To Love and Protect (51 page)

“Where are they?”

“Perhaps they took her somewhere else.”

“If I were a gambler, I would bet that woman knows where.”

“Let’s make her acquaintance then.”
 

Justin went to knock on the door, but before his hand could make contact he heard, “Come in, my lords.”

He pushed open the door to see the old hag now sitting at the table, stirring something in a cup of hot water.
 
“Where have they taken her?”

“Taken who?”

“Don’t play the lunatic with me, madam.
 
You know perfectly well I speak of my wife.
 
Now, where have they taken her?”

“Water was to be her shroud, but that granddaughter of mine is allowing her man to change her plans.
 
I thought she would be stronger than her mother.
 
Now everything is going to crumble like old rock.”

“What are you talking about?
 
Water shroud?
 
Are they going to drown her?”

“She had brains and beauty, but that man is her weakness.
 
Can’t keep his hands off the women, and now Marie has turned his head as well, luring him to big and better things.
 
Too bad Marie will be his undoing, and my granddaughter’s as well,” the old crone quickly drank the contents of the cup and shortly began seizing and foaming at the mouth.

“What’s happening to her?
 
Old woman, tell me where my wife is!” Justin shook the woman mercilessly.

“Southerby, it’s too late,” Gabriel said while Derek pried the old woman from Justin’s unrelenting grasp.
 
Derek carried her to the cot and laid her out.
 
Southerby went on a rampage, tearing up everything he could in the hut.
 
“Are you finished?” Gabriel asked minutes later, his brow cocked.

“She was my only chance at finding Clare.”

“She gave you clues,” Derek interjected.

“What do you mean?”
 

“Water shroud.
 
Where would you bury someone in water?
 
Probably happens once a day,” Derek prompted.

“The Thames.”

“And where better than to do it?” Derek asked.

“London.
 
The docks.
 
While escaping.”

“Now you’re thinking.
 
Let’s go save your wife,” Derek said, clapping the other men on their backs.
 

“There are so many docks.
 
I don’t know where to start.”

“We’ll figure it out,” Gabriel interjected as the men once more mounted their horses.

Justin knew it would be a long shot that they would find her in time.
 
Their mounts were tired, and they would need to change them out just to make it back to London.
 
But the others traveled by carriage and he prayed that the tide would be too low for any ships to leave the docks before they arrived.
 
It just seemed like too much intervening of fate for his liking.

***

The carriage halted and Clarissa could hear the cawing of seagulls and the shouts of loud, boisterous men.
 
Twilight had settled on London, and she tried to push back the curtain with her nose to take a peek at what lie outside.

“Here, love, let me get that for you,” Franklin said as he pulled back the curtain.
 
“It isn’t as if any of these men would come to your aid anyway,” he laughed.

Clarissa’s eyes grew large with fright.
 
“What are you going to do me?”
 
she found she couldn’t help the tremor that entered her voice.

“Franklin, go make the arrangements, and Clarissa and I will have a little mother daughter chat.”

“Of course, love,” he captured Lorraine’s mouth in a deep kiss that had Clarissa turning her head in embarrassment.
 
He exited the carriage and began walking up and down the docks talking to different men.

“Now, where were we?
 
Oh, yes.
 
What is to become of dear Lady Clarissa Blackerby?
 
Wait, it is Lady Southerby now, is it not?
 
You see, mother told me that I should drown you and be done with it.
 
While that does take care of the situation, I find that I much prefer it when the job is done for me and publicly, that way there is no question that I will receive the riches from the estate.”

“Papa isn’t dead.”

“What?
 
But the herbs…”

“Almost killed him.
 
But we were able to get him to a healer, whom he is still with at this time.
 
She said your mother is very skilled in the practice of potions.
 
How many other men have you killed?
 
How many daughters has Franklin raped?
 
How many have turned to suicide because they could not face living another day?”

“Shut up, you little bitch!” Lorraine’s hand flew back and landed a stinging slap on Clarissa’s cheek.
 
Clarissa blinked quickly, righting her vision.

“What are you going to do, if not drown me?”

“I’m putting you on a ship bound for the desert.
 
Rumor is some of those sheiks pay quite a lot of money to add a fair English girl to their harem.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Oh, we’ll be on that ship with you.
 
I don’t want anything to go wrong.
 
Then after we see you delivered and auctioned off to the highest bidder, we’ll go on with our lives, living in the luxury that we deserve.”

“You won’t get very much money for me once we arrive at our destination.”

“Why do you say that?”

“I doubt very much I will even be alive.
 
I get horridly seasick.”

“I found a ship!” Franklin announced as he threw the door open.

“Wonderful!
 
When can we board.”

“Therein lies the rub.
 
Everyone I talked to said we are on extreme low tide.
 
We won’t be able to leave before midmorning and that is assuming that all goes well with the weather.”

“Damn!”

“I know, love, but we can only control so much.”

“Are we allowed to board yet?”

“Captain says it’s too dark.
 
He wants us to come back in the morning.
 
One more thing, no one would take her on knowing what we have planned.
 
So we are going to have to put her in a bag and gag her.”

“Franklin, are you out of your mind?
 
How do you get her in the bag, and then how do you explain a body-shaped lump in a bag?”

“We drug her.
 
The men use pulleys and nets to move the cargo.
 
We just make sure she takes enough laudanum to knock her out until we are out to sea, and then it will be too late for anyone to do anything.
 
As for the men, money will shut them up.”

