Silk and Shadows (57 page)

When Jimmons appeared, Weldon handed him a crude map. "I want Haddonfield House watched. Have two of the other brothel guards do it. They'll only need to watch during daylight, so they can still do their usual jobs." When his subordinate nodded, Weldon continued, "A girl who used to be in Mrs. Kent's house is there now, probably as a lady's maid. She's about eighteen but looks younger. Small and blond, very pretty. When they see her entering or leaving, they should grab her without attracting attention." As an afterthought, he added, "Tell them not to hurt the girl. She's valuable."

"Yes, sir. What we do with 'er once we've snatched 'er?"

"Take her to back to Mrs. Kent's," Weldon ordered. There he himself would punish her for running away, and for consorting with the enemy.

At first Eliza Weldon was hurt when her father said she must stay at her uncle's for a few days, but she found herself surprisingly happy to be back among her cousins. While Papa was wonderful, she didn't see much of him, and she had missed the company of other young people.

The center of the girls' activities had always been the bedroom of Jane, at sixteen the oldest daughter of the family. Eliza had hardly entered Lord Batsford's house when she was swirled upstairs by Anne, who was twelve and closest in age to Eliza. The middle daughter, fourteen-year-old Lucy, completed the party, which was organized around marzipan and gossip. Such a self-indulgent orgy was possible only when the governess was taking her half day off, and die Weldon girls were taking full advantage of her absence.

In the spring Jane would be presented to society, so most of the afternoon was spent poring over fashion books and arguing about what styles would look best on her tall brunet frame. Eliza entered into the discussion wholeheartedly, for she had missed such feminine chatter.

When the last fashion book was closed, Jane said casually, "By the way, I saw your almost stepmother today when Mama took me to Bond Street. When Lady Sara saw Mama and me, she looked as if she thought we would give her the cut direct for jilting Uncle Charles. But of course Mama would never do that to Lady Sara." Jane was about to add that her mother had said Lady Sara was better off not marrying Charles Weldon, but remembered just in time that such a thing should not be repeated in front of Eliza.

Eliza lifted her head eagerly. "How is Lady Sara?"

Jane frowned. "She looked rather tired. Perhaps she had done too much shopping. But she was very civil."

Jane's expression shifted to longing. "I wish I knew how Lady Sara manages that look of quiet elegance."

Ignoring the latter comment, Eliza asked, "Did she come up just for the day, or is she staying in town for awhile?"

"She mentioned that she was staying at Haddonfield House," Jane replied. "That probably means she is here for two or three days, and doesn't want to bother opening her own house."

"I would like so much to see her," Eliza said wistfully.

Lucy gave her a stern look. "You can't. Uncle Charles had Mama tell every servant in the house that you can't have any contact with Lady Sara. Even if she called here, you wouldn't be allowed to see her.'' Lucy was something of a prig.

"I think that sounds positively Gothic," Anne said.

"It is because Uncle Charles's heart is broken," Jane said wisely. "Broken hearts make one do strange things. I thought I would go mad when Mama discharged Signore Carlo."

The sisters began lamenting the loss of Signore Carlo, a handsome music master, who had been banished after being caught kissing a maid. Eliza was silent. She must not waste this chance to see Lady Sara. Of course, a young lady shouldn't go out alone, but Haddonfield House was only two blocks away, and what could possibly happen in Mayfair in broad daylight?

She would slip out in the morning, Eliza decided, after breakfast and before lessons started. She'd wear her plainest dress and cloak so people would think she was just a servant. It would only take a few minutes to reach Haddonfield House. While Eliza would prefer a long visit with Lady Sara, the most important things could be said quickly. Eliza would be home before anyone missed her.

* * *

Jenny Miller found it interesting to be back in Haddonfield House. She had spent a fortnight here before Lady Sara's marriage, and everything and everyone in the place had scared her half to death, especially the butler. Now that she'd lived at Sulgrave and the prince's London house, she was a lot harder to scare. Which was good, because the other servants kept teasing her to find out why Lady Sara was back with her father rather than with her husband. But Jenny never said a word to the nosy biddies.

She wished they were back in the country, and not just because Benjamin was there. Poor Lady Sara missed her husband so much that she looked as if she'd swallowed hot coals. Of course, she wouldn't talk about what had happened, so Jenny was dying of curiosity. How had two people who were half-crazy about each other come to such a pass when they should still be on their honeymoon? It was a depressing question for a young lady who was herself considering an offer of marriage.

