Page 53 of Tempting a Lonely Lord
Stephen laughed. “That’s so gentlemanly of you, Michael. Your timing is perfect. Lady Elizabeth and I were just talking about the treasure map we found.”
“I want to talk about that… but the pirate in me smells gingerbread and beef pies. Can we have some?” Michael asked, pointing to a tent ahead of them and looking hopefully up at Stephen.
“Which? The gingerbread or the beef pies?” Stephen answered cheerfully.
Michael affected a serious look. “I would like the gingerbread first. And I think Lacey fancies the beef pie, which I would like to try, as well.”
Elizabeth and Stephen both laughed, and she clasped Michael’s hand in hers. “I think we can manage that,” she said.
“Seems like a good idea to me. I didn’t eat a big breakfast, anticipating we might find this tent,” Stephen agreed. “Perhaps a glass of lemonade would be nice, as well.”
Watching Elizabeth with Michael and Lacey made Stephen long for a family of his own. He was fond of Michael and would welcome a son like him, or a daughter with Elizabeth’sspirit. He realized he had wasted too much of his own life being angry and jealous over his brother’s life. It was time to focus on what mattered… Elizabeth and proving himself worthy of her.
She couldn’t be more perfect, as far as he was concerned. She was likely no older than twenty-eight, he reasoned, recalling he was five years her senior. And she was even more beautiful and captivating than on the day he first noticed her at her coming-out ball. His feelings for her from all those years ago had never faded; he had merely buried them along with the worst parts of himself. He'd felt bitter and angry, wanting to escape into drinking, gambling, and womanizing, waiting for the pain to dull. Now he was falling in love with her.Again.And it was both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time.What if she doesn’t feel the same?
The fête had taken over the common area in the town, with stalls and tents set up and down the main street and in the town’s square. As they made their way to a food stall offering both sweet and savory fares, they walked by the Winking Mariner. The food stall was in the square, across the street from the pub.
“Uncle Stephen, where are all those children going?” Michael asked, pointing toward the beach. The beach extended up to a rustic wooden pier—the only barrier separating it from the town. Many businesses that locals frequented, such as the Winking Mariner, were located on the pier, with their back doors opening directly to the ocean.
A line of almost a dozen children, their heads down, shuffled toward the beach, where a boat was sitting offshore. The children were herded by three unsavory-looking men who appeared to be sailors. They looked to be heading toward the beach. Stephen’s eyes narrowed as he spotted another suspicious-looking man lurking in the alley next to the tavern.Strange…The man looked familiar and appeared to be watchingfor someone. Or perhaps more than one person. Stephen’s gut told him something wasn’t right, but he couldn’t leave Lizzy and Michael alone to investigate.
“I think that’s Sophia!” Michael exclaimed, jumping up and down.
“Who?” Elizabeth asked, looking in the direction Michael was pointing to the slow-moving line of children.
“Sophia!” he insisted. “The lady in the tent was crying about her granddaughter. She was so sad. She said she was gone—those bad men had stolen her. Itmustbe her. Madame Vorest said Sophia was wearing a blue dress and had yellow curls.”
“Blonde hair? How old did she say her granddaughter was?” Elizabeth asked, her voice betraying her nerves. “Stephen… we must do something.”
“I know, Stephen said, his mind whirling. “I recognize that shifty character lurking in the alley next to the Winking Mariner.”
Michael piped up. “Lacey and I will get them.”
“No, Michael, wait,” Stephen said sternly. “I saw Lucas and William at that tent over there.” He pointed, suddenly feeling like he needed to be two people. He couldn’t leave Elizabeth, and he couldn’t let the boy run around with people known to be stealing children. Looking around, it appeared the common area was mostly empty of people. “I’ll watch you run to them. Do not stop anywhere else.”
“We’ll go straight there. I promise.” With that, Michael darted off, Lacey racing alongside him. Seeing that they reached William, Stephen turned his attention back to the beach.
“We have to help these children,” Elizabeth said.
“We do.”
Hurrying over, Elizabeth knelt in front of Sophia. “Oh, Sophia, we’re here to help you,” she whispered, taking the younggirl into her arms. “We’re going to get you to safety, honey. Your grandmother is looking for you.”
“Where do you think you’re going with that girl?” a man called. “She’s m’own girl. Her name is… uh… Jane.”
“No, her name is Sophia, and she disappeared the other day,” Elizabeth said in a furious voice, pulling the girl from the line.
“I’m Sophia,” the little girl whispered. “My grandmother…” She glanced in the direction of the tents. “My grandmother is Madame Vorest.” Holding her head up defiantly, she said, “I’m not called Jane. My name is Sophia!”
“Stop telling tales, child,” the man muttered, stepping forward with his arm out as though to push Elizabeth away.
“Touch her, and you’ll regret it,” Stephen growled, stepping in front of Elizabeth and shoving the man away. “You work at the pub—or at least you spend most of your time there.” He gave a cursory gesture, indicating the pub behind him, which sat just behind the beach’s rudimentary boardwalk. “We’ve alerted the magistrate to these children being taken.” Stephen hoped his bluff would work, or at least Lucas and William would be here in a matter of minutes.
The little boy next to Sarah spoke up. “My name’s Daniel, and I’m seven years old.” He had a bloodied lip and a bruise on the side of his face. “I ’aven’t seen my mama and papa in two days. That’s a bad man!” he said, pointing to the smuggler. “He told me he had a puppy for me if I wanted it, and then he threw me in the back of a wagon.”
“Shut up,” the man said, and grabbed Daniel by the shoulder.
Furious, Stephen exploded into action and drove his fist into the man’s face. “Unhand that boy!”
