A gentleman must never make a promise to a lady that he doesn’t know he can keep.
A PROPER GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO WOOING THE PERFECT LADY
SIR VINCENT TYBALT VALENTINE
It was already late afternoon. Dusk was near. Still Hawk waited at the entrance to an alcove that led to several shops. People came and went all afternoon, but Hawk didn’t take his eyes off the steps. Farley had to return at some time, and when he did, Hawk was ready.
When Loretta had visited Hawksthorn, she’d told him Farley said he lived under the steps of an old building near St. James Park. That wasn’t much to go on, but enough information for Hawk to get started looking for the boy.
At dawn, when Hawk had seen that Loretta was safely inside her uncle’s house, he went straight to Bow Street. Knowing he couldn’t cover such a large area around the park by himself, he hired three runners to help him. They scoured the area for buildings tall enough that a boy could build a room underneath the steps to sleep in. It had taken most of the day, but damnation, if one of the men hadn’t found Farley’s little hole of a room that had been dug out of the dirt.
Hawk was certain it was Farley’s. There was no sign of the jewelry, but Hawk recognized some of the lad’s clothing. The little thief had been quite skillful in making the space dry and fairly safe, where he could come and go from each side of the steps. Hawk didn’t intend to lose the bugger now that he’d found him. He’d stationed runners near the building to help if he had to give chase.
But time wasn’t on his side as the afternoon grew late. He’d hoped to be done with this by now and be home, dressed and ready for Loretta, Paxton, and their uncle. He couldn’t wait to inform the earl that Loretta was going to be his bride as soon as Hawk could arrange it. Loretta didn’t trust the man’s reaction and for good reason. But Hawk knew the Earl of Switchingham would be pleased and enjoy all the clout the new position of having a niece married to a duke would afford him.
Just as dusk was giving way to darkness, Hawk saw the lad approaching. He was walking slowly and holding his side. Protecting the jewelry, Hawk assumed. He motioned to the runners, giving them all the upturn of his thumb. Each man nodded. He had no doubt that Farley was quick and adept at slipping in and out of his makeshift home with ease.
Hawk waited a couple of minutes, wanting to give Farley time to get settled inside. The runners moved in closer, too, as Hawk approached. But then one of the runners’ boots skidded on a rock. The canvas covering was slung aside and Farley shot out of the hole and right past Hawk. He grabbed the back of Farley’s coat and locked his arms around the boy’s thin chest.
Farley cried out in pain, stunning Hawk. The boy continued to squirm, kick, and groan. Hawk loosed his grip, not wanting to hurt him, but determined he wouldn’t get away.
“You might as well stop fighting me, you little thief,” Hawk muttered as the three runners circled them. “You’re surrounded and not going anywhere.”
Farley stilled, and Hawk let go of him. When the boy turned and faced him, Hawk blinked. Both his eyes were bruised and swollen. One almost shut. His bottom lip was thick and cut in two places. His chin had a big bruise, too. He held his left side and winced with each deep intake of breath.
Clearly the lad was in pain.
“Damnation, what happened to you?” Hawk asked, as he motioned for the runners to step away.
“Nothing, you big oaf!” Farley yelled. “Leave me be.”
“Something did,” Hawk said just as angrily, but his anger wasn’t directed at the boy, but whoever had beat him. “You didn’t get that face from falling down or running into a streetlamp. Who did this to you?”
“What d’ye care? Ye never liked me anyway.”
“I never liked the way you behaved,” he challenged. “And I sure as hell don’t like you stealing Loretta’s jewelry and breaking her heart. How I feel about you isn’t what we’re talking about right now. I want to know who laid their fist to you and why.”
“None of ye concern,” Farley answered in a lower voice and without an ounce of fear in his defiant expression.
“All right,” Hawk answered, knowing he couldn’t make the lad tell him anything. “You probably got what you deserved anyway. I guess you’re lucky you don’t look worse. You stole from someone who hadn’t done anything but be good to you. Loretta wiped your brow when you were sick. Kept you alive when you were dying. She was kind to you, and this is how you repay her? By stealing from her,” he said with disgust clearly in his tone. “I want her jewelry now. Where is it?”
Farley stared at Hawk with stark white fury. He jerked his arms out to his side and yelled, “Ye see me ’olding anything? I don’t ’ave it.”
“But you know where it is, you little imp. I’ve checked your—bed,” he said, nodding toward the steps. “It’s not there. That jewelry belonged to Loretta’s mother. I will get it back for her, or I’ll see to it that you are thrown into the darkest dungeon London has. You won’t see sunshine on your face for years to come. Now, where did you stash it?”
“I told ye I don’t ’ave it,” he said, holding his side and grimacing loudly again as he sucked in another deep breath.
