Chapter Twenty-one
Evans Principle 4b8a: Be fearless.
Honoria made her way to Peaseblossom House. She’d dressed as nondescriptly as possible, which wasn’t difficult, given her limited wardrobe. With a large but simple cap covering her hair and her gray worsted suit, she could be any respectable working woman. It was inevitable, she supposed, ever since she first followed that little blond urchin. She’d stumbled upon a much larger, much deeper den of iniquity than she’d even suspected, and she could not let it stand. They’d threatened her livelihood, her life, and her loved ones. She would not be cowed.
Once Minnie described the building she’d been taken to, Honoria immediately recognized it as the one she followed the child to. Minnie was led through the same side door the child had gone through. Based on Minnie’s description, she found the peaseblossom design carved into the shallow portico around what must be a servant entrance.
She made her way toward the back of the house, checking every window for a possible weak point of entry. To no avail. She slipped into the shadows and paused to reassess her plans. Finally, she accepted that she hadn’t been thinking clearly. Surely no one so despicable would make it easy for someone to slip into their lair. They would be stealthy and protective; she needed to think more like them. After some quick thought, she decided to pass herself off as a poor, desperate widow willing to do anything for quick funds. She would simply go up to the front door and beg for employment. She rearranged her clothing to look a bit more disheveled and took a deep steadying breath.
Just as she was about to emerge from the shadows, however, a large hand covered her mouth from behind and she was pulled back into a hedge behind the house.
Immediately, her mind flashed back to the night of the break-in, the knife against her throat, the nauseating panic and helplessness. She struggled with all her might but could not break the hold. She tried to scream, but couldn’t even breathe.
“Hush, Honoria!” Alex! She knew that voice, even in a whisper! Relief flooded through her, unclenching her muscles. Her body suddenly felt boneless, relying on his solidness to support her. Only then did tears slip from her eyelids, unbidden. He sucked in air when they slipped down her cheeks toward the hand still covering her mouth. He quickly loosened his grip and turned her around to face him.
“Did I hurt you?”
She shook her head but didn’t trust herself to speak. Her hands shook. He seemed to read her mind when he said, low but fierce, “I’m so sorry, Nora. Forgive me for a thoughtless lout. It must have seemed just like that night at that shop.” His hands stroked up and down her back soothingly. “Miss Hearsh told me how to find you. I only wanted to catch you before we were noticed.”
She nodded and whispered, “All the windows within reach are locked. I’m going to pretend I’m a destitute woman looking for a means of support.”
“No.”
His forbidding tone only shored up her resolve.
“But, my lord, this house is crucial. I must find a way to get inside.”
“No.” This time, his voice and his firm grip on her arms brooked no objection. “We will summon the proper authorities. I will make a speech in the House of Lords next month. You will print all the damn pamphlets you want—we shall scatter them throughout Hyde Park! But you are not breaking into that building this evening,” he said imperiously.
“That’s all well and admirable, Lord Devin, but we still don’t truly have clear evidence. It’s simply Minnie’s word, and you know anyone who sees those photographs won’t believe her. The authorities won’t do a thing. For heaven’s sake, any local constables are likely already under their influence. I have every intention of printing a scathing ex-posé, but there are girls here now, tonight, who need my help. I won’t leave without them.”
He might look as unyielding as granite, but she refused to capitulate. And, apparently, he could see that. She would get what she wanted, whether he assisted or not.
“I will go in, not you,” he conceded. “I shall pose as a new client.”
“What if one of Withersby’s men is in attendance? For that matter, what if other visitors recognize you?”
“Then consider that there is little we can do tonight. We need to plan and orchestrate an effective attack rather than barging into the lion’s den armed only with bravado.”
She stared at the balcony above them, the iron railing barely visible against the brick edifice. It was too still, too quiet.
“Something isn’t right.” She slipped from his grasp cautiously and crept to a window she could reach. “It’s too quiet. There’s no light. There should be some modicum of activity, don’t you think?”
He moved past her toward the side entrance, pausing to listen, and then edged toward the front of the house. As he surreptitiously peeked around the corner toward the front entrance, he briefly gestured for her to follow, as if she would have stayed put. Even in the dim gaslight from the street, it was easy to see his surprise, followed quickly by the furrow of his brow, when he realized she’d been right behind him.
“The whole house appears dark, even the entryway. By this time of night, I would expect at least a few callers if this were the house of ill repute we suspect.”
“I’m going in,” she insisted, but he grabbed her arm, not gently, and trapped her back against the building.
“I meant what I said. If anyone enters that building this night, it will not be you. I am of a mind to toss you in a hack and have it drive you to Wales. Not so long ago, I watched helplessly as a mindless thug held a damned knife to your throat. God help me, it was the worst moment of my life, and nothing you can say will convince me to put you in harm’s way again.”
The anguish in his eyes was undeniable. She twined her arms around his neck and pulled him toward her for a quick, hard kiss.
“Then go on. They’ve likely absconded, which would be awful, but you can be the one to confirm it. If all is clear, we can search it together. If anyone remains, I’ll run for help. Have we a deal?”
His kiss in response lingered, almost leisurely, as if he weren’t a peer of the realm about to trespass onto hostile property. As if he had a right to. He smiled when he finally released her and drew a deep breath. And she could not fault him or object.
“We,” he said. “Such a tiny but glorious word coming from your lips. We.”
The tenderness in his eyes sent a thrill through her, though she couldn’t trust herself any more than she could trust him.
“Yes, we. We will do this together. Now, go on. You first.”
Cautious as he was, they quickly found that the house was indeed vacant. No one answered his knocks; there was no sign of activity at all. They tried the side door. Still nothing. Finally, they agreed to try one of the cellar windows at the back. When he asked her how she intended to gain entry, she simply flattened her skirts against the window and kicked as hard as she could, the sound muffled by layers of fabric. It was remarkably effective, a surprise even to her. The room within was likewise dark and silent. She slipped in feet-first to drop as quietly as possible to the earthen floor. They made their way through the house as swiftly as they could, considering the darkness. He led the way, clasping her hand, while she kept an eye trained behind them. They couldn’t see any small clues in the darkness, but they could tell the house was abandoned in a rush. Food tins and threadbare blankets littered the cellar, chairs were tipped over or askew in the front parlor, as if a wave of people had tossed them about when it washed out the door. Strangely, the rooms upstairs held only the most basic items, a sofa in one room, a hip bath in another. No sign of photographic equipment or materials to develop films, no sign of children or duress. All that remained was the lingering but ephemeral scent of unwashed bodies and chemicals.
“We’ll have to come back tomorrow and search properly,” she finally said.
“I doubt it will do much good. There is nothing left here to find.”
“But there must be. We simply can’t see it yet. There must be some evidence of what was done here. More importantly, there must be some clue as to where they’ve gone!”
“It is impossible to tell at the moment. At best, we can try to gain legitimate entry in the morning. Whatever meager clues might remain, they are likely to still be here in daylight, when we could actually see them and not risk trampling them.” He squeezed her hand, which he’d not released during the entire search of the house. “Now, shall we get some rest?”
“We?” she asked, unsure if she read his intentions correctly or simply projected her own desires onto his innocent question.
“With all the intrigue this evening, I find I am loath to leave your side. Wherever you wish to go, I shall be your guard. Where should we go? Evans Books or Devin House?”
“My shop,” she said without hesitation. She needed to be on her own territory. “Please,” she added.