Page 14 of To Tame the Wild Rake
Yahzak and the footmen came around the corner, and the remaining guards dropped down into the street from the rooftops. In moments, the entire party were mounted and on their way northwest to Bishopsgate Street, and then up Sun Street and from there through Crown Street to cut across to Finsbury Square.
There, they paused. “Where next,” Yahzak asked.
“Let’s talk.” Aldridge dismounted and came to offer Charlotte his assistance.
They gathered next to the carriage, where they could see one another’s faces in the flickering coach lamps. The two women opened the door and leant out. “Lady Charlotte,” Wakefield said, “may I present Sukie and Bets?” The two women bobbed, as much of a curtsey as they could manage while seated and canting forward.
Charlotte nodded in return, trying not to wonder whether Aldridge had got his money’s worth, and if so, with which one. Perhaps both. After all, Wakefield was purportedly besotted with his wife.
Wakefield continued, “They helped us this night, and in return asked our help to escape.”
“Wakefield explained our intentions,” Aldridge added, “and the ladies took us through the attics to the place the Beast keeps his prisoners. Just as well, because he had guards on the main stairs. There was only the one prisoner, and he took advantage of the disturbance we made to break his window and escape—I saw him climbing the wall. A boy of about eleven or twelve, slender, fair haired. I couldn’t pick up more than that in the dark.”
“So, we made a disturbance to give him time to get away,” Wakefield added, “and then left.”
A brief explanation covering the hour or more that they’d been in that place. Charlotte instructed her prurient imagination to behave. What Aldridge did was none of her business.
“Do you know of anywhere young Tony might go for shelter?” Aldridge asked, oblivious to the direction of Charlotte’s seething thoughts.
Charlotte wrenched her mind back to her purpose for being here. “Back to Winderfield House, I hope. Failing that, the school.”
“Then we’ll check the school, since that is closer, before returning to Winderfield House,” Wakefield decided. “Sukie? Bets? Do you have anywhere to go? Somewhere the Beast and his sister cannot find you?”
The two women exchanged uncertain glances. “Can’t think of a place, guv,” Bets offered with a shrug, but her eyes spoke of her fear, and Sukie was weeping silently. They were young, Charlotte realized. Younger than her. Victims, perhaps, of the fate women suffered when men took what they wanted without concern for the consequences.
It could have been her. It could have been Sarah. They’d had a strong aunt with her own wealth, plus a mother with connections. Otherwise, they might have been thrown out to fend for themselves, as the duke their grandfather threatened more than once.
In her jealousy, Charlotte had lost sight of compassion, for a short time. “Then we shall have to find you a place,” she said. “You shall come home with me for tonight, and we shall talk about what you want to do after that.”
“Lady Charlotte!” Aldridge exclaimed.
“Lord Aldridge!” she responded, mimicking his tone.
Wakefield intervened before Aldridge could burst out with whatever arrogant remark was on the tip of his tongue. “Thank you,” the enquiry agent said to Charlotte, and then, to the two women, “I would like your help to make a drawing of Heaven and Hell. I also have a few questions about the routine, and what you’ve heard about the owners. May I call on you later in the day? If that is acceptable to you, Lady Charlotte.”
“Of course.” Charlotte contented herself with casting a triumphant glance at Aldridge before adding, “We should be moving on, now we have a plan. We are attracting attention.”
Lights had gone on in several of the houses, and curtains twitched. Charlotte crossed back to her horse and accepted Yahzak’s help into the saddle before Aldridge could get to her side. He mounted and guided his horse alongside her to make the expected protest.
“Lady Charlotte, it cannot be suitable for you to bring women like that into your own home. Wakefield should not even have presented them to you. What will your uncle say?”
Men were such hypocrites. “They have helped us, and now they need our help. It would hardly be appropriate for you to take them into your own home, Lord Aldridge.” She shot him a considering glance and couldn’t resist adding, “Though I don’t suppose it would be the first time. Still, they should have a choice about whether to continue in this life, do you not think?”
Aldridge opened his mouth, thought again and closed it, then opened it and closed it again, his mouth set in grim lines. Finally, he let his horse drop back.
Insufferable man. The carriage peeled off, heading west, with one of the guards in escort. The other horsemen rode south, on the familiar route to the school. Charlotte followed close behind Yahzak with one of Aldridge’s footmen on each side and Wakefield, Aldridge and the other guard bringing up the rear.
The sky was paling in the east by the time they reached the school. Yahzak’s men dismounted to prowl the perimeter, checking any hiding places, but found nothing beyond some smears of blood on the front steps. Whoever left them was gone.
“Where else could he have gone?” Charlotte wondered.
“We’ll find him,” Wakefield assured her. “I’ll put some people on to it this morning. For now, though, there’s nothing further we can do. I suggest home for breakfast and a sleep.”
7
Aldridge sent his footmen home. “Get some food into you then sleep,” he told them. “Tell Richards I’ve given you the rest of the day off.”
“I will do myself the honour of escorting you to Winderfield House, my lady,” he told Lady Charlotte.
