The Secrets of a Lady

Chapter Twenty-Three

The opportunity for Audrey to slip away and retrieve the box was almost impossible to find. Noah was right that Ellison had closed ranks and was busily building up his defenses against another attempt on his business. The next few days she hardly saw the man, let alone had the opportunity to search his home.

However, on this night, the last in the Jubilee Celebration, she had finally acquired a promise from Ellison that they would spend time together. It was the anniversary of Hanoverian Rule and that, coupled with the Reenactment of the Battle of the Nile in St. James Park, meant London was buzzing with anticipation and excitement.

Audrey put down her brush and turned from her dressing table to look at Hannah. Her “maid” lay on the bed, twirling a ribbon round and round in her hand.

“Will you help me with the back of this gown?”

Audrey stood to motion to the elaborate dress she wore. The bodice was high, fastened in front with a deep purple ribbon. The dress itself was a paler violet with delicate brocading along the skirt. The buttons in the back were tiny and Audrey never could have reached them by herself.

Hannah stood and walked over to her slowly. Without a word, she turned her friend and slid each button into the buttonhole. Audrey felt like she’d been waiting for ages when Hannah finally said she was finished.

“Tell me what it is,” Audrey said with a sigh.

Hannah went back to her seat on the bed, but not before throwing her friend a withering stare. “What what is?”

“Why you’re acting so strangely. I know you aren’t really a maid, but you’ve always helped me get ready. Today you’ve avoided me and when you do help you take forever!” Audrey shook her head. “Have I done something to offend you?”

“No.” Hannah arched one well-defined eyebrow. “Unless you count excluding me from whatever plan is in your head.”

Audrey drew back. She hadn’t known she was so obvious to her friend.

“I don’t expect you to help me. Noah doesn’t approve of my going on my own, and I’m sure Lord Golding would have an apoplexy if he knew. I haven’t said anything because I don’t want you to be put in an awkward position.”

Hannah laughed. “Like the one I’d be in if you suddenly disappeared?”

Audrey put a finger to her lips. “You won’t be blamed for that. Everyone knows how willful I can be.”

Her friend nodded with a grin before saying, “Well, out with it, my girl. What are we doing tonight?”

Audrey bit her lip, still uncertain if she wanted to bring Hannah into her plan. Finally she said, “Ellison and I are having a party in two days to officially announce our engagement, correct?”

“Yes.”

“I thought I’d go to his home this afternoon to oversee some arrangements. Once I have all his staff busily following my orders, I’ll sneak into that war room of his and retrieve the box.” Excitement coursed through her as she continued. “I’ll excuse myself to go home and change for tonight’s events, then turn the evidence over to my brother. Case solved.”

She grinned, but Hannah only looked at her with concern. “And what if the supposed list isn’t in the box? What if it doesn’t exist at all?”

Audrey clenched her teeth. That was something she’d often thought of herself. “Then we’ll have to settle for Ellison alone. But I must try this one last thing before we surrender. So, will you help me?”

Hannah smiled at her. “Of course. Noah and Lord Golding may not approve, but you’re my friend. Where you go, I follow. Besides, it would be suspicious if a young lady came to a gentleman’s house without her escort. Shall I arrange for a note to be taken next door?”

Audrey smiled and fished a folded sheet of paper from her pocket. “I’ve already written it.”

***

“I must say, I was surprised to receive your message, Audrey,” Ellison said as he met her in the foyer to place a kiss on her gloved hand.

“Why, Douglas?” She nodded to Hannah as her friend entered and took her thin shawl from her shoulders.

“Our party is in two days, and with the excitement tonight I didn’t think you’d want to attend to such mundane duties. Especially when my staff is capable of putting together a lovely event.”

“Oh, Douglas.” She managed a laugh as she touched his arm. “How little you understand of women. This will be my first event as your future wife. I want it to go well in order to set a high standard for the future. My duties here won’t take me long.” Her companion shrugged his thin shoulders. “Very well. I’ve arranged my staff in the sitting room. You may address them there. I shall retire to my study while you do your work.”

“Very well, my dear,” she said, waving him away.

As she and Hannah followed a chambermaid to the sitting room, they exchanged glances. Audrey heard her friend’s silent plea to be careful as if she had voiced it. With a nod, she introduced herself to the servants and began giving them orders.

It didn’t take long for all the people in the room to hurry off to check on orders, begin decorating, or whatever other odd job Audrey had given them. It had taken her and Hannah an hour to list all the ridiculous things they could send people off to do. Finally, only a burly footman was left in the room.

“Now, you…” Audrey smiled at him even though the fact that he’d hardly blinked the entire time she’d been in the room made her nervous. “You seem like a strong lad. Why don’t you go help one of the chambermaids with the decorating?”

“No ma’am,” the young man said with a shake of his head. Audrey was surprised he could turn his head at all, given how broad his neck was.

