One Penny Surprise (Saved By Desire 1) (12 page)

“No, I am not linked to the magistrate. I am just someone you don’t want to cross.” Luke withdrew two pennies from his pocket and held them aloft for the kids to see. “Now, you work around Camden, and stick to the streets. Sayers must be a harsh task-master if he has you up and about so early in the morning, but I suppose the barrow men are busy setting up their stalls and are open to being targeted, aren’t they?”

Marcus nodded when both children jerked at the mention of the East End’s notorious gang master: Terrence Sayers. There were rumours afoot that Sayers was involved in more than running gangs of thieves. The Star Elite suspected that he was involved in drugs, owned many brothels and gambling houses in the city, and ran some kind of protection racket. How that had anything to do with the dead body that appeared in the park though was something they had yet to uncover, but Luke suspected it was all linked somehow, and these children were going to be a very valuable source of information, and help, if the Star Elite ever needed it.

All Luke and Marcus had to do was get them on side and keep them there.

“We ain’t with Sayers. He ain’t our boss,” the boy suddenly declared.

“Who is?” Luke countered. When the children didn’t speak, Luke leaned forward in his seat. “There is a bigger gang working the area, mostly of older children. They are ruthless thugs. Criminals, not people you should mess with if you know what I mean?” He waited until the children nodded. “Do you work with them?”

Both children shook their heads violently.

“We ain’t with them. We dunno who they are,” Lucy announced.

“Stay away from them,” Marcus warned. “They are dangerous.”

“What would you say if I told you I want to put you both on my payroll? I will pay you both a couple of pennies a day – each, and will not ask you to pick-pocket anything apart from whatever your boss says you should take back that keeps him off your backs. All I need is for you to find that woman and tell me where she lives and keep an eye out for that man you saw in the woods. Follow him home if he does appear. Don’t approach him and don’t try to talk to him. He may be a killer so don’t try to lift anything from him either, or the woman for that matter.” When both children continued to look sceptical, Luke knew he would have to increase the stakes. “Not only that, but we will arrange for you to receive a pie each the likes of which you have just eaten, and enough extra food to make sure you don’t starve, and have enough left to sneak bits to your friends.”

“If we do that they will be suspicious and want to know where it’s coming from,” the boy argued, eyeing the basket greedily.

“Then we will give you just enough food for yourselves then,” Marcus countered. “You can hide it away and need never tell them. That way, you can eat properly and won’t have to work so hard so you are less likely to be arrested for stealing.”

“What if we don’t agree to help you?” The boy asked curiously.

“You can go back to Sayers and continue to work, and hope you don’t pick-pocket from the wrong person and end up in the magistrate’s hands,” Marcus said.

The girl shrugged. “I’ll do it.”

“Lucy,” the boy whispered and flicked the men an exasperated look when he realised he had revealed her name.

“What? We can get food and money, and all for keeping our eyes and ears open. I want to look for the lady again. What does it matter if we get paid doing it?” she declared defiantly. “I’ll do it. You do what you want but I will take the money and the food.”

“Name?” Luke asked with lifted brows at the boy.

“His name is Toby,” the girl piped up when the boy remained stubbornly silent.

Luke held his hand out. “Well, Lucy and Toby, there is today’s wages. I will give you a penny a day for your time. You know what the woman looks like. See if you can find her for me. Don’t approach her. She may run off if she knows we are on to her. She was up to something in the park that morning and I want to know what.”

“Did you get to see what was in the bag she was carrying,” Marcus interrupted before they changed the subject.

Toby shook his head. “Nah, I couldn’t get ‘er to let go of it.”

“Was it heavy?” Luke asked with a frown.

Toby shrugged. “Do we get more food?” The boy asked snatching the coin off him. He bit into it to check its authenticity before he tucked it into his pocket. He was clearly more interested in the food and the monetary reward than a failed theft so Luke allowed the matter to drop for now.

Luke grinned and nodded. “We will sort some more out for you to take with you.”

“If we find her, how do we get word to you?” The girl asked as she watched Luke lift the lid off the basket. “Where are we?” She glanced around the confined carriage and studied the door as though contemplating opening it to take a look outside.

“You are in a secret location that has to remain secret. Don’t tell anyone you have been here today. Tell them you were working on the market traders and managed to steal some food and bread, and a pie if they ask. That should earn you their respect. Keep the money for yourselves but keep an eye out for us. If you find either the man or the woman, leave word at 24 Danton Street. Knock on the door and tell the woman there what you know. Her name is Margot. She is elderly but kindly, and won’t give you any trouble. Just don’t tell your boss the address.”

