Chapter Fifteen #3
As they approached, they heard raised voices.
Gideon hoped this was a good sign, for it could mean the accomplices were sobering and realizing what a mess they had made of Berry’s abduction.
“Get him out of here!” they heard someone, presumably the prelate, shout at Hawthorne. “How could you bring him here, you fool? This was never part of our agreement.”
“Well, our agreement has now changed,” Hawthorne replied, sounding scared and petulant. “Where’s the risk? He’s bound, gagged, and blindfolded. He won’t know where we’ve taken him.”
“But he’s seen you,” the prelate countered, his voice cracking, as he was obviously infuriated. “He knows you were the one to abduct him. How are you going to stop him from implicating you? And now, you’ve implicated me in your mess.”
Gideon’s heart stopped.
Were they going to kill Lord Berwick?
One of the accomplices suggested it, but the other pointed out that Berry had seen them too. “And possibly the lad who rescued her can also identify us.”
This second accomplice, whose voice Gideon recognized as Pullingham’s, must have been sobering and finally understood the consequences of what they had done. “We’ll hang for sure if we harm him.”
The prelate groaned. “Get him out of here. Find someplace else to hide him until you figure out what to do. I want no part of this.”
“You officious bastard,” Hawthorne snarled, and must have lunged for the prelate, because both of his accomplices shouted, “No!” and then something thudded to the floor.
There was more panicked chatter between Hawthorne and his friends.
“That’s it, I’m done,” Pullingham said, his bombastic voice once more easily recognized. He had used that imperious tone quite often when demeaning the stewards in Gideon’s establishments.
Gideon and Barrow ducked into an alcove just as both accomplices abandoned Hawthorne and stormed past them. However, with the carriage chased off, Gideon knew the pair might be too scared to walk the streets of Southwark at this hour and decide to return.
They had to act fast.
As soon as the two accomplices left the church by the same side door they had entered, he and Barrow burst into the room.
Gideon went straight for Hawthorne, who had just drawn his pistol.
Gideon feared he intended to shoot Lord Berwick and then reload and shoot the unconscious prelate.
He tackled Hawthorne and knocked the pistol out of his hand, possibly breaking that fiend’s hand when he resisted, for Hawthorne shrieked in pain.
“This is for Berry,” Gideon muttered, and landed a blow to Hawthorne’s twisted, enraged face.
He was about to hit him again, but Barrow placed a beefy hand atop his fist to stop him. “No, Mr. Knight. He is unconscious. You’ll kill him if you hit him again.”
“Who will care?”
“I will,” the experienced Bow Street Runner said with a surprising amount of compassion. “And so will Lady Berry. Do not beat this man to death.”
Gideon realized he was right.
Berry had fallen in love with the chivalrous orphan side of him, not the ruthless gaming hell owner who lived by a brutal code of the streets.
In truth, he had never killed anyone. There was never a need.
Everyone knew he was not afraid to defend himself, and few were strong enough or smart enough to defeat him, although some had tried and suffered the consequences.
But those consequences were a loss of business advantages or the usual injuries one might incur after a fight.
He had never turned those fights into death matches.
He tempered his rage, although it was a close thing, and he silently vowed to kill Hawthorne if the churl roused and began tossing insults about Berry.
He would not care if Hawthorne insulted him. But if he demeaned Berry? Those would be his last words spoken.
“Mr. Knight, please,” Barrow said with calm authority.
Gideon lowered his arm, knowing this was the gentlemanly thing to do.
But Hawthorne had hurt Berry. The cur was possibly mad enough to have killed Lord Berwick now that everyone had abandoned him and he could not possibly pull off a ransom scheme on his own. Should he not face some consequences beyond a punch to the face and a possible broken hand?
The prelate, who lay sprawled beside a bound-and-gagged Lord Berwick, began to moan. Hawthorne must have used the heavy candlestick lying beside the man’s head as a weapon to knock him out.
Gideon set it back on the table where it belonged, wanting to keep it out of the prelate’s reach, lest this man of the cloth think to use it against any of them.
