"Hello, Miss March."
"Why have you done this?"
"If you will remember the last time we met, I did say I would have you."
Poppy didn't want to show fear to the man before her. She even dug her toes into the soles of her boots, but nothing could stop her climbing off the chair, and retreating until her back was pressed to the wall.
Dear God, Jacob, please, please find me.
"Charlie," Jacob said for the fourth time. "I need to speak with the man who works here called Charlie."
They had arrived at Miss Saffron's brothel ten minutes ago, and he had asked several women after Poppy's friend, and all had simply fluttered their eyelashes, pushed out their breasts, and tried to lure both him and Leo into a room. Leo did not seem to mind, and was enjoying the experience. Jacob was not.
Grabbing the wrist of the hand that was currently making its way down his chest, he shook it gently. "Look, do you know a lady called Miss March. Poppy," he added.
"The cleaning girl?" The woman shrugged, then looked sulky when Jacob eased her away.
"The very one. I am a friend of hers, and believe she is in danger. I must speak with Charlie to see if he knows where she could be."
Leo fished some coins out of his coat pocket and handed them to the woman, and Jacob realized just how unsettled he had become, that he hadn't thought to do that first.
The sulky look was replaced with a smile as she tucked the coins away. "Up them stairs to the top. He has a room, second on the right. If he's not in there try the one at the end."
Jacob ran up the stairs and pounded on the door.
"Are you Charlie?" Jacob asked the tall man who answered. He had short dark hair and bloodshot eyes.
The man nodded.
"I am Lord Hatherton and this is Lord Vereton, and we are friends of Miss March and fear she is in danger."
The concern on his face was genuine, and seconds later Charlie had ushered both Jacob and Leo inside. The room was spacious and furnished well, which suggested he held a position of some power within the brothel.
"I have not seen her since she came here to tell Miss Saffron she no longer needed the employment."
"She should not have been working here," Jacob growled. "You should have made her go home."
"You don't know Poppy very well, my lord, if you think I could tell her to do anything. She has her pride, and going home while she is down on her luck is not her way. I helped her the only way I knew how."
"Of course, and forgive my friend if you took insult from his words. He is, as you will understand, extremely worried for Miss March."
Jacob swallowed down any further words of censure and nodded after Leo had spoken.
"She has been working for us in the capacity of a clerk," Leo continued, "but did not turn up for work either yesterday or today. We are greatly concerned, as we do not believe Miss March the type of woman to do such a thing."
"Poppy would never fail to turn up to work. She's loyal to a fault, and allows people to take advantage of her good nature. Her siblings and friends were constantly looking out for her. Her mother told me she feared Poppy would give away the clothes on her back should someone ask for them."
Jacob found himself nodding at Charlie's words. He knew what she was. Knew she cared about people because he had seen in their short acquaintance plenty of proof. He needed to find her and apologize. He needed to find her and tell her of his love.
"She has always been the same. People abuse Poppy's generosity, and yet she will never change."
I will protect her, Jacob vowed. But he had not done so; in fact it had been he who had hurt her most. He had taken her innocence in a carriage and then turned from her. He had to find her and tell her he was wrong.
"We have questioned Mr. Hardy and spoken with Lord Revel. Both have assured us they had nothing to do with her disappearance."
Charlie snorted at Leo's words. "Hardy would never harm Poppy. He'd very possibly bore her to tears, but harm her... no. He loves her."
No, I love her. Christ, was it possible to love with so much force on such short acquaintance? Poking around inside his heart told him that yes, it was.
"As for Lord Revel, you will know better than I if he speaks the truth. But should I see him on the street on a dark night, he had best run," Charlie said, and his anger made Jacob feel better. Perhaps he did consider himself Poppy's friend, although Jacob believed he should still not have let her work here. She was a young, innocent woman, and would have been subjected to things that shocked her.
"I will ensure he is taken care of," Jacob vowed. "Can you think of anywhere she would be? Can you think of anyone who would want to harm her?"