Read Online Suzanne Robinson by Lady Dangerous - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lady Dangerous
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driver if you don’t.”
“They didn’t stay, Miss Curiosity Cat, because they picked up what they wanted and now they’re going someplace more comfortable.”
“But didn’t you say there were—well, nice places where gentlemen went for refined sin?”
“Some likes to come down in the dirt, so to speak,” was all Toby would say.
Liza thought for a moment, then glanced outside. “We’re going back west.”
Her curiosity increased as they followed the carriage past Hyde Park. The vehicle abruptly turned north toward St. Mary’s Hospital. Traffic thinned, and Liza began to worry that they would be noticed. She made the driver slow, then stop altogether when the carriage turned down a side street without lighting. Telling the driver to wait, she and Toby approached the intersection on foot, her friend grumbling all the way.
“See here,” he hissed. “You let me go first.”
The hour was late. There were few pedestrians, all of whom huddled in their cloaks and coats and paid them no notice in their haste to get out of the damp cold. Toby and Liza reached the corner and carefully looked down the street, which was little more than an alley. The carriage had stopped. As Liza peered around Toby’s shoulder, the door opened.
A man in evening dress climbed out. His face was shrouded in the folds of a white silk scarf, but Liza recognized that posture. He stood in the streetand put his fist behind his back, spine straight, as a door opened in the wall beside the carriage. He turned back to the open carriage door.
To Liza he appeared to be conversing with someone inside the vehicle. He leaned through the doorway, and though she couldn’t understand what he was saying, she heard the coaxing tone in his voice. He held out his gloved hand. Slowly, with painful hesitation, another, bare hand appeared and surrendered itself to the gloved one.
Liza frowned, for the arm that followed it was swathed in a patched coat sleeve. The viscount gradually persuaded his guest from the carriage.
She glanced up at Toby and mouthed, “It’s a boy?”
He said nothing, but nodded once.
Confused, Liza watched the viscount induce the boy to leave the carriage. Though he was dressed in tattered wool, someone had thrown a silk cape over his shoulders. Liza could just make out his features by the light of the carriage lamps.
Bronze hair, thick and smooth, a complexion without blemish, strongly sculpted cheekbones. The boy pulled his hand free and backed up until he hit the side of the carriage. His fear screamed at Liza.
The viscount spoke soothingly to him, but the youth started when a cloaked and hooded figure emerged from the doorway. The figure stood on the threshold, making no move toward the boy, but immediately the youth’s whole body sagged from its rigid posture. Without warning, he brought his hands up to his face.
The viscount moved then, dropping an arm over the boy’s shoulders and drawing him close. The youth was so distraught, he put up no resistance as theviscount handed him over to the cloaked figure. Liza shot Toby a questioning look, but Toby jerked his head in the direction of the carriage.
Another man in evening dress sprang from the vehicle. In his arms he held a girl. She wore a frilly dress and bright patent leather shoes, and her lips were a too, too bright red. She also was handed over to the cloaked figure, but the moment she was released, she wrapped her arms around the youth and buried her head in his shoulder.
The viscount spoke again to the boy, touching his shoulder. The boy shrank away from the touch, but nodded. His head hung wearily, and with a last frightened glance at the viscount, he allowed the cloaked figure to pull him inside the building.
The viscount stood staring at the closed door. His companion said something, and he shook his head, turned abruptly, and climbed into the carriage.
“Quickly,” Liza said as she and Toby hurried back to the cab.
The doors had barely closed on them
“They didn’t stay, Miss Curiosity Cat, because they picked up what they wanted and now they’re going someplace more comfortable.”
“But didn’t you say there were—well, nice places where gentlemen went for refined sin?”
“Some likes to come down in the dirt, so to speak,” was all Toby would say.
Liza thought for a moment, then glanced outside. “We’re going back west.”
Her curiosity increased as they followed the carriage past Hyde Park. The vehicle abruptly turned north toward St. Mary’s Hospital. Traffic thinned, and Liza began to worry that they would be noticed. She made the driver slow, then stop altogether when the carriage turned down a side street without lighting. Telling the driver to wait, she and Toby approached the intersection on foot, her friend grumbling all the way.
“See here,” he hissed. “You let me go first.”
The hour was late. There were few pedestrians, all of whom huddled in their cloaks and coats and paid them no notice in their haste to get out of the damp cold. Toby and Liza reached the corner and carefully looked down the street, which was little more than an alley. The carriage had stopped. As Liza peered around Toby’s shoulder, the door opened.
A man in evening dress climbed out. His face was shrouded in the folds of a white silk scarf, but Liza recognized that posture. He stood in the streetand put his fist behind his back, spine straight, as a door opened in the wall beside the carriage. He turned back to the open carriage door.
To Liza he appeared to be conversing with someone inside the vehicle. He leaned through the doorway, and though she couldn’t understand what he was saying, she heard the coaxing tone in his voice. He held out his gloved hand. Slowly, with painful hesitation, another, bare hand appeared and surrendered itself to the gloved one.
Liza frowned, for the arm that followed it was swathed in a patched coat sleeve. The viscount gradually persuaded his guest from the carriage.
She glanced up at Toby and mouthed, “It’s a boy?”
He said nothing, but nodded once.
Confused, Liza watched the viscount induce the boy to leave the carriage. Though he was dressed in tattered wool, someone had thrown a silk cape over his shoulders. Liza could just make out his features by the light of the carriage lamps.
Bronze hair, thick and smooth, a complexion without blemish, strongly sculpted cheekbones. The boy pulled his hand free and backed up until he hit the side of the carriage. His fear screamed at Liza.
The viscount spoke soothingly to him, but the youth started when a cloaked and hooded figure emerged from the doorway. The figure stood on the threshold, making no move toward the boy, but immediately the youth’s whole body sagged from its rigid posture. Without warning, he brought his hands up to his face.
The viscount moved then, dropping an arm over the boy’s shoulders and drawing him close. The youth was so distraught, he put up no resistance as theviscount handed him over to the cloaked figure. Liza shot Toby a questioning look, but Toby jerked his head in the direction of the carriage.
Another man in evening dress sprang from the vehicle. In his arms he held a girl. She wore a frilly dress and bright patent leather shoes, and her lips were a too, too bright red. She also was handed over to the cloaked figure, but the moment she was released, she wrapped her arms around the youth and buried her head in his shoulder.
The viscount spoke again to the boy, touching his shoulder. The boy shrank away from the touch, but nodded. His head hung wearily, and with a last frightened glance at the viscount, he allowed the cloaked figure to pull him inside the building.
The viscount stood staring at the closed door. His companion said something, and he shook his head, turned abruptly, and climbed into the carriage.
“Quickly,” Liza said as she and Toby hurried back to the cab.
The doors had barely closed on them
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