Forever My Love (Berkeley-Faulkner #2)(119)

Gradually her limbs unclenched, and she recovered her thoughts slowly, moving off him and collapsing against his side with an exhausted sigh. Alec did not stir. Peering at his face in the dimness, she saw that he was already asleep, deeply asleep in a state that rivaled unconsciousness. One arm was outflung, the fingers slightly curled in complete relaxation. There would be no more tossing and turning tonight. She smiled slightly and snuggled against his still form.

“And yet another den of iniquity—is this our forty-second or forty-third?” Carr grumbled, his green eyes sullen as the hackney ambled along the small dilapidated streets. “Damn, but I’m getting tired of this. For the past few days we’ve been in nearly every flash s house in London, consorting with every type of scum imaginable. I’ve been buying drinks for murderers andj cutthroats, gambling with professional cheats adj thieves, been mauled by the most ragged whores I’ve| ever seen--none of whom would be harmed by a goodwashing, I might add--and no sign of Tilter. No one seems to have even heard of the bastard. Do you realize how many of these places we’ve been to? I’ve been inside so much that I’ve forgotten what the sun looks like, and I’ve inhaled more smoke and foul air than clean--“

“Don’t complain,” Alec said, his expression thoughtful and unsmiling. “We’re both acquiring a nice prison pallor.”

Carr scowled at him even though the point was well-taken. A decided pallor did not hurt their cause at all, since they could only fit into the scenery of the flash houses by blending in with the criminals that frequented them. In order to complete the impression, Alec and Carr were clad in old and rather worn attire that had once been of good quality—”malpreserved elegance” was what Carr had dubbed the look, and so far it had served them quite well.

During the past few days, the pair of Falkners had indeed learned a great deal about the flash houses in London. A flash house served as a place for criminals to hide from law enforcers. Often it was used as the headquarters for a particular gang, and it provided information and aid for a man who had just been released from prison, whether he was a loafer, semicriminal, or mass murderer. Stolen goods were taken there and given to fences, and anyone could go to a flash house to hire someone to steal for him or provide false testimony at a trial. It was the meeting-place for felons; it was their source of companionship and entertainment.

The particular place that they were approaching now was reputed to be a favorite of Stop Hole Abbey members. Hopefully it would yield some information about Tilter, some useful scrap about his identity or whereabouts that they could go on. The carriage passed through a web of yards and buildings that reminded Alec of a rabbit warren. It was a favorite design offlash house districts, since the area could be evacuated quickly during a raid, men and women scrambling and scattering as quickly as panicked rodents.

“God, this looks like one of the worst we’ve seen so far.”

“Not one more word,” Alec snapped suddenly, turning in a fluid movement and pinning Carr with an icy stare. “Not another whine. If you don’t want to go in there, then have the hackney take you back to your nursery. No, you haven’t seen the sun for days, and you haven’t gotten a decent sleep, and you’re understandably revolted by our current drinking companions. But neither have I—and I haven’t seen my wife in three days! Do you think I would rather be here wading through the gutters with you than heading back home to her?”

“No.” Carr averted his gaze and stared abashedly at the straw-littered floor of the hackney. “I apologize,” he muttered. “I haven’t bothered to consider the fact that this is all a hardship for you as much as it is for me.”

Alec looked at him in vague surprise, not having expected such an admission from his cousin. Carr was not a humble sort, but he approached life with a brash sort of candor that was unusual for a young rake. “Such honesty,” Alec said, his tone less sharp. “I’ve meant to ask you before about your habit of telling the truth. Where did you get it from?... not the Falkner side of the family, God knows.”

“Holt was always forthright,” Carr said, mildly flustered, wondering if he were being praised or rebuked.

“Ah yes, your brother the saint.” The carriage stopped, and Alec tossed some money to the driver before preceding Carr into the flash house. They had to pass through two inner doors before reaching the main one, which was opened a few inches. Cautiously a grubby and misshapen face peered through.

“Bring yer own books?”Alec pulled out one of the cards that Memmery had given him, the seven of diamonds, holding it between his first two fingers. The door was opened and they were admitted entrance. The air was thick with the scents of fish and drink, the noise of conversation and drinking songs. Instantly the two men split up, following the pattern of a routine that had been developed during the last two days. With the two of them working a room, there was a far greater chance of getting information. As Carr headed off for a drink, Alec was waylaid by a heavyset whore who possessed coarse features but good skin and an impressive bosom. He forced a smile, concealing the repugnance he felt at the invitation in her eyes.

“Aye, yer an ‘andsome cove. Belly timber?” the whore suggested, her voice soft and scratchy at the same time, like a cat’s tongue. “Thanks, love, I’m not hungry.” “Taplash?” “Later.”

“Then ‘ow ‘bout a tip o’ the velvet? Free.” To refuse the offer of her body would be an insult. To accept was unthinkable. Alec smiled and slid his arm around her thick waist, pulling her closer and slipping a few pound notes into her bodice. The touch of her jiggling flesh made him feel completely dead inside. “Later,” he said, giving her waist a slight squeeze and watching thankfully as she left him with swinging hips.