Page 11 of The Twelve Days of Love

Finally, he arrived at Bow Street and was shown to a small conference room, where Jack Blumer awaited him.

Shaking hands with the detective, Luke asked, “Any solid leads?”

“I think we’ve actually found the young man, Lord Mayfield,” the detective said. “He’s going by the name Boyd. I’ve arranged a meeting.”

Excitement rippled through Luke. “When?” he asked eagerly.

“Tonight. At a local tavern. Nine o’clock.” Blumer told him the name of the tavern and its location.

He wondered if he should take Lucy with him and decided against it. Caroline would have his hide if she knew he’d taken their daughter to such a place. Also, he didn’t want to get Lucy’s hopes up in case this Boyd wasn’t her Boy.

“Very well. I will meet you there.”

“Come a bit early, my lord,” the runner suggested. “I like to get the lay of the land.”

Luke returned to his brother’s townhouse and collected his children. In the carriage, he showed them the earrings and told them about the book, which was already wrapped in brown paper, and the painting which had been delivered to their townhouse.

“Remember, we mustn’t tell Mama about the gifts,” he reminded. “We don’t want to spoil the surprise.”

At their London townhouse, he read to them, one of his favorite things to do, and then they had their supper together and he put them to bed with a little help from their nanny.

When the clock chimed eight, he asked for his carriage to be readied and gave the coachman instructions to park a few blocks away. The tavern wasn’t in the best part of town and his driver protested.

“You don’t need to be walking these streets alone, my lord.”

“You believe I cannot handle myself?” he asked, a bit defiant.

“It ain’t that, my lord. You are as strong as an ox and could lay a man flat with a punch or two. But that would be in a fair fight. In this part of town, nothing is fair. Three or four blokes could jump you and beat you senseless. Rob you and leave you for dead. I’m not leaving you alone.”

Luke saw the sense in what his coachman said. “Then we’ll park a ways from the tavern and walk to it together. Go in separately and you can have a pint while I have my meeting. That is the best compromise I can come to.”

The driver agreed and they did as Luke had suggested, entering the tavern and parting, with Luke joining Blumer at a table in the corner. They waited two hours.

Boyd never showed.

Finally, the runner said, “He’s not coming, Lord Mayfield. Best you leave now.”

“What is Boy doing?” he asked, having not done so before.

Blumer shrugged. “A little of this and that. None of it honest work, I’m afraid. I’ll look for him again on the streets. Try to get him to sit down and hear you out.”

“Thank you.”

Luke headed toward the door and saw his coachman rise and begin to do the same. They met up outside and returned to the carriage. All the while, he had the feeling that someone was watching him. As he climbed into the vehicle, he turned and glanced about, seeing no one.

*

Boy watched asthe fine lord’s carriage pulled away. He wondered why Lord Mayfield had wanted to meet with him.

Over the last three years, he had hung about Evie’s some, knowing the owners had taken Lucy in. Boy had watched from a distance that night as the couple had spoken with Lucy. He had seen the hope on their faces when Lucy agreed to go with them. It made his heart ache to know he wouldn’t be with Lucy again but he hoped the toffs would be good to her. He had followed them home and even hung about the neighborhood a bit, chatting up a few of the servants and hoping to find out if Lucy would be a scullery maid or work somewhere else in the fancy townhouse.

To his surprise, he had learned that she wasn’t to be a servant. That Lord and Lady Mayfield had taken her in to be raised as their daughter. At first, he was ready to break into the house and rescue her, thinking the pair would use her in some evil, wicked way. Fine lords didn’t go taking young girls off the street and make them children of the household. But that was exactly what the Mayfields did.

He learned from the servants how kind the couple was and how Lord Mayfield doted on his children and his nieces and nephews. Boy began to relax, thanking the heavens that sweet Lucy had found a true home. The entire family left London for the country but Boy learned they would return for the Season the next spring, bringing their children along. That, in itself, was unusual, as many of the ton left their offspring in the country while they gallivanted about London for months.

Knowing this, Boy always kept a watchful eye out for Lucy when she returned in the spring. He would see her coming and going from the townhouse at times and even saw her accompanying her family to Evie’s. He had stood outside the windows and looked in, seeing her eating a biscuit or wandering among the stacks of books. She seemed happy—and loved.

It had surprised him when he heard from others that a Bow Street Runner was on the lookout for him. Boy did everything he could to avoid those in authority. He had no desire to be transported to Australia. When Blumer, the runner, had surprised him, Boy took off running. The detective was just as fast on his feet and chased him down, tackling and raising him by the scruff of his neck.

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