Chapter 16
The next morning, Michael and Colin arrived at the Frampton townhouse just after breakfast to discuss their next steps and what information Michael had gained from his conversation with his father’s magistrate friend.
Mr. Hardy showed them into the drawing room where Emmeline awaited them. “What have you discovered?” she asked, not bothering with pleasantries.
Michael lowered himself into a chair near Emmeline’s.
He sighed as he rubbed the place between his eyes.
He had not had a moment of sleep since the night before, having spent all night speaking with magistrates and their runners.
He removed a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to her.
“The coachman delivered this to my London townhouse this morning.”
Emmeline took it from him and unfolded it. “What is it?” she asked, as she scanned the page.
“It is a list of locations that Martha and Rebecca were known to frequent together,” he explained, gratefully taking the cup of tea that Mr. Hardy offered him. “Thank you, Mr. Hardy,” he murmured as he drank in the fragrant dark liquid.
Moments later, a plate of scones with strawberries and clotted cream appeared in front of him.
His stomach rumbled at the sight of them, and he practically inhaled one before he spoke again.
“I thought it would be a good idea to visit each of them and see if anyone has seen anything that might be of interest to our investigation.”
Emmeline nodded in approval. “Good. If we can find anyone who knows who Martha was involved with, it might lead us to who might want to take Rebecca.”
Michael took another drag of tea, then set his cup down. “To that end, I spoke with my father’s friend, as well as the Bow Street magistrate. He told me that around six months ago, there was a new criminal element taking over London’s underbelly.
At the time, we were discussing the art thefts, but I thought perhaps if we could find this man, he might know who would have been capable of taking Rebecca. After speaking with the coachman last night, there was something that he said that I could not get out of my head.
He said that Martha had gotten involved with someone of ill repute who had recently arrived in their community. With this in mind, I went back to my father’s friend and Bow Street to look at the crimes that had been committed within the last six months.”
“That could not have been easy,” Emmeline acknowledged his efforts.
“It was not, but I believe that it was worth it. I think that I have found a pattern, and the Bow Street magistrate agrees with me. They are going to follow this pattern and see if they can find the individual or organization responsible for the recent rash of crimes. If they find the criminals responsible, they may be able to find the identity of their benefactor. Perhaps they will know who took Rebecca.”
“Or perhaps they are the ones who took her,” Colin finished for him.
Michael nodded in agreement. “Colin and I will follow this list of locations and report anything that we find to the magistrate. We will send word if we make any progress.”
Emmeline stood up, her eyes filled with fiery determination. “I am going with you.”
Michael shook his head. “It is too dangerous. We have no notion as to where this list will lead us or if it is a trap. I will not be responsible for your being taken or worse.”
“That is not your place to decide,” Emmeline reminded him. “I can take care of myself.”
“No, you cannot,” Michael argued adamantly. “You are no match for a man’s strength.”
“You are constantly underestimating me, my strength, my courage, my intellect, my intentions!” Emmeline was trembling with anger as she shot firebolts from her eyes.
“I would never underestimate your courage or intellect, but it is a truth well known that a man with ill intentions can overpower a woman of your diminutive stature. I cannot approve your attendance and ensure your safety.”
“I do not need your approval! You are not my family, and I outrank you!” Emmeline’s words stabbed through Michael’s heart like icy daggers, burning through to his soul.
Before he knew what he was doing, Michael closed the gap between them, grabbing her arm. “If a man who meant you harm laid hands on you, you would not be able to free yourself.”
He proved his point as Emmeline attempted to jerk her arm away from his grasp and did nothing but wrinkle her sleeve.
“Release me, you brute!” Emmeline shouted.
Mr. Hardy stepped forward to intervene, but was stopped short by Colin stepping between him and the arguing couple.
“They need to work this out themselves,” he informed the butler, not allowing for argument in his tone. “She needs to understand.”
Further inflamed by hearing this, Emmeline lashed out with her free hand and slapped Michael hard across the face. “You smug bastard!” she seethed, tears streaming down her cheeks as she pulled back to strike again. “I will not allow any man to control me ever again!”
