Chapter 15 #2
Once Emmeline was out on the street again, she turned her face to the lowering sky and inhaled a deep lungful of fresh air.
Well, relatively fresh compared to the awful miasma lingering inside Newgate’s thick stone walls.
The clouds above might be as dark and swollen as bruises, but she felt considerably less disheartened than before.
There was hope on the horizon. Her father would be all right.
She began walking toward St Paul’s Cathedral.
The bells were ringing and she was drawn by the bright melodious peals.
It reminded her of the bells of St Mary-le-Bow’s near her old family home in Cheapside.
Of halcyon days when her mother and father were both happy and well, and her brother, whilst full of mischief, was caring.
When she and Freddy had shared puff balloons by the fire and had laughed and squealed as they’d tried to wipe their syrupy sticky fingers on each other.
Emmeline’s eyes grew misty as the bittersweet memories flooded her mind. At least you have happy childhood memories , she reminded herself. Unlike the poor Duke of St Lawrence. Or the numerous children who don’t have parents or even a home to speak of.
She made another resolution to speak to the duke about donating to some of the Parasol Academy’s causes.
Emmeline was just giving her dried lavender posy and a handful of pennies to a young match girl by the stairs of St Paul’s when a large shadow loomed over her, claiming her attention.
“Emmeline?”
Freddy! Emmeline swung around and discovered her brother standing right beside her. While surprise jolted through her like an electrical charge, her heart twisted painfully as her gaze traveled over him.
Her brother was looking very much worse for wear compared to the last time she’d seen him.
His cheeks were hollow and there were shadows beneath his gray eyes.
His ginger hair, crammed beneath a battered tweed cap, was far too long, his clothes were rumpled, and his boots were scuffed and muddy.
One of the buttons on his sack coat was hanging by a mere thread.
“I thought it was you.” Freddy looked her up and down, his eyes hard and assessing. Different. “Still wearing your widow’s weeds, I see. I didn’t think you were that devoted to Jeremy.”
“It was quite the opposite actually. He wasn’t that devoted to me ,” returned Emmeline, unable to hide the bitterness in her voice. “The only reason I’m still wearing widow’s weeds is because I can’t afford new gowns. Not when I’ve been paying for father’s upkeep in prison.”
“And where have you been getting the money for that, pray tell?” demanded Freddy. “What have you been up to?”
“Well, if you’d seen me or Papa recently, you’d have learned that I graduated from the Parasol Academy not so long ago.
I’m now working as a nanny.” Emmeline wouldn’t say who she worked for.
She’d protect her employer’s name at all costs.
“What are you doing here anyway? Have you finally decided to visit poor Father?”
Freddy gave a disgruntled huff as he kicked at the lowest step of the cathedral that towered behind them.
“I’ve been thinking about it. Look, it’s not been easy for me, Em.
I’m trying my bloody hardest to get the Oberon back on its feet.
You might have paid me a visit every now and again to see if you could do anything to help. ”
“I think our family has done enough,” returned Emmeline angrily. “Or have you forgotten about Papa’s sacrifice already?”
At last Freddy’s expression turned remorseful.
“Of course I haven’t. I just…” His voice trailed away and so did his gaze.
His attention shifted to the bustling road, then to the entrance of St Paul’s.
“Every night I lie awake, hoping to God that Father is all right. But there are several creditors snapping at my heels. The mortgage payment on the premises is overdue, and I’m late paying some of the cast. In fact, the lead actress in my current pantomime, Puss in Boots , has walked out.
” His expression grew pleading. “I’m getting desperate, Em.
You could always sing and dance a bit. You’re attractive enough.
Do you think that in the evenings you could nip away and—”
Emmeline had to close her mouth (which had dropped wideopen) before she could reply.
“Freddy, you cannot be serious. Of course I can’t just ‘nip away’?”—she made a sweeping motion with her umbrella to emphasize her point—“to appear in one of your shows. My employer pays me well to do what I do. I will not jeopardize my position. I’ve worked too hard and Papa’s counting on me. Not only that, but I love my work.”
Freddy suddenly grabbed her arm. His gray eyes were as hard as steel as he said tightly, “Be that as it may, you’re going to have to come with me. If I can’t put on a show, then the Oberon will close its doors. And I can’t afford that. I won’t go to prison. I need your help.”
