Chapter 14 #2
Stepping out of the gloomy public house, Garret was surprised to find the sun was out and the day mild.
He couldn’t enjoy the summer weather, though.
Not knowing Tamsin was in trouble. She wouldn’t have called for him unless the matter was serious.
Or unless she’d—he looked at the two boys. “What are your names?”
“Little Joe,” said the shorter of the two boys.
“Slip,” said the other. “It’s this way.” He pointed east. “There’s trouble at a hospital we were cleaning.”
Garret eyed the boys. “What sort of trouble?”
“Pip is stuck,” Little Joe offered. “Tom went to fetch Snoozer to give her a push.”
The name Snoozer gave Garret a start. “Snoozer. Do either of you boys know Charlie or Joanna?”
“I’m Charlie,” the one called Slip said. “Joanna is my sister. She’s the one what were stuck.”
“Joanna is Pip?” Garret asked.
Charlie nodded. Garret’s heart thudded so hard in his chest he thought it might break a rib. “What are we walking for?” he asked the boys. “Let’s run!”
· · ·
Tamsin could hear Joanna’s sniffles from where she stood at the base of the chimney. “Don’t cry, Jo! I promise I’ll get you out.”
“How?” Joanna asked.
Tamsin didn’t know how to answer that. Instead, she said what she’d been saying to her sister for the last half hour. “Listen, Jo, you got yourself in that space, you can get out. Calm down and give it a try.” She kept her voice low and even. She didn’t want Joanna to know how panicked she felt.
“I can’t!” came the little girl’s wail. “My knee is stuck.”
Tamsin looked helplessly at the boy standing beside her. “We climb like this.” He pretended to be in a chimney, bracing his back on one side and his feet on the other. “Sometimes it gets real tight, and when you pull up your knees, you don’t have room to straighten them again.”
Tamsin nodded. “Joanna, suck in a breath and push against the wall at your back. Make your body as small as possible and slide your leg down.”
Joanna didn’t respond.
“Jo? Did you hear me?”
“It’s dark, Tam. I can’t breathe.”
Tamsin was frantic now. “Find me something to take these bricks apart,” she said. “If it’s too narrow, we’ll widen it for her.”
“Not a good idea,” came a voice. Tamsin whirled around to see the lanky form of Snoozer stepping into the chamber. Right behind him was the woman in the starched apron and the broomer called Tom.
“Who are you?” she demanded of Tamsin.
“That’s my sister stuck in there,” Tamsin said. “I will free her, and you’d be wise to stay out of my way.”
“Does this person work with you?” the nurse asked Snoozer.
“No. You can throw the lout out, missus.”
“Just try it,” Tamsin said, giving the nurse a glare. She turned on Snoozer. “And don’t you dare think of burning my sister out.”
Snoozer looked at Tom. “You tried the rope and rigging?”
Tom nodded. “She’s stuck in a switchback. I can’t even see her from the roof.”
“No choice then, m’dear,” Snoozer said, forcefully pushing Tamsin aside. He actually seemed to be relishing the idea of burning Joanna.
“Yes, there is!” Tamsin grabbed Snoozer’s coat and pushed him away from the chimney. “We tear this thing down piece by piece until we reach her.”
“Now wait a moment!” the nurse said. “I didn’t hire you to destroy the property.”
Tamsin rounded on her. “You didn’t hire me at all, but there is a child of six stuck in that chimney. Are you about to let him burn her up?”
“I’m fetching our manservants to escort you out,” the nurse declared, turning and sweeping out of the room.
“Good,” Tamsin said, watching her go. “Now, we need a hammer and whatever else—”
She never even saw the blow coming. Something hit her hard on the back of the head, and she went to her knees, her vision dimming at the edges. Snoozer’s face came into view, blurry and distorted. “I’ll make sure yer taken out with the rest o’ the rubbish.”
Then everything went black.
· · ·
Garret pounded on the front door of the hospital for a full two minutes before the door finally opened. A harried-looking woman in an impossibly white apron opened the door. “Who are you—you cannot simply walk in here!”
But Garret wasn’t listening. He pushed the woman aside and followed Charlie and Little Joe up the stairs, taking the steps two at a time.
“This way!” Charlie called, leading them down a corridor. Garret could hear voices at the end of it, and when he burst into the room, he took in the scene all at once.
Several broomers were huddled in a corner, eyes wide as they watched Snoozer at the chimney.
Snoozer held a piece of cloth, which was alight, and waved it at the base of the chimney.
Tamsin was lying face down on the floor.
