Saving Grace (Victorian Vigilantes Book 1) Read online

  ‘Rose, who did this to you?’ Eva asked, appalled. ‘Was it Stoneleigh?’

  Rose shrugged, looking close to tears that Eva knew she would not shed. The Roses of this world learned at an early age that tears did them no good. ‘Who else?’

  Eva sat on the edge of the grimy bed, wondering what she could do or say to make the woman—not much more than a child—feel better.

  ‘My husband should not have turned you away,’ she said lamely. ‘That was unkind.’

  Rose shrugged for a second time. ‘I should have taken more care.’

  ‘That should not be your responsibility.’

  Rose sent her a look that told Eva she had no idea what she was saying which, in truth, she did not. ‘What are you doing here?’ Rose asked again. ‘They’re looking for you all over.’

  ‘I know that. I came here because I heard about your plight.’

  Rose looked truly astonished. ‘How did you find me?’

  ‘That doesn’t matter. All that counts is that I can help you, but in return I need your help.’

  ‘You, need my help?’ Rose tried to raise her brows and winced. ‘How can I possibly be of help to you?’

  Eva took a moment to think about her response, admitting to herself that coming here without a proper plan had been a mistake. She had no money to offer Rose, and money was the only thing likely to influence her. And yet fortune appeared to be on her side. Stoneleigh had only been protecting Rose for a little more than a day—if protection was the right way to describe his brutish behaviour—but Eva suspected he had miscalculated. By being so cruel he had lost Rose’s loyalty and Eva could see a way to exploit that situation.

  ‘Rose, you can’t stay here and simply allow Stoneleigh to beat you whenever the mood takes him.’

  She pointed to her bulging stomach and made a scoffing sound at the back of her throat. ‘I don’t have a lot of choice.’

  ‘Yes, actually you do. I am staying with people who would be willing to help you.’ She covered Rose’s hand with one of her own. She was making promises she wasn’t in a position to fulfil. Well, if Lord Torbay wouldn’t take pity on poor Rose then Eva would force her brother to take her in. After all she had done for her ungrateful family it was the least they could do in return. ‘You know if I give you my word I will keep it, don’t you?’

  ‘You want to see little Gracie, I take it.’ Rose looked away. ‘Well, I’d like to be able to help, but I’m not exactly welcome at Sloane Street anymore.’

  ‘Certainly I want Grace back, but that isn’t what I came to ask you.’

  ‘Then what?’

  ‘Rose, my husband and Stoneleigh are planning a terrible crime. The people protecting me want to stop him, and to do that we need access to information we think is stored in his desk.’

  Rose nodded. ‘Aye, most likely. Everything he cares about is in that damned desk.’

  ‘Precisely. My problem is I don’t know where. We think there must be some sort of secret compartment—’

  ‘Oh, is that all you need to know? I polished that desk so often that I know every nook and cranny.’

  Eva tried not to let her excitement show. ‘You know where he keeps his secret papers?’

  ‘Well, he didn’t actually show me, but I was in his bedroom one day…you know—’ Rose appeared to recall whom she was speaking with and abruptly broke off.

  ‘I don’t mind in the least about that. Just tell me what you saw.’

  ‘You’ll really get me out of here if I tell you? Somewhere they won’t take my baby away from me?’

  ‘I promise.’

  ‘Very well,’ Rose replied. ‘There’s this lever thing see, and…’

  The door flew open and crashed against the wall. Both ladies looked up. Eva suspected her own expression reflected Rose’s terrified one when they saw Stoneleigh standing in the aperture, grinning like an idiot.

  ‘Well, well,’ he said. ‘What do we have here?’

  Chapter Thirteen

  ‘How the devil did she get past you, Parker?’ Jake demanded to know.

  ‘She must have stolen out down the back stairs.’ Parker shrugged. ‘I wasn’t to know she would try that. It’s not like she was a prisoner. Nor were we expecting her to make a break for it.’

  ‘Have you looked absolutely everywhere?’ Isaac asked, beside himself with worry.

  Jake had never seen his friend so frantic and gave his shoulder a reassuring slap.

  ‘That we have. And Betsy says her cape and bonnet are missing. She’s definitely left the premises.’