Having served Lady Sara a breakfast of tea and toast that wouldn't keep a sparrow alive, Jenny had a spot of tea herself. She sipped from the cup while watching out the window of Lady Sara's sitting room, which overlooked the street in front of the mansion. Partly that was because Jenny never tired of watching the fancy carriages and fancy people of Mayfair. She also couldn't help hoping that she'd see Prince Peregrine drive up, or Benjamin. Better yet, both of them.

She had just finished her tea and was about to move away, when her eye was caught by an odd little scene in the street below. A girl had just started up the steps of Haddonfield House, when a rough-looking man came by and asked her something. The girl turned to answer. Then the girl was sagging in the man's arms, though Jenny didn't see what had happened. An old hackney pulled up beside them, and the first man got in with the girl.

Jenny frowned. If this was a different part of town,she would have been right worried about the girl, and even in Mayfair, she couldn't help wondering if something was wrong. But the girl had spoken to the man, so maybe she knew him.

Briefly Jenny wondered if she should tell Lady Sara what she had seen, but decided against it. It was too late to do anything, because the hack was already out of sight, and it looked just like a thousand other hacks. No point in upsetting her mistress unnecessarily, especially when nothing could be done.

Still, Jenny couldn't put the scene out of her mind. There had been something familiar about the man, though she couldn't place what it was. And it made her neck prickle when she realized that the girl had been about the same size and coloring as Jenny herself. The streets weren't safe anywhere.

The girl was mute with terror, her blue eyes huge in her white face. After locking the chit in a bedroom, Mrs. Kent came downstairs and scowled at the two men who had delivered her. "That ain't the girl the master wanted, you loobies. He's going to be furious. What if she's some rich man's pampered daughter?"

The two men exchanged an uneasy glance. "She fit the description," one of the men said. "I think she's just a maid. Ain't dressed like a swell, and she was walking alone."

Mrs. Kent considered. It was true that the clothing was respectable, but not extravagant, so the girl was probably a servant. Weldon would still be mad that it wasn't Jenny, but maybe it would mollify him to know the girl could be used in the house. She was just the right sort, young and pretty and scared. She would be worth at least fifty pounds this very night.

They didn't usually abduct girls—no need to—but in this case, it would be best to keep the chit. If they let her loose, she'd raise holy hell. Even though the girl would never be able to find her way back to the house, it was bad business to get the police looking for kidnappers.

Mrs. Kent sat down and wrote her employer a note, explaining that they had the wrong girl and suggesting that they keep her.

Within two hours, Weldon sent a reply saying to put the new girl to work that very night, and not to send the guards back to Haddonfield House until the next day. Mrs. Kent smiled with satisfaction, glad that a mistake had turned out so well. The new girl was exactly the type one of her best customers, a rich merchant, always asked for. She'd send the merchant a discreet note, and he'd be around this very night.

Peregrine was received politely at Haddonfield House. He hoped that was a good sign, but probably it meant nothing; Sara would never give orders for servants to be rude.

When he asked to see Lady Sara, the butler inclined his head and said, "I will see if her ladyship is in."

It was all horribly formal for visiting one's wife. One's estranged wife. Rather than taking a seat in the receiving room, Peregrine stayed on his feet, trying not to look as nervous as he felt. He wished he could speak to Sara somewhere other than under her father's roof; perhaps she would consent to go for a drive, or even go back to their house where they could talk more freely. Probably she would be reluctant to do that, for fear that he would try to seduce her.

She was right; he would try. Even though he knew their differences must ultimately be resolved with the mind rather than the body, he craved her physical closeness as an opium eater craved his drug.

When the door opened, he turned swiftly, his body braced for confrontation, but it was the Duke of Haddonfield who entered. The men regarded each other in silence. They had always been civil for Sara's sake, but there was no love lost between them.

The duke spoke first. "Sara is not in."

"Is she really out, or is that a polite excuse?"

The duke raised a brow at such bluntness. "Really out. Visiting friends, I believe. I imagine she will be back sometime this afternoon, but I don't know just when. I've hardly seen her since she arrived."

"I see." Peregrine considered waiting, but he would go mad with nothing to do for hours. Besides, Slade wanted them both to go to a magistrate to present the evidence on Weldon; with luck, a warrant would be issued for his arrest this very day, and the long nightmare would be over. "Please tell Sara I want to see her. She can send a message to me at the town house. If I don't hear from her today, I will call again."

Haddonfield gave a faint, sardonic smile. "Is that a threat or a promise?"

"A request." Then, though he knew he should not, Peregrine asked, "Has Sara said anything to you about us?"

The duke shook his head. "No, though I gather you are having problems. Would you care to enlighten me?"