Ghost of Christmas Past (23 page)

“
I think it is evident that this house isn’t his base. It is
the pick-pockets base. Fornier is coming here purely to collect
money.”

“
One of them must be a contact of some sort. Why else would
Fornier get his French feet dirty in this filth?”

“
He could have the thieves on his payroll. They are out
amongst the public, thieving and watching out for us. They could be
tipping Fornier off as to where we are and what we are up to,”
Rupert growled, thinking about how Fornier had appeared so soon
after he and Thea had chosen to take a walk in the park. There
hadn’t been enough time for anyone who had spotted them leaving the
house to run half way across the city to the docks, and the
carriage to make its way back again. He had been so busy kissing
Thea that he hadn’t bothered looking at the time, but they couldn’t
have in the park more than twenty minutes. For some reason, Fornier
was loitering near to Ridings. But why? What was he waiting for?
More importantly, why wasn’t he trying to leave the
country?

“
He must be waiting for news from someone, or funds from his
financial backer.”

Rupert
nodded at Marcus suggestion and glanced up at the sky as they
walked down the back alley toward the main street. He was so lost
in his thoughts about the complexity of the investigation and
Fornier’s activities that he didn’t realise how much time had
passed. He swore as he became aware of the darkness that surrounded
them and lengthened his stride. “I should have gone to collect Thea
from the dressmakers.” Rupert swore again and began to run, aware
that Marcus was in hot pursuit.

They
didn’t bother to lock the house up as they left. The stench would
alert the neighbours that something was amiss and they would notify
the authorities in due course – or not. Whatever, it was irrelevant
to the Star Elite, who had the information they needed. The base
that Fornier was using was somewhere else and not located at
London’s docks.

“
Of course, the man could have used the house of a known thief
to acquire some funds and a change of clothing that was more
befitting the area,” Marcus reasoned as they hailed a carriage and
climbed aboard. Rupert rapped out the address of the
dressmakers.

“
Be quick about it, my good man,” he snapped and slammed the
door shut as the carriage lunged into action.

“
What do you mean?” He asked once they were settled
inside.

“
I mean that a dapper, well-to-do nabob like Fornier would not
be likely to find employment on one of the ships that leave here
each day, even if he did have the requisite skills to pass himself
off as a sailor, dressed in the clothes he usually likes to wear.
Even he knows that he would have to dress for the occasion. So I
think that he has used that house to change clothes and gather his
proceeds from the pick-pockets who have worked the area. In
exchange, they have been given descriptions of the authorities who
are working in the area and have been able to commit their crimes
without fear of having their collars felt.”

Rupert
remained silent though and didn’t even appear to have heard
him.

Marcus
studied the worry on his friend’s face and knew that his thoughts
had nothing to do with Fornier. Rather than try to engage him in
conversation, Marcus lapsed into silence and watched the streets
roll past. By the time they arrived at the dressmakers, Rupert’s
thoughtful frown had turned into a dark glower. He didn’t wait for
the carriage to stop rolling before he opened the door and jumped
down.

“
Gone? What do you mean she has gone? Where?”

“
Well, sir,” Madame Coulieu replied hesitantly as she glanced
from the tall, glowering man before her to the dark carriage that
waited outside. “She said that she thought you had forgotten to
collect her and asked us to hail her a carriage. Strange thing is
though, we got a carriage for her but she didn’t use it. We watched
it pull up outside, but she made no attempt to climb aboard, she
just walked straight by and out onto the main street.”

Rupert
felt his blood go cold. “The carriage. Tell me what the carriage
looked like.” His voice was crisp and stern and he sensed rather
than heard the woman’s assistants gather to stand in the doorway
behind her.

“
Well, it looked just like that one.” She lifted a hand that
visibly trembled and pointed to the carriage Rupert had just
climbed out of.

“
What did the coachman look like?”

“
Pardon?”

“
I said; what did the coachman look like?” He clenched his
fists against the need to really shake the woman until she told him
everything.

“
Well, the man had a cloak on, like that one.”

“
Did he have anything on his head?”

She
frowned and glanced at one of her assistants who nodded and stepped
forward rather timidly. “Well, yes, sir, he had a top hat
on.”

Rupert
stared at her in a minute. “She didn’t get into the carriage?”
Everyone shook their heads.

Rupert
scowled at the woman. “How long was she here for?”

“
About three and a half hours all told sir. We have several
dresses we are preparing for her and will have them, and the
accessories, delivered to the Ridings address first thing in the
morning. I will deliver them personally and do a final fitting to
ensure that the lady is happy with our service, sir.”

“
Good, send the bill to me directly,” he growled with a scowl.
He tried to keep a lid on his impatience as he stalked out of the
shop with little more than a nod. He hurried back outside and
slammed the carriage door behind him with sufficient force to
startle the horse. He took a moment to open the door and give the
coachman instructions to Ridings before he slammed the door closed
for a second time. As the carriage rumbled away he briefly
explained to Marcus what had happened and described Fornier’s
coachman’s outfit.

“
Did they see which way she went?”

“
I can only hope that she had the good sense to head straight
home; assuming that she managed to find a bona fide carriage on the
main street.”

Neither
man spoke of what would happen to her if she hadn’t got that
far.

“
What do you want to do?”

“
Find Thea, and find out what the bloody hell is happening. I
think that if we catch sight of Fornier again, we have to keep tabs
on him a bit more closely, and move heaven and hell to get that
bastard brought to prison, or taken out, whichever comes
first.”

