They walked for a long while, Maria moving at a swift pace and Jasper following behind. He listened for her booted footfalls and watched for every grey ruffle of her coat and flash of her brown hair. She turned down side streets and up thoroughfares until Jasper was well and truly lost. He marvelled at her sense of direction.
Rounding a corner onto a narrow side street, Jasper’s senses were filled with the scent of sulphur and soot, in addition to smoke, urine, and the ungodly odour of rotted fish. Despite being unable to see his surroundings, Jasper could guess at their location by scent alone. They were just off the Strand.It was eerily silent but for the sound of their footfalls reverberating around them—no doubt alerting Maria to his presence. And?—
Hell, there was a third set of footfalls. Alarm spread through his chest to prickle in his fingertips.
Keeping his ears trained behind him, he followed Maria through the whirling fog, his pace quickening to match hers…and their pursuer’s.
In this part of town, footfalls could belong to anyone, and the magistrate had all but assured him that his cousin had fled London. But with a certainty deep in his soul, he knew who was in pursuit.Francis. Jasper could no longer waste time attempting to be stealthy. Maria must be made aware of the potential threat.
He sped his pace, but she matched him.
“Maria,” he hissed.
She turned down another side street, and he briefly lost her.
Moving to a jog, he rounded the corner, and lost his breath altogether.
With swift, bewildering movements, Maria gripped his shoulders and spun him, slamming his back hard against an uneven brick wall. Air rushed from his lungs before she braced her forearm against his throat and held a dagger to his cheek.
Pain radiated over his neck, and he choked, gasping for air.Fuck, but it had all happened so quickly.
“Maria,” he wheezed.
“Jasper!”
Her shocked features and the small, sharp dagger clutched in one of her gloved hands were scarcely visible through the tears that flooded his eyes.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Jasper, I almost cut you! Why would you?—”
He coughed. “Run!”
* * *
Pulse thundering in her ears,Maria gripped Jasper’s hand and broke into a run. She did not need further explanation. The intense fog that blanketed London was the perfect opportunity for Francis to make his attack. It was likewise an ill environment in which to defend themselves.
Jasper’s heavy, kerchief-muffled breathing and their hard treads echoed around them, before they turned once more into a thoroughfare. They could not run indefinitely. Maria’s muscles burned and her lungs laboured—particularly with the barrier of her handkerchief—but the exhilaration of the chase kept her moving.
There. Her pulse jumped with anticipation as the fog drifted enough for her to make a swift decision, and she directed Jasper toward the alcove between two buildings. They hurried forward, and she silently urged him into the darkness to press his back against the cool, coal-darkened stone. The fog drifted closed once more, concealing their location.
Removing the kerchief from her face, she pressed her lips to Jasper’s ear and breathed, “Take long, slow breaths. Try not to be overheard.”
A shiver wracked his frame, but he nodded his understanding.
She aligned herself beside him, pressing back into the dark alcove and against the hard stone, and steadied her own breathing.
Staring into the obscurity, Maria trained her ears on their surroundings. Silence greeted her, and somehow that was worse than hearing their pursuer’s footsteps. The anticipation, the not knowing where he was or what weaponry he might carry on his person…
The sudden shuffle of a boot caught her ear, and she turned in question to Jasper. He gave a swift shake of his head, and she knew. That sound had been Francis.
A chill prickled down her spine as they stood in wait.
“I know you’re here, cousin.” The voice floated through the fog toward them. “Your bergamot scent gives you away.” He laughed, the sound low and menacing, and Maria’s pulse sped in response.
Pressing her lips against Jasper’s ear once more, she breathed, “We must attempt to seize him. I will approach from the left.”
Another shiver shook his frame, but he nodded.
Then, Jasper was gone, entirely obscured by a swirl of fog as he crept to the right on silent feet. Her heart in her throat, Maria moved to her left.
