Penelope's Punishment (5 page)

He stroked her hair. “It will all become clear tomorrow. Now sleep.”

He laid out on the sofa where he had a clear view of Penelope. He watched as she struggled to keep her eyes open, still not trusting him. Eventually her eyelids became too heavy and she drifted off.

As he watched her sleep, Alex decided that destiny was such a strange and wonderful thing. After years of searching for a perfect woman to become his little one, that he should find her in a pickpocket! Her lack of social standing did not matter a wit to him. He cared more about her passion, the fighting spirit that shone through her eyes. She would require quite a bit of discipline training to curb her wild side. He didn’t mind her spirit but her willful disobedience was dangerous and could lead her to harm. He also needed to do something about that mouth of hers. Alex knew she used the harsh, guttural language as a weapon to keep him at bay but it needed to stop. He was just going to have to train her how to put her mouth to better use.

##

Penelope carefully closed the door, cringing when she heard the loud click break the silence. She held her breath, waiting. Sensing no movement, she continued down the hallway to the back stairs.

Making her way across the kitchen she paused to slip on her worn boots before opening the door to the outside. She sucked in a breath as the icy cold hit her now warm body. Making her way through the darkened yard, she paused before the gate that led to the alleyway, glancing back at the house. There was a soft warm glow from an upstairs window, his bedroom. She watched as a dark form crossed in front of the windows. Penelope knew it was Alex, checking on her in bed, but he wouldn’t find her there. She fingered the small jar of arnica ointment tucked safely into her coat pocket. It was the only thing she stole. She told herself it was to help the bruise, but deep down she knew she was lying. It was a memento of his touch, his kindness, of him.

The same dark form raced to the window and looked out searching the darkness. Penelope hugged the shadows and slipped through the gate, escaping back onto the quiet London streets.

Little Girl Lost

Smither entered the study to find Alex furiously pacing. It was barely dawn but the entire household had been up since Penelope had been discovered missing several hours earlier.

“Good god man, where have you been?” demanded an agitated Alex. Smither had never seen him look so disheveled. Despite refusing what he referred to as the fussy pretension of a valet, Lord Evers was always impeccably attired. At this very moment, in wrinkled shirtsleeves and unshaven with clear worry etching his face, he looked rumpled and miserable.

“Forgive me, my lord. I went in search of someone who could help,” offered Smither. “With your permission, they are waiting in the hall.”

“Yes, yes, bring them in,” said Alex impatiently.

With a slight bow, Smither moved to the doorway and motioned for someone to enter. In walked a bedraggled man with soot stained clothes. He stood shuffling from foot to foot, obviously uncomfortable with his lush surroundings. Alex moved to greet him.

The man bent entirely to the waist in an exaggerated bow. “Good morning your lord highnessness.”

Alex exchanged a look with Smither. “Lord Evers will do.”

Clearing his throat, Smither made the introductions. “My lord, this is Dorrit. He is a fixture as it were in the East End.”

“Good morning, Mr. Dorrit,” said Alex, extending his hand in greeting. “I appreciate you coming out at this early hour.”

“It’s just Dorrit, Lord Evers. I ain’t one to be taken on airs with no mister title. It’s right gentlemanly of you offerin’ to shake me hand and all, but these mugs are too dirty for the likes of you.”

Smither stepped in at that moment. “My lord, with your leave?”

Alex leaned back against his desk with his arms crossed. He was not sure how this man could help, but he trusted Smither implicitly. He would let the butler take the lead.

“Dorrit,” started Smither, attempting to wrestle the man’s gob-smacked attention away from the extravagant surroundings. “We are looking for a dipper lad who goes by the name Pip. We understand he also works as a back slang it on the odd housebreaking job.”

Smither did not need to be told by Alex to keep Penelope’s gender a guarded secret. Besides, she was known as a pickpocket lad by the name Pip, to ask about a female named Penelope would be fruitless.

Dorrit rubbed his hand across his face in annoyance. “Come on, Smitty. I ain’t no church-bell
and I ain’t know no Pip.”

Alex raised an eyebrow at the familiar supposedly hated nickname. Smither deliberately kept his face averted and refused to acknowledge the look he knew Alex was sending his way.

“Don’t
sell me a dog, Dorrit,” responded Smither, clearly not believing him. “I’m a gal-sneaker no mutton shunter. We know Pip’s a dipper and works for the odd cracksman. We don’t mean the lad any harm. His lordship is feeling charitable and wants to help him.”

