THE TWO SERVANTS HAD MOVED INTO THE CORRIDOR, taking the last of the lights with them. Henry pushed down his horror at what had occurred in this room and moved silently down the stairs while pulling a compass from his coat pocket.
He made it to the door into the corridor in time to see the two servants walk quickly down a long straight tunnel, and used the last of the torchlight to read his compass. True north, toward Oakwood land, and if memory served and his map was correct, where the dairy was located.
Henry was just about to enter the tunnel himself to follow the pair and find where it led when he heard the faint clunk of a pebble against metal—Eliza’s sign.
It only took him a second to make up his mind. Avoiding detection so they could catch both Astor and Hobbs in their own trap was still paramount; he could come back later tonight and finish his exploration of the tunnel.
Henry made it through the now pitch-black dungeon and up the two sets of stairs with astounding speed and cracked the door open a few inches in time to see Eliza lift her arm to throw another stone.
She looked to the east and then nodded to indicate that whoever was approaching couldn’t see him exit the mausoleum. He slipped out, relocked the door with his burglar’s tool, and moved swiftly to her side.
“A man coming up the hill from Highgate. Walking across the heath is a popular shortcut to Hampstead.”
Henry helped her to her feet, and she leaned close as he retrieved his hat and then led her out of the gate.
“I think it’s the curate from St. John’s, and besides knowing me, he is a terrible gossip.”
They reached the path back to Hampstead, and Henry took a moment to place his hat back on his head and thread her hand through the crook of his arm. “Let’s stroll slowly. With any luck, he will join the path in front of us and go down the hill to the village. He might not even see us.”
Henry could see Eliza was bursting to ask what he had found, but it was too dangerous with possible ears just beyond the trees. He patted her hand on his arm. “All in good time, my sweet.” Then he leaned his head toward her, and reasonably sure he had found what they were looking for, she let out a breath.
They walked back at an easy pace, engaged in polite small talk about the heath and the people who lived on it. She explained that the Oakwood land was farmed by a local independent farmer with seven sons, who lived in a sprawling farmhouse on the other side of the heath. The dairy had stood empty for years and was said to be haunted. Henry could only shake his head to hear that such a trick still worked. But it was never very difficult to exploit the superstitions of the peasantry.
DARKNESS DESCENDED EARLY IN JANUARY, the last light of day fading into the shadow of night just as Henry and Eliza made it to the coaching inn.
Henry ordered dinner in a private parlor as well as a room for the night, and while Eliza was led upstairs to freshen up before they ate, he went to find Roberts in the stables.
The inn itself only sported ten guest rooms and one private parlor, but the taproom and dining room were busy late in the afternoon due to the food being decent and the post from the north coming through on its way to London. This was the last official change of horses, so the stables, unlike the guest accommodations, were quite extensive.
The express had already gone through, but the normal mail coach and the stage were not expected for another hour or more, so the yard was busy but not hectic. There were lanterns lit along the front of the stables, and light from the inn’s windows illuminated the other side of the yard.
Henry found Roberts playing cards with some of the stable hands. They were grouped around an upturned barrel in a quiet part of the barn. It was an open game, thus no one even blinked when Roberts abandoned his hand, swiped the few pennies he had won into his pocket, and followed Henry into the yard.
Once there, Henry informed him they were staying the night and asked quietly, “Found out anything interesting?”
“Not much, except most of the lads here prefer a quiet card game to the ruckus at The Silver Fox.”
Henry gave a satisfied nod. “Good, then they won’t mind if we take out Hobbs.”
Robert chuckled. “Might even get a few cheers. Hobbs ’as been trying to recruit local girls, and the boys are none too pleased.”
That tied in with what William had reported from The Cat and Fiddle. Hobbs was obviously trying to expand his business in Hampstead and was treading on local toes in the process.
Henry had just asked Roberts to go to The Silver Fox and tell one of William’s men to meet him behind the inn at ten of the clock, when a man stepped out of the barn to address Henry. The closer the man got, the more satisfied his smile became.
“Excuse me, Captain? I mean, Sir Henry. It is you!”
Henry turned to him, and when he recognized the man’s smiling face, he thanked his lucky stars for yet another good turn. “Riley, what in the devil are you doing here?”
Henry took in Riley’s attire and the way the stable hands acknowledged him as he walked by. “Or should the question be, what is one of my sharpshooters doing as an ostler?”
Riley grinned from ear to ear to hear there was something the all-knowing Sir Henry didn’t know. He closed the last few yards between them. “I grew up on a horse farm, sir. My sweetheart is the chambermaid here, and when the position came up, I jumped at it.”
Henry shook his hand and gave him a friendly clap on the back. “I’m glad you found a good position.”
