[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
"We've had plenty of raids before."
"It's not the raid. The reason Ellison is upset is because he just saw a woman he identified as 'Mathilda'
leaving the club with
Ivo Jenner."
"So Jenner's gone? Good. That'll save me the trouble of pounding the slimy little bastard into the ground."
"Mr. Craven, forgive me, but you're missing the point. He "
"What point? That he's with some woman named Mathilda? I could find a dozen women for you, all
pretending to be frigging Mathilda. It's a masquerade, Worthy." He began to walk away, speaking
brusquely over his shoulder. "Pardon me, but I have
a few police officers to knock heads with "
"Miss Fielding is Mathilda." the factotum said bluntly.
Derek froze. He shook his head as if to clear his ears. Slowly he turned to face the smaller man. ''What
did you say?"
"Somehow Miss Fielding evaded me. She must have used the concealed passageway that leads to the
card rooms. The
'Mathilda' who just left with Ivo Jenner is described as wearing a blue dress and having long brown hair,
not to mention
a notable pair of ... of ..." Worthy spluttered into silence and made an explicit gesture with his hands.
"Holy hell!" Derek exploded, turning several shades darker. "No, no, not with Jenner. I'll kill him if he
touches her.
I'll kill her ..." Swearing obscenely, he raked both hands through his hair until it was in wild disarray.
"I believe they left in Jenner's carriage," the factotum murmured, falling back a few steps. In all the years
of their acquaintance,
he had never witnessed such a volcanic display from Craven. "Ellison seems to believe they went to Mr.
Jenner's club. Sir ... perhaps you'd like a drink?"
Derek stormed back and forth in uncoiling fury. "I tells 'er to go back to bloody Greenwood Corners, an'
instead she traipses
off with Ivo Jenner. She'd be safer walking naked through St. Giles!" He glared at Worthy. "You stay
here," he growled.
"Pay off the bloody police and get rid of 'em."
"You're going to Jenner's?" the factotum asked. "You can't leave with the officers surrounding the club "
"I'll get through the police," Derek said coldly. "And when I find Miss Fielding " He stopped and stared
at Worthy, his green
eyes gleaming with a vengeful light that caused the factotum to blanch "You helped her with this, didn't
you? She couldn't come
to the assembly without you knowing. If anything happens to her ... I'll fire you and ewery employee in
this club. The whole
bloody lot of you!"
"But Mr. Craven," Worthy protested, "no one could have known she would behave so recklessly."
"The hell you couldn't," Derek said in a blistering tone. "It was obvious since the day she got here. She's
been itching for a
chance to land herself in trouble. And you made it bloody easy for her, didn't you?"
"Mr. Craven "
"Enough," Derek said curtly. "I'm going to find her. And you'd better pray nothing happens to her or I'll
send you to the devil."
* * *
During the carriage ride through the city, Sara listened patiently as Jenner boasted about his prizefighting
days, his past victories and defeats, and all his life-threatening injuries. Unlike Derek Craven, Ivo Jenner
was a simple man who knew exactly where
he belonged. He preferred the world he had come from, with its assortment of coarse people and
coarser pleasures. It didn't matter to him if his money was taken from silk purses or greasy pockets. He
sneered openly at Derek Craven's pretensions ... "Talkin with those 'igh-kick words, pretending 'e was
born a gentleman. All clean an' dandified ... Why, 'e walks through 'is
fancy club like the sun shines from 'is arse!"
"You're jealous of him," Sara said.
"Jealous?" His face crinkled in distaste. "I'm not jealous ow a man what's got one foot planted in Mayfair
an' the other in the
East End. Pox take 'im! Bloody fool doesn't know who the 'ell 'e is."
"So you believe he shouldn't mingle with social superiors? I'd call that reverse snobbery, Mr. Jenner."
"Call it what you likes," he said sullenly.
Oh, he was jealous indeed. Now Sara understood the bitter rivalry between the two men. Jenner
represented all that Craven
had tried to escape from. Every time Craven looked at him, he must see the mocking reflection of his
past. And Jenner was clearly annoyed by the way Craven had reinvented himself from a street urchin into
a rich and powerful man.
"If you're so indifferent to Mr. Craven and his success, then why " Sara began, but she fell silent as the
carriage stopped abruptly. Her mouth fell open as she heard a cacophony of sound: shouts and screams,
breaking glass, even explosions.
"What's happening?"
Jenner shoved aside the curtain at his window and stared at the tumult outside the carriage. He made a
startling sound,
something between a howling laugh and a roar of encouragement. Sara shrank back into the corner of
her seat. "It's a mob!" Jenner cried. He opened the door to confer with the pasty-faced driver and
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]