  ‘I saw her less than an hour ago,’ Olivia said. ‘She can’t have got far.’

  Isaac gritted his teeth and swore without bothering to beg Olivia’s pardon. ‘Far enough to be in trouble,’ he said.

  ‘Why would she want to sneak out?’ Olivia asked.

  ‘Rose,’ Jake and Isaac said together.

  ‘Oh lud, she said something about Rose being in Whitechapel with Stoneleigh.’

  ‘She wouldn’t got back there.’ Isaac shook his head emphatically, trying to convince himself of the fact. ‘Although she did start to say something earlier about the girl trusting her, but Franklin’s report arrived and she didn’t finish what she had wanted to say.’

  ‘Did she happen to name the street?’ Jake asked.

  ‘Yes, I believe she said something about a boarding house in…’ Olivia wrinkled her brow. ‘Where was it? She was muttering to herself and I was distracted but I do recall it was an odd name.’ Her expression lightened. ‘Hog Lane! Yes, I am sure that was it.’

  ‘Come on!’

  Jack and Isaac flew out the front door and jumped into Jake’s waiting carriage. They travelled to Whitechapel as fast as the increasingly narrow streets permitted, both of them keeping a sharp lookout for Eva along the way.

  ‘I don’t think she had much money,’ Isaac said tersely, ‘so she might be on foot.’

  ‘Even she wouldn’t be foolish enough to try and walk this far unescorted.’

  ‘We underestimated her desire to help.’ Isaac fell into momentary silence. ‘You don’t think she would have done anything complete reckless, like returning to Sloane Street?’

  ‘No, we would have heard about it by now if she had.’

  Isaac expelled a relieved sigh. ‘Yes, there is that.’

  Jake tapped on the roof when they reached the street adjacent to Hog Lane. The carriage rattled to a halt and both men alighted.

  ‘Wait for us here,’ Jake said.

  ‘Are you absolutely sure that Woodstock’s no longer watching the area?’ Isaac asked.

  ‘Yes, but Stoneleigh might well be around if he’s keeping Rose here.’

  ‘I have to tell you, Jake, if he’s got her then I am not prepared to sit back and let matters take their course, even if it means revealing our hand. Some things are more important than damned diamonds. Woodstock will beat her black and blue, and worse, if he gets his hands on her.’

  Jake nodded. ‘I understand, but one problem at a time. She managed to survive these streets once. Let’s not think the worst quite yet.’

  ***

  Eva’s heart pounded against her ribcage. Of all the damnable luck. Had she not lingered in the passageway, she and Rose could have been gone from here by now.

  ‘What brings you here, Lady Eva?’ Stoneleigh asked. ‘Not that Rose and I aren’t mighty glad to see you, of course.’

  ‘My business is with Rose and I’ll have you know you will be reported to the police for abusing her.’

  Stoneleigh appeared to find her hollow threat amusing. ‘What happened to Rose is nothing to what I’ll do to you if you don’t tell my why you’re here.’

  ‘You can’t touch me,’ Eva replied with more bravado than conviction.

  ‘Seems to me I can do what I like with you.’ Stoneleigh slapped his lips together and ran his gaze down the length of her body in a most insolent manner. ‘I can give you a damned sight more than that husband of yours ever managed. And
he don’t know you’re here. If you’re so fond of Rose, you might as well stay here and bear her company.’

  Eva grasped Rose’s hand, if only to prevent Stoneleigh from seeing that hers was shaking.

  ‘What did she want, Rose?’

  ‘Nothing…I don’t know…she just got here and I—’

  ‘You lie!’

  He moved faster than Eva would have imagined possible for such a large man. Reaching forward he grabbed Rose by her hair and lifted her bodily from the bed, slapping her face hard. Her screams were heart-rending but Eva was powerless to help her.

  ‘She got here some time ago. She was seen in the street by someone I set to keep an eye on the place. That’s why I’m here. You two have been having a cosy chat for ages. Now, I won’t ask again.’

  Stoneleigh let go of Rose and she slithered to the floor at his feet. He glared at her as he slowly slid the leather belt from around his thick waist. Rose sent Eva a beseeching look, clearly terrified. If Stoneleigh beat her with that belt, she would lose her baby at the very least. Eva couldn’t allow that to happen. This was all her fault. She’d caused this situation and there had to be a way to resolve it. She recalled Mrs Grantley’s faux fit of feminine vapours. Would it work twice?