She pursed her lips in annoyance. “Why not?”

“I was told by Mr. Ellison to assist you, my lady,” the boy explained. “I’m not to leave your side in case you need a helping hand.”

“My, how… thoughtful of Douglas,” she muttered with a roll of her eyes. “But you needn’t worry about that. I have Hannah here to assist me if I need anyone. You may run along.”

“I’m sorry, my lady.” The man gave a shrug of his beefy shoulders. “But I have my orders.”

Hannah smiled and sidled a bit closer to the young man. Though the footman hadn’t looked Audrey directly in the eyes, he allowed himself a good, long stare at Hannah’s curvaceous figure.

“Will you help me then?” Hannah asked with a sultry smile. “After all, that would still be following the intent of your master’s orders.”

The man’s eyes flickered as he glanced down at her friend. “I don’t know…”

Before he could argue any further, Hannah had him by the elbow and was leading him from the room. Audrey laughed as she heard Hannah say something about big strong arms. But her laughter was short-lived as she hurried from the room and up the stairs. She had no idea how much time she’d have, and raced to the “war” room where she’d seen the special box the day before.

The door was locked, but she’d suspected it would be. Pulling a lock pick from her hair, she began to work diligently on the door. It was one skill Noah had taught her well, telling her it never hurt to be able to get in… or out of a locked room.

Finally, with a little click, the door opened and she slipped inside. She pushed the door mostly shut behind her, but was careful not to close it all the way in case she couldn’t get out. The room was dark due to the long, black curtains being shut, but Audrey managed to reach the desk. She lit a candle and bent over, glancing at the papers in piles all around her. Though she was reasonably sure what she was looking for was in the locked box, she hated to leave any evidence behind due to sloppy work.

Most of the papers were invoices and notes. Things her brother could use later as evidence, but not anything she needed to gather now. Finally, she turned to the box, glittering up red in the glow of the candlelight.

With a suppressed squeal of delight, she wrapped her fingers around the metal and slipped it into her pocket. As she turned to leave, she heard the sound of flint and a second light came up from the corner of the room.

“You were quicker than I thought you’d be.”

Audrey drew in three shallow breaths as Douglas Ellison rose from a dark corner behind one of the suits of armor and lit a cigar. Before the flame in his hand went out, she saw him puff out a circle of smoke.

“Douglas!” Her voice was falsely light and friendly, as if the man hadn’t just caught her red handed. “I didn’t see you there.”

Her hands had begun to shake and the candle in her fist bobbed up and down, sending wild, flickering light around the room. Everything in her screamed at her to get out, but there didn’t seem to be a way with Douglas standing right beside the door, his cold eyes focused entirely on her.

“I realize that,” he said with a thin smile as he walked steadily closer. “If you’d seen me there, you wouldn’t have been so foolish as to steal my property.”

“I haven’t stolen an-anything,” she stammered. The room temperature seemed to drop as he got nearer. “I merely stumbled into the wrong room.”

“Stumbled into the wrong room. Picked through my papers.” He looked down at her. “Took my property. All by chance, eh?”

Audrey glanced at the door behind him. There was no way she’d reach it unless… Her gaze moved to the candle in her hand. Unless it was dark and Ellison couldn’t see her.

With a deep breath she blew the candle out, then dropped it on the ground as she gathered up her skirts and sprinted passed Douglas toward the direction of the door. She heard him swear behind her, but kept going, running as she blindly reached out her hand for the doorknob. Instead, her foot caught on something solid and she sprawled across the floor in a painful crash. Her face collided with the wallboard and stars exploded in front of her eyes.

Despite the pain in her cheek and the blood she felt trickling from the corner of her lip, she scrambled up and clawed for the doorknob. Her hands slid along the wallpapered wall, until she hit something solid. Something warm.

And a hand wrapped around her wrist like vice.

Light suddenly streamed into the room as the curtains flew open with a swish. When her eyes adjusted, she saw the burly footman stood before her, holding her arm. Behind her, Ellison stood by the curtain pull with folded arms and a frown.

“Tsk, tsk, Audrey.” He came toward her in slow, steady strides. “I’ve come to expect a bit more grace from you over the months.”

“Let go of me, you oaf,” she yelled, pulling against the other man.

“No, I’m afraid Quentin here won’t let you go.” Ellison finally reached them. His hand came out and he grasped her face, pitching her cheeks until her mouth made an o. “And neither will I. Now…” He reached into her pocket to withdraw the oriental box. “I’ll just take this.”

“Douglas, this is all a misunderstanding.” Her voice squeaked and she hated herself for showing such weakness. “I merely…”

Before she could finish, Ellison struck her across the face with the back of his hand, knocking the wind out of her. The blow would have made her stumble had Quentin not been holding her so tightly.