He would not stop the man if he intended to strike Hawthorne, however.
While he watched over Hawthorne and the prelate, Barrow removed the blindfold from Lord Berwick’s eyes and the gag from his mouth, and then unbound him. “Can you walk, Lord Berwick?” he asked gently.
“With assistance,” Lord Berwick replied, his voice raspy. He was noticeably in pain.
Gideon shook his head. “No, I’ll carry you.” Berry had seen the poor man being kicked and beaten by Hawthorne and his friends. Gideon could not be sure how severely they had hurt him. “My carriage is just down the street.”
“Praise heaven.” Tears began to flow down the old man’s face. “How is Berry? Did that beast Hawthorne hurt her?”
Gideon winced. “I’ll take you to her. Dr. Farthingale is tending her. He believes she will make a full recovery. But that devil Hawthorne struck her hard across the head.”
“Oh, my poor Berry!” Lord Berwick said with a sob. “I must see her.”
“Yes, I’ll take you to her right now. The doctor should still be with her, and now he will tend to you.”
“Knight, I may need you to take over trustee responsibilities for Berry for a while.”
Gideon nodded. “No need to think about it tonight. Let’s see how you are feeling in the morning. You’ve just experienced one of the worst nights of your life and must rest, my lord. But I am at your service, and will do whatever you need me to do to protect Berry.”
“Seems you’ve done plenty already.”
Gideon wished he had done more.
The urge to kill Hawthorne arose within him again, but he tamped it down. He would be of no use to Berry while facing a murder charge. And killing an unconscious man would be viewed as cold-blooded murder.
“Get Lord Berwick out of here, Mr. Knight,” his Bow Street companion said, using the rope that had bound Lord Berwick to now bind Hawthorne.
“I’ll wait for Mick and George right here.
They’ll be along soon, possibly with a few of the magistrate’s men.
They’re going to take his lordship’s abduction and the attack on Lady Berry very seriously. ”
Gideon supposed this was for the best. The ever-alert Barrow meant to get him out of here before Hawthorne revived.
“See you in a few hours,” Gideon muttered. “Thank you for getting right on the task. You saved Lord Berwick’s life, Mr. Barrow.”
Brent helped Gideon settle Lord Berwick in his carriage and they soon returned to the Musket Club. As instructed, Brent led the team to the rear entrance, although it might have been safe enough by now to pull up in front of the club.
All was quiet as dawn broke, and most of the patrons had returned home. The sky had gone from darkest black to lighter shades of gray. The sun would be up shortly.
Pudge, Joss, and Henry were back and immediately assisted Gideon in getting Lord Berwick upstairs.
Bonham came running out of his quarters when he heard the commotion.
“Put Lord Berwick in my bed for now. Thank goodness you are alive, my lord. We were so worried about you. Dr. Farthingale’s still here.
Probably drifted off to sleep for a few minutes.
He’s been keeping a watchful eye on Lady Berry. ”
“Berry,” Lord Berwick said, and tears welled in his eyes once more. “How is she? I must see her first.”
Gideon nodded. “But only for a minute, my lord. She needs her rest, and you need to be examined by the doctor. We do not know the extent of your injuries, so you are best off—”
“Yes, yes,” Lord Berwick said, ignoring all cautions the moment Gideon opened the door to his quarters and he saw Berry sitting up in bed and being spoon-fed marrow soup by Horace. “Berry!”
“Lord Berwick!”
Gideon had never seen a happier reunion or more tears shed and hugs exchanged.
Dr. Farthingale came to his side. “Well done, Mr. Knight. I was quite worried this incident would not end happily.”
“So was I,” Gideon admitted, his gaze on Berry, who now looked at him as though he were her knight in shining armor. She graced him with a smile that would linger in his heart forever.
He was also pleased to see her having been changed out of her damaged gown and put in one of his nightshirts that was far too big for her slight frame.
She looked quite delicious in it.
