Page 7 of Kiss the Scoundrel Farewell
Meg pushed against Marcus and stood, looking about wildly for her mantle. He held it out for her, throwing his own jacket over his shoulder. She turned as he laid it across her shoulders, secured the clasp, and almost knocked him over as she stumbled toward the main room.
Smoke leaked under the curtains, and she tried not to panic. When Marcus threw back the heavy velvet and exposed the flames leaping toward the second level, she screamed. Panic coiled in her belly. Fire had consumed the flimsy gauze, so inviting an hour earlier, and curled its way up the makeshift stairs.
Screams for help came from those above, their escape path blocked. Bodies were moving like a heavy dark cloud toward the entrance, pushing and yelling. Cries of pain as two women fell in front of her, soon trampled by the terrified guests. The cacophony of thudding boots, shrieks, and crackling wood was deafening.
Marcus leapt forward to help the women up. Meg drew in a breath, smoke clogging her lungs. She coughed, her eyes watering so she couldn’t see what was before her. Strong arms wrapped around, lifting her up. She put her arms around Marcus’s neck and buried her head against his chest. The weight of those escaping pressed against them, but he held firm until they were outside.
“I must go back in,” he said as her feet touched the ground. Meg saw she was at the end of the alley, on the street. “Find a hackney, get away.”
“Why are you returning?” Meg clung to his coat, her hands trembling, fear heavy in her chest. “You can’t. You’ll die.”
“People are trapped in there. I will do what I can.” Both hands cradled her face before he bent and gave her a hard kiss. “I’ll find you somehow, now go!”
She watched him disappear into the smoke and choked back a cry.
CHAPTER 4
Simon pushed his way against the panicked wave of people. Someone had hauled several buckets of water, and he unwound his cravat, dipped it in the water, and wrung it out as he headed back inside. Wrapping it around his nose and mouth, he helped several other men carrying ladders.
“They won’t reach,” he yelled over the crackle of the fire. The heat was like a giant furnace, and he wondered if any of them would survive. “We need rope!”
The bouncer appeared with several coils of rope hanging from his broad shoulders. He tossed one to Simon, who tied a knot on one end to add a bit of weight, then started swinging it in a circle. When he had enough momentum, he aimed it upwards and tossed it hard. On the next try, one of the men above was able to lean over the rail and catch it.
A moment later, Simon felt a tug, indicating the rope was secured above. He took another coil and did the same. The other rescuers saw what he was doing, and soon there were four lines of escape dangling from the second floor. Men and women were clinging to the rope, inching their way to safety. A groan of wood giving way sounded from the rafters.
“It’s not fast enough,” yelled Simon to another man, his red-orange hair glowing in the fire’s eerie light. “We need another option. They won’t all be able to shimmy down the ropes.”
Red pointed toward one of the far rooms where heavy curtains still hung. The blaze had not made it to that end yet. “We’ll make a canopy. They can jump!”
They ran toward the velvet drapes, each man pulling with all his might as the material came tumbling down. With the help of eight volunteers and four curtains, they placed two lengths of material together for added strength. Four men each took a corner of the two canopies. Once ready, they yelled up to the women too frightened to attempt shimmying the rope.
“Jump!” cried Simon and Red at once.
A woman in a tight scarlet dress with dark curly hair wiped away tears and nodded. She shouted, “One, two, three!” and jumped. Simon’s group caught her, with only a moderate thump against the hard floor. She scrambled up, rubbing her backside, and scurried for the entrance.
Both sets of men continued until the last female was safe, and Simon wiped his stinging eyes. Another crack sounded from above. “Time to go,” he yelled to Red. “It’s going to cave.”
There was a last rush of bodies toward the door, pushing to get into the alley, as timbers gave way and crashed to the floor. Simon sucked in air as he stumbled to the street, away from the heat and smoke. He untied his cravat, pulling it from around his mouth and nose to hold it against his eyes. The pain was excruciating as salty tears rolled down his cheeks. He leaned against a wall, gasping, his chest heaving. He’d lost his mask somewhere, and the thought made him chuckle. He sank to the ground, holding his belly and laughing. He must be going mad with relief.
Had they saved everyone? He prayed they had. No one deserved such a fate. Had Desiree made it home safely? A fire brigade arrived, and men began hand-pumping water into buckets, lines of volunteers passing them down the alley.
“Need a hand, boyo?”
Simon looked up to see Red holding out a giant paw. “Indeed, my friend.”
“Mighty fine work,” said Red as they watched the parade of buckets swish them. “Looks as if ye might need a bit o’ doctorin’.”
Simon swallowed, his throat raw. The skin on his face and forearms stung like the devil. “I shall, once I get a hackney.”
“None to be had with da crowd dat came pouring out o’ dat vacant warehouse. I live close by ,and my son’s a doctor. He’ll fix ye right up. Name’s O’Brien, most call me Paddy.” The man held out a giant paw, and they shook.
“Hayward,” he added, smiling at the Irishman. “Were you in there when it started?”
“Ah no, just passin’ by and heard da commotion. Every able body counts in a situation like dat.”
Simon followed O’Brien along Thames Street. His vision blurred, but he was able to keep track of the huge man in front of him. He began to recognize the area of Cheapside. They turned onto Gracechurch Street, then stopped before a respectable three-story brick home with a black-iron fence surrounding it. They stepped up onto a wide portico with large windows on each side.
“Maggie,” bellowed the man, “we need Sam.” He opened the door, and they entered a short receiving hall with light paneling. There was a stairway and doors on the left and the right, but Paddy took him into a kitchen at the end of the hall.