Riley heaved a sigh, and there was a whole world of troubles communicated in it. It didn’t matter what you knew or how well you had served your country, good positions were few and far between. “Aye, me too. But I miss the old days. I had a few bevies with the boys camped out at The Silver Fox and was hoping I might run into you sooner or later.” He lowered his voice so only Henry would hear. “I know something’s up, so let me know if you need anything.”
Henry studied his face for a second, then nodded. “I could use two saddled horses at ten tonight. And keep an eye on my companion, Miss Eliza, in room three for me whilst I’m gone.”
Riley saluted smartly. “I’m on it, sir.” Then a cloud crossed his eager face. “Wait, would that be Eliza from The Cat and Fiddle?”
Henry looked at Riley questioningly, waiting for him to elaborate.
“My Mary said she was staying at the inn with a fine gentleman.”
Henry nodded, indicating he was the gentleman in question.
Shifting his weight nervously from foot to foot, Riley was obviously uncomfortable with what he felt he had to tell Henry. “Begging your pardon, sir, but you should know, she comes from a really rough place and her old man is a nasty piece of work.”
Henry was a little annoyed at the way Eliza was being judged, but couldn’t fault Riley for his honesty, so he placed his hand on the other man’s shoulder and urged him a few more steps away from the bustle in the yard. “I’m well aware of her origins, and her stepfather is the reason she is with me in the first place. I found her two months ago on the road trying to drag herself away from The Cat and Fiddle. She was near starved and half beaten to death.”
Riley hissed in a sharp breath and shook his head in disbelief. “Jesus, what did he do that for?”
Riley’s reaction reassured Henry he had found the right person to keep Eliza’s presence in Hampstead secret and her person safe in his absence. “She tried to refuse the man Horace had sold her to. A miller named Wilkins.”
“Christ almighty! That cretin already put two wives into an early grave.”
Henry was gratified to note that Riley was now firmly on Eliza’s side. “Yes, so I hear. Can I rely on you to keep her presence here quiet? Wilkins has been paid off, but Horace may still hold a grudge against Eliza and hurt her if he sees an opportunity.”
Riley looked thoroughly disgusted. “Leave it with me, sir. I’ll get Mary to stay with her whilst you’re gone. I’ll keep an eye on things.”
Henry shook his old comrade’s hand; there was nothing quite like having a man you could trust with your life at your side. It was remarkable how his old friends surfaced the moment he needed them. “Thank you, Riley. Your help is much appreciated.”
Smiling, Henry stepped back into the light coming from the open door into the taproom and went to their parlor to wait for Eliza and his dinner.
ELIZA HATED THE IDEA OF Henry going back to the mausoleum, especially at night, but was relieved to hear one of William’s men would be going with him and that they would be on horseback. At least they’d be able to get away quickly if need be. Henry had told her only in broad terms about the dungeon and the tunnel he thought led to the dairy, and she knew he wanted to see whether they could use it.
Still, there were plenty of reasons to fret. What if someone came upon them in the dungeon, or they got trapped in the tunnel? What if Astor found Henry snooping in his lair? They had had no message indicating the twisted master spy had left London. But what if he had, using subterfuge just like they had?
Eliza was glad for Mary’s company and the set of cards she had brought to while away the time. They were up in her bedchamber, and Henry had tasked Riley to keep watch so no one would trouble Eliza.
Trust Henry to make sure Horace was kept well away from her, to think of her comfort and safety even as he rode out to court danger himself. She wished she could have gone with him, helped in some way, but all she could do was wait for his return.
Eliza had seen Mary in church almost every Sunday growing up. Horace had always hustled them away as fast as he could, stopping for no one save the vicar, so she had never actually talked to Mary before. As much as it hurt to remember her mother’s plight, it was gratifying to discover someone from her world was finally willing to help her against her horror of a stepfather.
Mary was quiet, with a dry sense of humor, and she was wickedly skilled at playing cards. Eliza had lost nearly her entire stack of pennies by the time they heard the clatter of horses’ hooves on the cobblestones below.
Eliza peeped through the gap between the curtains, but all she could see was Riley leading two horses into the stables. Not two minutes later, however, someone scratched at the door, and then Henry stood in the open doorway. He looked tired, mud-splattered, and dusty, but he was still in one piece, and Eliza was so relieved she flew right into his arms, no matter Mary’s curious gaze.
Henry caught Eliza in one arm and closed the door quietly behind him with the other. He gave her a quick squeeze and kissed the crown of her head before he gently extricated himself. “Easy, sweetheart. Let me get out of this dirty coat first.”
She grinned and stepped around him to help him out of the garment. “A little dust never bothered me.” As she took a closer look, however, she realized it wasn’t just dust, but a fine layer of soil all over him, and a few cobwebs were caught in his hair and the capes around his shoulders. “Dear oh dear, you look like someone used you as a feather duster.”
