Lord Valorous(42)

"Is Lord Revel at home?" Jacob stepped inside.

"What do you want now!" Revel appeared, looking harried. Hair a mess, shirt points wilting. "It is not enough to bring the magistrate on me, I must now endure more from you!"

"Where is Miss March?" Jacob stepped close to the man and watched his eyes widen in fear. "Tell me now, and I may let you live."

"Jacob," Leo warned, but he ignored him.

"She told me of the attempts on her life. The river and carriage that nearly ran her over. Then there were the abductions."

"I have no time for you or that meddlesome woman, I-"

Jacob grabbed his shirt at the neck and twisted. "Tell me where she is."

"Tw-twice," the man stuttered. "The river and the c-carriage," he squealed, "but I know nothing of the the others!"

Jacob searched his eyes and knew he was telling the truth. Releasing him, he left the house with Leo once again on his heels.

"Where to now?"

"Miss Saffron's."





CHAPTER ELEVEN





Poppy had been tossed about on the floor of that carriage for at least forty minutes as it had raced through the London streets. Her body hurt from rolling from side to side, but her anger far surpassed that. She had then been carried somewhere, and then down steps until she had reached the cell she was currently occupying. Walking around the room took a few seconds, and no more than fifteen steps. There was a chair and a small cot, but no blanket. Checking each of the three stone walls for any escape route, she had found none.

The door was solid and had a small window with bars in it. Poppy had dragged the chair to look through it, and found a narrow path that led to another wall to the right, and the steps to the left.

The sound of the door opening had her off the chair to see who approached.

"Stand back."

A man entered. He was short and solid and did not look at her as he placed a blanket on the floor.

"Please let me go." Poppy briefly felt fear surpass the anger. She had thought to rush at him, but his strength was far greater than hers. "Whatever Lord Revel is paying you, I-I shall double it," she lied. Her pleas were ignored and the door once again squeaked loudly on its hinges as he slammed it closed. She dragged the chair back to the window and once more climbed on to it. "I have friends who will pay you whatever you need. Let me give you his name, I beg of you! He will...." Her words faltered as the man once again walked away. She listened with a deepening sense of dread to each of his footfalls recede until there was only silence.

"Where am I!" Fear had her crying out the words, but they merely echoed around the small room.

Gripping the bars in both hands, she lowered her head and breathed deeply several times.



       
         
       
        

"You are not a person who panics, Poppy March." That job was given to her youngest sister, Rose. She straightened after these bolstering words. She had no notion of how long she had been here, but felt it was at least a day and night …  possibly more.

"Dear Lord, have they left me here to die?" The thought made her shiver. Could there be a worse fate than to slowly starve to death? How long would it take? Looking down her body, she hazarded a few weeks as she was not large, but neither lean. Panic had her screaming and yelling for several minutes, but all that heralded was a raw throat.

Making herself walk briskly around the room once more, she managed to ease some of the chill from her body after a few laps, and only then did she sit on the chair with her back to the door and draw the blanket around her. Sleep had been fitful and usually Jacob came to her in her dreams, so she'd stay awake until exhaustion closed her eyes again.

He was Jacob to her now, no matter how angry she was with him. Had he really made love to her? She held the edges of the blanket close and allowed herself a few minutes to remember the magic of what had transpired in his carriage. The feel of his large body pressed to hers. His lips on hers. Poppy shivered as the first tear fell. She would never see him again. Likely he would not even worry when she did not show up for work. Indeed, he would probably be relieved that she was no longer his problem.

Beast.

When she heard the sound of feet approaching on the stairs once more, she climbed on top of the chair to look out the window. Perhaps she could try again to convince whoever approached into letting her go. Poppy could be persuasive when she put her mind to it.

She felt the color drain from her cheeks as she saw who had abducted her.

"You!"