“
Hugo wants him taken in for questioning,” Marcus replied
reasonably. He could understand Rupert’s frustration, especially
given that the man’s family had been caught up in the latest
escapade, but they still had a job to do and had to remain logical
at the very least.

“
As long as Fornier is taken off the streets, I don’t care if
he has to be carried in a hearse or is dragged in
irons.”

The
carriage had no sooner rumbled to a stop outside Ridings than
Rupert had the door open and jumped down with Marcus close behind.
He took the steps to the front door two at a time and burst into
the hallway as though the hounds from Hell were nipping at his
heels.

What he
found there was a sight that would remain with him
forever.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

There, sitting on the bottom of the stairs, was Thea. She was
dirty, covered in scrapes and bruises, her hair was soaking wet,
her dress was torn, and tear tracks streaked the dirt on her
beautiful face. If that wasn’t bad enough, the fear in her eyes
unmanned him.

He
couldn’t speak as he stalked across the hallway and hauled her into
his arms. Just having her there, safe and sound, inside the house
was enough. Fornier hadn’t gotten to her. He had no idea just yet
of what had happened but at least she was alive.

“
God, Thea,” he growled and buried his face into her
neck.

Marcus
closed the door quietly behind them and went in search of the
butler.

Thea
stood silent and trembling in his arms. She couldn’t move, couldn’t
speak and her legs hurt too much to climb the stairs. She was cold,
tired and hungry and wished she had never even mentioned leaving
the house let alone going shopping. Although she had heard about
his work with the Star Elite and had been told it was dangerous
work, she had never stopped to consider just what Rupert faced
every day.

A
shudder swept through her and he realised then just how cold she
was. Marcus came back into the hallway and shook his head before he
disappeared upstairs.

“
Have you seen Argus?” Rupert growled and leaned backward to
look into her face.

Thea
shook her head and sniffed. He knew that she was going to be really
ill if he didn’t get her dry and warm. She didn’t make a sound when
he swept her off her feet and stalked into the sitting room where a
fire was already lit. He placed her gently in the high back winged
chair and settled a blanket over her shoulders before he squatted
down before her so that he could see into her face. He tenderly
lifted several sodden strands of hair off her face and tucked them
carefully behind her dirty ear.

“
I am sorry that I didn’t come back for you as I promised I
would Thea,” he murmured gently and captured her gaze with his.
When he was assured that she was listening to him and understanding
what he was saying, he stroked a finger down her pale cheek. “I was
following a lead someone gave one of the men. It’s a house we think
Fornier has been using.” He made a mental note to have a word with
the men who should have been following the coach and find out where
the hell they were, and why they hadn’t intervened in the attempted
abduction. “Can you tell me what happened?”

He
fought to keep a hold of his patience. Everything within him was
screaming at him to find out just what the Frenchman had done to
her so that he could go after him and make sure that he never came
anywhere near Thea again. Instead he gave her hands a gentle
squeeze to focus her attention on him and waited for her to
speak.

Thea
studied the calm authority in Rupert’s face and the words came
tumbling out. She was not quite sure what she should feel. Now that
her tears had dried and the safety and warmth of Ridings had
registered on her shattered senses, she had gone strangely blank
and didn’t seem able to summon any emotion at all.

Marcus
appeared in the doorway. “He is upstairs with John and the doctor.
The housekeeper has gone to buy provisions.”

Rupert
gave him a dark look that warned him not to go anywhere until he
had heard what had happened and turned his attention back to
Thea.

Quietly,
she began to recount the events of the afternoon with a bit more
clarity, culminating with her arrival back at Ridings.

“
You didn’t see Fornier anywhere near here?”

“
No. When the crowd descended on him, he hurried in the
opposite direction. I was only there for a couple of more minutes
before another carriage arrived and I was brought here. I don’t
know if he has been outside since.”

“
I will go and check to see if anyone has seen him.” Marcus
vanished as silently as he had arrived, and left Rupert to comfort
Thea.

“
I am going to get the doctor to check you over while he is
here,” he announced and glanced down at her legs.

“
I am fine, just a little sore, that’s all.” Right now, all
she needed was to be held by Rupert again but she didn’t know how
to ask him or what to say. “I need to get dry. While I was out it
started to rain and I am all wet.” She tried to stand upright only
to wince as her sore muscles protested against the sudden
movement.

“
Thea?”

“
I am fine,” she assured him through gritted teeth. She had
long since learned that if she focused on something a little
distance away, gritted her teeth and forced herself through the
pain, she could pretty much get wherever she wanted to go and blank
out the discomfort.

Rupert
watched her struggle to keep her discomfort off her face. He had no
idea what to do. Should he help her and be rebuffed for coddling
her? Should he help her anyway? His inability to do anything of use
irritated him. He hated to see her in pain and be unable to help
her and, more importantly, he hated the indecision he always seemed
to feel around her. There was little he could offer her by way of
reassurance because he had no idea how long she would feel the
repercussions of her ordeal but he was at a loss to know what to
say.

“
Thea, I am sorry that I wasn’t here for you. I know you are
angry with me, and I don’t blame you, but I am damned if I am going
to sit here and watch you suffer. Where are you going?” Rupert
demanded as he followed her out into the hallway. He shared a
concerned look with Marcus but was hardly in a position to tell
Thea what to do.

“
I am going upstairs so I can get out of these wet clothes and
get warm,” she whispered but didn’t stop her rhythmic steps of
determination. Rupert followed. When she got half way up the stairs
he couldn’t stand it any longer and swept her off her feet. She
made no protest as he carried her swiftly toward her room where he
deposited her before the fire.