Wicked Earl Seeks Proper Heiress (The Husband Hunters Club 5)

“Game’s up, Sally,” he said. “The police are on their way.” He eyed Jackson, who had begun slinking around the wall toward the window. He almost hoped he’d jump—from up here he was sure to break his neck.

Sally curled her lip at him, putting on a brave face. “And what will they do? Slap my ’and and shut me down for a week or two, then go back to sleep?”

“Not this time.” His voice went hard. “A woman died, remember? I imagine that was Jackson’s doing. Why did you kill her? Didn’t she want to go with you, or was she going to tell Doctor Simmons what was happening?”

“It were an accident—” Jackson began.

“Shut up!” Sally flashed at him. Then she turned once more to Rufus, her green eyes watchful. “Women die around ’ere all the time. Life wears ’em down or they meet the wrong customer. You can’t blame us for every tart who’s found dead.”

Averil touched his hand and murmured, “Violet. I need to find her.”

Rufus hesitated, but she was already moving away and he doubted he could stop her. “If you get into trouble,” he said dryly, “I suggest you scream.”

Her lips quirked, and then she was gone. He heard her hurrying down the corridor to the stairs as he focused his attention once more on the two left in the room. His voice dropped threateningly, so there could be no mistake.

“I want to know the name of every woman you’ve taken out of Doctor Simmons’s Home and then you are going to tell me where they are now.”

Averil wondered if Violet had left the building, but something told her there was more to her visit here than a confrontation with Sally Jakes. When she reached the bottom of the stairs she looked about her and called out.

“Violet?”

A face peered at her around the corner from the far room—a thin woman in a head scarf and holding a mop. “Violet’s gone down to the kitchen,” the woman whispered loudly, looking anxious. “Me daughter’s down there and she promised to look out for her. She’s only eleven.”

“The kitchen?”

The woman pointed at a door near the staircase. Averil thanked her and went through, down creaky stairs, and into the shadowy depths of The Tin Soldier. It grew so gloomy that she had to feel her way along the gritty surface of the wall, and she wondered if she should turn back, but then she remembered Violet’s white, frightened face and the expression in her eyes when she stood up to Sally on Averil’s behalf.

She couldn’t leave without telling the girl that her mother was wrong. That Averil was her friend and that she would never let her be forced into the sort of life Sally Jakes had mapped out for her.

Light was coming through a small window high on the wall up ahead and she went toward it, hoping to find Violet at last, and discovered herself in a grim room with smoke-stained walls and lit by flickering candles. The air was stifling and hot, and when Averil’s eyes adjusted, she was shocked to see a group of girls cowering together. Many of them were no more than children. Violet, who appeared to be the eldest, was holding as many of them in her arms as she could manage, while the others clung to her skirts.

“Violet?”

The girls jumped. Violet murmured soothing words, her eyes focused on Averil.

“You see why I couldn’t leave,” she said, and although her voice was harsh, tears weren’t far away. “Without me they would be hurt, used, God knows what. I look after them. I look after them all. When I can. I protect them from my mother and Jackson.”

“Oh, Violet,” Averil breathed, coming forward, her heart aching. “You poor girl.”

“I don’t want your pity,” Violet retorted contemptuously, with a lift of her chin. “I want you to help me to look after them. I wanted to tell you everything, I did, but I was afraid if I told that these poor souls would be hurt because of it. You do see, don’t you?” she added softly, and once again Averil could see the kind and generous heart beneath Violet’s tough, brash exterior.

“Of course I see. And I’m not pitying you. I am in-in awe of you.”

Violet gave an unexpected smile. “In awe? Really?”

Averil held out her hand toward the group. “Come on,” she said, “let’s go. We’ll take them to the Home for now, until we sort things out.”

Violet demurred. “What if they don’t want to stay?”

“Then they don’t have to. We’ll find somewhere for them, Violet. I promise.”

Violet hesitated but whatever she saw in Averil’s face convinced her, and she nodded and began to chivvy the young ones across the room.

Just then Rufus arrived.

There were immediate screams and squeals and the girls rushed back to Violet, huddling around her once more.

Rufus had stopped in his tracks as soon as he saw the situation he’d walked into. “Averil? What’s going on?”