Both children nodded. Luke shared a look with Marcus. Both men were relieved in a way, not only that the children were exonerated of having anything to do with the murder of the man in the park, but also that they weren’t so deep into criminality that they would resort to working for Sayers. Unfortunately, that meant that the older and considerably more ruthless gang of muggers were.

“How do you know that you can trust us?” the boy challenged, his hungry gaze on the leftover pies still in the basket.

Luke pushed them to one side and lifted two small apple pies out of the basket then handed one to each child.

“I don’t, but I know where to find you if I want to capture you and take you to the magistrate. I will have you arrested if you prove to be untrustworthy,” Luke challenged. “After all, look how easily we set you up today.”

The boy jerked and stared at them. “You didn’t set us up,” he snorted in disgust.

Marcus smirked. “Really? Then how come we had a carriage ready and waiting to bring you here? Do you think we usually keep a basket of food in an empty carriage in case we meet hungry thieves like you? Look at us.” He gestured to Luke’s upper class suit and his own traders’ outfit and smirked. “How many people from such diverse backgrounds to you know share a carriage and a basket of food?”

That was enough to make the boy hesitate and look at Luke and Marcus with renewed respect. “Who are you?” he asked thoughtfully. “Are you after Sayers?”

That was a question neither man had expected. They were indeed after arresting Terrence Sayers, for all of his crimes, however they had to gather evidence that the man was behind the spate of pick-pocket gangs, murders, and jewellery thefts in the area before they could arrest him. So far in their investigation, Terrence Sayers had proven to be a rather slippery adversary who was as covert in his dealings as the Star Elite. Unfortunately, they could hardly explain everything to the children, even if they did trust them enough to take them into their confidence. Both Luke and Marcus knew from experience that it was safer for them not to know. That way, should they ever get scared they would be less inclined to blurt out confidential information Sayers should otherwise not know.

“In return for your help, we will give you food, money, and make sure that Sayers’ gang is no longer a threat to you. If you wish to continue to pick-pocket when this is over then that is up to you,” Luke explained.

“Sayers’ gang?” Toby asked with a frown. He shared a worried look with Lucy, who looked equally frightened.

“The older gang who are in the area work for Terrence Sayers,” Luke declared quietly. He watched Lucy physically flinch and for a moment he thought she might start to cry.

Toby also looked just as disturbed. “We don’t want nothin’ to do with ‘em,” he replied firmly.

“Good. Don’t ever go near them.”

“They stole our patch. Freddie told us to move on when he got roughed up one day.”

“Freddie is your boss?” Marcus asked gently.

Both children nodded.

“He isn’t connected to Sayers?”

“No. He is scared of Sayers. When the big gang told Eddie to join them he packed us up and moved us, but another gang appeared the other week and warned us off our new patch.”

“So we work in the park now,” Lucy replied sadly.

“And around those streets?” Luke didn’t need her to nod to know he was right.

“Are you after Sayers?” Toby asked in a small voice, clearly worried about getting involved now no matter what the edible or financial reward was.

“Yes, we are. We intend to arrest him, and his friends, and put them behind bars for a very long time. You are
not
to get involved with any of that. Right now, we don’t know if the man in the park was killed by the older gang. Just keep your eyes and ears open that’s all I want you to do. Do you understand?”

Both children nodded and looked a little awed and relieved at the same time.

“When this is over, we can make sure that you secure proper jobs and work to earn a real living if that’s what you wish,” Marcus drawled. He wished he could tell them that they would receive schooling to learn to read and write to go with the food and money. However, he rather suspected this would be enough to scare both of them away, so didn’t mention it. Dangling the food and monetary prizes had been more than enough to secure their compliance for now. How far they could be trusted though depended very firmly upon how hungry they were, and how much they considered a penny to be truly worth. 

“Do we get an extra penny if we find any of ‘em?” Lucy asked with a frown.

“Of course,” Luke replied on a sigh.

Both children shrugged and nodded. “Fine.”

“Come on then, let’s get you this food sorted out and then you can be on your way.”

“You are not taking us to the magistrate?” the girl asked sidling closer to Marcus so she could snatch an apple out of the basket.

Marcus took it off her and put it back. She glared at him but didn’t speak.

“Now ask properly,” he said calmly.

“What?” she asked with a frown.

Marcus nodded toward the apple. “Ask.”