“Shut up. You think I don’t know who you are? What you are? You and your brother?” Ellison snarled. “At first, I admit I was taken in. You offered me everything I needed. Beauty. A name. Money. But a few nights ago I began to suspect something was amiss.”

She tested her jaw. It didn’t seem like it was broken, but it certainly hurt. “What are you talking about?”

“Just a short time after I showed you this room.” He motioned around him, then held up the metal box in his hands. “And this box, a spy broke into my home and tried to steal it. When I told you about the incident, I admit you covered your reaction well. But I saw it when I said my guards shot an intruder… it all began to add up.”

“I don’t like death,” Audrey explained, damning herself for not practicing more self-control at the party. Once again, her wild emotions had betrayed her. “You assume too much about me from that one fact.”

“Yes, but after the ball I saw you in Griffin Berenger’s arms, allowing him to console you.” Ellison leaned so close that she could feel his breath on her skin. “And the pieces all fit together perfectly.”

“Saw Griffin comfort me?” she asked, wrinkling her brow. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Through his study window,” Ellison said with a sneer. “I saw you put your arms around him like the whore you really are.”

The blood drained from her cheeks, but with all her strength she forced herself to continue the ruse. “You saw nothing. He and I are friends, nothing more. You’ve let your jealousy get the better of you and it’s muddled your senses, but…”

“Enough!” Ellison roared as he slammed his fist against the desk.

Audrey jumped at his rage, then squared her shoulders. There was obviously no use denying her role to Ellison any longer. He knew everything and her explanations only served to anger him further.

She narrowed her eyes. “What you do to me now is irrelevant. If you’ve done wrong, you’ll be caught. The Crown has too many good men after blackguards like you.”

“Yes, but I can conclude my business and take down a few of those ‘good men’ before I’m caught. And if the some of those agents… like your brother… are busy looking for you and your ‘maid’, it will afford the perfect opportunity to slip out of the country.” A thin smile spread Ellison’s lips. “Now, take her away, Quentin. Put her with the other one.”

The bigger man grunted and turned to haul her from the room.

“Oh, and Quentin?” Ellison said. “Make sure you remove the lock pick in her hair.”

***

The room was very dark and very small. Audrey stumbled in and reached the opposite wall in just a few short steps. The door slammed behind her and she pivoted to beat on it with her fist.

“Let me out of here!” Quentin laughed from the other side. The noise faded away as he walked down the hall. “Big oaf!” she called out, leaning her back against the door and folding her arms.

“This is quite a pickle, eh?” came a familiar voice from the corner of the room.

“Hannah!” Audrey felt her way around the perimeter of the closet until she reached her friend. When she felt her friend’s arm, she latched her hand on and squeezed.

“Ouch!” Hannah breathed, yanking her arm away but not before Audrey felt how limp and cold it was.

Audrey flinched before she hugged Hannah gently. “What happened?”

“Quentin turned out to be less of gentleman than he appeared.” Her friend laughed, though the sound was painful. “When I wouldn’t go with him quietly, he broke my arm.”

Audrey’s eyes filled with tears at the pain in her friend’s voice. “Hannah!”

“And what about you? You’re bleeding.”

“How on earth can you tell that?” She drew back as her eyes began to adjust to the dim room. Only the light from beneath the doorway gave them any illumination.

“When you hugged me,” Hannah explained, sinking down to a sitting position on the floor as if she were very tired. “I felt something wet and sticky on my cheek. Since I know you aren’t exactly a drooler, I guessed it was blood. Did Ellison do something to you?”

Audrey shrugged as she took a place beside her friend. “A bit of Ellison, but mostly I did it too myself trying to run in the dark. He caught me in the office just as I took the evidence. I was so excited about getting the paperwork, I completely forgot all the important things one must do when one is spying.”

Hannah drew in a sharp breath through her teeth as she shifted position. “Like checking the corners in a room?”

“Exactly.” Leaning down, Audrey found the hem of her dress.

“Well, you always were bad at that,” Hannah teased. As Audrey ripped a strip of fabric from her gown, Hannah barked, “What are you doing?”

“Making a sling for your arm,” Audrey said. “Then I’m going to figure a way out of here. It’s still an hour before Ellison and I are supposed to leave for the final fête of the Jubilee. It will be even longer before Noah and Griffin notice we’re missing unless I get out of here now and let them know the danger.”

Hannah sighed with resignation. “It’s too bad. I always liked that dress, too.”

“So did I,” Audrey said as she wrapped the fabric around her friend’s neck, then slowly slid her bad arm through the makeshift sling. “But I like you more. Is the pain very bad?”

“Pretty bad,” Hannah admitted. “He did some kind of strange twist when he broke it. I swore more than I did in all my years on the streets of London.”

“He must have enjoyed that.” Audrey gave a nervous laugh as she looked around them for a way out. But there was nothing she could use to free them.

Things were looking very grim indeed.