Lady Rogue (10 page)

Covent Garden
hummed with voices.  Wagons and carts had been arriving for some time. Porters were busy transferring their contents to the different stations of traders called costermongers and setting up displays. Produce was assigned to one area, flowers and plants to another, hens and chicks to still another.  Carts and wagons of vegetables--fresh cabbages, onions, leeks, potatoes, clean-washed turnips, carrots and cauliflowers, were drawn up close together on three sides of the market. They brought to mind Taddie's promise of a stew.  Perhaps she'd pilfer a few of the more appetizing eats.

The west side of the square was covered with potted flowers and all sorts of plants in blo
om.  Cut flowers for bouquets, tiny buds for nosegays were artfully arranged. Such a gay, beautiful and fragrant display they made, Dawn thought.

Little tables were set out with refreshment by vendors of tea and coffee.  Dawn's first filch of the day was a hot brimming cup, artfully hid in the folds of her dress until she could safely savor its contents behind a pillar of the piazza.  Peering
, out she scanned the gathering crowd for her target. So far only the workers had turned out.  She would not steal from
them.
   Only from the the nobs.  She'd have to wait a bit then.

That's all right
, she thought.  The air was filled with the fragrance of flowers and she sniffed  with a contented sigh.  If ever she took up honest work, it would be as a flower seller, she thought.  Sweet briar and roses gave out such a delicious aroma.  Closing her eyes, Dawn wiled away the time  daydreaming.  She was in a garden dressed all in satin and lace, surrounded by suitors as
he
walked by.  Cooly, calmly she turned her head and offered him a smile.  Would she take a walk with him?  Perhaps.......

A new hum of activity
disturbed her reverie as the business of the day began in ernest.  A young "swell" moving among the potted plants offered Dawn an easy target.   As he  busied his hands in carrying his newly purchased heliotrope, she busied hers in taking his handkerchief, a lace confection she knew would fetch a good price.  Though she'd told herself just "one", another  tall, foppishly dressed young man with bright red hair seemed a good pick.  Stealthfully Dawn moved forward, her hands itching to get hold of the linen that poked from his pocket.  Two handkerchiefs were better than one.

"This one will be perfect for the office, don't you think so, Gar?" he was saying as he hefted a huge potted plant.  Dawn reached out
, but before she could even touch the handkerchief she caught sight of his companion and froze for just a moment in her motion.  It was her handsome gentleman!

"Blimey!" she breathed, stepping back into the shadows.  Her heart seemed to leap up into her throat and she was certain that it's loud and rapid beating  sounded like a drum to passers by.  A myriad
of emotions flooded over her, from joy to fear.  She'd thought never to see him again.

"
Get anything you think suitable, Ollie, I really don't care.  Besides, it's your office too."  The deep masculine voice gave added proof that her eyes were not deceiving her. She would never forget that voice. It was him.  She would never forget that voice.  How could she when it haunted her very dreams?

"Well, I dare say, you're not much fun, Gar.  Usually you're just as elated as I to brighten up our office. Ever since your little incident at the docks you've been as grumbly as an old bear.  I was just trying to cheer you up by making th
e office a bit more pleasant."

"I'm sorry if I didn't sound appreciative about your gesture, Ollie.  I've go
t a lot of things on my mind."

He sounded deeply troubled.  In curiosity Dawn attuned her ears to listen to the two men's conversation.  Was it possible that he regretted the way he had treated her?  Her heart swelled with the hope that now
,after thinking the matter over, he realized she had never meant to harm him.  Perhaps there was hope after all.

"A lot on your mind. Like that Bow Street Runner you mean.  Unpleasant fellow if you ask me.  By Jove, what a common sort he is.  But then I suppose chasing after thieves and the like would not be a prudent occupation."  He struggled for a firmer hold on the tiny potted tree.  "Do you really think he's telling us the truth when he says he's closing in on the leader of that pack of rats, or do you sup
pose he only wants our money?"

What was this, Dawn thought? 
Bow Street Runners?  She was poised in stunned surprise, frightened by the very thought of the men who were the very death of her kind.

"He tells me he's traced that black-bearded knave down, had him followed from that warehouse to his living quarters as it were.  He promises to have the whole gang of them taken in today.  He seemed so confident that I believe him."

What’s this
?  Dawn thought.
Bow Street Runners?
  She was poised in stunned surprise, frightened by the very thought of the men who were death to her kind.

“He tells me he’s traced that black-bearded knave down, had him followed from that warehouse to his living quarters, as it were. He promises to have the whole gang of them taken in today. He seems so confident that I believe him.”

Dawn's entire body tensed.  Three facts pounded over and over in her brain.  He'd enlisted a Bow Street Runner to find them.  That man had  followed Black John from the warehouse to their living quarters in the Dial!  Dear God!  Dear God!  He had said he'd have them all taken in today.  All of them!  Robbie.  Arien.  Taddie.  Doris.  Jamie.  All the others. Not just Black John.  Oh, what had she done?  In freeing one man she had sealed all their fates.

