Page 58 of Undercover with the Heiress
‘He took the house on the end of the row, with the extra windows. I promised your mother those windows.’
‘I’m sure she doesn’t mind.’
‘I mind.’ Father scratched Lovelace behind the ear. ‘Once Johannes has dealt with the man across the street, we’ll run a back route to the bank. If you get there before us, you wait. Understand?’
Horseshoes clipped against the stones. Rosanna pressed her heels into Lovelace’s side. She hung back a little in the shadows until Elise came into view. She’d dressed in a black habit, just as Rosanna had asked, and not a blonde curl showed beneath her hat, the same style that Rosanna was wearing. The men at either end of the street would see nothing more than a streak of horse and a too-confident woman.
‘You have so much explaining to do,’ Elise said.
‘I cannot wait to tell you everything, but first we need to help Phineas.’ Rosanna reached out to her friend, who reciprocated and squeezed her fingers.
‘I’ll go this way.’ Elise nodded straight ahead. ‘Then I’ll ride down Honeysuckle Street to catch the other man’s attention. Once both men are in pursuit, you make your escape. I’ll lose my hat so that they can see their error, and hopefully run for fear of what Pennington will do to them.’
‘You do know that once you start riding fast down the street, it’s all people will talk about. You will never recover your reputation,’ Rosanna said.
‘I’ve often thought that a reputation is an overrated thing. Are you ready?’
The lethargic quiet of morning chirped and hummed into the expectant tension that hung between them. Rosanna, breath crumpling in her lungs, swallowed hard. She would find him. She would.
A high-pitched squeal rent the air, and then, above them, light scattered and cracked as one of Elliot’s firecrackers exploded. The faint white streaks sat stark against the grey smog of a London morning. Elise adjusted her position in her seat, then threw Rosanna a grin. ‘On my mark…’ she whispered. A second cracker fractured the air. ‘Go!’
Lovelace nickered as Elise and Starby sped out of sight. Rosanna leant forward and rubbed her horse’s mane. ‘You’ve got this, my girl.’ Another crack and fizzle as one of Elliot’s creations shot into the morning sky, and horseshoes echoed at the opposite end of the street. Rosanna cast a look up at the townhouses standing side by side, one which held her past, the other her future. She squeezed her knees against Lovelace’s flanks, and the two of them bolted into the day.
Rosanna leant low, contorting her body to balance out the uncomfortable combination of her saddle and her speed. Around her, London shuffled itself awake in a blur as she left Honeysuckle Street behind. Carts and drays, newspaper boys and bootlicks, flower sellers and beggars fell away and like the ticking metronome of the city, Lovelace’s hooves clipped against the stones.
Finally, she reached the bank. Rosanna swung off Lovelace and landed on the pavement outside, where Father and Johannes were already waiting. As Rosanna looped Lovelace’sreigns to a tethering post, Father rubbed a line of sweat from his brow, and half-bent to draw a deep breath. Johannes laughed and patted their father’s back, possibly enjoying his competency over Father a little more than was polite.
‘It’s still closed,’ Johannes said. ‘How can we get inside?’
‘Rosie, I can’t break into a bank,’ Father said, his puffs easing. ‘Even for me, that’s too far. If we were caught, the outcome for the family would be catastrophic.’
‘Mrs Babbage? Can I help you?’
‘Mr Robinson!’ Rosanna cried, scarce believing her luck. The young clerk had helped her make her way to the clerk’s office a few weeks before. ‘Are you starting work early?’
Robinson nodded. ‘I’ve been working hard at my ledgers. I’m hoping to make my way up a little in the bank. Maybe earn a little more in wages. Mr Babbage has been ever so helpful in giving me advice.’
‘Phineas came in early, but I was asleep when he left. I missed him and thought he might like a short break for some tea and a proper breakfast. Especially since my family here is available when they are usually not… Is there any chance you could show me down to his office again?’
‘I’m not supposed to…’
Rosanna smiled, then swayed. ‘I know he won’t be cross with you. He’ll be ever so appreciative. I just know it.’
‘Once more won’t hurt, I suppose. But this can’t become a habit,’ Mr Robinson said emphatically. He led the way through a side door, along a dimly lit hall, and down a set of stairs.
‘Mrs Babbage…’
‘Yes?’
‘This is your brother. And your father.’
‘That’s correct.’
‘Do you by any chance have a sister?’
Behind them, Lawrence growled, menacing as a lion.
‘I do,’ Rosanna said, the lightness in her voice betraying her fear. ‘She’s seventeen, and not yet debuted.’
