Page 86 of The Secret Life of the Elusive Governess
“You! You are the reason they took my child!”
“Lavinia,” Moses interrupted, trying hard to not see Nicholas cowering in the corner of a settee. “This is not the time to point fingers. Get a hold of yourself.”
The Duchess turned to him and Moses saw the pain and desperation in her eyes. It was the first time the Duke had seen such raw emotion from the usually impassive lady. Lavinia visibly trembled in anger and then, her knees went out from under her and quickly, Moses caught her.
“Be strong, Lavinia,” Moses consoled while praying that his words were not empty. “She will come back alive.”
Miss Mills seemed to shrink into the background while Caroline stood with an unnatural stiffness. Carrying the Duchess over to her seat Moses gently sat her down.
“How did you get here so quickly?” the Duchess’ voice was flat.
“I had a feeling,” Caroline replied, “It was as if claws were raking against my soul and I knew something was wrong.”
Lavinia laughed dully, “You have such a strong connection with my husband, then, that you can sense his fear? What are you, governess, aristocrat or witch?”
“Lavinia!” Moses snapped.
“It is understandable,” Caroline spoke, “She has a right to lash out, Your Grace. Her child is in danger.”
Someone knocked and all turned to the door. A maid was there with wide eyes and a letter in her hand. “I apologize, but this was just delivered.”
Moses took it from her, “By whom?”
“The tweeny, Your Grace,” she replied, “She said a hooded man gave it to her and told her to run here as fast as she could.”
I’ll deal with her later.
The room was on edge as Moses opened the letter. “Miss Robins will come alone to the alley behind the last apothecary in the town at nine o’clock this night. If she is followed, you will never get the girl back.”
Lavinia’s choking cry was faint but heard.
A determination was cemented in Caroline’s face, “I will do it.”
“No!” Moses called before he even recognized that the word had left his mouth. “Caroline! No!”
The fear on his face was palpable but the governess squared her shoulders, “I have taken care of Josephine for two years, I love her like she is my own, and I will do whatever it takes to save her.”
“But it is your life!” the Duke called, alarm inundated his voice,
“It is your life these villains are after!”
“And she is your child,”Carolinesaid defensively, “If my life is what it takes to save her, I'll freely give it.”
The pain that radiated from the middle of Moses’ stomach made him feel ill and though he tried to find some middle ground, he could not. “Very well,” the words were uttered as he was regurgitating bile. “There is no other choice, is there?
Caroline’s solemn head shake felt like the last nail in his coffin.
Moses then shared a pointed look with Mr. Cartridge who nodded almost unperceivably. The Duke was relieved that the man had such an intuitive understanding. Edward had really sent him the best.
* * *
The moonlight from the crescent moon was barely enough for Caroline to maneuver her way around the littered debris that was scattered at random places in the alley behind the last apothecary in town. The notion was not solid but she felt that it was her murderous uncle who was behind the kidnapping.
There is an old one, at the end of the town but a fair lady like you would not dare been seen in those parts, Miss. Ruffians and blackguards roam the streets looking for easy prey.
It was ironic that she found herself in the very spot the chemist had told her about, but this was for a vastly different reason. She spotted a place on the wall that might give her an advantage over her opponents and set her back to it. It was important that she did not give away any opportunity to be set on by surprise.
It was a cold night, so she hunkered down into her cloak and allowed her fingers to flitter over the cold steel of Moses’ spare pistol. The lonesome howl of a dog only made the atmosphere feel forlorn and she had to dig deep inside to stay calm. Moses had sent Henry and Verona on their way just after the second note had been found and to her knowledge, they had reported the matter to the constable.