“You’re not playing the gammon on me are ya, Smitty?” challenged Dorrit.

“On my honor, I am not.”

Dorrit let out a bark of laughter and slapped a displeased Smither on the back. “On your honor, that’s a knee-slapper!” Smither gave an increasingly annoyed Alex a side-look.

Dorrit took in the situation and had a sudden suspicious change of heart. “Could be I might know a duffer or jerryshop the lad favors,” said Dorrit with a meaningful look in Alex’s direction.

Alex rose from his leaning position and crossed behind his desk to retrieve several bank notes. “I may know bugger all what you two are saying, but I know that look,” said Alex, his mouth twisting wryly. He counted off several bank notes and placed them in Dorrit’s eager hand.

“Thank you kindly, milord.” Dorrit smiled as he stashed his new found riches in a greasy pocket. “This eases me conscience about your intentions towards the lad mightily.”

Smither snapped his fingers to get Dorrit’s attention once again. “You got your finny and Lord Evers here is no gulpy. He will expect results. I want you to check paddingkens and slap-bang-jobs as well.”

“You trust in ol’ Dorrit, Smitty. I’ll get the lad to you,” said Dorrit with a toothless smile.

Once again taking on an air of formality, Smither instructed Dorrit to await him in the kitchen. Once the study door closed, Alex turned on Smither.

“Bloody hell, Smitty. What the fuck was all that?”

“My apologies for bringing such a character before you, my lord.”

Desperately slicing the air with his hand. “I don’t give a damn about his character. Can he help find my Penelope?”

“Dorrit is an opportunistic wretch to be sure, my lord, but he knows anyone worth knowing in the East End. I’m confident he can locate her. He says he may know a few pawnshops and dealers in stolen goods who may know her whereabouts.”

“The duffers and jerryshops?”

“Yes, my lord. I told him we should also check on some tramp lodgings and well-known thief bars.”

“The padding-what-its and slap-bang-what-nots?”

“Right again, my lord.”

Alex faced him with crossed arms and a determined look. “What the bloody hell is a gal-sneaker, may I ask?”

Smither at least had the grace to blush. “Let us just say it is someone who appreciates the finer sex and leave it at that, my lord.”

“Smitty.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“When this is all over, you and I are going to have a long talk about what the hell it is you do when you leave my household on your days off,” said Alex with mock severity.

“Very good, my lord,” Smither responded with a half-smile. “With your permission, I think it would expedite the search if I changed my attire and went with Dorrit.”

Alex nodded his ascent as he turned away, leaning an arm against the mantle he stared into the fire. Smither approached him, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

“I will find her, Alex.”

Alex placed his hand over Smither’s and smiled up at his butler, his friend. “Bring her back to me.”

##

It had been a fortnight since he laid eyes on Penelope. There had been several sightings and a few leads but nothing solid. Alex tried to tell himself that Penelope had survived on the streets for god knows how many years, but it was small consolation. In his mind, she was already his and he protected what was his. He wanted her safe in his arms.

He was not angry at her for running away. He was disappointed in himself for being so caught up in her charms that he did not consider it a possibility. He was however angry at her for why she left. She ran out of pride, he was sure of it. She has been alone for so long she has forgotten what it felt like to be cared for, to trust someone. There was a strong connection between the two of them. Alex knows she felt it too, but was denying it. He intended to change that, but first he had to find her.

There was a soft knock on the study door before Smither entered.

“Lord Stockton and Lord Burkewood to see you, my lord.”

Lord Burkewood walked in close behind. Slapping Smither on the back, he laughed, “Why so formal, Smitty?”

“My lord?” asked Smither, the generations of butlering in his blood keeping his face perfectly impassive.

“Smitty,” coaxed Lord Burkewood, “I lost count the number of times we stole my father’s horses to sneak into the village for a little sport with the barmaids. Surely, in private company you can call me Richard?”

“Give it up, Richard,” said Alex. “That is a dog that won’t hunt.”

Smither crossed to the sideboard to collect the tray with brandy and cigars as the three friends settled in chairs by the fire.

Alex had been friends with Lord Rand Stockton and Lord Richard Burkewood since they were all in leading strings. Six months ago practically to the day, Richard had married his little one, Emmie, a sweet girl who had been under the guardianship of a degenerate gambler and opium addict step-father. It was Alex who helped collect all the outstanding debt markers on the man so the moment Emmie turned eighteen, Richard could pressure him into allowing them to marry. Richard had known from the moment he saw her that she was the perfect little for him. He stepped in to protect her when she needed it most.