Michael caught her hand mid strike, holding it fast. “Did it not ever occur to you that I am trying to protect you because I care about you!” The passionate force of his own words surprised even him. “I do not wish to control you. I have never wished to control you, only to keep you safe.”
An awkward silence fell upon the group as they stood there staring into each other’s eyes. The murderous fire that had been blazing in Emmeline’s eyes faded to a tiny ember. “You care for me?”
“I would have thought that it was obvious,” Michael murmured, dropping her hands and taking a step back.
His heart felt as if it had been used for a punching bag.
“If you care nothing for my own concern, at least have compassion for your mother and what it would do to her should she lose another daughter.”
“The loss would kill her,” Emmeline admitted, stumbling back a step from the sudden release.
“Would you be responsible for such a demise?”
Emmeline shook her head. “I would not.”
“Then please do as I ask and remain here. I swear to you that I will do all in my power to find her and that I will report everything that we find back to you. I will not ignore a single detail. Of this, you have my word.”
“I will stay,” Emmeline whispered, the look in her eyes one of defeat.
As Michael turned to leave, she reached out and stopped him with a hand to his arm.
Turning back to face her, he found her hand slipping into his.
“Please take care of yourself. Be safe. Do not place your lives in danger. There are people who would be broken should anything happen to you.”
“I promise to proceed with caution. I will not take any unnecessary risks.” He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.
Nodding, Emmeline returned the squeeze then withdrew her hand. “Wait one moment,” she requested, as she left the drawing room. Michael and Colin exchanged a questioning look as they awaited her return. Upon reentering the drawing room, Emmeline crossed over to stand in front of Michael.
Taking his hand in hers once more, she turned it so that the palm was facing up. He felt a small tremble in her hands, and he searched her face questioningly. Taking a deep breath, she laid a small wooden box in his hand.
Opening it, Michael found a traveler’s compass.
“It was my father’s,” she explained, tears in her eyes. “Rebecca and I gave it to him so that he would always be able to find his way home. He used to say that it was his lucky talisman that protected him with his daughters’ love.”
“Emmeline, I cannot take this,” Michael argued. “It is far too precious.” The compass was not expensive in its intrinsic value, but he recognized its invaluable sentimental worth.
“Just as it brought Father home to us so many times, may it also bring you, Colin, and Rebecca back home.” Tears slipping down her cheeks, she withdrew a handkerchief from her sleeve.
Her hands were trembling with so much emotion that she dropped the cloth on the floor at Michael’s feet.
They both bent down at the same time, their hands touching as they grasped the clean white fabric.
To his surprise, Michael saw that it was his handkerchief that she had been carrying. He looked up, their eyes meeting and holding. Time stood still as emotions washed over them. Michael’s body responded to her, desire awakening and flooding his being.
In that moment, he wanted more than anything to draw her into his arms and kiss her. His heart raced, thundering in his ears, drowning out everything else around them until Colin’s voice called out from the hallway beyond.
“Michael, we need to go. We will need every moment of daylight to get through this list.” His voice held irritation, his desire to find Rebecca as quickly as possible causing him to speak with impatience.
“Coming,” Michael called back as he stood, handing her back the handkerchief. Inclining his head in a respectful, heartfelt farewell, he turned and left the drawing room.
As Colin and Michael descended the stairs to the street and their waiting carriage, Colin gave Michael a questioning frown. “What did I just witness between you and Emmeline?”
Michael shook his head. “Nothing,” he lied, not for the sake of deception, but for self-preservation.
“Michael,” Colin’s tone told him that he did not believe him for a moment.
Michael shook his head again. “Leave it,” he commanded. “We have more important things to contend with at this moment.”
Colin nodded. “When you are ready to talk, I am here to listen.”
Michael gave a quick nod in acknowledgement of his cousin’s loving gesture, then stepped inside the carriage, instructing the coachman to take them to one of the seediest streets in London.
He turned his gaze to the wooden box in his hand. Opening it, he watched as the needle moved with every turn of the carriage, taking him further and further from the woman that, in spite of his best efforts to feel otherwise, he still loved.
No, his heart breathed in agony. I cannot bear such pain again. I will never allow myself to love anyone that way ever again.