A Curse of the Heart

As though hearing the familiar sound, Rebecca glanced at the dark corridor, a look of relief flashing across her face when she spotted him. Without speaking a word, she replied. Her silent plea a distress call, piercing his heart like the razor-sharp tip of an arrow.

The muscles in his arms and legs twitched, urging him to sprint across the stage and smash his fist into Pennington’s smug little face. But he saw fear in her eyes, saw that Pennington brandished a knife, and she held a pistol.

Pennington noticed her lapse in concentration and with an accurate swipe, knocked the gun from her hand. It landed on the floor with a heavy thud, and he winced as Pennington kicked it across the wooden boards, sending it skittering into the pit.

Higson placed his hand on Gabriel’s arm, the claw-like grip a way of reminding him not to do anything rash, anything stupid.

The action caused him to glance at the doors of the auditorium, to where George, Frederick and Sarah were waiting for his signal. All three of them were likely to storm in at any moment without a care or thought. Indeed, Gabriel could only look on in horror as his premonition unfolded before his eyes.

Humming an old country tune that roused an image of dancing around the maypole, Sarah sauntered through the doors, her self-assured gait in harmony with her cheerful countenance.

Pennington’s head turned sharply, and he focused his gaze on the merry figure skipping towards them. Without lowering his weapon, he wrapped his hand around Rebecca's wrist and tugged, drawing her closer to his body.

Gabriel gritted his teeth, the need to rip the man’s head from his shoulders, overwhelming.

“We’re closed,” Pennington growled in a menacing tone.

“I know,” Sarah laughed, pulling off her gloves. “We’re rehearsing today for The Virgin Unmasked, but I don’t remember there being a scene with a knife.”

“There’s been a fire,” Pennington said sternly. “There’s no need to come in today. Go home.”

“No one told me. I was told I need to work on my delivery. Apparently, my laugh is unnatural.” She jerked her head towards the door as she walked down the aisle. “The others will be along in a minute.”

Like a rabbit trapped in a snare, Pennington’s head moved back and forth, his limbs jerking in response. After a moment, he appeared to regain his confidence and said, “Then you had better come and join us on stage.”

Sarah’s mask fell, uncertainty causing her to hesitate. “I’ll just sit here and wait for the others,” she said, sliding into one of the rows. “I’m losing my voice, and if I overdo it there’ll be hell to pay.”

Pennington narrowed his gaze, the corner of his mouth curving up. “I’m not a fool. I’m familiar enough with actresses to know you’re not one. You’re the woman on George Street. What I don’t know, is how you knew we were here.”

Sarah studied him, and Gabriel could almost hear the cogs turning. “We know all about you,” she said. “We know all about your obsession.” She turned her head and called out over her shoulder. “You can come in now.”

The doors burst open. George and Frederick Wellford stormed into the room, their hands clenched by their sides, their faces red and puffy.

“Ah, Freddie, it’s a little early in the day for you,” Pennington hollered. “At this time, I’d expect you to be crawling out of your bed in a drunken stupor, wiping vomit off your chin.”

“You bloody liar,” Freddie yelled. “If there were no ladies present, I’d say something a damn sight harsher. I thought we were friends.”

“I’m no one's friend. A fact you would have discovered when I called in your promissory notes.”

Freddie’s face blanched. “But you said —”

“I lied. I do not have time to explain the dastardly plans I had for you,” Pennington said, yanking Rebecca’s arm. “Now, thanks to your father’s by-blow here, I get to exact the perfect revenge. I must thank you, Freddie. Had you not pointed out the fact that Miss Linwood was your sister, I would never have made the connection.”

George spoke up as he shuffled closer. “Revenge for what?”

“For everything,” he sneered, pulling Rebecca to his chest and pressing the knife against her throat. “Do not come any closer, not unless you want to see her blood splattered across the stage.”

Gabriel flinched, his head throbbing with uncontrollable rage while is body felt weak and helpless.

“Wait,” Higson whispered, holding Gabriel back. “This’ll be his only way out. Best we keep out of view.”

“You won’t get away with this,” George cried. “I swear to you, I will hunt you down. I will make your life a living hell.”

Pennington bared his teeth. “There are worse places. I should know. Nothing you could do to me could be any worse than the nightmare I’ve already lived.”

Holding Rebecca tight against his chest, Pennington shuffled back across the stage. “If you follow us, I’ll kill her.”

They were almost out of view when Sarah cried, “We’ve seen the names on your list, and we’ve seen your sketches. We know what you plan to do and will inform all those mentioned. They will come for you. They will track you down.”