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Chapter Thirty-One
Noah inched his way through the crowd in his bid to get to Leonard.
The sheer volume of people that were currently protesting in this slowly advancing mob shocked him. If anyone had said the whole of London had emptied out into the streets, such assertions wouldn’t have been far from the truth.
As he approached his mark, he noticed the curious glances he was getting from the common folk he passed on his way. Even with his best efforts, he certainly stood out as a non-commoner.
He had to be careful and reach Leonard in time, before he so easily became the focal point for this antsy crowd to concentrate their frustrations on.
He continued to make his way forward and noticed that as he progressed, the crowds possessed an increasing level of hostility. Just when he would have finally come upon Leonard, a few men stepped into his path to block him.
“What are you doing here, Lord Rockgonie?” they demanded.
Not only was he surprised that they knew who he was, he was also surprised at the fact that they had surrounded him in a manner that suggested they were protecting Leonard.
For fear of not giving the right response, he stayed quiet.
“State your business here, Lord Rockgonie. We will not ask again,” they threatened.
In line with their warning, they began to advance on him at the same moment he cried out.
“Leonard!” he screamed at Lord Walsrock’s valet, finally getting his attention.
“Ah! There you are, Lord Rockgonie. How are you doing on this fine day?” Leonard said, as he turned to face him. Interestingly as well, the men who had accosted him moments ago suddenly stopped their advance and faded back into the crowd that was swarming around them.
Interesting!
The noise of the crowd carried on around them but for some reason, he could only hear Leonard’s comments and see his reactions.
He had completely focused on the valet, so much so that everything else had faded into the background.
“We all thought you were missing, Leonard. Where have you been?” He asked cautiously, trying not to get the valet all riled up.
“Oh, you know, just running some personal errands of mine,” Leonard responded, with a wicked grin on his face.
“Have you heard about your friend’s predicament? Have you heard about the situation Lord Walsrock is in at the moment?” Noah said, being careful to remind Leonard that Lord Walsrock was his friend.
“Ah! The Marquess of Walsrock. So sad, I tell you. Such a bright young gentleman, found guilty of instigating the masses and inciting them to protests. Such a bright future He will be sorely missed, I tell you,” Leonard responded, the evil grin remaining on his lips.
Noah couldn’t believe his ears. Leonard was sounding like the devil himself.
“First things first, he hasn’t been found guilty of anything. Also, you know the accusations against the Marquess aren’t true, Leonard. You know the Marquess didn’t do any of the things he’s being accused of.”
“On the contrary, I do not know anything of the sort, Lord Rockgonie. I wasn’t the one who investigated him. I wasn’t the one who patiently collected evidence against him. I wasn’t the one who arrested him. And I am most certainly not the one who is currently detaining him.” Leonard smiled. “That would be the fine gentlemen of the Bow Street Runners.”
“So you are saying you believe what you heard?” Noah asked cautiously.
“What I believe is irrelevant, My Lord.”
After a brief pause, Noah continued speaking.
“What did Lord Walsrock ever do to you? Did he offend you in any way, that made you disappear without a trace? Did he do something to irk you, which is making you stay away even in this moment when you are well aware that your testimony can free him?” Noah asked.
“Oh, no. He did nothing to me. This particular cause is just more important to me now,” Leonard responded.
“Your friend is being made to take the blame for something he did not do and you are not concerned?” Noah responded, trying very hard to control his budding rage. This wasn’t the place and time to lose his temper. Leonard was still very important to his mission. He had to find a way to get through to the valet.
A low, earthy laugh escaped Leonard’s lips at his previous comment.