Emmeline could easily twist away from her brother’s grasp, but she wanted to make a few things very clear before she did so.
“The only one I have allegiance to right now is our father,” she said heatedly as she poked Freddy in the chest with the handle of her umbrella.
“I’ve promised him that as soon as I have enough money, I will get him out of Newgate and into a dedicated debtors’ jail.
Something that isn’t quite so like hell on earth.
So you’ll forgive me if that’s what I’m focusing on right now.
Not digging you, a grown man, out of a hole of your own making. ”
A muscle worked in Freddy’s jaw and something like fear flickered in his eyes. Or perhaps it was anger, because his fingers dug harder into Emmeline’s arm. “I’ll drag you all the way back to Shoreditch if I have—”
All at once there was the unmistakable rasp of a metallic blade being unsheathed and the wickedly sharp point of a sword appeared beneath Freddy’s chin.
“Unhand Mrs. Chase this instant, before I remove your appendage with this,” growled a deep voice. A familiar voice that resonated with the power of crashing waves or rolling thunder.
“Your Grace,” gasped Emmeline. Her heart stuttered, not knowing whether to slow down or speed up, because sure enough, the Duke of St Lawrence had somehow materialized on the steps of St Paul’s Cathedral.
For all the world he looked like some avenging angel about to smite down her brother.
From beneath the shadow cast by the brim of his top hat, his glacial blue eyes burned with an almost otherworldly ferocity that stole Emmeline’s breath clean away.
Freddy must have known the duke meant business because he immediately let go of Emmeline’s arm and raised both hands, palms forward in a placatory gesture. “No harm done,” he said to the duke before his attention darted to Emmeline. “I take it you know this man, Em?”
Emmeline swallowed. “I do.” She turned to the duke. “Your-Your Grace. This is my brother, Frederick Evans. I’m perfectly fine. You don’t need to run him through. You can put your sword away.”
The duke hadn’t taken his eyes off her brother the entire time Emmeline had been speaking.
Even though his sword was still aimed at Freddy’s chin, he lowered the tip a fraction.
“He might be your brother, Mrs. Chase, but he has the uncivilized manners of a lout.” To Freddy he said, “Apologize to your sister at once, Mr. Evans. And mean it.”
Freddy swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing nervously. “I’m sorry, Emmeline. I shouldn’t have grabbed you like that. It was unforgivable. I’ll-I’ll work something out to keep the Oberon afloat.”
At that, the duke resheathed his rapier inside his silvertopped cane.
“I accept your apology,” murmured Emmeline. “And I’m certain you will. You’re clever enough.”
Her brother’s mouth tipped into a broken half smile.
“I hope you’re right, Em,” he said gravely.
He tilted his head in the duke’s direction and doffed his cap.
“Your Grace? I wish I could say it’s been a pleasure…
” And then Freddy turned on his heel and marched away, disappearing down a dark, narrow laneway that ran toward the back of the prison.
“Mrs. Chase. Are you all right?” The Duke of St Lawrence’s entire demeanor had changed. His eyes were no longer filled with cold blue fire but shadowed with concern. His voice was low and imbued with a velveteen softness that bordered on intimate.
Emmeline swallowed, her throat suddenly tight.
Her breath seemed to have snagged somewhere in her lungs.
Snatching a quick breath, she managed, “I’m a little rattled but unharmed.
” In truth, she was a tangled mess of emotions.
She was upset about her brother and the dire financial straits he was still in.
Anxious that her father was unwell and all alone in the dark, gray-stoned hell looming behind her.
But the burning question in her mind was: How much had the duke heard of her exchange with Freddy?
His voice and gaze were gentle, so maybe he hadn’t heard much.
Nothing that might result in her being dismissed, at any rate.
She was also undeniably unsettled because the duke was standing so very close.
So close, she could detect his expensive woodsy cologne and the fresh scent of his starched collar.
He smelled so wonderful, she wanted to press her nose into his neck and inhale deeply.
Feel the solid warmth of his chest beneath her palm…
She resolutely crushed the errant impulse like a bug beneath her bootheel and instead, pressed a hand to her throat where her pulse was fluttering wildly like a trapped butterfly. “To be perfectly honest, Your Grace, I could do with a nip of sherry. It’s been a trying afternoon.”
The duke nodded. “Come then,” he said, offering his arm. “I know just the public house we can go to.”