“And I don’t believe you. You stole it!”
“I did!” he said, spittle flinging from one side of his swollen mouth. “I took it, but do ye think I beat my ownself? ’E stole it from me and then tried to punch my eyes out.”
“Who stole it from you?” Hawk demanded.
“I don’t know who ’e was. ’E was a man on the street. Never seen ’im before. ’E seen me carrying the velvet purse. Asked what’s a little feller like me doing carrying such a fancy bag.” Farley stopped and sucked in another gasp of pain. “I tried to outrun him. Thought I ’ad but ’e fooled me and caught me ’round a corner. I tried to keep it from ’im, but ’e was a big man like you, so now I don’t ’ave it anymore.”
“Where were you going with it?”
Farley sucked in another breath of pain past his misshapen lips. “Where ye think? To sell it, but I don’t ’ave it now. I don’t know who does.”
Hawk huffed out a grunt of anger at Farley, at whoever had attacked him, and at himself for not finding the boy before someone else did. And Hawk didn’t know why, but he believed Farley was telling the truth about the jewelry being stolen from him.
“Why did you do it?” Hawk asked as it was beginning to sink in that he wasn’t going to get the jewelry back today. Maybe not at all. “She tried to help you.”
“I didn’t ask ’er for ’elp,” he said with big brown eyes that refused to show any sign of regret for what he’d done. “Didn’t ask ye to take me out of the storm, but ye did, so I figured ye owed me.”
“Owed you?” Hawk’s anger grew hot again. The lad didn’t know when it was best to just stay quiet. “You ungrateful little—” He reached for Farley, but the boy jerked back in fear, yelped, and grabbed his side again.
Hawk swore under his breath and then said out loud, “Damnation.” He couldn’t believe he was feeling sorry for the boy who’d hurt Loretta so deeply. “I should turn you over to the authorities right now.”
“She didn’t need it. Never saw her wear it often, anyway.”
“Whether or not she wore it was of no concern to you,” Hawk insisted. “It was hers, and you took it from her.”
Farley’s fat lips twitched, and for the first time his battered eyes watered. But whether that was from the pain he was experiencing or a tinge of shame for what’d done, Hawk didn’t know.
“What did the man look like?”
“’Ow do I know? ’E was big like you, but ’e didn’t look as much like a dandy as you do.”
A dandy? The lad just wouldn’t quit. Hawk wouldn’t be caught dead dressed like a dandy, and he had a feeling Farley knew that.
“What color was his hair, his eyes?”
“’E wore a fancy hat. That’s all I know.”
“You better be telling me the truth,” Hawk said in a warning tone.
“I shouldn’t ’ave taken it from ’er,” Farley mumbled and winced again. “I didn’t want to do it, but I couldn’t stop myself.”
“No, you shouldn’t have,” Hawk said, and found himself feeling sorry for the lad again. “Have you spit up blood?”
Farley shook his head.
That was a good sign that his ribs were only bruised and not broken. Hawk reached into his coat and grabbed the loose coins in his pocket. It wasn’t much, but he said, “Take this and buy some salve for your face and strips of cloth. Bind your chest tight. It’ll help your ribs heal and make breathing a little easier.”
Farley didn’t move.
“Go on, take it. I’m not doing this out of the goodness of my heart. I’m doing it for Loretta. I don’t want to have to tell her I didn’t help you. It’s my thoughts you got what you deserved.”
It took a few moments longer, but Farley finally reached up and gathered the coins from Hawk’s outstretched hand and quickly stepped back.
“If you see the man again, follow him.” Hawk stopped and pointed his finger at Farley. “I don’t want you to approach him. Just watch him, see where he goes, and then come get me. And just so we are clear, it’s you who owes me. Twice now. You understand?”
Farley nodded once.
“Now go get yourself some help.”
Hawk turned away.
Going back to Loretta empty-handed was the last thing he wanted to do. He wanted to find her jewelry so bad his hands made fists. He also wanted to get his hands on the man who’d beat up a skinny, ungrateful lad. And when he did, he’d see to it he never touched another one.
Hawk would have the runners keep a watch over Farley. He believed the lad’s story, but there wasn’t anything wrong with making sure all he said was true. Too, there was always the chance Farley might lead them to the jewelry.
Hawk wasn’t attached to the kid, but Loretta was. And what Loretta wanted was important to him. He’d already decided he needed to find someone who could take Farley into their home and teach him a trade. Maybe the boy had a propensity for something. Though Hawk had no idea what.
Right now the only thing he knew how to do was be a thief, but he had common sense and could learn something else, be it tanner, blacksmith, or shopkeeper. And for Loretta, Hawk would do his best to see that happened.