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The guards walked on either side of her, but ceased to manhandle her. If she was not bound, she reminded herself, perhaps she could run, but not yet. She had to goad the guards into complacency. She was frightened, but not beaten.
* * *
When she was loadedinto the carriage, she pulled the carriage blanket over her to ward off the chill. She was free beyond the confines of Blackwell house for the first time since her arrival. She did not even need to ask where she was going. The rookery or some place fell, she was sure of it. Somehow, she felt neither fear nor anger. Only resignation. It was as if she had always known that this was to be her fate. Deep down, there had been a part of her that had been preparing for this, hoping that it would not be so but still acclimating her thoughts to the possibility.
When they arrived not at the rookery, but an enormous ship yard whose docks hung over what she assumed in the darkness must be the Thames she felt her first flutter of trepidation. To peer at the rookery would have been horrific, but at least she would be certain of the continuation of her own life, and if Nikolas were alive, he would find her. Unless he did not forgive her for the poisoning. But this brought a whole new fear to the forefront.
The blackness of the water below made her wonder if death was in her future. How many bodies might have dropped over the edge into the cold water? How many secrets could be spirited away on a ship never to be discovered or thought of again? Was this to be her end? Was she to be transported?
She was led into the warehouse with no attempt to hide her vision or silence her cries. No one would hear her in this place at this late hour. She had not fought them, and therefore, they had had no reason to restrain her.
Marilee attempted to explain away the cold chill that crept over her skin is the result of the winter weather, and the dampness of the docks. Rather, her fear had begun to manifest itself in the tiniest of quivers and goose pimples that rose along her skin.
Within, she was confronted by four compassionless faces. Two she recognized, those of Madame Mildred and the errand boy James, and two she did not. With deft fingers the man who had delivered her to this lot pushed Marilee down into the lone chair in the center of the room and tied her wrists behind her back with coarse rope.
“What is this?” Marilee wondered aloud. Her teeth were chattering uncontrollably, whether from fear or cold, she could not tell. From the moment of their first arrival in London, Marilee had neither seen nor heard from the dreaded mistress of the night. Part of her hoped that she and Miss Caroline had been forgotten, merely left to their new roles as servants rather than seen as a problem to be dealt with. Better yet, perhaps the fact that she had caught no glimpse of Miss Caroline at this location meant that she had been adequately ransomed and was now safe.
What that meant for Marilee, she had no idea. Might it mean that this was her moment of freedom? She dared not think of what that might mean for Peggy or Nikolas. The thought that she might be able to find him, and together they could work to free Peggy and the others, was almost too much to hope for, too much to believe.
No, judging by the glowering faces that stared down upon her she guessed that the ransom had not gone as planned. Nor did she think it wise to ask.
Madame Mildred snapped her fingers and shooed the others from the room, demanding that they go keep watch while she have a moment to speak woman to woman. Marilee highly doubted that the lady’s intention was anything like her words implied. Despite the towering size and brutish girth of her lackeys, and James’ small snakelike mannerisms, Madame Mildred was by far the most dangerous viper in the pit. Once they were alone, the elder woman rounded upon Marilee with all the fire and ferocity that was implied by her coloring.
“It seems that you have some explaining to do,Kate.” From the way that she spat the false name, Marilee knew the ruse was up. Her well-being had depended on the belief that she was the well-to-do cousin of the Miss Caroline Graves. Now she was not only in danger of her lowly status being revealed, and therefore leaving her without the protection of noble birth, but also facing the repercussions of what had been a very clear and intentional lie.
Marilee decided that her best course of action was simply not to answer at this point. How could she when she knew not how much of the truth the Madame had discovered or suspected?
“Tell me how you came to be in the duke’s carriage that night,” Madame Mildred spoke hastily as she paced in front of Marilee’s chair. “Tell me all that you remember, everything that was said. I mean to have the whole truth and not this ridiculous tale that you two concocted to fool my men.”
“Before I answer any questions, you must first tell me what has become of my cousin,” she replied with more confidence than she felt.
Madame Mildred chortled. “Come now,Kate, do you really think me such a fool as that? I am well aware that you are no relation.”
Marilee gave a pointed shrug and a dramatic sigh, “You believed it for far longer than I expected.” The slap that caught her across the cheek stung and smarted. Marilee clenched her eyes and winced, much of her bravado washed away by the force of the attack.
“You are nothing more than a servant, girl,” Madam Mildred leaned down so that her pungent breath blew over Marilee with every word. “Do not trifle with me. I’ll have your head before I allow your lies to muddy years of hard work.”
“Then have it,” Marilee spat back. “For I will never betray my friend.”
“Betray, no,” Madame Mildred laughed. “Quite the opposite. Your honesty is the only thing that can keep your darling Miss Caroline alive.”
“What do you mean?” Marilee choked on the words. Could this be a trap? Or was Madam Mildred in earnest? What knowledge might Marilee have that would prevent them from harming Miss Caroline if they had not already?
“As it is, she is less… accessible than you, at the moment…” Madame Mildred began to explain.
“What do you mean less accessible?” Marilee interjected. How she prayed that such a statement did not indicate that Miss Caroline was in dire straits. What sort of place might she have been sent off to? Blackwell house was a nightmare but with the help of her friends, Marilee had found her own way of managing. Miss Caroline may not have been so fortunate. If only she could figure out where the lady had been taken…
“Shut your mouth, girl.” Another resounding slap that Marilee knew would leave a bruise on her cheek. “What I am trying to say is that the imbeciles who decided that you had value in ransom failed to keep their ear to the ground for information that came forth about your… situation. Mind you, they’ve been punished,” she muttered, “and will no longer reap the reward. But I digress. The issue is that you were thought to have been come across by mere happenstance. What a surprise to learn that the duke had been recently wed and was known to be traveling with hiswifeand hermaidbefore his untimely accident. Information that the two of you failed to divulge.”
“It was no accident,” Marilee cried, only to be met with a blow to the gut that left her gasping.
Madame Mildred grabbed her by the hair and forced Marilee’s face toward her own so that the point might be made clear. “It was anaccident,” she repeated while emphasizing each word.
Marilee whimpered her agreement.
“Were they wed?” Madame Mildred snarled. “Tell me true. Was it done?”
“You tell me,” Marilee gasped, earning her even more by way of punishment. “You said that you knew all.”
