Wicked Intentions (Maiden Lane #1)(99)

Someone started pounding on the kitchen door. “Temperance!”

It was Caire’s voice. Temperance jumped up and flew to the door, fumbling with the bar, her hands trembling.

She threw open the door and fell into Lazarus’s arms, and for a moment she simply stood there, shaking against him. He was so large, so warm, and he was here when she most needed him.

He clutched her to his chest. “Are you all right?”

“No.” She shook her head against him. “Mary Whitsun is missing.”

He tilted her chin up. “I know. Mother Heart’s-Ease has her.”

“What?”

“I’ve just come from Mrs. Whiteside’s house. Mother Heart’s-Ease is Mrs. Whiteside. She seems to have lured Mary Whitsun there with the help of one of the prostitutes.”

“We must go at once.” Temperance grabbed her cloak, hanging on a peg by the door.

“Wait. There’s something else.” Caire caught her arm, but it was Winter he addressed. “Mother Heart’s-Ease is the murderer.”

Temperance stared at him. “Marie’s murderer? The one who has been…?”

He nodded.

She sobbed once before pulling herself together. “Then the matter is even more urgent.”

“Yes,” he said gently, “but there’s also a possibility of a trap. Mother Heart’s-Ease has a particular dislike of you, it seems.”

Winter stirred. “Then she should not go.”

Temperance rounded on him in a fury. “Not go? It’s Mary Whitsun! I can’t leave her with that woman, trap or no.”

Winter began to protest, but Caire looked at him. “I’ll accompany her and keep her safe.”

“You promise?”

“On my life.”

“You can take my footmen as well.”

They all turned at the voice. Lady Caire had entered the small kitchen with her beau. Two burly footmen stood behind her. She met Lazarus’s eyes for a minute.

He nodded. “Thank you.”

Caire took Temperance’s hand and then they were out the door and into the night with the footmen following.

“What does she want with Mary Whitsun?” Temperance panted as they hurried.

Caire shook his head. “She may be merely a lure. In which case she’s probably in no danger.”

Temperance shivered. “But Mother Heart’s-Ease hates me, you said.”

“According to Pansy.” He hesitated, glancing about them as they rounded a corner. “She’s already killed Tommy Pett.”

“Oh, God.” Temperance tried to control her rising panic. Why had she never told Mary how much she loved her? Why had she kept her at arm’s length? “Then she may kill her simply to spite me.”

Lazarus didn’t answer, merely squeezing her hand.

The journey seemed to take hours, but it was only minutes later when they and the two footmen made Mother Heart’s-Ease’s gin shop.

Lazarus eyed the door and broke apart his stick.

“Stay behind me,” he said to Temperance. “You two”—he jerked his chin at the footmen—“to either side of me.”

Temperance nodded, watching as he pushed the door open with his foot.

The sight within was a strange one. The gin shop was nearly empty, but the overturned tables and broken chairs told of a struggle. Two bodies lay upon the floor—Mother Heart’s-Ease’s guards. The one-eyed barmaid cowered under the remains of a table. In the center of the room stood the Ghost of St. Giles, his sword tip at the throat of the last guard. At their entrance, the Ghost glanced at them from behind his black mask but made no other move or sound.

“I don’t know where she is!” the guard blubbered. “Mother Heart’s-Ease ’eard you were comin’ and ran out the back door. She could be anywheres now.”

The Ghost merely pressed his sword to the man’s throat. The guard yipped and a trickle of blood ran down his neck.

“Don’t!” called the barmaid. “Oh, don’t hurt Davy!”

The footmen looked uneasily at Caire.

“Tell him where Mother Heart’s-Ease is, then,” Lazarus said in a calm voice.

Temperance saw the Ghost’s mouth twitch up at the corner as if in sardonic approval.

“She was going after you.” The girl pointed at Temperance.

“Where?” Temperance asked.

“To yer home,” the girl said. “Said she’d make sure you’d leave St. Giles once and for all.”

Temperance frowned, exchanging a puzzled glance with Lazarus. “Was she alone? Did she have a girl with her?”

“She ’ad one of yer lasses,” the barmaid said. “Now leave my Davy alone. She’s not ’ere, I tell you!”

“We’d best get back to the home,” Lazarus said grimly.

“But what is she about?” Temperance cried. The fact that Mother Heart’s-Ease had taken Mary with her when she fled sent chills down her spine.

“I don’t know.” Lazarus looked at the Ghost. “Are you with us?”

The harlequin nodded and with a graceful spin was out the door and running lightly down the street.

“Hurry!” Caire called to the footmen. He took her hand again and they retraced their steps.