Page 29 of A Little Bit Dangerous
“You had better pray she’s still breathing, else one of us is for the noose.”
“Can you think where she might go?” Daventry said, bringing an element of logic to the conversation. “Did she mention friends or acquaintances?”
Christian swallowed past the boulder-sized lump in his throat. “She has no friends that I know of. She has no one.” No one but him, and he’d abandoned her to appease his brother.
“Then all we can do is scour the streets.”
“It will be like looking for a needle in a haystack,” Aaron snapped.
“What choice do we have?” Christian pulled his watch from his pocket. “We’ll reconvene here at eight o’clock. And don’t stop me from leaving.” With his temper hanging by a flimsy thread, Christian left the gaming hell and marched across the road to the mews.
He would cover more ground on horseback. It was three miles to the museum. Three miles to the Limestone Basin. Yet every instinct said she would not linger in dangerous places.
He rode to Hill Street and checked she wasn’t hiding in the basement of Lawton’s old house. He visited Daventry’s office in Hart Street, all to no avail. She wasn’t hiding in Green Park. Had not remained close to the museum and sought refuge in the Foundling Hospital or Gray’s Inn Gardens.
She was so fearful of her father, had she stowed away on a ship bound for France? In London, she had a roof over her head and a means of earning a living. She’d be a fool to risk what little security she had.
It was nearing eight o’clock when Christian returned to Aldgate, his heart heavy in his chest. An inner voice told him to visit the bookshop before returning to Fortune’s Den.
He handed his horse to his groom and covered the short journey to Lime Street on foot. Mrs Maloney was outside, locking the bookshop door when he approached and scared the woman out of her wits.
“Bless the Lord, you gave me a fright.” Mrs Maloney took a moment to settle her breathing. “I was just on my way to Aldgate Street. Miss Lawton returned twenty minutes ago. Heaven help her. She’s in a terrible state.”
Relief had Christian gasping aloud.
He scanned the street to make sure Miss Lawton had not been followed. “Did she say where she’d been?”
“Come inside. You look like you need a stiff brandy.” She unlocked the door and beckoned him into the shop. The tinkling of the overhead bell was always comforting, as was the musty smell of old books.
It was dark inside, and she directed him to the small sitting room.
Miss Lawton was asleep in the chair, her bare feet immersed in a basin of water. Mud covered the hem of her dress, and her wild curls resembled a bird’s nest.
Mrs Maloney lit the lamp. “She’s been walking for hours. The poor mite was too afraid to return here in case her father followed her. When I opened the door, I found her shaking to the marrow of her bones. She downed three glasses of that expensive sherry you bought me last Christmas.”
Christian picked up Miss Lawton’s boot and turned it over in his hand. The sole was almost worn through. Doubtless it was the only pair she owned. He would rectify the problem in the morning.
While Mrs Maloney pulled a blanket over Miss Lawton’s lap, he stared at the woman who’d kissed him so passionately. Why did he feel an overwhelming need to protect her? Was it nothing but a desire to help someone down on their luck? Her eyes held the same sadness as his sister Delphine’s. Yet these primal stirrings were by no means brotherly.
“It’s not safe for Miss Lawton to remain here,” he said, aware he was running out of options and Aaron would not permit her to reside at Fortune’s Den. Perhaps Daventry would find her suitable accommodation. “And I’ll not place you in danger. Until this matter is resolved, you must move to Fortune’s Den.”
“Move?” Mrs Maloney sounded flabbergasted. “I’m not leaving my books. I’ve lived here for nigh on thirty years. The King himself would have to drag me out kicking and screaming.”
Christian knew better than to argue with the stubborn woman. “Let me stay here. Just until we’ve dealt with Geoffrey Lawton. We’ll read together at night like we used to,” he added to sweeten the deal. “Discuss the ancient world and Greek mythology.”
Mrs Maloney’s eyes brightened. “You scamp. You know how to bend a woman to your will. You can stay but only for a few nights, mind. A lady should never become too dependent on a man. Even if he is like her own son.”
The last comment melted his heart. “I’ll return to Fortune’s Den and inform Aaron.” There was also the matter of Miss Lawton’s welfare to discuss, though it would be wrong to do so in her absence.
“I’ll have a piece of currant cake waiting when you return.” Mrs Maloney glanced at the sleeping Miss Lawton. “Be a dear and carry Miss Lawton to bed. Bless her soul. The poor thing hasn’t an ounce of strength left. She can explain what happened when we take breakfast in the morning. Oh, best you dry her feet first. There’s a towel on the chair. I need to check on a few things.”
Mrs Maloney left him alone with Miss Lawton.
His traitorous gaze moved to her bare calves and trim ankles. It seemed wrong to tend to her ablutions without her permission, but where was the harm in dabbing her feet with a towel?
Christian knelt on the floor, slipped his hand into the water and captured Miss Lawton’s dainty foot. Despite the small blister on her tiny toe, her skin was smooth. He’d never washed a woman. Who would have thought such a simple gesture would play havoc with his insides?
But that was nothing compared to how it felt to hold her in his arms. Taking slow, measured steps so as not to wake her, he held her tight to his body and mounted the stairs.
