Page 75 of A Translation of Desire
Lisbeth furrowed her brow. “Do you know how to find him?”
“We should visit the market. He won’t be there, but I have no doubt some of the other sellers will have information about him. He seemed to be a regular,” Augustus provided.
“The guards were beaten horribly,” Addie shared, her face also filled with concern.
“We will find her,” Augustus declared.
He wasn’t sure if he was trying to reassure them or himself. Fear clawed at his chest. He couldn’t lose her. They had to find Rose. “I need to go to the market where the man is based.”
Devons nodded. “Go and take some of my guards. While you are gone, we will make plans on what to do next.”
Augustus walked towards the door but was stopped when the duchess placed her hand on his arm.
“Please, find her. She is very dear to me.”
Augustus nodded, stopping himself from roaring that she was his entire world. “I will find her.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Rose stood withBradford on a dark road, somewhere by the Thames River, as he paced back and forth. Anxiousness flowed from him as he mumbled to himself. A driver who appeared calmer but more menacing leaned against the side of the carriage. It was evident they were all waiting for someone.
She glanced around, hoping to glean where she was, but nothing seemed familiar—not that anything in London would. Still, Rose guessed she was in an industrial area. Very few carriages were on the road, and those that were traveled at a speed that indicated they planned to stop for no one.
Bradford glanced at her and frowned but continued with his pacing. The man had barely made it in the door of Seely House before he’d pulled a pistol from his pocket. He’d one by one knocked the guards out with the butt of his weapon. Rose was grateful the illicit antiquities dealer didn’t do worse.
She suspected Bradford was a go-between and didn’t believe he knew anything about the tablets. Whoever they were waiting for appeared to be in charge. She took a deep breath, drawing his attention and halting his pacing.
“Bradford, you seemed like a nice enough gentleman at the market. Why are you doing this?”
Her question seemed to agitate him. He glanced down the street and at the driver nervously. “A man asked me about your club and your blasted tablets. At first, I brushed him off. You seem like a nice enough lady, but I made one too many bets. Theman said he would pay off all my debt if I could bring you to him.”
The driver spat on the ground and glared at them both. “Enough. When he arrives, he can explain as much as he likes.”
“And who is this he you speak of?” Rose asked.
The man only shot her a withering glare. Fear coursed through her. Something was amiss, and Rose suspected it was part of a more significant issue than the theft of tablets for a collector. Even though the artifacts were invaluable, she struggled to believe that anyone would go to such extreme measures to have them, and what need would they have for her?
“Bradford—”
Her words died on her lips when a man sitting atop a horse became visible on the road, galloping towards them. There was a familiarness to him. Rose realized he was the man who chased her at Seely House, and even though he had a scarf covering his face previously, she knew it was him. Rose eyed the man dubiously. Who was he? Relief washed over Bradford’s face, but Rose was doubtful this man’s arrival was good for either of them.
The man slowed his horse to a halt before hopping down. He nodded to Bradford but walked directly to Rose. He was of average height and had brown hair. His tailored suit at first made him seem as if he could be a businessman, but his brawny build made Rose suspect he didn’t just push around paper. She swallowed.
He withdrew a rolled-up paper from his pocket and handed it to her. Rose unrolled it, and her eyes flew to his face. It contained cuneiform text.
With a French accent, he asked, “Can you translate it?”
Rose studied it. The paper wasn’t old. Someone used the ancient text that only she and Lord Hawley knew how to decipher to write a message. Why?
“It isn’t that simple. I need somewhere I can compare the text with my research. I have a key that will help.”
The man took his paper back and turned to Bradford. “Did you bring her research with you?”
Bradford nodded. “It is in the carriage.”
The man glanced at the driver, who nodded in agreement. Who were these people?
“We will take Miss Calvert to a place where she can work and return her to you when we’ve acquired what we need,” the man explained to Bradford.
