, of course, and no sooner had she fallen into a light doze than someone pulled the curtains aside and woke her again. She was instantly alert and sat bolt upright, taking a moment to recall where she was.