Page 8 of The Twelve Days of Love

Caroline looked puzzled. “What errand?”

He grinned at Lucy and glanced back to his lovely wife. “That is my secret with Lucy.” He kissed the top of her head. “We will see you at home.”

“Your books are at the circulating desk, my lord,” Stinch said, reminding him about what he needed to collect.

“Thank you, Stinch.”

He went to the portion of the library dedicated to members who held subscriptions. They paid a monthly fee and could take out a certain number of books each month, reading and then returning them without ever having to purchase them. The practice had proven quite popular and numerous bookshops throughout London and beyond were now operating circulating libraries. Caroline had begun several women’s book clubs in conjunction with these subscribers and even stocked an area in the bookshop devoted to feminine wares, which did a brisk business.

Claiming his two books, now wrapped in brown paper, he went and told his other children goodbye. Edgar and Cora showed him the books they wished to purchase, while Thomas merely grunted an acknowledgement since he was playing with a new friend.

Luke and Lucy left Evie’s and hailed a hansom cab.

“We need to go to Bow Street,” he said. “To meet with a runner.”

After they climbed inside the vehicle, Lucy asked, “What is a Bow Street Runner, Papa?”

“Hopefully, a detective who will help track down Boy.”

The streets of London were busy and it took almost three-quarters of an hour to reach their destination. Once they arrived, Luke spoke to a clerk, explaining that he wished to locate a missing person and must see a magistrate at once.

“Right away, my lord,” the clerk told him. “If you will wait here a few minutes.”

He and Lucy took a seat and a short time later, the clerk returned, leading them into an office and introducing them to the magistrate, who was a dark-haired man in his early forties.

“Good afternoon, Lord Mayfield. I hear you wish to locate a missing person.” He indicated a man who had slipped in behind them. “This is Jack Blumer. He will serve as the runner for your case. Tell us everything you can. The more information we have, the likelier we are to find this person for you.”

“It is a rather unusual circumstance.”

Luke introduced Lucy and briefly told the magistrate and runner a bit about her background and whom they wished to locate.

“It has been a long time since Lucy last saw Boy.”

Blumer looked at Lucy. “Tell us about your friend if you would, please.”

She explained how Boy never spoke and that was why she had no name for him before detailing the last day she saw him.

“That was over two and a half years ago,” she concluded. “He would be almost thirteen now.”

“So, he did say the one word,” Blumer mused. “That means he wasn’t mute. Just smart. Kept his mouth shut.”

The runner asked her a few more questions about Boy’s appearance and anything else she could remember about him.

“What did he like? Maybe his favorite food, for instance.”

A hard look came into her eyes and Luke almost flinched seeing it, knowing there were things about his daughter that he and Caroline might never learn.

“We didn’t eat much, Mr. Blumer. Mrs. Driskell was tight with food. Boy did like to filch a newspaper when he could. And he was drawn to music.”

“He could read?”

Lucy nodded. “I suppose so. He would take out the penny newssheet and look at it a long while.”

“And you have no idea how he came to be at the Driskells?”

“No. I’m sorry.”

“Nothing to be sorry about, Lady Lucy,” Blumer told her. “You and your friends did what you could to survive. I know of the Driskells. I spend a lot of time on the streets. I’ll start there and move forward.” He paused. “It has been a long time since you and Boy went your separate ways, though. He could be gone from London by now. Even dead.”

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