The pins had been taken out of her hair, and her silken tresses were in a gloriously loose tumble down her back. Gideon gently brushed a few curls off her lovely face.
Horace cast him a triumphant smile. “You did it, Mr. Knight.”
The others were hovering by the door, Joss, Pudge, Henry, and Bonham, all eager to hear the tale. Gideon was eager to hear theirs, as well.
But first, Dr. Farthingale insisted on having Lord Berwick settled in Bonham’s chamber so he could examine the man.
Horace handed the soup bowl to Gideon. “Here, you help Lady Berry. I’ll assist the doctor.
Lord Berwick will require a fresh nightshirt, too.
And he’ll need to wash the filth off him.
I’ll give him the musk soap you foolishly refused to use.
Cook made a fresh pot of marrow soup. I’ll have some sent up for his lordship if Dr. Farthingale approves. ”
Gideon chuckled. “Thank you, Horace. I see you gave Lady Berry the best care.”
“Of course I did,” the valet said with a sniff. “And when I’m finished settling Lord Berwick, I’ll return to take care of you. You not only look like a mountain troll, you smell like one, too.”
Joss and Pudge burst out laughing.
Berry did, too. It did Gideon’s heart good to see her in fine humor.
“How are you feeling?” he asked Berry, an eyebrow quirked in hopeful question.
“In the pink.” She held out her arms to him.
They were the arms of heaven to him.
“I don’t care if you smell like a mountain troll,” she said with a wealth of feeling. “You saved Lord Berwick’s life.”
“And Henry saved your life,” Gideon said, relieved to see her looking better.
He called the lad over and gave his hair a ruffle. The lad was beaming as brightly as a lighthouse torch. “She already gave me my hug, Mr. Knight. But I expect she has a very special one saved for you.”
Gideon sat on the edge of the mattress beside Berry, his heart beyond full, and took the tray holding the soup bowl off her lap.
“I’ll take that for ye, Mr. Knight,” Henry said.
“Thank you, lad.” Gideon handed it over to the boy, whose chest was still puffed up with pride. He then leaned forward to embrace Berry, whose open arms still beckoned him.
“I love you,” she whispered.
“Same,” he said, careful to hold her with exquisite care.
He felt such a fierce longing for her, but hardly dared touch her while she was hurt and in such a delicate condition. Despite her claiming to be in the pink, he knew she was not.
However, she was on the mend, and this relieved him greatly.
“Same,” he repeated, hoping she understood how much he loved her.
She had become so important to him. He wanted so desperately to marry her.
How was it possible for her to have such an impact on him in so short a time? He could not ever see himself without her. They hardly knew each other, and yet it felt as though she had always existed for him and always been in his life.
In a way, she had.
The Thane family had been so closely bound to the orphanage.
He must have seen Berry, a sweet child by her mother’s side, once or twice while he still resided there.
Of course, he had been working through the anger of being abandoned, and too caught up in his own concerns to pay attention to the little angel who sometimes accompanied Lady Thane on her weekly visits.
He might not have been aware of her at the time, but his heart had known.
Yes, his heart had known and remembered. This had to be why he felt that immediate recognition upon their meeting again as adults.
He ached to marry Berry.
However, he dared not propose to her before speaking to Lord Berwick. Was he mad to hope this man she loved and trusted like a father might approve?
Not that Gideon required it. But this wise old man who had almost died tonight while attempting to protect Berry was owed this measure of respect.
“Are you ever going to tell us what happened?” Bonham asked, reminding Gideon that he and Berry were not alone.
Under normal circumstances, all his friends would have disappeared and shut the door behind them. But there was nothing normal about this night, and everyone was eager to learn what had happened.
He eased away from Berry with the greatest reluctance, but first plumped her pillows to make certain she was comfortable.
She cast him an impatient smile. “I am achy but very happy. You needn’t fuss over me. Won’t you tell us how you saved Lord Berwick? And what did you do with Hawthorne?”
“Or to him,” Bonham added. “Is he still alive?”