Mary, who had quietly stashed her winnings in her apron pocket, clacked her tongue and took the coat out of Eliza’s hands. “I’ll take that and get it cleaned up for you. And I’ll send up the tub and some hot water.”
Sending a grateful smile in her direction, Henry pulled a shilling from his waistcoat pocket. “Thank you, Mary. And thank you for keeping Eliza company.”
Mary curtsied with a big smile. “My pleasure, sir.” Then she patted her apron pocket to jingle the coins within and her smile turned to a grin. “Definitely my pleasure. I made out like a bandit tonight.”
Henry raised his brows, and Eliza laughed. “Mary is a regular card sharp. In three hours I managed to win the grand total of two hands.”
Henry chuckled and offered Mary a mock little bow. “Well, I’m glad you found the evening profitable.”
Mary was still grinning as she turned to the door, but Henry stopped her. “Do you think you could find me some brandy? I find I’m a bit chilled.”
She curtsied again. “I’ll be right back with it, and some more wood too.”
She left, and Henry proceeded to remove his soiled jacket and boots. Then he bent over and vigorously rubbed his head to rid his hair of the spiderwebs, dust, and earth that had lodged themselves there. “Lord, I wouldn’t be surprised if I brought a few spiders back with me. I’m sure that cellar hasn’t been cleaned since it was built, and then I had to climb out a window to get my bearings.”
Satisfied he had removed most of the grit from his hair, Henry straightened and removed his crumpled cravat. He shook it out and left it on the back of a chair. “The good news is, the tunnel indeed leads to the dairy, and I managed to leave a window in the back of the cellar unlatched. Now Robert will be able to go through the tunnel when the time comes and cut off Astor’s escape route.”
Eliza looked into his deep blue eyes and swallowed. They were really going to do this. They had found the dungeon. Henry had scouted it to the point where he was now planning who would enter, and from where, to spring the trap they were setting. Back in town their opponents were being watched, and more and more people were willing to help them.
Henry sank into a chair by the fire and pulled her onto his knees. “Everything is pretty much set here. We will go back to town first thing, and until we have figured out who Miss Adams’s protector is or the girl recovers, there is nothing for us to do but wait.”
Moments later, Mary came back with Henry’s brandy. She also set a hot pot of tea on the table where they had played cards earlier and picked up Henry’s soiled cravat. Riley and two other men brought in the tub and several pitchers of hot water shortly after that. When they had set up the bath in front of the fire, Riley saluted, Mary curtsied, and then the whole procession marched out the door.
Eliza helped Henry bathe. She washed his hair and rinsed him with warm water from the last pitcher, then rubbed his hair dry with a towel as he warmed himself by the fire, alternately feeding her little sips of tea or brandy. Half an hour later, they were cuddled together under the thick coverlet, and Henry had just enough time to kiss her brow before sleep claimed them both.
THE NEXT MORNING, ELIZA AWOKE to her pulse racing and the delicious sensation of Henry’s mouth suckling on one nipple while his hands moved her hips into position. She opened her eyes to his smiling face just as he drove into her. She moaned at the now familiar and most welcome sensation of him filling her and half-closed her eyes in appreciation.
Equal parts affection and amusement colored Henry’s voice as he slowly moved inside her. “Good morning, sweetheart.”
She smiled and stretched out her sleep-locked muscles beneath him, rubbing her breasts into the hard muscles of his chest in the process. “Oh, a new wrinkle on sleepy coupling?”
“Mmm-hmm, it is the best sort of way to wake up.”
Eliza’s arms stretched high above her head, and Henry ran a possessive hand from her wrist down her arm and all the way to the firm mount of her breast. He savored the soft skin beneath his fingertips and the beautifully trusting way she gave herself to him. Their breathing grew heavier, and he hooked one of her knees in his elbow to open her wider so he could stroke deeper into her. Then he bent his head down and kissed her deeply.
They allowed themselves to sink into each other, their lips soft, their tongues caressing gently, their arms drawing each other close so they could revel in skin moving against skin. They loved each other in a slow, sensual rhythm until their passion built beyond tenderness and their movements grew more and more urgent, chasing each other into the oblivion of orgasm.
As their breathing slowed, Henry let go of Eliza’s knee, but instead of moving off her, he wrapped both arms around her in a tight embrace and buried his face in her hair, kissing the tender spot just below her ear.
“I needed that after being in that horrible room yesterday.”
Eliza had felt the emotional need in his touch and now heard the distress in his voice. Oh Lord, what was in that room to afflict the normally so cool and collected Henry? On second thought, perhaps she didn’t want to know. How had Daisie put it? Some things, once you know them—or, God forbid, experience them—you couldn’t unknow. It had to be horrible beyond anything she’d ever known for Henry to need her like this.
Eliza wrapped her arms and legs around him and held him tight until she felt the tension in his body ease. She was thankful she could help him in this way, at least.