Page 24 of From the Ashes
We drove along the near-empty streets, the darkness punctured only by the hazy glows of the streetlamps and our own carriage lamps. Although it was early, few people were out, and those that were, hurried with their heads bent and their collars pulled high. At least there was no fog, yet.
The carriage pulled up outside a tavern with dim light rimming the windows. The Brickmaker's Arms sign swung in the breeze, its hinges squeaking tunelessly. The door opened and a drunkard spilled out along with a blast of voices. The fellow stumbled then managed to continue on his way, stopping only once to prop himself against the tavern wall before heading off into the pitch black lane.
Gus opened the carriage door and I hopped down. Lady Vickers hung back, a handkerchief over her nose and mouth.
"Stay here," I told her. "We'll fetch him."
"He's here?" she mumbled into her handkerchief. "He's in this filthy place?"
I walked ahead of Gus, only to have him grab my arm and pull me behind him.
"I'll go first, Charlie. Put your hood up. Don't let 'em see your pretty face. I ain't goin' to be able to make 'em all leave you alone, and we don't know what condition Seth'll be in to help."
I swallowed. If Seth was badly hurt…it didn't bear thinking about.
My arm was accosted again, but this time by Lady Vickers. She marched in step with me, the handkerchief tucked away out of sight. She looked like a commanding officer about to step into a battle she knew she couldn't win, but was determined not to surrender anyway. It didn't fill me with much confidence.
I patted her hand. "I'm sure he'll agree to come home tonight."
She blinked hard. "Thank you, Charlie. If you will employ all your powers of persuasion, I would be most grateful."
I smothered a smile. "I'll do my best."
Lady Vickers emitted a small gasp as we entered the tavern then pulled out her handkerchief again. She coughed into it and muttered something I couldn't make out over the voices and laughter. I'd wager it had something to do with the stink of urine and sweat, a combination that reminded me all too much of the dens where I'd lived alongside other boys in my gang.
"You get used to it," I told her.
"I think I'm going to be sick."
"Do it in the corner where no one will notice."
Gus forged a path through the patrons and the broad sweep of Lady Vickers' skirts widened it. I trailed behind and only had to hiss once at a man who tried to pinch my cheek. He snickered but didn't try again.
Gus asked the keep behind the bar if Seth was "down below". The keep nodded, then turned his squinty gaze onto Lady Vickers and myself.
"Who're they?" he asked.
"Seth's mother and my friend," Gus said. "They're all right. They know to keep their mouths shut."
The keep looked dubious, but a few coins passed across the counter by Seth's big paw changed his mind. The keep jerked his head and we followed him to a door that led to a storeroom lit by a single lamp. It stank of ale, a pleasant change from the rest of the tavern, although Lady Vickers didn't lower her handkerchief.
The keep lifted a trapdoor in the floor hidden behind barrels and Gus descended the steps without a word. I indicated Lady Vickers should go next. She peered through, but didn't follow.
"Why is Seth in the cellar?" she asked, pocketing the handkerchief.
"Dancing lessons," the keep said with a chuckle.
"He's already an excellent dancer."
"Get a bloody move on," he growled. "I'm busy."
I urged her with a nod and a smile. She wrinkled nose, lifted her skirts, and stepped through the trapdoor. Not many women of her station would have. I admired her fortitude.
I followed them down the staircase into the room. It was a vast space and mostly empty except for tables and broken chairs stacked along the walls. A shirt and waistcoat hung on the leg of an upturned chair. Four lengths of rope marked out a large central square in which Seth stood, his bare back to us. He spoke with another man dressed in a yellow cravat and a green and gold waistcoat. His dapper attire and oiled moustache were at odds with his protruding brow and thick neck. The men were alone.
"Seth!" Lady Vickers cried, her voice managing to be both shrill and trembling. "Seth! Come here, at once."
His shoulders slumped as if all the breath had suddenly left his body. "Gus, I'm going to kill you."