It took her a minute to realise what he wanted. “Can I have that apple please?” she said somewhat nervously, clearly not used to being polite.

“Yes, you may,” he replied and handed her an apple, and a second one to go with it.

“Thank you,” she muttered before she rammed them both into her already stuffed pockets.

He shared a look with Luke before the men began to package up the remainder of the food on offer and handed equally divided parcels to both children. Luke banged several times on the roof of the carriage and, once it lurched into motion, sat back in the seat while he gave the children details of their next meeting. When the carriage rumbled to a stop, he placed his arm across the door to delay them leaving.

“Where are we?” the boy asked with a frown.

“Back on the street you left,” Marcus replied without bothering to look.

The girl shook her head in disbelief, but patted her pockets with pride and smirked at him. “Do we get food like this next time?” she asked, quite unable to believe her good fortune.

“Of course. We said you would, and we never go back on our word. Now, remember what we said. Keep your mouth shut but your eyes and ears open. Until tomorrow.”

Neither man moved nor spoke as the carriage door was opened and the children clambered down.

“Surprise,” Toby suddenly piped up as he stepped down and turned to look into the carriage with a mischievous grin.

“What?” Luke frowned at him.

“One penny please,” Toby persisted.

“What for?” Luke asked. He wondered what the lad was up to now his feet were back on the ground and had his freedom back. 

“Workin’,” Toby replied. “I found ‘er.”

“What?” Luke looked from Toby to Lucy, who was also grinning and holding her hand out. “What?” Luke’s stomach dipped. “Who have you found?” He demanded of the young boy who was waiting for his reward.

“That woman you wanted. She’s over there – look.” Toby nodded to the busy street behind them, to one particular woman busy weaving in and out of the other pedestrians.

“Give them their reward, Marcus,” Luke snapped, his new quarry firmly fixed in his sights.

He left his friend digging around in his pockets for another penny for each of the children and hurried after Poppy before she vanished again.

Poppy didn’t even bother to glance at the huge lumbering carriage that rolled past and splashed mud all over her skirts as she crossed the busy coaching yard. She was too busy rummaging around in her bag for her ticket, all the while trying to decide whether she had time to get something to eat before her carriage departed for Cumbria. The last thing she wanted to do was miss it because she would then have wait for the next one tomorrow. As far as she was concerned now, the sooner she got out of London the better. She was sick and tired of the constant noise, choking smog, and crowded streets, and yearned for the fresh air and open space of the countryside.

The last few days had passed so incredibly slowly that it felt as though her life back in Cumbria, or what was left of it, was a world away from where she was now. Since leaving the hovel she had found rather dubious lodgings in a tavern not so very far away from where she stood. While it had been dry, relatively warm, and offered better food than what she had eaten at the hovel, it was noisy and overlooked an industrial wasteland which belched out thick plumes of smoke and haze that added to the smog that had settled over London, and didn’t appear to want to lift. The constant comings and goings of the other lodgers at all hours of the day and night had made rest virtually impossible. As a result she had, disconcertingly, spent many, many hours thinking about Luke Brindley.

Where was he? What was he doing? Would she ever see him again?

Today’s choker had seemingly come out of nowhere and appeared suddenly only ten minutes ago. It was so thick that she struggled to see the tavern door at the far end of the yard. She had been in London long enough now to know exactly what it was when it descended, but had quickly learned that nobody seemed to know how long it would remain. Still, life continued unabated. She wondered if people in London ever saw daylight during the winter-time. Today, it was only ten o’clock in the morning, but felt, and looked, more like dawn.

Before she went inside she took a moment to study the yard. A thick layer of smog gave everything a somewhat surreal haze that was eerily disturbing and, eager to get inside she turned away with a shudder. Clutching her ticket tightly in cold fingers, she eyed the doorway to the tavern and mentally ran through the money she had left in her pocket. She had enough to purchase a meal and there was just enough time to eat it as long as she ate quickly. It wasn’t that she was in a rush
per se
, it was just that she was horribly aware the coaching inn was not far from the hovel. Even Clarence, as lazy as he was, would be able to walk to it if he had decided to look for her.

Since she had left the hovel she had kept her head down in her lodgings and had only ventured out when the smog was thick enough to protect her. As a consequence of her new life of subterfuge and hiding, she felt a veritable prisoner in her own, somewhat temporary, home and hated it. Wherever she ended up, it was going to be nice to be able to walk around in a place that wasn’t shrouded in constant gloom.

“’Ere, watch out,” a drayman cried as he dragged a box across the yard inches from her toes.