  ‘I will tell you why I’m here,’ she said, emphasising her upper class accent. ‘You don’t need to prove what a big man you are by beating a defenceless woman to get answers.’

  ‘Don’t think I won’t beat you an’ all if you don’t tell me.’

  He turned towards her, his expression a mixture of menace and calculation. Eva dropped her head into her hands and pretended to weep.

  ‘Ain’t no use crying.’ Stoneleigh sounded mightily pleased with himself. ‘Just tell me what I need to know, then we’ll decide whether or not to return you to your distraught husband.’

  Eva peeped through her splayed fingers and saw Stoneleigh advancing towards her, his groin level with her head. She would never get a better opportunity, but she would need to act quickly and use the element of surprise to her advantage. Eva removed the pin that secured her bonnet in place and thrust it into his groin with a force borne of desperation. Stoneleigh’s expression of shock was almost comical. He looked at Eva like he couldn’t quite believe what she’d done. Then he grabbed his genitalia and roared with pain.

  ‘Rose, now!’

  She grabbed the girl’s hand and together they dashed for the door. For a debilitated, pregnant woman, Rose was remarkably nimble and took no encouragement to make for the stairs. They could hear Stoneleigh cursing like a sailor and his feet pounding on the boards behind them as they descended the stairs.

  ‘Where to, m’lady?’

  ‘Let’s get out of here first.’

  ‘He’s gaining on us,’ Rose said breathlessly, glancing over her shoulder as they ran helter skelter down the stairs.

  They reached the ground floor, where a handcart was situated immediately outside, unattended. As they passed it, Eva paused to push it in front of the open door. Stoneleigh vaulted over it, cursing loud enough for his voice to be audible above the hubbub in the street. She had wasted valuable seconds moving the cart but it had barely slowed him down.

  ‘This way!’

  Eva dragged Rose, who was tiring, down the first side street they came to. Stoneleigh was right on their heels.

  ‘Stop those women!’ he roared. ‘They’re thieves.’

  Several people paused to look at them, clearly trying to decide what to do. One or two approached them but Eva continued on her headlong flight, dragging Rose along with her.

  ‘Make way,’ she said. ‘My maid and I are under attack.’

  Her upper class voice and, presumably her clothing, caused her would-be assailants to let them pass. Eva knew the ploy wouldn’t help them for long and desperately tried to think what else she could do. She glanced back and her heart sank when she saw Stoneleigh just feet behind them, waving sarcastically, as though he was already plotting how to revenge himself on Eva for the damage she had done to him. He certainly wouldn’t underestimate her for a second time. She was equally determined not to allow him anywhere near her, or Rose. There had to be something she could do.

  Just as he reached out a hand to grab her, Eva’s eyes alighted on a barrel of oranges being unloaded from a handcart. She pushed at it with all her strength and sent the fruit tumbling to the ground, right beneath his feet. There was no time for him to avoid it and he tumbled to the ground with a hefty thump. His cursing turned the air blue.

  ‘Quick, Rose, can you go a little further? There is no time to lose. We need to find a Hansom.’

  ***

  Jake and Isaac strode towards Poor Jewry Lane, which would lead them to Hog Lane, attracting inquisitive stares from those they passed. Several urchins attempted to accost them but they were in no mood to be delayed. Every second could be vital.

  ‘Down here,’ Jake said, taking a side turning. ‘It’s a short cut.’

  ‘Are you sure?’

  ‘Perfectly. I learned the geography of this area when working the Madison assignment.’

  Isaac flexed his jaw. ‘I wasn’t involved, so I must take your word for it.’

  There was a commotion up ahead. A barrel of oranges had spilled across the street, halting traffic. The costermonger was shouting at a large man sprawled on the ground, demanding restitution for his damaged fruit. The altercation had attracted quite a crowd, all of whom appeared to have an opinion as to whose fault it was. The large man picked himself up and tried to brush past the costermonger, who was having none of it. He lifted a large bat and threatened the man with it.

  ‘What the devil?’ Jake shook his head. ‘If I didn’t know better, I would say that was more than an accident.’