As much as Garret wanted to go to Tamsin, he focused on Snoozer.
“What the devil are you doing?” Garret demanded.
The chimney sweep glanced over his shoulder. “Not ye again.”
“Put that out,” Garret demanded.
“Too late.” The kindling in the hearth caught fire, and Garret heard a little girl scream from somewhere within the walls. Snoozer stepped back.
“You’re killing her!”
“I’m giving her a push.”
Garret went for Snoozer, but the chimney sweep was ready.
He met Garret halfway, his tall, thin body surprisingly sinewy and strong.
Garret almost lost his footing but regained his balance.
“Let’s see how you like picking on someone your own size for once.
” He planted his fist in Snoozer’s tough belly, and the man doubled over.
“Charlie!” Garret called. “Put that fire out.”
Garret swung again and missed as Charlie smothered the fire with his black coat.
“I’m coming for you, Pip!” Charlie called.
Garret watched the boy disappear up the chimney, powerless to stop the lad as Snoozer still grappled with him.
The other broomers raced to the base of the chimney to look after Charlie.
Smoke from the doused fire made Garret’s eyes sting.
He coughed, which gave Snoozer a chance to land a punch.
Garret had had enough. He grabbed Snoozer by the neck, slammed him into a wall, and bashed his head into the plaster.
Snoozer slumped and Garret dropped him on the floor.
He was torn between going to Tamsin and checking on her or seeing to the little girl trapped in the chimney.
He went to the chimney, pushing the broomers aside.
“Charlie, get down here. I’ll tear it apart with my bare hands, if need be. ”
“No!” Charlie called back. “The whole thing could come down on top of her. This is the only way.”
Garret doubted sending another child up after one who was stuck was the only way, but there was little he could do at this point.
The bricks of the chimney were hot, and he was sweating as he peered up into the shaft.
He could just make out the small body of Charlie, wedged about six feet up.
“I see her!” Charlie called down. “Pip! Give me your hand.”
“I can’t reach!” the little girl called.
“Yes, you can!” Charlie encouraged.
“I can’t!” the little girl wailed.
“Pip!” Garret called. “Your sister Tamsin is down here waiting for you. She wants to see you. Grab Charlie’s hand, and you can come down and see her.”
“I’m right here, Pip!”
“I’m reaching, Charlie.”
Please, please, please, Garret thought as he stared up and into the darkness. And then Charlie cried, “I have her! I’ll pull her this way.”
“Don’t you get stuck with her!” one of the boys called.
“I won’t.”
Garret could hear Charlie murmuring encouragement to his sister, and her pained cries. After what seemed like a millennium, Charlie said, “I’m coming down.”
Garret moved out of the way and finally turned to Tamsin. She had moved, which was a good sign. He bent beside her on the floor and touched her face. She moaned and her eyes fluttered. “What—”
“Charlie has Joanna,” Garret said. “He’s on the way down the chimney with her.”
Tamsin started to sit up, but Garret put a hand on her back. “Slowly now, Archer. What happened?”
“Snoozer came at me from behind,” she said, pushing up to her knees. “I’ll give him a taste of my knuckles.”
“Already taken care of,” Garret said. “Here, have a care.” He helped her stand and wrapped an arm about her waist as he led her toward the chimney where Charlie’s legs were just now visible.
“Charlie! I told you not to go up there,” Tamsin said, kneeling as the boy shimmied down the last section of the chimney and emerged in a cloud of soot.
“There was no other way, Tam!”
Garret handed the boy a clean handkerchief to wipe his face.
Then they all turned to watch as another pair of trouser-clad legs emerged.
Tamsin reached out and caught the little girl who appeared.
At least Garret thought it was a girl. Like the other broomers, she had shorn hair and a soot-blackened face.
But as soon as she saw Tamsin, she burst into tears and buried her face against Tamsin’s shoulder.
Still on her knees, Tamsin gathered her close then pulled Charlie to her as well.
She held them for a long time, only releasing them to look at them.
Using the sleeve of her coat, she wiped at the soot and ash covering Joanna’s face.
She succeeded in moving it around and dirtying her clothing.
Garret was keeping one eye on Snoozer, and he noticed when the chimney sweep began to move and wake. “Archer,” Garret said, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Snoozer is coming around. We’d better take Charlie and Joanna and go.”
Tamsin shook her head. “We’re taking all of them that want to go.”
“Archer.” Garret gave her a warning look as Snoozer pushed to his knees.
“Call for the nurse and the staff,” Tamsin said. She hurriedly tucked her hair into a tail and secured it with a piece of frayed ribbon.