Page 101 of The Last Chance
Half an hour later, they arrived in Aldgate Street. Joanna flung open the carriage door, desperation forcing her to leap from the vehicle while it was still rolling. She fell to her knees on the pavement before scrambling up and hammering on the Den’s door.
Sigmund answered. A heavy frown marred his brow as he looked to the open carriage and saw Lucia asleep in the seat. “Where’s Aaron? What happened?”
“Let me rouse Aramis, and I’ll explain. Carry Lucia into the drawing room, and tell the jarvey to wait. Be careful. There may be men outside ready to attack.” Who knew what Natasha had planned?
Joanna charged into the house, crying, “Aramis!” five times from the hallway.
Aramis appeared on the stairs, dressed in black like his brothers behind him. He looked at Joanna, then at the open door, his face turning ghostly pale.
“Where is he? Where the hell is Aaron? We were about to leave to visit Miss Stowe. I knew something was amiss when he ushered me out of the study earlier.”
A sob ripped through her, her body jerking as grief took control of her limbs. “Natasha is alive. She plans to kill Aaron tonight.”
“She’s a-alive?” Aramis stuttered.
Other family members appeared in the hall, dressed and ready for battle. They were unharmed. There was no fire. Natasha knew how to use Aaron’s fears against him.
“Lucia is Natasha’s daughter,” Joanna said as Sigmund carried the drowsy girl into the house. “She’s your sister. Ignatius was her father.”
Aramis jerked in shock. “Good God.”
Joanna fumbled through her pocket, handed Aramis his mother’s miniature and his brother’s signet ring, and conveyed Aaron’s message. “Aaron said protecting your family must take priority.”
“He is our family,” Delphine said.
“You need to think where Natasha might take him. A place one can reach by boat. A place that means something to Aaron. Somewhere one might kill a man and dispose of a body.”
Aramis stared at his mother’s likeness, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat. Then he shook himself, aware he needed to concentrate on finding his brother. “Aaron rarely goes anywhere. He’s dedicated the last ten years of his life to this club.”
“What about somewhere he liked as a boy?” she said, a vision of a sad child filling her mind, a boy without sanctuary.
All the brothers shook their heads.
Delphine stepped forward. “Aaron worked lugging barrels by day and fought in the pits at night. He never took time to rest. He never considered himself, only how we would escape poverty.”
Impatience left Joanna’s temper frayed. “Think! All of you! His life depends upon us finding the answer. Natasha won’t restuntil she has destroyed him.” She rubbed tears from her eyes. “Please. We need to bring him home.”
I need him to come home!
Mr Flynn offered a sensible suggestion. “I’d be more inclined to think of a place he despises. A place where he might feel powerless. Where Natasha can use his thoughts against him and he might be easier to defeat.”
Joanna had an idea. “Where is your mother buried?”
“St Audley’s, Mayfair,” Aramis said solemnly.
A sudden knock on the open door had them all jumping to attention. A young man, tall and bony, gripped the doorframe to keep himself from crumpling with exhaustion. “I need to speak to Mr Chance. Aaron Chance. He said to call day or night.”
Aramis stepped forward. “Why?”
The man gauged the size of Aramis’ chest and answered the question. “He’s had me watching a house in Upper Brook Street. Wanted to know if I saw any shifty business or if the cove had visitors. Said he’d pay double if I watched through the night.”
“You’ll find money in the drawer, Miss Lovelace.” Aramis pointed to the console table. “Pay the fellow, and let’s hear what he has to say.”
Joanna took three sovereigns from the purse in the drawer. She dropped the coins into the man’s grubby hand. “What had you racing to Aldgate?”
“I’ll need a bit more for the ride home.” He gave a toothless grin. “I used every shilling I had to hire a hackney to follow the cove.”
Joanna obliged him. “You followed Lord Berridge?”
