Of Noble Birth (33 page)

Ignoring the pain,
Nathaniel spun back around and slashed at his attackers, trying to
keep them both off-balance. At times he came dangerously close to
his targets, causing them to rally and circle around him. Though
Gunther was slow and ponderous in his movements, he was powerful.
Gould, on the other hand, was less skilled, but in Nathaniel’s
opinion, more dangerous. It was difficult to anticipate the action
of his knife.

They eyed each other,
looking for a vulnerable moment, then Nathaniel dodged left and
made a lightening jab at Gunther, who was too slow to escape.
Plunging his knife deep into the shorter man’s shoulder, Nathaniel
pulled it out again, expecting to defend himself against Gould. But
the tall man did not advance. He stood, staring in horror, as blood
poured from Gunther’s wound.

Gunther collapsed to his
knees, covering the hole in his shoulder with his hands. “He’s
killed me. The bloody devil’s killed me!”

“He’ll live,” Nathaniel
told Gould, “but only if you spend your time fetching a surgeon
instead of troubling me further. Otherwise, you’ll soon find
yourself similarly afflicted.”

“Get a doctor,” Gunther
groaned.

Gould dropped his blade
and ran out of the room while Nathaniel retrieved his money from
Gunther’s pockets, along with a tidy sum he considered the
whoremaster owed Alexandra.

Nathaniel wiped his knife
on Gunther’s trousers, and slid it back into his boot before
heading through the hall and down the stairs. Caroline had ahold of
Alexandra out front, but she let her go when she realized Gunther
had been hurt.

Scooping Alexandra up,
Nathaniel placed her on the saddle of his horse and climbed up
behind her. She settled against him, stirring a pleasant sensation
in his loins, especially when he remembered what little she wore
under the wrapper.

What was it about this
girl that made her different from all others? he wondered. She was
beautiful, but he’d known beautiful women before, none of whom had
held his interest for more than a short while. Alexandra was
impetuous, stubborn, high-spirited, and so incredibly innocent. Was
that what beguiled him? He wasn’t sure. He only knew that he was
drawn to her by something he couldn’t identify. He wanted to
protect her, caress her, feel her lips beneath his own—and he
wanted to possess her body. But what about her heart?

Nothing has
changed,
he reminded himself
firmly.
There’s no room in my life for a
woman, especially now. Newcastle awaits.

* * *

The room was hot and
stuffy. Flushed faces hovered over mugs, talking incessantly, and
loud guffaws rang out from a group of men seated in the corner.
Normally, Rat would have felt quite at home in the small, cheerful
pub. Tonight, nervous tension kept him from enjoying the atmosphere
or his ale. He expected the Duke of Greystone at any
moment.

Swirling the amber liquid
in his cup, Rat tried to concentrate on what he would say when the
duke arrived. He decided upon the amount he planned to demand for
his information, then quickly tossed it out as too low. He could
deliver Dragonslayer on a silver platter. That had to be worth a
great deal, and Greystone was as rich as a king.

A fresh gust of air made
Rat’s eyes flick toward the narrow portal that separated the cool,
soggy outdoors from the smoke and confusion within. It was only a
sailor reeling drunkenly into the street. The door jingled shut and
the room became as stifling as it had been before.

Checking the pocket watch
he had managed to lift from an unwary gentleman as they passed in
the street, Rat frowned. The duke was late. Would he
show?

Rat tapped his foot,
wondering if perhaps he was at the wrong place. But the sign above
the door read
greentree tavern,
just like Lord Clifton’s note had said. Rat had
asked three different gentlemen, just to be sure.

Just when he was about to
give up, the door opened again, and the duke stepped in.
Greystone’s dark hair was tinged with gray at the temples, and he
was elegantly garbed in a greatcoat of the finest wool. One
bejeweled hand clenched the ivory crook of a cane. A footman,
dressed in livery, stood at his heels.

Rat let his breath go in
relief. The next few minutes would make him a very rich
man.

He waved to get the duke’s
attention.

