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When all was ready, he, Loxdon, Richards, and Peg—the only woman he would allow to accompany them, and only because she threatened to shoot him if he tried to prevent her doing so—clambered aboard a carriage. The other members of the company, among whom were Thomas and Gerald, took to horse.
A few minutes later, they were on their way through London’s dark streets. Lightning flickered, and a low rumble of thunder followed. It looked to rain soon.
Peg crouched at one of the windows, skirts tucked beneath her knees, an array of loaded pistols spread out on the floor around her. “If I need one reloaded, the kit is there on the seat beside you,” she told him, gesturing with the barrel of the gun she was priming.
Will looked askance at her. “I’ll bloody well not have time for that, thanks. I intend to be aiming my own.” He lifted up one of the two he was carrying, himself.
She snorted. “You’re better off letting me do the shooting. You’d fail to hit the king’s broad backside if it were bared in front of you.”
Despite his nervous state, Will laughed. In truth, he wasn’t a bad shot at all, but compared to her…
A strange rasping sound issued from Richards. Looking up, Will saw his shoulders shaking with laughter. Shock nearly made him drop the gun he was holding. It was the first time he’d ever seen levity cross the man’s face.
Richards, who was cleaning his knives, looked up at Loxdon and grimaced—his version of a smile. “You’re thinking, ‘why bother?’—am I right? A clean knife slips through cloth more easily than a dirty one.”
Loxdon grinned at him broadly. “If either of you ever find yourself in need of employment, do look me up, will you? You’d be an excellent addition to my little outfit.”
“Don’t, John,” Will grumbled. “Gonson won’t like it if he hears of you proselytizing among his men. And women,” he amended quickly when Peg shot him a pointed look.
Again, she snorted. “Who decided to call us his ‘Boys,’ I wonder.” She shot another look at Richards, who ignored it. “Damned unfair, if you ask me.”
“Damned smart, if you ask anyone else,” quipped Richards unexpectedly. “The fewer people as knows about you, the better. Gives us the element of surprise, it does. No criminal expects a pretty thing like you to pull out a piece and shoot him.”
Peg’s brow shot up. “Did I just hear you call me ‘pretty?’”
Will scooted a little farther away from Richards and shot Loxdon a warning glance. But Richards didn’t respond to the taunt, and Peg, to his surprise, let the matter drop. Will didn’t have time to wonder, however, because they were nearing Dover Street.
Again, lightning flicked across the sky. He willed the carriage to move faster. Instead, it slowed. Going to the driver’s port, he opened it. “Why are we stopping?”
Gerald’s eye appeared in the opening. “You had better come and have a look—it’s safe, Tom scouted ahead.”
Opening the carriage door, Will leaned out and peered ahead. An orange glow lit the sky.
Fire.
Oh God. “Drive!” he bellowed, ducking back inside and slamming the door behind him. “There’s a fire up ahead, a big one,” he told the others. “I fear it’s the school.” I never should have left them. If anything had happened to Jacqueline and the girls, he’d never forgive himself.
“Now we know why so few attacked you,” said Loxdon. “Boucher’s resources were divided. The Archangel and Trouvère are of equal importance to her, as are any of the girls who can identify her. There are quite a few at the school, from what I understand.”
“It’s bound to be a trap,” said Richards. “Even if she was sure of those she sent to kill you, she’d be prepared in case you escaped. She had to know you’d come here.”
“They’ll be in for a nasty surprise then, won’t they?” Will asked grimly. “The Archangel is not known for working as part of a team. Thus, she cannot have predicted a well-armed force would mount a counterattack.”
The carriage stopped again, and Will leaped to the door.
“This is as far as we can go,” said Gerald, hopping down in front of him. “There’s utter chaos up ahead, and the horses are nervous.”
“On foot, then,” Will choked out as the others came up behind. His eyes remained fixed on the hellish scene. He couldn’t look away. Hungry tongues of flame leaped above the rooftops, sending sparks up into the billowing smoke and lighting it from beneath.
Nothing can survive that.
It seemed as if the whole world would burn to ash, right along with his heart.
Chapter Twenty
Jacqueline took hold of Janet’s hand, and her heart faltered for a moment. The girl’s flesh was cool and clammy, her breathing ragged, and she slept fitfully.
With the exception of Dr. Horton’s other patients, who had the benefit of laudanum to make them oblivious, no one else was asleep. The only sounds in the room were those of soft breathing and the occasional nervous whisper. Tension was thick in the air as everyone listened intently.
