Page 113 of The Lyon Returns
Mrs. Kennedy looked to be in her early twenties. She had brown wavy hair, bound into a knot on her crown and was thin to the point of gaunt.
Her daughter, however, appeared hale and hardy. She smiled and clapped in delight at the sight of two new faces.
Interlacing her hands, Mrs. Kennedy stepped in front of her daughter as if to shield her. “Mr. Devereux, I hope you don’t mind Celia and I’ve been…er…here. It’s only been a few days. We thought, as the runner making enquiries for you said you wished to speak with me, you wouldn’t mind. But then, you didn’t come straight away and I worried someone might notice a woman and a child and—”
Gwen slid past Gideon into the bedchamber. She sent Mrs. Kennedy a gentle smile. “He does not mind, Mrs. Kennedy. We are both very happy to see you. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Gwen. I am Mr. Devereux’s wife. Would you care to join us for a cup of tea? We can sit down and have a nice chat and you can tell us how Mr. Devereux might be of assistance.”
The woman’s eyes welled with tears. “Call me Meredith,ma’am. Dirk always said how Mr. Devereux would never turn his back on one what belonged to him. But…”
“Quite right. Tea?”
Several minutes later, the three adults sat at the scarred wooden worktable in the kitchen’s center, steaming cups of tea before them. Celia tottered on the wide-planked floor, carrying on what appeared to be an in-depth conversation with her doll.
“Meredith, can you tell us what happened? Where Dirk is? What of the missing rifles?”
Gwen shook her head as Gideon peppered the young woman with questions.
A look of belligerence darkened her features. “They say Dirk is a traitor. They say he sold them rifles to the French.”
“And did he?” Gideon asked, stone-faced.
“Not like you think. He had to sail. He didn’t want to, and I begged him not to go, but he said they’d kill me and Celia.” Her chin trembled and tears leaked from her eyes. “And now he’s dead.”
Gideon drew a long breath, and Gwen gathered he was losing patience with the questioning process.
Gwen decided to take over. “Meredith, why was Mr. Kennedy convinced you and Celia were in danger? Let us start there.”
The younger woman appeared to relax somewhat. “It all started when a man came to visit the house, a few days before Dirk was to set sail for Spain, the last time. He and Dirk talked for a good bit. After he left, Dirk told me he was sending me and Celia away, and not to come back to the house, no matter what. He said not to tell nobody where we were going. He gave me all the money he had stashed and sent us to a boarding house outside London. He said he’d come for me there, after.”
Her lower lip trembled. “He’d promised he would quit the sea after one last run, and I feared he had changed his mind. I said I wouldn’t go anywhere. Then he told me what happened. He said theman who visited told him if he didn’t do what they said, they would kill all of us, but if he did do it, they promised they’d take care of Celia and me, and then maybe we could join him, after.”
Gwen and Gideon exchanged looks.
“What did they want your husband to do, Meredith?” Gwen asked.
She swallowed. “To betray Mr. Devereux. He said as how you would understand, sir, but, I know you wealthy folk. I told him you wouldn’t care that they’d threatened him and us.”
Gwen covered the younger woman’s trembling hand. “Mr. Devereux does care, very much. I think you know he considers Mr. Kennedy as close as blood. Please go on.”
She licked her lips, a cautious hope lighting her eyes. “My Dirk was not stupid. He said he had to go or they would kill us. He also knew they wouldn’t keep any promise about taking care of me and Celia after, and that is why he sent us away and told us not to tell no one where we went.
“I waited at the boarding house, waited ’til we ran out of money. Then I went back to Wapping, and called on one of my cousins. That’s when I learned what they were saying about Dirk. She also said men came looking for us, but not to help us. Official-looking men, from Scotland Yard, and the one who put Dirk up to all of it—to clean up behind him, to get rid of us. But Dirk kept us safe. And now my Dirk is dead.” She scrubbed fat tears off her cheeks. “I know he’s dead or he’d have sent word of how and where we’d find him, but there’s been no word. I don’t know where to turn. Celia and I have no money left and nowhere to go. That runner said you wanted to help us. Is that true?”
Gwen answered for him. “Of course, dear. Mr. Devereux will help. He will set you and Celia up in a nice home somewhere far away from here and London.”
“Will you, sir?” She looked at Gideon for confirmation.
He glanced between Gwen and Dirk’s wife, or more likely, Dirk’s widow. “Yes, I will. It’s the least I can do. We must get you out oftown first, and quickly. You and Celia should depart tonight. You were right to worry someone might wonder at a woman matching your description with a toddler tied to her apron strings, residing here.”
He started to push back from the table.
Gwen stayed him with a touch to the back of his hand. “Meredith, do you know the name of the man who first approached your husband?”
She shook her head.
It was worth a try, Gwen thought.
“But I’d recognize him anywhere. He has hair, bright as copper penny, and an odd sort a gate.”
