Page 32 of Introducing Miss Joanna (Once a Wallflower 2)

“But I was only a little way down the street, hailing the hackney,” Jo said. “Why did I not see?”

Sally took another sip of the drink and grimaced. “It happened so fast.”

As she struggled with feelings of guilt, Jo stared at her aghast. “How did you escape?”

“I didn’t.” Sally gazed at her owlishly. “They took me somewhere. A noisy place. There was loud laughter. They pushed me into a room with my hands tied. I heard the door shut. My legs gave way, and I fell onto a dusty carpet and huddled there for hours. I must have fallen asleep. When I woke, I was ever so stiff. My arms hurt something awful with my hands tied behind my back. It must have been morning, although no light came through the hood. And I was devilishly hungry.”

Sally drained the rest of the sherry and collapsed back against the sofa. “Then the door opened, and a woman came in. I smelled her strong lavender perfume. The woman must have stood looking at me for several minutes without speaking. I pleaded with her to let me go, but she went out and closed the door. I could hear them outside the room. She was arguing with the man. Fair yelling at him, she was. Ordered him to let me go straight away. He didn’t want to, and I was almost sick with fear that he might persuade her to let him keep me. But he finally agreed. I sagged with relief and could barely find my feet as he dragged me out into the air, the hood still over my head. It must have rained. I’d lost my hat, and the leaves dripped chilly water down my neck as he shoved me into a carriage.”

Aunt Mary tutted. “You poor girl. What a dreadful experience.”

“You are safe now,” Jo’s father said soothingly.

An inquisitive kitchen maid brought in the tea. Jo dismissed her and poured out cups, while Aunt Mary patted Sally’s hand.

Jo stirred in lots of sugar and placed a cup before Sally. “How did you get home?”

“The carriage stopped not long after. He untied my hands and lifted me down onto the ground. It was cold but had stopped raining. He smelled clean, like a gentleman, and he had a starched cravat. I know starch. Used to do the laundry. Spoke proper, he did, but frosty, and fair chilled me through. Asked if I could count. I thought he was mad, but I said I had some learning from the parish school back home. Then he told me not to remove the blindfold until I’d counted to fifty. He sounded so menacing. I did what I was told. Must have counted to a hundred. I was never good at sums and feared I’d got it wrong.

“When I finally got up enough courage to remove the hood, I didn’t know where I was. The street was strange to me. There were trees and gardens. And no traffic, and anyway, I had no money for a hackney. While I wondered what to do, a lady came out of a house across the street. Nicely dressed, she was. She asked me if she could help. When I explained what had happened, she was most sympathetic. Walked with me to the corner, although I still don’t know where I was. A hackney came along, and she paid my fare.”

“Oh, that was so good of her.” Jo wondered why the lady hadn’t called a constable.

“Yes, she was. Ever so kind.”

Jo put her arm around the girl’s trembling body. “Well, you’re home now and safe.”

“Yes. I shan’t want to go out again,” Sally said.

“You shall have a hearty dinner, a nice hot bath, and go to bed,” Jo said with conviction.

“A hot bath?” Sally’s eyes widened. “I should like that, Miss Jo.”

“I’ll send for a constable,” Jo’s father said. “We must report this incident. People cannot go about abducting maids.”

Aunt Mary agreed.

Jo nodded but doubted anything would come of it. Poor Sally had nothing helpful to tell him. “When he lifted you down, did you sense anything else about him?”

“The man wasn’t that strong because he struggled, even though I’m not heavy. He must have put his face near mine.” She shivered. “I smelled licorice on his breath.”

Jo nodded, disappointed. He liked sweets, which was no help to them at all. She glanced at her father and found him frowning thoughtfully.

“Papa?”

He shook his head and rose from his chair. “See to your maid,” he said and left the room. “I need to speak to the butler.”

Jo stared after him. What would he want with Spears? He could barely tolerate him.

The next day, Jo questioned Sally again. After a good night’s sleep, the girl was in better spirits. “You said when he put you down, you’d only been traveling a short while.”

“Yes.”

“Can you remember anything you heard during that time?”

Sally thought for a while and then nodded. “We passed a crowd somewhere. I’m sorry. I was so frightened, and I could only think of him.”

“Do you think you could find the street where the lady lived again?”

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