Page 7 of To Heal a Broken Earl (The Rakes of Mayhem #7)

“Are you hurt, princess?” Michael asked.

Katie shook her head. “Polly got a little squished, but she’s all right now.”

“Polly is as strong as you are,” Michael said.

“Doris falls asleep really fast, Auntie,” Katie said, clutching her aunt’s dress. “She didn’t even wake up when I did. I tried to get her to wake up, but she just rolled over, and that’s when I fell off the bed.”

Michael wondered if there was more to the mishap. “Katie, did you by chance have a bad dream?” he asked.

She nodded. “The bad man from the fire was chasing me and Polly. I yelled for Auntie Emma, but she wasn’t there. No matter how much I yelled for help, no one came,” Katie whispered, her lips trembling. She hugged Polly closer.

“Aww, little one,” Michael said, reaching out to touch her cheek gently with the back of his hand. “Dreams can be scary, but talking about the bad ones helps make you feel better.”

“I do feel better,” Katie said, bobbing her head up and down, seeming to reflect on the advice.

“Good girl. And just so you know, that bad man is far away, and Lord Wright and I are right here—just outside the cabin, making sure no one bothers you,” Michael said.

“That’s right, sweetness,” Wright added. “You have many protectors, like knights in shining armor.”

“Really?” Katie said, her eyes wide. “Are you really a knight?”

“Kind of,” Wright said softly, tapping the tip of her nose.

“See? You have lots of protectors, including me,” Emma added.

Katie smiled and tucked her head on her aunt’s shoulder.

“Try to get some more sleep,” Michael suggested. “Wright and I will be right here, just a few feet away, keeping watch.”

“Just like knights in shining armor?” Katie asked, a hint of mischievousness in her voice.

“Just like knights in shining armor,” Michael said with a smile.

Emma placed her finger under Katie’s chin. “Are we ready for our adventure?”

“I’m ready, Auntie,” Katie said.

“Let’s say goodnight to our brave knights.”

“Goodnight, brave knights,” Katie said with a little wave.

“Thank you,” Emma said softly to Michael and Wright, then turned and carried her niece back to the cabin.

“What an enchanting child,” Wright said.

Michael heaved a deep sigh. “That she is.”

“Have faith, man. If anyone can track down this arsonist, it’s Armstrong.”

“Yes, I know,” Michael said. “I’ll be relieved when we get them to the estate, where they’ll be safe.”

“I understand,” Wright said. “And we’ll do everything in our power to catch that bastard.”

Michael nodded. So far, their journey had been successful, with no mishaps.

Once they arrived at his estate, he would ensure that both Emma and Katie felt completely safe and protected.

Even though he believed they had done everything to confuse the arsonist as to where they were headed, he wouldn’t rest easy until the bastard was caught and hanged for his crimes.

~*~

“Stupid people,” the man bit out as he strode from the inn to the carriage.

“Liars—the two of them. They think I’m leather-headed.

” I’ll revisit them sometime in the future, when I have more time to enjoy my retribution.

More than anything, he hated being made a fool of, especially by those he felt were beneath him.

“M-my lord, did you require s-something?” Horace Simms said. Climbing down from the driver’s seat, Simms pulled out the step for the older carriage and opened the door for his employer to step up.

“No, Simms. The damnable innkeeper and his foolish wife acted like two lackeys…couldn’t get a decent answer from them.

” But their day will come, Viscount Gideon Morgrave thought to himself.

As if to seal the idea, he spun around and looked again at the inn, absorbing the setting and the proximity to other buildings—places to sit unseen, that sort of thing—before he turned back to his shabby rented carriage and climbed inside.

“Th-they didn’t know where the girl and her daughter went?” Simms said. “A-any instructions?”

“None. But I know she’s been here. I can sense it,” Morgrave said, his lip curled in a sneer as he looked at the trembling servant. Damn idiot. But with his limited funds, it was all he could afford.

“Should we s-search the rooms upstairs?” Simms asked.

“You don’t think I haven’t thought of that, you simpleton?

” Morgrave bit out. “I paid off a maid to check. Dumb chit said there was no one up there matching their descriptions. Total waste of time and coin. She could be anywhere. But I could sense that the innkeeper and his wife were lying to me. Besides, there may have been others spying on me, and I could not afford to allow my appearance to be seen.” Damn!

I should have pulled my hat low over my head so that the innkeeper and his wife couldn’t get a good look at me.

“Yes, my lord. Coincidentally, another coach left just as we arrived. I didn’t see who was in it, but they seemed in a hurry,” Simms offered.

At least you don’t have to worry about this one. Simms does as he’s told . Weirdly, the thought settled Morgrave. “Was it four black horses?”