She jumped back just in time to avoid a painful injury and threw the man an apologetic look. “Sorry,” she murmured as he stomped past with a scowl on his face.

Once the coast was clear she tried once more to get to the doorway of the tavern without sustaining personal injury. Suddenly, a large cloaked figure dressed entirely in black loomed out of the haze and swept toward her with frightening speed. Her eyes widened as she caught sight of a ghostly hint of face hidden deep within the depths of the over-large hood, but she didn’t get to see any of the features before they were upon her, and slammed into her before she could move out of the way. Winded, she hit the ground with a heavy thud. Struggling for breath, all she could do was stare blankly at the sky for a moment. She was barely there for a moment before a loud rumbling noise snapped her out of her daze.

“Watch out!” a voice cried from somewhere in the region of her feet.

Before Poppy could summon the energy to move she was suddenly hauled high into the air. She had the vague sense that she was dangling inches from the ground for a split second before she was hauled against something solid and held secure while she was swung to safety.

“Are you all right?” Luke demanded. With his arms locked around Poppy’s waist he kept her still while he studied the figure in black. He watched it disappear swiftly into the gloom without a backward look and cursed at just how close they had come to hurting Poppy.

“My bags,” Poppy murmured. She struggled against his tight hold so she could search for her bags. Her heart raced with fear as she scoured the shadows for signs of her precious belongings. She needed them. Without her clothes and money she had no future. Panic began to build. Desperate to get her bags before a coach ran over them, or someone else appeared out of the fog to help themselves, she lunged toward them and snatched them up.

“Are you trying to get yourself killed?” Luke snarled. He hauled her back into his arms just as another carriage tore into the yard mere inches from where she had stood. He eyed her bags which were now soaked and caked in mud, and promised himself right there and then that he was going to take a look inside, even if he had to sit on her to keep her out of the way while he did.

“Let me go,” Poppy gasped. She shoved roughly at his hands and took several steps away from the busy entrance of the tavern so she could assess the damage to her bags. “Oh dear,” she whispered when she felt them squelch beneath her fingers. Sensing movement, she glanced up and felt her stomach drop to her toes to find herself looking straight into Luke Brindley’s gorgeous eyes.

Immediately, her eyes were drawn to the darkly garbed figure dressed entirely in black who now stood several feet behind him, just inside the entrance of the yard. Now that the figure was motionless she was able to see that deep inside the voluminous folds of the cloak was a woman. A woman who, right now, was studying her with such evil intent that Poppy took a wary step back, and braced herself in preparation for another strike.

Who was she? What did she want? Poppy clutched her bag tighter and watched the woman’s eyes drop to study it before the dark gaze slid insolently up to meet Poppy’s.

“What?” Poppy demanded with a scowl. She had no idea who this person was but had no intention of letting them believe she was an easy target. To her utter horror the figure surged forward again. Poppy stepped sideways, out of the way in case she intended to try to knock her over again. “Go away,” she protested.

“What is it?” Luke demanded harshly. He turned around and immediately saw the person who had very nearly killed Poppy moments ago.

“Give me the bag,” the woman snarled in a hoarse voice that was nothing short of evil.

“No,” Poppy declared flatly.

“Give me -”

“So, we meet again,” Luke murmured to the woman as he planted himself firmly in between both ladies. He had no idea what was in that bag that was so appealing to the woman but she wasn’t going to get her hands on it before he did. Luke eyed the woman’s cloak. She didn’t look like an ordinary mugger, so Luke wanted to know how she knew what Poppy had in there to want it so badly. His gaze locked with the woman’s, silently challenging her to accost him the same way she had Poppy. He poured every ounce of lethal menace he possessed into that steady stare. He was fairly certain she wasn’t anything to do with his investigation with the Star Elite. She was dressed no better than Poppy, but did that make her an opportunistic thief, or someone else?

The yard was practically littered with people from all walks of life, most of whom carried bags just like Poppy’s. There was no reason for this woman to target Poppy specifically unless she was after something in particular.

“I should have you arrested,” Luke drawled meaningfully. “You very nearly killed her.” He nodded to Poppy.

The woman stared at him and opened her mouth as though she intended to speak, but seemed to have second thoughts and closed it again without uttering a word. Instead she turned around and stepped blindly in front of a departing carriage that barely missed her. By the time the carriage had left the yard, the woman in black had once again vanished into the smog.

“I hope this time she doesn’t come back,” Poppy breathed tearfully.

