Jacob's eyes felt heavy, as he had spent most of the night thinking about Poppy, then when he'd slumbered she'd been there too, arousing him. He stood beside the carriage and waited for the others to step down, wondering if she would come.
"Good morning."
He spun on a heel and stumbled. Poppy stood before him. Her expression was polite and empty. Her jaw was marred with a long nasty graze, which he knew she had received last night when she jumped from his carriage.
"Poppy-"
She raised a hand. "I have no wish to discuss what happened further. It was a grave mistake on both our parts. I now wish only to see to Lady Revel's needs."
He stepped closer, but she backed away.
"Stay away from me, please."
Jacob snapped his teeth together as Nick moved to his side.
"Good morning, Poppy, what happened to your jaw?"
"Good morning, my lord." She ducked into a curtsey, then did the same as Leo arrived. "I fear I had an encounter with a rat last night walking home."
Jacob realized he was the rat, and did not like it one bit.
"Miss March, I am so glad you are here."
"Thank you, Lady Carver. I am most concerned for Lady Revel."
Jacob watched Lady Carver take Poppy's hand and squeeze it. She then placed it in the crook of her elbow.
"We shall deal with what needs to be dealt with together, my dear."
"Th-thank you."
"Lady Carver seems to like your charity case, Jacob," Leo drawled.
Jacob snarled something, and Nick shot him a look.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Your face and bloodshot eyes would suggest it is definitely something, Valorous, but as we are here for a purpose, I will hear more on this nothing later. Right now we must do what we have come for."
Throwing Nick a dark look, Jacob followed the ladies to Lord Revel's front door. He lifted the brass knocker and rapped it three times... loudly.
"Good morning," Jacob said as the butler opened it. "I have no wish to hurt you, or any of your staff, so please step to one side while we go to Lady Revel's rooms, as it is our belief she is being sorely mistreated."
"Please listen to him, Mr. Bidwell, he means only to help her." The butler nodded at Poppy's words, then stood to one side.
"It is the staff's wish that someone help her, Miss March, and we will all be grateful if you have achieved that."
Poppy rushed to squeeze the solemn-faced butler's hand as she led the rest of them inside. People trusted her, Jacob realized, and the shame he already wore grew heavier. He had treated her badly, but would make amends, he vowed. As yet he was unsure how.
"Well, that went smoother than expected."
"That is only the first obstacle, Lady Carver. The gatekeeper will be another matter entirely," Nick said.
They climbed the stairs, and neither of the two maids they saw said a word, although they looked terrified. A woman was seated beside Lady Revel's door when they approached.
"Who are you?" She got to her feet. Large, with blunt features, she did not look intimidated to see such a party approaching at such an early hour.
"We have come to visit with Lady Revel," Jacob said calmly. "We believe she is being mistreated, and you can stand aside and let us enter or we shall make you."
"Make her," Lady Carver said with relish. Poppy was still pressed to her side, as if the elderly woman was protecting her and not the other way around. Jacob had the urge to snatch her to his side. "If she's had a hand in Bertha's mistreatment, she deserves a serving of the same, Lord Hatherton."
Elegant to her toes in deep rust, Lady Carver was at least sixty-five, and beneath her sweet façade lay a woman with an iron backbone.
"I-I'll tell Lord Revel." The woman's eyes shot from Nick to Leo, and back to Jacob.
"You do that," Leo said, stepping closer. "And while you are there, perhaps you can inform him that the magistrate should be arriving shortly."
She backed away as they approached, and then turned and ran.
"She probably took the key with her," Nick said, pulling out a small tool. He then got to work on the lock, grunting when he heard a satisfying click.
Jacob opened the door and entered.
Poppy looked down at the dear, sweet woman she had been companion to. She lay in a large bed in Lady Carver's house, in a deep sleep. She had not woken when the doctor had examined her, nor when Lord Revel had rushed into the room shouting.
She found a small smile at the memory of Lord Hatherton punching him hard, and the man running away squealing like a piglet after he had staggered to his feet. Lord Hatherton had then picked up Lady Revel and carried her from the house, with the others on his heels. They had taken her directly to Lady Carver's. Once there she had been settled in a room and the doctor had examined her thoroughly before leaving to collect what he needed to treat the elderly woman. Poppy had heard him say he was not sure she would recover, but he would do his best to ensure that happened.