Chapter 16 #2
Flora was sitting in the front window of her house when Audrey arrived.
As soon as she stepped from her carriage, the girl jumped up and pointed to the left.
Her motions were animated, and Audrey read the instruction clearly: she didn’t want Audrey to knock on the front door but to go around to the back of the house.
Mrs. Bertram had not summoned her, and likely did not know that Flora had.
The young girl disappeared from the window.
“Carrigan, wait here.” Audrey started for the corner of the house, where a narrow lane cut back to a mews.
Within a minute, Flora opened a gate and slipped out onto the pavement. With one eye on the windows of her home, she motioned for Audrey to come stand with her behind the screen of a trellis, cascading with purple wisteria.
“I’m so glad you’ve come, Your Grace,” she said, her breaths quick and words rushed. “No one will listen to me.”
Her eyes were swollen and red from crying, and her voice was hoarse.
“Tell me what you know,” she encouraged Flora. “I’m listening.”
“After we learned Bethie had…died,” she stopped to take a quivery breath, “Gwen became frightened. She kept telling me to stay out of the windows and draw the drapes.”
“Did she think someone was watching the house?” At Gunter’s, she’d been worried about being seen and overheard.
“She would only say that the less I knew, the safer I would be. But yes, I think someone was.”
With the sensation of being elbowed in the stomach, Audrey closed her eyes.
How could she have been so careless? She should have thought to call on Gwendolyn after news of Bethany’s death arrived.
At Gunter’s, any of the posh ton taking their ices in Berkeley Square might have witnessed her meeting with Audrey and Hugh.
Though, they had only spoken of the meeting with one person: Sir Gabriel.
“When did your sister disappear?” Audrey asked after pushing away the disenchanting thought that Hugh might have been wrong about the magistrate.
“Yesterday. She went to Bond Street with Mama, and while Mama was in with the milliner, Gwen went into a bookshop. Mama said she came back to the carriage and waited fifteen minutes before going into the shop herself, looking for her. But the bookseller said Gwen had left at least twenty minutes before that.”
“Did the bookseller say if she left with anyone?”
Flora shook her head of dark curls. “I don’t know. Mama was too flustered to ask, I presume.”
Gwendolyn had been taken on Bond Street, in full daylight? And no one had noticed.
“Mama returned home in such distress. Now she’s in a complete panic. She thinks Gwen must have run off to elope, the way Bethie had…” Flora choked on her words and went quiet.
“You said no one is listening to you,” Audrey reminded her. “What did you mean by that?”
Flora sniffled, then firmed her quivering chin. “A carriage. I saw it a few times before Gwen told me to stay out of the windows. It was strange.”
“Strange how?”
“There was something on the door. It looked like a cross, but it was—”
“Upside down.” Audrey went cold as Flora nodded vigorously.
“Yes! But how did you know?” Her amazement wilted as she seemed to understand. “You’ve seen it too.”
“Yes.”
If someone from the Sanctuary had been driving past her house, and then she disappeared from Bond Street… Gwendolyn was in danger.
“You were right to send for me. What you’ve said is very helpful, Flora,” she said, not wanting to distress her any further. “I will send word to you as soon as I can.”
She started away, and Flora fell into step beside her. “Will you help find her, Your Grace?”
Making promises that Gwendolyn would be safely returned could be premature, and Audrey didn’t want to lie to her. She turned Flora back toward the gate. “I won’t stop until I do. But you must stay here.”
If anyone learned Flora had been speaking of the Sanctuary, she could also be targeted. Audrey gave her a little nudge. “Go inside your home. Please.”
She whirled around and ran back through the gate obediently.
With any hope, she would stay put. On the way back to her carriage, Audrey observed the square and the conveyances nearby, looking for a coach with a cross.
She didn’t see one. However, she did see a phaeton drawing up behind her carriage.
Sir was at the reins in the front seat. Next to him was Hugh, and in the back seat were Thornton and Cassie.
Her sister-in-law waved. “I wouldn’t tell them where you’d gone unless they brought me with them. ”
Thornton’s irritated expression confirmed her claim.
Hugh hopped down from the phaeton, but before he could inquire, Audrey explained what Flora had revealed. He swore under his breath.
“Damn it. I’ve just come from Bow Street. Sir Gabriel won’t send men to Burdick Close with so little evidence to go on. He can’t just storm into a private home because we think it might be the Sanctuary.”
“If he knew Gwendolyn was now missing, he would have to do something, wouldn’t he?” The knot in Audrey’s stomach tightened. “And if he doesn’t, then we must ask ourselves why. Hugh, he is the only person we spoke to about Gwendolyn’s information on the Sanctuary.”
He shook his head. “He may have told Tyne.”
There wasn’t time to argue with him. She turned to Cassie, still in the back seat of the phaeton. “I’m glad you’ve come.”
“You are?” Cassie peered at Thornton smugly. “See, I told you she wouldn’t mind.”
The physician looked as though he wanted to make a snapping reply, but Audrey spoke up first. “Yes, you and Sir can go with Carrigan in my brougham to Bow Street, to inform Sir Gabriel that unless he takes his men to Burdick Close right now, another young woman may die.”
Cassie paled, her haughty expression falling.
Sir threw down the reins and stood. “If this has to do with whoever killed my father, I’m not wasting time at Bow Street. I’m going with you.”
It wasn’t for her to say yes or no. It wasn’t for Hugh to approve either and he seemed to know it. He nodded to Sir, though with reluctance.
Hugh handed Cassie down to the pavement, her pleasure now visibly reduced. “What if Sir Gabriel does not listen to me?”
“Perhaps I should go with you,” Thornton said, starting to stand. It was all Cassie needed to instantly find her poise.
“Don’t be absurd, I am perfectly capable.” She quickly pecked Audrey on the cheek, then went to Carrigan, who tipped his hat.
“Be careful, Your Grace,” was all he said before seeing Cassie into the brougham.
Hugh held out his hand to Audrey. “To Vauxhall then?”
She took his hand and looked to their driver. “As fast as you can, Sir.”