Alex slowedher step and looked up at the nondescript coach that was waiting by the entrance of Green Park.
“Be ye Miss Chilton?” growled the driver.
She nodded, and he muttered that she should climb inside—and be quick about it.
Alex hesitated, but then reminded herself that there was no other choice if she wished to save Justin from harm. A glance around showed that nobody was paying her any attention, and so she quickly obeyed.
A flick of the whip set the horses in motion.
Inside the musty interior Alex could barely make out the passing sights through the small, grimy window. She could tell that the carriage was heading east, but she soon lost all sense of bearing as the hackney threaded its way through a maze of increasingly seedy streets until it finally came to a halt by a deserted alleyway. Two razor-thin dogs fighting over an old leather boot were the only signs of life, save for another carriage. It was painted black, with no markings to distinguish it. Even the coachman blended as he was dressed head to toe in the same somber color, with a slouched hat pulled low over his eyes.
Four powerful horses stomped impatiently in the rutted mud.
“Yer ta git out here,” said Alex’s driver.
Had she made yet another foolish mistake?Alex closed her eyes for an instant and then swallowed her fears. Lord Hammerton was gentleman, and Justin’s friend … and as a precaution, she had been careful to scrutinize the writing of the current note, and it was quite different from the one that had lured her into danger.
Steeling her nerves, she obeyed her driver’s order, well glad to be out of the dank space.
The door of the other carriage swung open. The interior was as inky as the one she had just left, causing her to stopmomentarily amid the broken crates and decaying garbage. But the hackney immediately rattled off, leaving her little choice but to continue on.
A gloved hand reached out from the shadows to assist her up.
“Your pardon, Miss Chilton, for such an unpleasant start.”
“Lord Hammerton!” Alex felt a spurt of relief. “Pray sir, was this really necessary? Surely we could have met in a less derelict place without attracting undue attention.”
“I wish that were true, but you must remember that your enemy has proved to be both exceedingly cunning—and utterly ruthless. I felt it best to err on the side of caution,” he answered.
He was right, she acknowledged. Which only made her feel more on edge.
“Please tell me what you’ve learned,” she asked.
Hammerton sighed. “Patience, Miss Chilton. I would rather arrive at our destination before beginning an explanation.”
“But …” She drew in a shaky breath. “But have you learned the identity of whoever is trying to harm my brother?”
“Indeed I have. And you shall soon know it, too,” answered Hammerton. “Trust me, Miss Chilton.”
Alex leaned back and remained silent, despite all the questions spinning inside her head. He must know what he was doing— after all, he had succeeded in discovering who was behind all her family’s troubles in just one night.
Still, she couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable. Perhaps it was the gloomy atmosphere inside the carriage. The curtains had been drawn, and there was so little light that she could barely see her own hands clenched tightly in her lap. As for Hammerton’s face, it was merely a shadowed silhouette, devoid of all expression.
A tiny shiver skated down her spine. She felt as if she was in a tomb.
A short while later the carriage came to an abrupt halt, jarring her from brooding Hammerton stuck his head out the door, made a quick signal, then waved for his coachman to move on.
“What—” began Alex.
“I promise you, Miss Chilton, it will all soon be clear.”
Hammerton made no further effort at conversation. His shoulders relaxed as if he were napping, or sunk in deep thought, and Alex could think of nothing she wanted to discuss—save for an explanation of what the devil was going on. Gritting her teeth, she hunched back against the squabs and closed her eyes, willing herself to be patient.
Clip-clop, clip-clop…
After what seemed like an interminably long time, Alex could stand it no longer. She sat up and yanked one of the curtains open. To her surprise, they were now well out of the city.
“Lord Hammerton, where we are going?”