"I don't mean to appear grouchy, Ollie.  In fact I do like that plant.  The leaves are j
ust the right size and color."

Dawn didn't hear
another word.  She set her feet flying over the cobblestones.  Robbie and the others had to be warned!  There was no time to wait.  Every single minute spelled danger.

"Wait!  You!  Ollie, I recognize that girl."  The stones clattered with the pounding of feet as Dawn was pursued.  
"Come back! I won't harm you."

Wouldn't harm her?  Ha!  He already had, Dawn thought as she darted in and out between the various wagons.  As she headed back toward the seven intersecting streets that marked her home
, she whispered a silent prayer that God in his forgiveness would spare them all.
             

Chapter Eleven
             

The twisting streets of
“ the Dials” welcomed Dawn like familiar friends.  Still she  moved cautiously, stealing a quick glance up and down the labyrinth of merging roads.  Two men lurked near the doorway of the  her building immersed in conversation.  From their fine garments she could tell at once that they were not local denizens. 
Who are they
? she asked herself silently.             

One man in particular drew her eye.  He was walking briskly in front of the door, pacing back and forth like a  fat cat ready to pounce.  Her heart leaped as she suddenly realized she'd seen this man before, pulling a shackled m
an along behind him.  He was a runner--she was certain of it. She'd arrived too late to warn the others.

Damning the brown-haired
gentleman with every breath, she thought of how  he'd brought them to this sorry end.  He'd rewarded her kindness with treachery.  Putting the Bow Street Runners on their trail was unforgiveable. Anger boiled in her blood, but a voice whispered in her ear that she was as much to blame.
She
had set him free, ignoring Black John's warning. 

"
Foolish snip of a girl, what 'ave ye done
?"

Slumping against the brick wall, she tortured herself with musings of her perfidy, feeling more alone than she had since her parents died ten years ago. 
Her stomach churned at the very thought of what she had brought about.  And all for what?  Because he had a handsome face?  Because she hated to see him close his eyes forever? As if he would care a wit for the likes of her or for the lot of them.  He was a toff without even a thimbleful of pity. How could she have been so totally witless, so disloyal to those whose misery she shared?

I'll never forgive myself
if......
Trembling Dawn pressed her forehead against a broken window pane, then from the safety of her haven across the street she watched the heavy set man strutting about as he carefully laid his trap.  How was she going to warn Robbie and the others?  She had to think of a way. Her insides lurched everytime she thought about the consequences.  Newgate!  The very  name inspired stark terror.  She couldn't stand being couped up again, nor could Robbie!

Dawn jerked away from a hard poke in the ribs.  Whirling about she found herself nose to nose with a teetering old man in his cups. Lurching from the gin house he reeked of drink.  Their collision hurtled her into the unexpected glare of the sun. Just as a magistrate's wagon thundered by, comin
g to take them all away.  Above the thud of horses' hooves, rattling wheel rims and cracking whips, she heard voices from inside.

"Townsend says this is the place all right.  See, ther
e he is."

"He's got that surly
black-bearded bastard already in hand.  Now we'll just wait and hope we can catch the others."

"Have to catch them before they go inside, for you know how silly the law is. As if
thieves have any rights.  Ha!"

"Don't fret, Bill.  We'll catch them red-handed
, and then they'll rot in that stinking hole of a prison. Serves them right I say."

"If it were up to me
, I'd hang the lot of them."

Somehow Dawn managed to get back to her hiding place without arousing any undue attention. 
Shivering and fighting a surge of panic, she darted like a mouse from shadow to shadow, avoiding the circles of sunlight that threatened to give her presense away.  Like a pack of hounds the armed foot patrol was closing in.  How could she live with herself if her brother, Jamie, Arien and the others were sent to that terrible rat-infested prison because of her?  She couldn't.

Calm yerself, Dawn ole girl
, she advised breathlessly.  That was easier said than done. For just a moment she panicked.  Robbie and Jamie were walking up the street, heading for the doorway. They'd be caught!  She had to head them off. There was only one way.  She would make herself the target.  It would be her penance for what she had done.

Reaching down she pulled at a loose cobble-stone, aiming it right at the stout Bow Runner's head. She tensed, holding her breath as she flung it.  A horrif
ied shudder coursed through her as she heard the sickening thud, but she somehow forced herself to remain clear-headed.  This had to be done.

"I knows who yer are, I do.  Runners yer be!  You've got Black John but yer won't taike me!" she taunted, picking up another stone and hefting it threateningly in her hand.  She tossed the second cobble just as the he
avyset man barked his command.

"After her!"
             

Dawn bolted for an open window, evading the arms that reached out to take hold of her.  Her only satisfaction was in knowing Robbie and Jamie had heard and understood her warning and
were now in flight.

