“Be quiet,” he snapped down at her. “You don’t know what you’re about, Helen, and for your safety, you need to stay out of this.” Sydney’s voice had lowered.
“This doesn’t concern you, sister.” With these words, Sydney flicked his reins, and his horse and the cart rolled away.
Liberty moved to stand with her maid. “Are you all right, Helen?”
“Something is wrong, my lady. Very wrong, but I don’t know what.”
“Do you wish for me to go back to where your brother unloaded those barrels and see what is happening?”
“We will both go back there.” Helen marched away before Liberty could stop her. She hurried to join her maid and soon they were in front of the warehouse that Sydney had delivered to.
“Do we knock?” Liberty asked.
“I think we could, but not come right out and ask what Sydney was doing here. I feel it was something nefarious, my lady. I don’t want you to walk into trouble.”
“All right. How about I knock and ask if this is the building that has those Greek sideboards mother wants with the saber legs?”
“Do you think they’ll believe you?”
“Possibly not, Helen, but as we are out of options, we shall try and see what happens.” Liberty knocked on the door. It did not take long before the man, who was the better dressed of the two they’d seentalking to Sydney, opened it.
He nodded, but didn’t speak.
“Hello. I just noticed you received a delivery and was hoping it was what I was after.”
“Pardon?”
“The cart that just rolled in there. I did not see what was unloaded, but I’m hoping it is what I am looking for. My mother has tasked me with selecting a sideboard from you that is in the Greek style. But it must have saber legs, you see. She was most insistent on that.”
He looked at her like she had two heads and an eye in the middle of her forehead.
Liberty looked up the side of the building, as if searching for a name, and then back at him. “Is this not Mr. Malcolm’s warehouse?”
“It’s not. On your way.”
“Well then, what do you sell? I am in need of a gift for my mother. It is her birthday, you know,” Liberty added.
The man’s lips tilted up condescendingly as he looked Liberty over. “I sell nothing a lady like yourself would wish to buy.”
She frowned. “Well, what do you sell? Surely, I can decide if I want to purchase it or not.”
His eyes narrowed suspiciously, and Liberty thought it was time to back off.
“Spirits,” he growled.
Liberty wrinkled her nose. “Can’t abide the stuff. Good day to you.” She then turned with Helen and left.
“My lady, there was a man in the window above watching us,” Helen said as they walked away. “Don’t look!” she whispered, as Liberty did just that. “I couldn’t make out his features, but he did not move the entire time you were speaking.”
Liberty wasn’t sure why she felt cold suddenly, but she did.
“Come along, I think we need a cup of something to fortify us,” Liberty said when they reached the end of the street. Something madeher turn, and she saw that the man she’d spoken to was watching her. Raising a hand, she then kept moving until he could no longer see them.
“Well,” Helen said.
“Well indeed. I’m not sure what that gained us other than it is spirits in that warehouse.”
“Take off your glasses,” Helen whispered suddenly, as two well-dressed young ladies walked toward them.