Greystone nodded to his
servant, who immediately turned and headed back outside, evidently
to wait with the coach. Then he made his way toward the
table.

“Yer Grace.” Rat stood and
offered the duke a deep bow. “‘Ow good of ye to come.”

Greystone’s eyes narrowed.
“Let’s dispense with the formalities, shall we? You have something
I want.”

“Aye, Yer Grace. But,
please, won’t ye sit down?”

Rat motioned to one side
of the tall booth, realizing that the power he had felt earlier
must have been an illusion. This man paid homage to no one, for any
reason.

“Please,” Rat said again
when a serving maid hurried to their table to ask the duke his
pleasure.

The nobleman grudgingly
relinquished his coat and cane to the maid, but refused
refreshment. “Do you have the information I need or not?” he asked
as soon as the girl left.

“Aye, Yer Grace. There is
the small matter of price—”

“Considering you’re the
thief my housekeeper ran off, and were among the pirates who have
raided my ships, you’re hardly in a position to dictate terms,” he
interrupted.

Sweat beaded on Rat’s
upper lip. “But Yer Grace! ‘Twas never proved that I took those
candelabras, an’ I was only the ship’s servant. I took no part in
the plunderin’. I offered my assistance to yer son, certainly that
proves my intentions were honorable from the start.”

“Honorable?” the duke
scoffed. “I’m no fool. You’re motivated only by greed.” His fingers
drummed on the table. “What is your price? Perhaps the knowledge
that I am aware of your past will keep you honest.”

A pretty young woman with
a low décolletage sidled up to the table and smiled at the duke.
When Greystone glanced up, she curtseyed. “I’ve been worried, Yer
Grace. I ‘eard ye was ill.”

“As you can see, I have
recovered,” he told her.

“And it’s glad I am. It’s
been a long time.” She lowered her lashes. “Too long.”

“Later,” the duke replied
tersely. “Wait for me.” He waved his hand, and the woman moved away
to hover in a corner.

Rat was too preoccupied
with the large emerald glittering from one of Greystone’s many
rings to be distracted for long. He quickly forgot the woman as he
wrestled with his greed, lost his nerve somewhat, and backed off
the five-thousand-pound figure he had hoped to achieve. “One
thousand pounds,” he ventured.

“I’ll give you ten
pounds,” the duke replied. “
And
I won’t report you to the
authorities.”

“But Yer Grace, I came
‘ere to be of service to ye at great risk to myself—”

“You look whole enough to
me. Make no mistake. I will capture Nathaniel Kent with or without
your help. It is only a matter of sooner or later.”

Rat felt the blood rise to
his face. “Twenty pounds or I tell ye nothin’,” he said, seething.
His information had to be worth at least that much. The marquess
had been far too eager to receive it.

“Perhaps you misunderstood
me.” The fire raging in the pub’s hearth reflected in the duke’s
eyes. “My terms are not negotiable, and trust me, you do not wish
to have me as your enemy.” He raised a hand to summon the
proprietor.

The maid who had taken his
coat came immediately to the table and dipped into a deep curtsey.
“Can I get ye somethin’, Yer Grace?”

“Yes. You can contact a
constable—”

“All right!” Rat almost
choked on his words. “Certainly there’s no need for
that.”

“Indeed.” A grin curled
Greystone’s lips as he waved the girl away, mumbling something
about changing his mind. “Now then, where is the troublesome one
who calls himself Dragonslayer?”

Rat hated to sell his
information so cheaply, but he could figure no way to wheedle any
more money out of the duke. He remembered the days he’d spent
locked up in the ship’s hold. At least Nathaniel deserved it.
“Right ‘ere in London,” he said.

Greystone’s eyebrows shot
up. “Here? Where?”

“I’m not sure exactly. ‘Is
men returned from London only ‘ours before I slipped away, but I
over ‘eard one of ‘em say ‘e’s seein’ a woman who’s stayin’ with a
doctor. I think the man’s name is Dr. Watts. Lives somewhere on
Broad Street, just off Oxford Road.”