"She went into that building across the street.  The gin
house.  Don't let her escape!"

Banging into tables, bumping into drunken patrons, Dawn stumbled only once as she chanced to look back.  Pushing through a back door
, she chose her avenue of escape, then was running for her life with the pack of human hounds upon her heels.  Up one street, down another, ducking behind barrels,  slipping through open windows, she was fortunate that familiarity with her territory gave her the advantage. With a gasp she flattened herself against the cold stone of a building, listening cautiously.  The din of heels and voices passed by her, but even so she remained in her hiding place for quite a long while, then shakily she emerged.

"Ahhhhh!" She
breathed as something touched her  shoulder.  Soft fur brushed her face. "Shadow!"  A loud meow greeted her.  The cat rubbed up against her neck affectionately.  "So you too have been spared."  But what of the others?             

Clinging to the security of the shadows Dawn sought them out and found them in a chandler's shop a half mile from wher
e the chase had begun. A bell jangled over the door as she entered; the scent of warm tallow filled the air.  Pushing past a row of molds Dawn joined the others.

"T
hank God, Robbie!  Thank God!"

Dick Boothington, the candle-maker, had once been Black John's boon companion in crime, until he'd bettered himself.  Sympathetic to their circumstances, or perhaps  because he was on John's list of those to be bribed, he often gave them haven.  Now he looked at her o
ver the top of his spectacles.

"Yer out o' breath, Missy."

"I should think so!  I came within an 'air of being caught, I did."

"Ah, but yer were marvelous, Dawnie me dear!"  Jamie hugged her close as he exuberantly heaped praise upon her head.  "If not fe
r ye we'd all be gibbet bait."

"Aye, sis me dear, yer were grand."  Robbie squeezed her hand.  "But 'ow did yer kn
ow who they was?"

"A little bird told me," Dawn answered, averting his thankful gaze.  Her guilt, despite h
er heroics, tweeked her still.

"A pigeon no dou
bt!"  Jamie guffawed loudly. 

"Is...is everyboy here?"  Hurriedly Dawn gave count.  Taddie. 
Doris.  Arien.  Farley and the others.  Just as she supposed, however, Murdock was gone, in addition to Black John Dunn.

"John's been taiken," Taddie answered, her voice quivering with
emotion.  "Or so we've heard."

"Oh
, has he?"  Dawn pretended surprise.  "How...how do ye know?"

"Willy was on the docks and saw 'im being hauled awaiy.  In one o' them big carts that strikes fear in me 'eart whenever I sees 'em pass by,"
Doris answered.

"Your...your sure?"

"As sure as I know I’m a thief!"

"And...and Murdock?"  Crossing her fingers she hoped beyond reason that somehow he
might have escaped.

"'E was wi' John, 'e was."
             

"Oh...." 
If the truth were known, Dawn held little sympathy for John, though she did not wish him any ill. Murdock was another matter, however. He was scarcely older than Robbie. So young to be condemned to a prison cell.  Tears blinded Dawn at the thought."

“But ‘ow did they know about us?”

“Who peached?”

“We’ve all been so careful. Not a one o’ us has been followed.”

Dawn wiped at her eyes, focusing them on her clogs, fearful that guilt might be clearly written on her face. She was the one! Inadvertantly her good deed, her show of humanity had cost dearly.

“
Ah yes, Black John  and Murdy ‘ave been taken in by the Thames Marine Police,” 'Dick Boothington announced. "Look!  Yer can see 'im from here.  Clutching to the bars o' the wagon, 'e is."

Hiding behind the shade
, several of those gathered peered out, staring as the wagon rumbled by.  There was such a look of hatred on John's face that Dawn winced.  If he ever found out what she had done, if her actions were ever revealed to him and he somehow caught her in his grasp, she knew her life would be forfeit.

“There’s no ‘ope for ‘im now. ‘Is goose is cooked!”

“But wot o’ us?” Taddie asked mournfully. “Wot will we do wi’out him?

It took only a few moments for Robbie to step forward. Though he was one of the youngest of the men, he was also the most daring. “We’ll need a leader, we will. I appoint meself that man. Unless yer ‘ave any objections.” There were none, for no one else wanted so great a responsibility.
             

"Yer it, Robbie me boy!"

"'E can 'andle it."

"Robbie, no!"  Dawn
alone was vehemently opposed to the idea, but there was no arguing with her brother.  He was as intoxicated by the thought of his power, drunk with the idea of being a robber king.

"I can 'andle Johnn
ie's job.  Just wait and see."

"And suffer his fate too?"  A
premonition of trouble tickled at Dawn's spine, but she was helpless to dissuade him.

"Smile
, Dawnie dear and kiss yer brother's cheek fer luck."  Standing on tiptoe she did just that.

They’d ha
ve to lie low until the furor died down and then seek out other lodgings. They were free for the moment and that was the important thing for now. Pushing her fears aside Dawn contemplated her blessings.