Then Came You (The Gamblers #1)(108)

“This time I will not fail you,” Knox said firmly. “I shall resume my investigations this very morning, Lady Raiford.”

“Please, use discretion in notifying me of your progress. My husband…the necessity of secrecy…”

“Of course,” Knox assured her. Replacing his hat, he bid her good day and left the carriage, his weight causing the vehicle to lurch slightly. He walked away with the brisk stride of a man with a destination in mind.

Lily’s appealing expression vanished as soon as he turned away, and she watched him through the carriage window with cold, dark eyes. “Go to hell, you bastard,” she whispered. “And while you’re at it, take Giuseppe with you.”

After telling Alex and Sir Nathan the details of the meeting with Knox, and placing every possible construction on his words, there was nothing to do but wait. Henry had gone to the British Museum with his tutor to study Greek vases and antiquities. Although none of the servants understood what was going on, they were all subdued, aware of the tension that permeated every room of the mansion. Lily longed to go for an invigorating ride, but she was afraid to leave the house in case something occurred while she was away.

Half-wild with the need to do something, she attempted a bit of needlework, but she kept accidentally pricking her fingertips until the handkerchief she was embroidering was spotted with blood. She couldn’t understand how Alex remained so maddeningly calm, attending to paperwork in the library as if this were any other day.

Drinking endless cups of tea, she paced, read, and endlessly shuffled cards in a rhythm that had become second nature to her. The only reason she managed to swallow a few mouthfuls at dinner was because of Alex’s bullying and his sardonic comments that she would be of no use to anyone if she starved herself.

Finding the privacy of her room unendurable, she seated herself in the corner of one of the settees in the parlor, while Alex read aloud from a book of poetry. Lily thought he had deliberately chosen the most tedious passages. His deep voice, the ticking clock, and the wine she’d consumed at dinner combined to make her eyelids heavy. She settled deeply against the brocaded cushions of the settee, and felt herself drifting into the quiet gray mist of sleep.

What could have been minutes or hours later, she was aware of Alex’s voice close to her ear, and his gentle but urgent hand on her shoulder, shaking her awake. “Lily. Sweetheart, open your eyes.”

“Hmm?” She rubbed her eyes and murmured groggily. “Alex, what are you—”

“Word from Nathan,” he said, picking up her slippers from the floor and shoving them onto her feet. “The men Nathan planted on Knox have followed him to the St. Giles rookery. Nathan and a dozen officers have cornered him in a nethersken. We’re to go there immediately.”

“St. Giles,” she echoed, snapping awake. It was arguably the most dangerous place in London, a slum riddled with thieves’ kitchens and nicknamed the “Holy Land.” Even police officers did not dare venture past its borders of Great Russell and St. Giles High streets. They knew it as a criminal stronghold, where thieves and murders could mine the riches of the West End and escape into the murky network of yards, narrow alleys, and crooked lanes. “Did the message say anything about Nicole? About any children—”

“No.” Alex fastened a dark cloak around her. He led her outside to the waiting carriage before she had time to ask more questions. Lily swept a quick glance at the half-dozen armed outriders, realizing that Alex was taking no chances with their safety.

The carriage hurtled through the streets with a violent clatter. Two outriders traveled far enough ahead to clear the way of pedestrians or slow-moving vehicles. Clenching her hands together, Lily tried to calm herself, but she could feel her pulse throbbing in panic. The streets and courts they passed became older and progressively filthier, the buildings crammed together so tightly that they allowed no air or light between them. The people slinking around the decaying areas were withered and ghostly white. Even the children. The rank smell of thousands of uncovered cesspits drifted inside the carriage, causing Lily to wrinkle her nose in disgust. She caught a glimpse of the distinctive spiral tower of St. Giles-in-the-Fields, a church which had begun as the chapel of a medieval leper hospital.

The carriage stopped in front of a nethersken, an old, crumbling lodging house. Alex got out of the carriage and conferred with one of the outriders and the driver, telling them to guard his wife carefully. If necessary, they were to drive the carriage away at the first sign of danger.

“No!” Lily exclaimed, trying to leave the vehicle, but Alex barred the doorway with his arm, preventing her from climbing out. “I’m going in there with you!” Her blood rushed with agitation and excited fury. “You wouldn’t dare leave me outside!”

“Lily,” he said quietly, giving her a hard stare. “I’ll give you leave to come in soon. But first I’m going to make certain it’s safe. You’re more precious to me than my own life. I won’t risk you for any reason.”

“The place is swarming with officers,” she pointed out heatedly. “At the moment it’s probably the safest place in London! Besides, it’s my daughter we’re searching for!”

“I know that.” He swore underneath his breath. “Dammit, Lily, I don’t know what we’re going to find in there. I don’t want you to see something that may hurt you.”