Lord Rand Stockton was an even luckier bastard. Two months ago, his little one, Lily, practically stepped into his waiting arms when she’d hired on as a maid in his household. Rand was not as honest with himself about his deep feelings for Lily in the beginning and almost lost her. Alex remembered consoling Rand and offering his support and help.  Now his friends were by his side, having recently traveled to London expressly to offer whatever help he needed to get his Penelope back.

“So, how are your little ones?” Alex asked with a hint of sadness.

Rand and Richard exchanged a look of concern, neither wanting to flaunt their happiness in their good friend’s face.

“Come now, there is no need to tiptoe around me,” said Alex. “Smitty has assured me that disreputable fellow Dorrit, is closing in on her whereabouts.”

“As long as you keep to our deal,” offered Smither as he placed the tray before them.

“What deal?” inquired Rand as he reached for a cigar.

Alex gave Smither a dirty look. “It is of no consequence.”

Ignoring his employer’s glare, Smither helpfully explained, “Lord Evers has agreed to stay away from the East End, to stop hiring ham-fisted detectives who only make matters worse and most importantly to stop stealing my clothes and following me when I venture into the East End to aid in the search. He also…”

“I think they get the point, Smitty,” interrupted Alex, putting extra emphasis on the hated nickname.

“Very good, my lord,” responded Smither with a very unbutler-like smirk as he continued to pour the gentlemen’s brandy.

“How is the nursery coming along?” asked Richard in an attempt to change the subject. Confident in Penelope’s return, Alex had begun renovating the suite connected to his into a nursery. It was a break in tradition to not have the nursery on the top floor, but Richard could understand Alex’s need to keep her close once she was found.

“I heard it was connected to your own,” said Rand. “Capital idea, should have thought of that for Lily.”

Alex acknowledged the compliment with a nod. “It is actually finished. The new nanny is up there presently fussing about and getting everything in order. Penelope’s new wardrobe also arrived today.”

“Glad to hear you found a nanny. Was the list I provided useful?” asked Richard.

Alex looked to Smither for a response since he was the one who’d conducted the initial interviews.

“Very, my lord. Thank you.”

“Who did you hire, if I may ask?”

Smither hesitated to respond, sending a look back to Alex.

“We have agreed to only refer to her as ‘Nanny’,” said Alex, his mouth quirking to hide a smile. Rand and Richard both looked at him in confusion. “Smither,” Alex continued “decided to repay my kindness in hiring a second housemaid named Daisy, which I am still not convinced we needed beyond his own pursuits, by recommending I hire a woman with the unfortunate name of Olga Fitzbottom.” Smither unsuccessfully tried to hide a snort of laughter. Rand and Richard did not even try to hide their amusement.

“Well, old chap, you didn’t have to hire the woman,” ventured Richard.

“Yes, I did, damn his hide,” said Alex with another dark look in Smither’s direction. “She is a strict no-nonsense kind of woman with the upper body strength of a cricket player. I am going to need all the help I can get disciplining my wild Kitten when I get her back.”

Alex was determined to distract himself from troubling thoughts of Penelope. “Enough of this. Tell me of your little ones!”

Both men smiled, the warmth and love in their eyes evident.

“Well, Lily was reluctant to return to London for a visit, but a session over my knee with a sturdy hairbrush stopped the tantrum quickly. She adores the country and was unwilling to leave her new pony,” offered Rand.

“I believe learning she was going to meet another little one helped considerably,” interjected Richard. “My sweet Emmie insisted on bringing her entire stuffed animal and doll collection to London to share with Lily.”

“You must have needed a second carriage,” laughed Rand. “I know how badly you spoil her.”

Richard did not deny it. Emmie was his world. He had reluctantly left her side to join Alex and Rand. It meant he would miss her evening bottle, a cherished routine of theirs. He loved to cuddle and hold her close while watching her small, pink mouth pucker around the bottle tip. When she was a good girl, he would tickle and stroke her cunny until he had her glowing with pleasure.

“It is awfully good of you to invite Lily and me into your home for this visit,” said Rand. With a look to Alex, he added, “I’m confident this matter will be resolved quickly so we saw no need to open both townhouses.”

“I confess, I have another motive,” said Richard. “I need to begin Emmie’s anal training. She is so small I have not really gone beyond my thumb. I want to start her on rectal plugs this week. I know Lily is much further along with her training and I am hoping it will help Emmie come to terms with my new demands on her.”