Chapter 10
The carriage came to a stop in front of The Lion’s Share. “I thought this would be the best place to resume our search,” Davien told Cosette as he stepped out and held a hand for her to alight.
She frowned as she took in the faded sign of the tavern where Charlotte had worked. And the last place her friend had been seen. “What’s the point in returning if nothing was uncovered before?”
“While you have the regular patrons that inhabit this particular establishment, you also have the ones just passing through,” Davien explained. “They are the ones we need to question, for they are more inclined to speak with the right monetary incentive, and because they carry no allegiance.”
It made a certain amount of sense, so she nodded.
“Good.” He shot her a grin that made her knees weak.
Davien led her through the front door where they were instantly greeted with the sound of retching. Combined with some other, rather unsavory smells, it was all Cosette could do not to gag at the stench surrounding them. She did cover her nose with her un-gloved hand. “I can’t believe Charlotte could stomach this night after night.”
Davien shrugged. “You get used to it after a while.”
Cosette wasn’t so sure about that, but she followed Davien as he casually took a seat at a corner booth that became empty just before they sat down. She wasn’t sure if the two men left because of the fearsome scowl the duke shot their way, or because they found alternate entertainment in a wench across the bar.
After they sat down, Blackburn began to scan their surroundings.
It was all Cosette could do not to tap her fingers on the table in exasperation. She finally lowered her hand from her nose long enough to ask, “Anything yet?”
He cast her a dry look. “Growing impatient already?”
She didn’t even try to act coy. “Yes. I don’t particularly care to stay here any longer than necessary.”
He chuckled, at the same time a buxom maid came over to take their order. She had a considerable gap in her teeth when she smiled at Davien, while completely ignoring Cosette. “How can I help ye, sir?”
“A pint of ale and two glasses,” he returned with a devilish smirk.
The maid put her hands on her hips and dared to sidle closer to Blackburn. “Can I interest ye in anythin’ else?”
Cosette dropped her hands to the table. Was this woman actually propositioning Davien right in front of her? Had she no shame?
“As a matter of fact . . .” His voice was so smooth and enticing that Cosette couldn’t resist the urge to kick his shin under the table. He didn’t even react, but kept his focus firmly on Cosette’s competition. “Shall we retire to somewhere more . . . private?”
“I know just the place,” the wench replied saucily.
Davien pitched his voice. “I shall return shortly, my dear.” He stood and Cosette felt her jaw go slack. But when she would have demanded to know what he was doing, he turned those dark eyes to her. They seemed to convey a secret message.Trust me.
While she wanted to rant at him for leaving her alone, she reluctantly snapped her mouth closed and remained silent. Nevertheless, Cosette glared at both of them as they walked away, the serving wench blowing a kiss at her as she departed.
Cosette clenched her fists as she contemplated what she should do until the duke returned. She was alone, in a rather raucous pub, so mingling on her own wasn’t an option. She realized then just what Davien had saved her from when he insisted that she wasn’t to leave Shadowlawn without him. While Cosette had lived in London for the past seven years, she was rather naïve. She had kept to the workhouse and Madame Louvre’s shop for the most part, so she wasn’t as familiar with the more unsavory parts of the city.
She kept her head down, and pretended a great interest in the wood grain of the scratched and chipped table in front of her, when she suddenly felt a tremor pass through her. It was unsettling, and unlike anything she’d ever experienced before, even with Davien. What she felt around him was desire, even a bit of fear when the beast showed itself, but this—this was terrifying.
When it happened a second time, Cosette groaned as her hands started shaking uncontrollably. She quickly put them in her lap. She doubted that anyone was paying any attention to her, but all the same, she didn’t wish to make a scene.
Unfortunately, when the third blast shot through her, nearly doubling her over in pain, she knew she had to leave, to flee somewhere she could be alone.
But the moment she stood up, an unseen force pitched her forward, upending the table and sending it crashing to the floor.
Instantly, all eyes in the tavern turned to her.
Cosette didn’t meet any of them, but ran blindly out the door. Once she was in the chilly, night air, she collapsed against the side of the building. She gulped down several breaths, starting to feel more like herself when everything abruptly went dark.
~ ~ ~
Davien knew something was wrong the moment he returned to the main room. He hoped that Cosette had understood his reasoning for taking the serving wench somewhere to be alone. She was new, and the beast had scented something different about her.