Luke studied the yard but couldn’t see her. It was like seeing a ghost; one minute she was there and the next, gone in an instant. If he hadn’t locked gazes with her and read that age-old cynicism in the hardness then he would never have given her a second glance. However, the way she had been staring at Poppy’s bag rang alarm bells within him that prodded him to get to the bottom of what was going on, preferably before Poppy got hurt.

“Do you know her?” He demanded when he noticed that Poppy was trying to sidle around him to escape.

Poppy stared up at the handsome face that had haunted her since their last meeting and struggled to catch her breath when pinned beneath that steady regard. She had hoped never to see him again, but then had disconcertingly found herself looking for him on the streets anyway. The last thing she expected was to find him here, in the coaching inn, on the day she was leaving London for good.

A tendril of suspicion began to filter through her worry and she considered him a little more cautiously.

“Pardon?” she murmured when she realised he was waiting for her to speak.

“The woman; do you know her?”

“Woman?” Poppy repeated dully. She closed her eyes on a prayer as the last few moments replayed in her mind in a horrifying rush. She had been pushed, she was certain of it. “She pushed me,” she whispered, aware of the two spots on her back that ached more than they should.

“Are you sure she pushed you and you didn’t slip?”

“I didn’t slip,” she glanced down at the ground. It was strewn with straw but there was nothing to trip or slip on apart from a few puddles, and she hadn’t been anywhere near them when she had fallen. “She pushed me.”

“Why? Do you know her? Have you seen her before?” He sighed when Poppy suddenly looked as though she was about to start to cry. She was already shaking her head, but seemed almost dazed. 

Poppy was indeed reeling now that the true nature of the incident had started to sink in. That woman, whoever she was, could have killed her. If it wasn’t for Luke’s quick thinking and speedy reaction she would have been run over by one of the carriages. It was on the tip of her tongue to thank him, but something made her hesitate. She wasn’t sure why, but the words just wouldn’t come. Instead, her suspicion over why he was there built in the back of her mind. She looked at him and was only vaguely aware of his questions because her mind was busy trying to work out how he could be even more handsome than he had been in the park the other day. The smog made him look dark and dangerous. It swirled around him hauntingly and gave him a dreamlike quality that created a flurry of awareness within her she had never felt before. She wasn’t entirely sure what to do about it.

He wondered if she had hit her head when she had fallen and grabbed her shoulders, partly to stop her from sidling away and partly to make her look up at him. When she did eventually look into his eyes the smog seemed to envelope them, cocooning them in solitude that protected them from prying eyes. It encased them in a haze of desire he just couldn’t ignore anymore. Before sense could apply logic, he leaned toward her.

Poppy gasped when his lips touched hers. She instinctively recoiled but couldn’t go far because of the hold he had on her. Neither his kiss nor hold were harsh or threatening, just firm, but firm enough to warn her that she was going nowhere until he allowed her to. Not that she had anywhere she wanted to go right now. Rooted to the spot, she clutched her bags tighter and sighed when his lips slid softly and gently over hers. The hand that came up to cup her face was warm and gentle and feathered across her face so lightly that it elicited a shiver that came from deep within her soul. Before she could stop herself, she leaned against his strength. 

How long they stood locked in a passionate embrace for he would never know. Time slowed until it came to a complete standstill as he savoured the feel of the woman in his arms. He was fairly certain they could have remained there forevermore and probably would have done if circumstances hadn’t worked against them. In spite of the fog, a stable hand caught sight of them and threw them a wolf whistle that was loud enough to wake the dead, and elicited the titters of several milling patrons. Reluctantly, Luke lifted his head to look down at the stunned disbelief in Poppy’s eyes. He was unsure whether he should be pleased or quietly horrified by what had just happened.

That whistle was like a bucket of iced water over Poppy. Thankfully it was too murky outside for anybody to see much, but that didn’t prevent a fierce blush from staining her cheeks as a wave of mortification chased away the desire that had stolen her senses. She gave a start of surprise when she realised just how risqué their embrace must look to others and immediately took a hesitant step back to put a bit more of a decorous distance between them.

“Mr – er –” She tried desperately to remember his name. His first name was Luke, but it would be terribly presumptuous of her to use it without his prompting. Aware that they were drawing attention, she tried to side-step around him only to find that he still blocked her path to the tavern doorway. If only she could get him to move a little she could get inside before her trembling knees refused to hold her up anymore. They shook with alarming ferocity; to the point that she was fairly certain that if she didn’t sit down she would fall down – again, and as far as she was concerned she had done enough of that already.