Page 88 of A Most Unlikely Lady
‘It isn’t your fault. If Sarah discovered there are kittens in the stables, I’ve no doubt that’s where we’ll find them.’ Ivy infused more confidence into her voice than she actually felt. After this, they would need to get the others. Philippa’s house was far too palatial for two people to search every nook and cranny. Even if the guests were disturbed, finding the children took precedence.
Rushing back through the kitchen, they took the back door to the mews. Even across the cobblestone yard, Ivy could see lamplight flickering in the stables. With so many guests arriving by carriage, it was no wonder the stable boys were up and about, helping direct the traffic, finding places for groomsmen to park their carriages while they waited for the ball to end. Keeping Philippa’s horses calm amidst so much activity. But when she followed the yellow light past several stalls, no rushing men were about. The nicker of a horse and stomp of a hoof comforted Ivy. Stepping into the centre of the stables, she saw two figures sitting together on the hay. Rushing forward, Ivy almost reached them when she realised something was wrong. They weren’t moving. Their hands and feet were tied together, and they’d both been gagged.
The distinctive sound of a gun being cocked stopped Ivy cold.
‘Lady Ivy Cavendale. Finally, I can remove the thorn you have become in my side.’ Lord Percival Smithwick stepped from the shadows of a stall near the children. His pistol was pointed directly at Sarah’s blonde head.
Olivia’s husband is the Wolf?
It made sense. He was at the Widow’s Ball when young Thurston was given his note. He was aware of the happenings at the orphanage with his wife heading up the syndicate funding the venture. He was the bloody brother-in-law to the Lord High Chancellor. There was no telling what secrets he took back to the Devil’s Sons after sharing port and cigars with his wife’s brother. With a few carefully crafted questions, he could easily be one step ahead of them.
Turning, she yelled a warning to Olivia. ‘Run! Get the others.’
But as her friend careened into the stable, she stumbled to a stop, staring at her husband.
Ivy moved in front of Olivia. Slipping a hand into her pocket, she palmed the pistol and held it behind her back. She couldn’t draw on Smithwick. Not when he was so close to the children. But if she could get the gun to Olivia, distract him, draw him closer to her, and get him to point his gun at Ivy, then Olivia could take the shot. Even if she missed, the report of the gun would draw attention, and Ivy might be able to take advantage of Smithwick’s surprise.
‘What are you doing, Smithwick? Put the gun down.’ Backing up another step, she felt Olivia’s skirt tickling the back of her knuckles.
The slimy toad threw his head back and laughed a high-pitched, shrieking sort of sound. ‘No. I don’t think I will.’
Olivia’s warm hand covered hers. She took the gun from Ivy.
Huzzah! Now I just need to get him away from the children.
Putting her hands in front of her, she started moving slowly closer to Smithwick. ‘You don’t want to do this. Hurting these children helps no one.’
‘That’s where you’re wrong, you stupid little fool. We have orders to fill, and you have put a dent in our production. These two will go some way in helping to restore our good faith with some very wealthy customers.’
Oily sickness coated her stomach. What kind of monster described children as product?
Sarah started to sob, tears tracking down her face and getting caught on the rag tied around her mouth.
Ivy mustered a smile. ‘Don’t worry, darling. No one is going to hurt you. I’ll keep you safe. I promise.’
Olivia made a strangled sound behind her as Ivy took another step closer to Smithwick.
‘The promise of a woman.’ He laughed again. ‘About as useful as a bouquet of roses on the battlefield. Don’t you agree, Olivia?’
Ivy didn’t want him looking at Olivia. He might see the gun she was valiantly trying to hide in her skirts. Ivy needed his attention firmly focused on her. ‘What do you hope to achieve tonight, Smithwick?’ If she could get between him and the children, protect them with the shield of her body, Olivia might be able to get off a shot before Smithwick could fire his own weapon.
‘Just one more step in our plan, Lady Cavendale. You see, we can’t have a certain commissioner poking his big nose into our business. Certain members of the peerage, myself included, would have a bit of mud on our faces if that happened. Imagine if the beau monde were to discover how many dirty little street rats disappear every day, all on order from the Devil’s Sons.’
‘I rather think you’d have a noose around your neck.’ Ivy sidestepped closer to Smithwick and the children, angling her body to keep him directly in her line of sight. She had a dagger in her pocket and while she wasn’t as adept at throwing knives as Millie, she wasn’t half-bad. If Olivia couldn’t shoot her husband – which was a deuced difficult thing for anyone to do, let alone an untrained woman like Olivia – then Ivy would use the dagger as plan B. She doubted they would have time for any other plans.
‘Then you have no idea how many lords are on our payroll, Lady Cavendale. Trust me, no member of the Devil’s Sons will ever hang. A member of the peerage being trotted out of Newgate and executed in front of the rabble? Can you imagine?’
She was already doing so with Smithwick claiming centre stage in the scene she envisioned.
‘You will be held accountable for your crimes.’ She was close enough now. Picking up her skirts, she rushed forward. ‘Now, Olivia!’ Reaching the children, she wrapped her arms around both of them, covering them with her body, closing her eyes and waiting for the deafening report of her pistol.
Instead, Smithwick’s high-pitched laughter sent a thrill of alarm down her spine. Opening her eyes, she turned to Olivia.
Her friend held the pistol in a shaking hand, but it wasn’t pointed at Smithwick. It was pointed at Ivy.
20
Edward’s feet hurt and he was desperate to loosen his cravat. He wondered how long it might take Ivy to deal with whatever problem the Committee of Concerned Ladies for Community Betterment was having. Mayhap they could leave the ball within the next half-hour. He was desperate to enlighten Ivy on the finer points of lovemaking in a carriage. All the bouncing caused by cobblestones could be quite… invigorating. Just imagining her sitting backward on his lap, her skirts around her waist, his hard length penetrating deeper with every rut they jolted over. He would direct the driver to take the long route back to Islington.