  Isaac’s head snapped up. ‘A diversion, you mean.’

  ‘What I mean is that we have probably underestimated Lady Eva. I don’t know what she thinks she’s playing at but—’

  Two female figures appeared like whirlwinds from a nearby alleyway and ran in their direction. Isaac breathed an audible sigh of relief when Lady Eva, clearly not looking where she was going, barged directly into him. She fought like the devil.

  ‘Let go of me!’

  ‘Eva, calm down. It’s me.’ He grabbed her shoulders and gently shook her. ‘You’re safe now.’

  His voice presumably got through to her. She blinked several times and looked up at him. ‘Isaac? What are you doing here?’

  ‘Rescuing you,’ Jake replied. ‘This, I presume, is Rose.’

  Rose, clearly daunted to be in such company, bobbed a curtsey. ‘Yes sir,’ she said.

  ‘Come, we have no time to lose.’ Jake turned, ushering the ladies in the direction of his carriage.

  ‘I am sorry, Lord Torbay, I—’

  Jake cut Lady Eva off with a wave of his hand. Now that they had found her safe and more or less unharmed, he was furious with her.

  ‘Later,’ he said. ‘We will be at our leisure to hear your explanation when we’re clear of this place.’

  He handed the ladies into the carriage and it immediately moved off. As it did so he saw the man who had been on the ground—obviously Stoneleigh—limp to the corner of the alleyway and glare at them as they passed his position. Jake drew down the blinds to avoid being recognised.

  The journey back to Grosvenor Square was made in taut silence. The only person to speak was Lady Eva fussing over Rose. She appeared to be in a bad way. The maid rallied when they arrived at their destination, apparently awed by her surroundings. Lord Torbay strode through the entrance hall, calling for his housekeeper.

  ‘Attend to the girl’s injuries please, Mrs Farley, then send her to us in the small salon.’

  Olivia appeared in the doorway to that room. ‘Is everything all right?’ she asked, smiling at Eva. ‘I can see you are in a bad temper, Jake, but perhaps you should give Lady Eva the opportunity to explain herself before you jump to conclusions. I am sure she had a very good reason for doing whatever sh
e did.’

  Lady Eva shot her a grateful smile. ‘Indeed I did.’

  Olivia poured her a cup of tea and Lady Eva accepted it with a nod of thanks. Isaac threw himself into a chair, clearly torn between relief and curiosity.

  ‘I wanted to help,’ Lady Eva said, having the courage to meet Jake’s blistering glare without blinking. He admired her, for that at least. ‘I was fairly certain Rose wouldn’t speak to either of you gentleman. Indeed, I rather thought she might run to William and tell him what you had asked of her, hoping to be rewarded.’

  Jake’s temper cooled, fractionally. ‘Do you imagine I hadn’t considered that possibility?’

  ‘I have no way of knowing, Lord Torbay, since you didn’t choose to share your thoughts on the matter with me.’

  Isaac suppressed a chuckle, earning an angry scowl from Jake for his trouble.

  ‘What did the girl have to say for herself?’

  ‘She told me how to access the secret compartment in William’s desk. There is a lever of some sort. That’s all Rose was able to tell me before we were interrupted. But she definitely knows something.’

  ‘We will ask her for particulars when she comes down and get that information to Franklin,’ Jake said. ‘But it’s information we could have obtained without you exposing yourself, and us.’

  ‘You were in an unmarked carriage. Stoneleigh won’t have recognised you.’

  ‘Let’s hope not.’ Jake stood with his back to the fire, hands clasped behind his back. ‘How did Stoneleigh know you were there? Presumably he did know.’

  ‘Rose tells me the landlady is a particular friend of his. She must have seen me.’

  ‘He was probably more concerned with other men trying to use Rose,’ Isaac said with a disdainful sniff.

  ‘Quite.’ Lady Eva blushed but Jake was still angry with her and in no mood to spare her embarrassment.

  ‘He wanted to protect his investment,’ Lady Eva said, turning up her nose. ‘He had beaten her quite badly, as you saw for yourself, and threatened to make her sell herself if she didn’t do as he asked her to. Presumably he didn’t wish anyone to benefit from her services for free.’