“Yes. That makes sense.”
The duke rubbed his chin. “The Golden Crown isn’t far from Broad
Street. And his ship?”

“‘
Is ship, Yer
Grace?”

“His ship! Where is his
ship?”

“In Newcastle. The crew is
awaitin’ its captain there.”

“Excellent.” Greystone
smiled, then shot a glance at the young woman who was waiting for
him.

Rat followed his gaze,
more than a little disgruntled by the nagging feeling that he was
losing the duke’s interest. “ An’ my money, Yer Grace?”

“Not so quickly. Once a
thief, always a thief—and a liar. That’s God’s own truth. If you
would betray Nathaniel, you would betray me. Dogs like you will do
anything for money. What proof do I have that what you have told me
is the truth?”

“I ‘ave no reason to
lie—”

“You have ten pounds as
reason and had a hope of one thousand. I’ll not pay the likes of
you ten pence. Now get out of here before I call the authorities.
You’re lucky to escape with your skin.”

The woman across the room
blew the duke a kiss, and Greystone stood up.

“But Yer Grace. We ‘ad a
bargain. Ten pounds is nothin’ to ye,” Rat cried.

“Not turning you in was
part of that bargain. That is the part I will keep if you leave
immediately. I’ll not have the likes of you dunning me for
money.”

Rat wanted to call the
duke a thief and a liar, but he was now convinced that the nobleman
was more dangerous than he had ever imagined.

“Be gone.” Greystone waved
Rat off with obvious distaste.

Knowing it would be futile
to plead, Rat left his ale and hurried out into the rainy night. He
glanced back just in time to see the duke signal the young woman to
approach him.

* * *

“Where did you find her?”
Dr. Watts whispered so he wouldn’t wake Alexandra.

“St. Giles Street.”
Nathaniel ran his fingers along Alexandra’s arm. “A man she sewed
for was planning to sell her into prostitution. Fortunately, I got
there first.”

Tutty’s eyes grew round.
“Poor child. I shudder to think what might have
happened.”

“I tried to tell her
London was no place for a young girl to gallivant around in.” Dr.
Watts peered over glasses that rested halfway down his nose.
“Perhaps now she will listen.”

Nathaniel grunted. Such
sentiments came easily to someone with a comfortable home and the
means to survive. Alexandra didn’t possess those luxuries. He knew
she’d done only what she felt she had to.

He sighed. Now he had to
do the same. As dangerous as the city could be, Alexandra was
better off in London than accompanying him. He was out of time. He
had to leave for Newcastle—without her.

“If you’ll excuse me for a
moment,” the doctor said. “I’ve a colleague coming in just a few
minutes. When the laudanum wears off, your sister will be good as
new, thanks to you.”

“Don’t let me keep you.”
Nathaniel stood, but couldn
’t
relinquish his contact with Alexandra so soon. “I
was just leaving myself.”

Dr. Watts turned back.
“Leaving, you say?”

“Aye.” Nathaniel
reluctantly pulled away from Alexandra and followed him to the
door. “I’d like to keep our arrangement as before, if possible. I
have pressing business.”

“That’s fine, if that’s
what you want. And don’t worry about your sister. We won’t let her
out of our sight again, at least not until she has secured a
position with a reputable shop.”

“I can’t tell you how much
that relieves my mind.” Nathaniel hated to manipulate Dr. Watts and
Tutty, but if anyone needed someone to keep her out of trouble,
Alexandra did, whether she acknowledged it or not. Or perhaps he
needed their reassurances to make a difficult parting
easier.

He was just about to pass
outside when a backward glance told him Alexandra was
awake.

“Nathaniel?”

“I’m here,” he said,
moving back to her bed.

“Are you well?”

“I’m faring better than
you are.”

She tried to laugh. “I
thought I’d found employment.”

“You got more than you
bargained for.”

She cringed. “How did you
find me?”

“I traced your steps from
dress shop to dress shop, but there were several times your trail
went cold. If it hadn’t been for Mariah, I probably never would
have found you.”