‘Dinni fash yersel, Da,’ Finn piped up climbing to his feet. The lad dashed the remaining tears from his eyes. ‘It’s up tae us tae stop the bastard.’ He didn’t apologise for his language and neither man berated him as he sniffed and added, ‘Ah ken it be what Flossy’d want.’
Chapter Twenty-One
Max gave a fatalistic shrug at this latest turn of events. ‘In my experience, Augustus is more than capable of looking after himself. Our priority has to be Mercy.’
Christian nodded. ‘I told the coachman to stay where he is. Hopefully the Reverend will turn up eventually, though I’d feel a lot happier if he and Percy didn’t have the lad with them.’
‘They took Finn?’ Adam exclaimed shaking his head in disbelief. ‘That puts a different spin on things.’
‘Well, I’ve no doubt Augustus is here for the same thing we are,’ Gabriel commented drily, ‘so if we find Mercy, we’ll doubtless run into the Reverend at the same time.’ He shook his head at the idiosyncrasies of his father-in-law.
‘The Dock Master’s office is close, so I’ll go and speak with him,’ Christian continued. ‘If he can tell us where any warehouses storing cloves are situated it’ll save us tearing the whole Dockyard apart.’
‘While we’re waiting, I propose we ask around to find out if anybody hereabout saw Reinhardt’s carriage,’ Max suggested. ‘It couldn’t have been much more than an hour ago.’
‘You might be wise to warn the Dock Master that Jamie’s on his way with a contingent of Runners,’ Adam advised as all four climbed out of the carriage. ‘The new police force here won’t be happy about having their toes trodden on.’
Christian gave a rueful nod. ‘The last thing we need is a fight between two bloody law enforcement agencies.’ He looked down at his watch. ‘I suggest we reconvene here in fifteen minutes.’
As Christian strode away, the other three split up to ask those in the vicinity if anyone had seen a carriage carrying three men and a young woman. Predictably no one had seen or heard anything. By the time Christian returned, they were already back in the carriage waiting impatiently.
‘The largest clove warehouse is in the Western Dock, wharf sixteen,’ the Earl announced as he climbed into the carriage. ‘We’ll get there quicker if we go in via the western entrance.’ The carriage was already moving as he sat down.
‘Did he say if there were any lodging houses close by?’ Gabriel asked.
‘Several,’ Christian answered shortly. ‘I take it no one saw Reinhardt’s carriage.’ He gave a humourless laugh.
‘Not even for the blunt,’ Adam growled.
‘They live in a world where it’s unhealthy to see or hear anything except their own arses,’ Max sighed.
Christian nodded, swallowing an urge to punch something. They were running out of time. He could feel it. How long would it take them to search all the lodging houses close to the warehouse? It was like looking for a bloody needle in a haystack when they didn’t even know if they were in the right field.
***
Mercy watched the door in almost hypnotic fascination as the footsteps stopped just outside. Seconds later there was a timid knock.
‘Well, answer the bloody thing,’ Reinhardt snarled when his two henchmen didn’t move.
They both immediately hurried to the door, jostling each other to get there first. In the end, Smith grabbed hold of the latch first and wrenched the door open.
For a second the two men blocked her view, but as one of them shifted and said, ‘Who the bloody ‘ell are you?’ it took all of Mercy’s control to keep a blank face as she recognised Percy Noon standing on the landing.
‘Where’s Evans,’ Reinhardt growled, stepping forward threateningly. He pulled his pistol out of his jacket pocket. Mercy stifled a gasp of fear.
‘He’s sick,’ Percy responded weakly. Mercedes knew the curate wasn’t feigning his trembling. ‘I… I think it was some bad meat.’
‘Drank himself into a bloody stupor you mean,’ Reinhardt ground out, his anger palpable.
‘I can conduct the ceremony,’ Percy continued, his voice getting stronger. ‘But I want the fee you promised Evans.’
‘Did the idiot send you?’ Reinhardt spat out. ‘How do I know you’re not cutting a wheedle?’
Percy was getting into his stride. ‘I can quote the marriage service by heart,’ he answered boldly.
Reinhardt visibly wavered, then he pointed his pistol towards Mercy. ‘Get on with it then,’ he finally said between gritted teeth.
Percy gave a quick glance towards her as he rummaged in his cassock, eventually pulling out a dog-eared Bible. ‘May I ask the young lady’s name?’ he asked at length with a small cough.
