Page 79 of The Lady is Trouble

With a violent shove, the brute sent her stumbling to the floor. “That can be arranged.”

She gazed into the man’s eyes, seeing only relentless brutality flashing back at her.Your gift is your weapon, Julian whispered. His sureness brought her strength. “Bring me to her,” Piper directed, only a slight flutter bruising her words. “And take care, because a dead woman can’t heal.”

Julian said he would go to the ends of the earth to find her.

She believed him.

Simon peeked around the garden wall, watching as the men dragged Miss Piper to a waiting carriage. She staggered but caught her footing, and Simon’s breath rattled in his throat. The rat bastards, he raged, his fists clenched. They were handling her very roughly, not like they should a proper lady. Simon had lived among vermin all his life and could pick out rats in a skinny second—no matter the flipping fancy attire.

Daft lass, going off on her own. Glad now he‘d decided to follow her, but…

Lawks was Lord J going to be mad. Everyone knew he was near crazy about Miss Piper.

Simon wiped his hands on his trousers and danced from one foot to the other, trying to come up with a plan.Think, Si, think.

“See that platform at the rear?” the haunt at his side asked.

Simon nodded, not taking his eyes off Miss Piper as the men shoved her in the carriage. The annoying old gent had been following him for days and wasn’t likely to leave anytime soon.

“Called a tiger’s platform.”

“Tiger. Like a cat?” Simon asked.

“Small footman.”

Simon nodded. “Righty-ho.”

“When they pull away, hop on the back. But you must jump off before the carriage stops.”

“Then I go tell Finn.” He could tell Finn anything, he thought with a spark of newfound adoration, when he’d yet to adore anyone in his life. Aye, he’d seen lads in livery attire, clinging like mud to the back of carriages. All over London, he’d watched them and marveled: what wasthatlife like? Tigers. Blimey. He quite liked the name. But not the silly gig required for the job.

“They must not see you, boy. You understand?”

“You be one yappy ghost,” Simon said. When the carriage rolled from the drive, he sprinted with it, and only when it gained speed did he hook his arm on the platform and swing himself up. Pressing his back to the outer wall, he crouched low and tight in the corner. His pulse pounded in his ears as the spot of cheese and bread he’d eaten on the walk rose in his throat. He actually felt a measure of calm when the old haunting gent settled in beside him.

Lord J talked a lot about destiny. Purpose. Goals, when Simon couldn’t give a fig about them. He gave figs about a full belly and a soft bed, not having a knife pressed to his throat. The bint he had secreted beneath his fancy mattress.

Only, he liked Miss Piper. She talked to him about the haunts without scooting away from him like he had the pox. She read him stories and had promised to let him plant rose bushes in the garden next week.

And he liked Finn, of course. He would follow Finn Alexander to the ends of the earth.

So, wot, just wot, if saving Miss Piper washisdestiny?

Chapter 20

While we may, the sports of love; time will not be ours forever.

~Ben Johnson

In the past twenty-four hours,Julian had come to find he’d misconstrued life’s signals.

Piper was his life; all he’d ever wanted once he let himself admit it. She had clawed her way into corners he hadn’t exposed to light in years.

And he meant to have her.

Even if she entered the otherworld.

Even if what the earl had threatened was nothingbutthe painful truth.