Page 64 of A Sham Engagement

The lantern threw a pale circle of light around them, and, as they reached the foot of the stairs and the two men withdrew, illuminated the denizens of the warehouse. From out of the shadows and the piles of rags, they’d crept, dirty, unkempt, hollow eyed, in what seemed a seething mass of inhumanity, like something from Danté’s Inferno. How many people called this place home? Amongst the drawn faces of men and women were those of children, eyes sunken, dressed in rags no better than what they were sleeping on.

“Mistress Princum Prancium’s got a barking iron,” one of the men from the stairs said, reversing into the crowd. “And I fink she means to use it.”

“Too right I will,” Elenora snapped. “Don’t for one minute think I won’t.”

“There’s more of us than there is of them,” the second man snarled. “Or are you lot lily-livered cowards?”

Hard to tell if they were. Desperation could drive a person to reckless action.

Four pistols against maybe fifty people. Not good odds. But the girls had their knives.

Jack set Edward on the floor, pushing the child’s hand into Ivy’s empty one. “Hold him tight.” He drew his sword and held it out in front of him. “And I have this to prick you with.”

The other two girls stepped forward, the light glinting on their knives. Rosie spoke, her voice a sneer. “And we’ve got these to gut you with. We won’t go down wivout takin’ a load o’ you hedge birds wiv us.”

“Who’s to be first, then?” Peg asked, jabbing with her knife.

“Yeah, no one messes wiv our nobs,” Rosie added.

The crowd, swollen now as the other rough sleepers had arisen, shrank back toward the wall. It seemed none of them was prepared to be a sacrificial lamb.

Neither, it appeared, were either of the two men with the cudgel.

“Outside, now.” Jack jerked his chin toward the door.

Ivy, still holding Edward’s hand, stepped sideways toward it, and her friends followed her.

Jack turned to Elenora, who still had her pistol levelled at the crowd of hostile faces. “Out, Elenora, when I tell you.”

She shook her head. “I have my pistol. We go together.”

Bloody woman.

Jolyon, eyes still dancing with enjoyment, caught her arm. “Go outside and guard the boy. Give Broxbourne your pistol first. That’ll be four of us with pistols. And find something to bar the door with to stop them following us.”

Sensible suggestion. Jack nodded to him, and, for once, Elenora did as she was told and handed Jack the small pistol. Far too light for a man, but threatening, nevertheless.

Their would-be assailants had taken a few steps forward as the girls retreated out of the door. Jack swung his slender sword in an arc, pointing the pistol at them, and they fell back. None of them possessed the bravery to test him out. But would they try to follow?

“I have no argument with you. But I do with the men who trapped my child here. I know you know who was behind this and are afraid of him, but if you try to follow us, I’ll see you all hanging from outside Newgate Jail for conspiracy to kidnap. Leave us be, and I’ll not mention where I found my son, only that he was taken by Warren with Sharpe’s help.”

Would they believe him? Would this mean anything to them?

He and the other three had reached the door. Hopefully Elenora had found something to block it with.

“Get outside and see if your sister’s found some way to lock this door. Benjamin and I will hold them back. Ivy knows the way out of here.”

“We’re not leaving you,” Matthew said.

“Not a chance,” added Jolyon. “You’re to marry our sister and we have to keep you safe for her.”

Bloody chivalric pair. The suspicion that neither of Elenora’s brothers were taking this seriously burgeoned. Were they a pair of idiots? Couldn’t they tell the mood of this crowd of poverty-stricken and desperate people?

Elenora appeared in the doorway. “Found something. Quick. Get out now.” She glared at the ragged crowd. “Come after us and you’ll regret it. My brothers will blow your heads off without a second thought. It’ll be like shooting rats in the barn.”

What a woman.

Jack believed her. And most importantly, so did the crowd.