was enough light for Latymer to see his son a few hundred yards ahead. Giles was shaking his head as he backed away from the outstretched hand of a tall, black-haired lady. Somerton stood a few feet behind her.
Even from this distance, he could see concern written on the woman’s features. But his son’s reaction was not the reason his heart thrashed inside his chest. At that moment, a carriage rolled to a stop right behind Giles, and Collette emerged.
Swiftly, she swept up behind his son, clamping her hands around Giles’s shoulders. She bent low to whisper something into his ear. In one smooth, sensuous move, she straightened and smiled at her audience.
Latymer doubted Somerton had ever met Collette before. That didn’t prevent Somerton’s initial bewilderment from transforming into murderous intent. Somerton rushed forward, moving the black-haired lady behind him. Three large men jumped down from the carriage and encircled their mistress.
Collette’s arms snaked around his son’s torso. Giles shrank away from her touch, clutching his toy to his chest. Her smile only broadened.
The whole scene unfolded in mere seconds, though it felt like hours had flashed by. Latymer’s instincts roared for him to jump into the fray. But his physical strength was diminishing so quickly that he didn’t even know if he could keep his seat for much longer, let alone engage in a physical battle. But he must find a way to rescue his son.
Panicked now, a solution seemed beyond his reach. Latymer rubbed his burning forehead. Think, think. Dammit, think!
Horse’s hooves clattered against the stone cobbles behind him. His mount’s head thrashed up and down, wary of the newcomer’s approach. Wincing, Latymer glanced over his shoulder and caught O’Donnell’s livid gaze. Dammit .
Latymer gathered his reins.
“Don’t even think about it, Latymer,” O’Donnell commanded, drawing his horse to a jarring halt beside him. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“What I’ve been doing for weeks. Trying to get my son back,” he said, gesturing to the unfolding nightmare ahead.
GILES
5:25 a.m.
I should have waited inside Lord Somerton’s town house like Papa had told me. But when his lordship said Papa wasn’t there, all I could think of was to go back to the office by the docks. The office might smell bad, but it wasn’t full of people I didn’t know. Not so with Lord Somerton’s house.
There were so many people gathered in the doorway behind his lordship. They all started talking at once when they saw me, and then they gestured for me to come inside. I was frightened and confused. I recognized only one of them. Sydney. She had visited Abbingale and had given a toy to all the boys.
Thoughts pounded inside my head, clouding my mind. I stared up at Sydney and Lord Somerton, clutching the toy she had given me to my chest. I wanted to take her hand, but Papa wasn’t inside. I needed to find him.
I didn’t know what to do, and I could no longer hear the voices of the people standing before me. The only clear thought I had was to run. And to keep on running until I either collapsed or found Papa.
I slowly backed away from the front door, all the way to the pavement and right into the path of the French lady.
She smelled like dead flowers. Her long fingernails dug into my arms, preventing me from escaping. Not that I would try after hearing her whispered warning. Move, and I’ll kill your father.
Movement behind Lord Somerton caught my eye. A gentleman, whose long hair was drawn together with a leather tie, pulled a knife from his boot and slid quietly out of the house.
“Non, non, non,” the French lady admonished. She snaked one hand around my left shoulder, and the other grasped my right jaw. “Don’t make me snap the boy’s neck. I prefer my men a tad older, but in these circumstances one cannot be too choosy.”
“Let the boy go,” Lord Somerton said. “He’s of no use to
Even from this distance, he could see concern written on the woman’s features. But his son’s reaction was not the reason his heart thrashed inside his chest. At that moment, a carriage rolled to a stop right behind Giles, and Collette emerged.
Swiftly, she swept up behind his son, clamping her hands around Giles’s shoulders. She bent low to whisper something into his ear. In one smooth, sensuous move, she straightened and smiled at her audience.
Latymer doubted Somerton had ever met Collette before. That didn’t prevent Somerton’s initial bewilderment from transforming into murderous intent. Somerton rushed forward, moving the black-haired lady behind him. Three large men jumped down from the carriage and encircled their mistress.
Collette’s arms snaked around his son’s torso. Giles shrank away from her touch, clutching his toy to his chest. Her smile only broadened.
The whole scene unfolded in mere seconds, though it felt like hours had flashed by. Latymer’s instincts roared for him to jump into the fray. But his physical strength was diminishing so quickly that he didn’t even know if he could keep his seat for much longer, let alone engage in a physical battle. But he must find a way to rescue his son.
Panicked now, a solution seemed beyond his reach. Latymer rubbed his burning forehead. Think, think. Dammit, think!
Horse’s hooves clattered against the stone cobbles behind him. His mount’s head thrashed up and down, wary of the newcomer’s approach. Wincing, Latymer glanced over his shoulder and caught O’Donnell’s livid gaze. Dammit .
Latymer gathered his reins.
“Don’t even think about it, Latymer,” O’Donnell commanded, drawing his horse to a jarring halt beside him. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“What I’ve been doing for weeks. Trying to get my son back,” he said, gesturing to the unfolding nightmare ahead.
GILES
5:25 a.m.
I should have waited inside Lord Somerton’s town house like Papa had told me. But when his lordship said Papa wasn’t there, all I could think of was to go back to the office by the docks. The office might smell bad, but it wasn’t full of people I didn’t know. Not so with Lord Somerton’s house.
There were so many people gathered in the doorway behind his lordship. They all started talking at once when they saw me, and then they gestured for me to come inside. I was frightened and confused. I recognized only one of them. Sydney. She had visited Abbingale and had given a toy to all the boys.
Thoughts pounded inside my head, clouding my mind. I stared up at Sydney and Lord Somerton, clutching the toy she had given me to my chest. I wanted to take her hand, but Papa wasn’t inside. I needed to find him.
I didn’t know what to do, and I could no longer hear the voices of the people standing before me. The only clear thought I had was to run. And to keep on running until I either collapsed or found Papa.
I slowly backed away from the front door, all the way to the pavement and right into the path of the French lady.
She smelled like dead flowers. Her long fingernails dug into my arms, preventing me from escaping. Not that I would try after hearing her whispered warning. Move, and I’ll kill your father.
Movement behind Lord Somerton caught my eye. A gentleman, whose long hair was drawn together with a leather tie, pulled a knife from his boot and slid quietly out of the house.
“Non, non, non,” the French lady admonished. She snaked one hand around my left shoulder, and the other grasped my right jaw. “Don’t make me snap the boy’s neck. I prefer my men a tad older, but in these circumstances one cannot be too choosy.”
“Let the boy go,” Lord Somerton said. “He’s of no use to
Similar Books