“I don’t believe so, my lord. The horses looked to be fresh from the stable, prancing and full of energy. There were two brown and two black,” Simms replied, his voice shaky. “Shall we try to follow?”

“You’re certain only two horses were black?” The damn innkeeper had said four were black. “Heading in what direction?”

“Yes, only two horses were black. They turned in the direction of the turnpike, joining a few other carriages that happened by at the same time, but I watched, and it appeared to veer onto a less-traveled road to Kent,” Simms replied.

“We’ll follow them for a short distance and see if the woman and child are inside. The innkeeper said the carriage had been outfitted with four black horses. Seems a strange thing to lie about.” Although he couldn’t describe the carriage, except that it was unmarked and black.

“Odd thing. I’ve been thinking to myself, my lord.

The carriage we’ve been following is taking the back roads, staying off the main road.

However, I recall that there was another carriage that left the tavern and turned toward the turnpike, a much busier road.

” Simms shook his head. “I think we need to take the main road to Kent.”

Simms, a man of roughly forty years, stood straighter and relaxed his shoulders.

It was a sign of self-confidence Morgrave hadn’t seen in the man in years.

When Morgrave first met him, it had been in a gaming hell.

The man had been in a game with Morgrave, and like Morgrave, he lost. It was one of the many hands Morgrave would lose.

He had fallen into drinking and gaming and was addicted to both.

Seldom did a night pass when he wasn’t gambling somewhere on the East Side of London.

Simms had realized that he was never going to win at cards and opted to leave.

But for reasons Morgrave didn’t fully understand at the time, he had convinced the man to continue playing.

Over cards and drinks that lasted far into the night, and despite both continuing to lose, Simms made a statement to Morgrave that would change both of their lives.

“My lord,” he’d said, “we should stop playing. Too many of the new rich are getting richer off our backs. I, for one, cannot afford to allow it. M’wife is threatening to take my daughter and move back to her family’s farm. I love my wife, and I promised her I’d change m’ways.”

It was when Morgrave realized he had lost his fortune to England’s new middle class.

These men and women had discovered a niche in trade that met the needs of the ton ’s wealthy and taken advantage of him.

The upper class couldn’t work and earn money—it just wasn’t done.

But the middle class shamelessly made money and, from Morgrave’s perspective, dared to encroach upon the events enjoyed by the ton .

They had taken his fortune, leaving him nearly penniless—except for what he could manage to win. It angered him greatly.

Simms had made a small fortune working for a prominent merchant in town.

Unfortunately, he enjoyed gambling, and it seemed he lost at every turn.

When Morgrave met the man, he employed him as his driver and footman.

Simms was responsible for handling everything Morgrave required, as all the other staff had quit.

Over the years, Morgrave had subjected Simms to intimidation, berating him, and threatening his family when things went wrong.

Thus, it pleased Morgrave to see that the man was afraid of him; in his mind, this assured him of the man’s loyalty.

“Simply trying to throw us off, Simms. I think your first instinct was the best. They’re in a hurry, and my guess is they are heading to Kent,” Morgrave said. “Let’s be on our way.”

Simms closed the door, and Morgrave leaned back in the worn leather seat of his coach, frustrated.

“No need to overthink this,” he murmured, as if assuring himself.

I’m certain they will try to lose us on the busier turnpike.

And that’s to my advantage. No one will miss her fiery red hair.

We’ll have an easier time following and getting information.

He gave a shallow laugh and poured himself a drink from a small satchel next to him before sitting back against the squabs and thinking about the fire. It had been a beautiful thing—almost a cleansing.

The crackling blaze had danced in front of him, its shadows moving in a swirling, hypnotic rhythm.

As the fire dwindled to embers and the structure was reduced to a smoldering pile of charred rubble, his attention had turned to the woman…

and her fiery hair. Her coppery tresses were exquisite.

Never had he seen such beauty. As the surrounding neighbors frantically raised the alarm and attempted to put out the flames, he’d understood he could not let her slip away.

He had lost too much, and now it was time he took what he wanted, relishing the thrill of each scorching conquest. On the night of the fire, he had followed her—something he didn’t normally do, for he enjoyed staying behind and watching his masterpieces burn.

He enjoyed watching the flames spread and climb, completely consuming everything in their path.

But he’d been unable to get the woman and the young girl out of his mind.

And so, he’d left the burning house and followed them, staying far enough behind to go unnoticed.

Even with two horses, the woman moved too quickly, and he couldn’t keep the two of them in his sight, which left him to determine which home had sheltered them.

So, he had carefully plotted his course of action, watching and examining each home on Curzon Street.

After thoughtful consideration, he was convinced he had identified the right home.

She had eluded him for long enough, but he was determined to find her.

~*~