“I should have left you behind in that hut and brought grandmother along.
 
You’re an idiot.”

“Do you have any better ideas, love?”

“I do,” Clarissa spoke up.
 
“Just let me go.
 
Justin is going to find you anyway.”

“I don’t think so,” Lorraine answered.
 
“What do we do between now and tomorrow morning?”

“I have friends,” Franklin smiled wickedly.

“Oh, do you now?”
 

“Still upset about bringing me along?” Franklin preened.
 
“Wait here.
 
I must find Wulfe and ask him if he has a room.”

“I can’t wait to be done with you,” Lorraine snarled after Franklin had left.

“Believe me when I say the feeling is mutual,” Clarissa replied.
 
Her cheek still throbbed, but she had not given up hope yet.
 
As long as she remained on English soil, she had hope.
 
The women stared at each other in silence until Franklin returned to the carriage.
 

“We are in luck.
 
Wulfe has a room available for the two of you.
 
I told him you are sisters.”

“What are you going to do for the night?”

“I will be doubling our profits, my dear.”

“Has it occurred to either one of you it will be difficult to pass me off as anything trussed up like a Christmas goose?” Clarissa reminded them.

“I am going to untie you,” Franklin said, “but you will do exactly as I say.”

“Or what?”

“You will be dead,” Lorraine said, a malicious smile lining her lips as she retrieved a gun from her reticule.
 
Franklin quickly untied her hands and feet, but not before caressing her leg.

“Leave me alone,” Clarissa pushed him away.

“Get out,” Lorraine snarled, shoving Clarissa out of the coach.
 
She stumbled, falling to her hands and knees, her feet numb from being tied so tightly for so long.
 
Franklin’s hands on her caused shivers to run up and down her spine, but she needed his assistance to stand.
 
“Remember, straight in and up to the room.
 
No talking along the way.
 
Understand?” Lorraine demanded, shoving the muzzle of the gun into the base of her neck.

“I understand.”

Franklin followed a dark-skinned man through the back door.
 
Servants bustled to and fro and Clarissa desperately tried to get the attention of anyone, but all were so wrapped up in their assignments that they had no time to spare an unwelcome guest.
 
A door opened on her left and Clarissa saw women and men alike moving about tables where card and dice games were being played.
 
Across the room she saw a familiarly wicked face.
 
All of a sudden she knew exactly where they were.

Franklin’s friend turned out to be the owner of a gaming hell located between the best and worst parts of town.
 
The clientele was a mixture of all levels of London Society.
 
Thorn Wulfe, the proprietor of the establishment and the estranged brother of the Duke of Wulfcrest, is rumored to have been a part of every vice that came through the gaming hell.
 
On the few occasions he attended
ton
functions, the married women ogled him and the men gave him a wide berth in hopes he would not mention they had been seen at his establishment.
 
The young misses stole shy glances at him while their mamas made certain he stayed far away from them.
 
Only the most scandalous of society had anything to do with him.
 
And yet, he might be her only hope of getting out of this situation alive.

She paused at the open door and stared directly at the man across the room.
 
He just lifted his head to look when Lorraine pushed her onward, snarling the word, “Move.
 
You’re not going to find anyone here to help you,
Lady
Clarissa.”
 
They made their way up several series of stairs before being shown into a room with a large, plush bed.
 
It also contained a velvet settee.
 
The room seemed to be well cared for and looked extremely comfortable, but she had to admit that she had little hope of being found before being loaded on that boat in the morning.

“I’ll see that a food tray is sent up,” the man that led them to the room said before disappearing.

“I’m going to the tables.
 
Wish me luck.”

“If you dare lose, do not bother coming back in the morning,” Lorraine growled.

“Come, love, you must have more faith in me,” and he kissed her before leaving the room.

Clarissa collapsed heavily onto the settee as exhaustion stole through her body.
 
Several paintings hung around the room, making her feel as though she was being watched.
 
She fell asleep curled up in one corner before the food could ever be delivered.

***

Wulfe caught a glimpse of the woman just a moment before the other woman pushed her on.
 
He did not trust Franklin Montmorency as far as he could toss him, and in fact he was one of the men he had been keeping a close eye on lately.
 
Montmorency never asked for favors, and that in itself made Wulfe suspicious.
 
He also kept meeting up with several men he had been assigned to monitor.
 
One of the leading members of the
ton
kept rattling on about various investments he had recently made.
 
Wulfe attempted to look interested, but found he could not get the woman off his mind.
 
He made his excuses as he slipped away to look for his butler.

He went down several hallways before seeing the man he searched for.
 
“Jones, a moment.”

“Yes, sir.”
 
The man followed Wulfe into his office.
 
“What can I do for you, sir?”

“Jones, did you see the women that Montmorency brought with him?”

“Yes, sir.”

“What did they look like?”

“One was a bit older, coal black hair.
 
The younger has hair almost silver in color.
 
I believe the older one called her Lady Clarissa.”

“Thank you.
 
Wait here a moment.”
 
Wulfe disappeared through a secret door in the room and worked his way through a maze of tunnels until he came to the location he wanted.
 
He pushed a lever before looking through.
 
The dark-haired woman feasted on the food that had been delivered to the room.
 
In the corner of the settee, curled in a tight ball was a familiar face.
 
Of course, she had nothing to do with him.
 
It would have been improper, but he had seen her enough at social engagements to know Lady Clarissa Blackerby when he saw her.
 
And then there was the friendship she had with Rebekah, his sister-in-law’s younger sister.