“He does. I’m not sure why he’d be here,” Helen said, still following the cart with her eyes. “But I’ll tell you one thing, my lady. I don’t like this.”
Liberty remembered what Tobias had discussed with them that day he’d taken her to the inn.
“Helen, do you think it could be something to do with what Lord Corbyn talked about?”
“That all is not right in Bidham?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t know, but it’s possible.”
“Do you want to follow that cart?” Liberty asked.
“I would if you please, my lady.”
“Excellent. I could do with a distraction. Let’s go.”
“I don’t understand,” Helen said keeping pace with Liberty. “Sydney’s wed now, and has a child back in Bidham. He works for a local farmer, so what would bring him to London and not then tell me he was coming?”
“I’m sure there is a reasonable explanation. Perhaps he is helping someone out, and is planning to call on your brother Norman, and then notify you he’s in London.”
“Perhaps.” But Helen didn’t sound confident.
The cart turned and then continued on down a narrow lane until itreached a building that had two large doors. It was definitely Sydney, Liberty realized, as he climbed down from the driver’s seat. She knew Helen’s family well.
They watched the doors open and someone walk out of the warehouse and join him. The man had dark hair and was dressed as a gentleman. He spoke to Sydney, but from this distance they could not hear what was being said. He pulled back the covers on the cart and revealed barrels. Two more men walked out from the warehouse dressed like Sydney, and soon they were unloading them.
“There you go. He’s doing a delivery for someone, Helen,” Liberty said.
“But who, and why don’t I know about it?”
“Perhaps you need to ask him what he’s about.”
“I’ll wait until he comes out of the lane, I think.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know, but after what we’ve heard about Bidham, I don’t want to make trouble for Sydney,” Helen said, which made sense to Liberty.
They retreated to the beginning of the street.
“You’ll stand back if you please, my lady. I don’t want you involved in this.”
Looking around her, Liberty wondered where she was meant to stand, but took a few steps to the right, which put her against the side of a building. The clop of hooves seconds later had Sydney and his cart appearing. The man spotted his sister but did not look Liberty’s way. She’d heard the saying, the blood drained from a person’s face, but she’d never witnessed it until then.
Helen’s brother looked like he’d seen a ghost, not a family member. She moved closer as he pulled the cart to a halt beside Helen.
“Why are you here in London without telling your brother and sister you could be so, Sydney?” Helen said.
“H-hello, sister. How lovely to see you,” he said in a high, strained voice.
“I want the truth, and I want it now,” Helen said with her hands on her hips.
She was the eldest of her five siblings and Sydney was number three in the sibling line up.
“There ain’t nothing to tell. I-ah, I was doing a delivery,” Sydney said, looking ready to toss up the entire contents of his stomach. “Now, I need to go home.”
“You’re lying to me, Sydney,” Helen said. “You work for Mr. Hatcher. What reason would he have to send you to London?”
