One Penny Surprise (Saved By Desire 1) (21 page)

“She needs protecting with that sire of hers about,” Peter declared flatly.

“What is the problem with Clarence? Poppy tells me there is ill feeling between you.”

“Ill feeling?” Peter snorted. “I’ll say. Everybody of repute has ‘ill feeling’ toward Clarence. He is a scoundrel. He always has been and always will be. He is not only a compulsive liar, but a gambler and a cheat. He treated my aunt abysmally.”

“Would you tell me?” Luke asked. He sensed from the antagonism evident on Peter’s face that he would get the full and truthful version of events and allowed the man to speak without interruption.

“Is he involved in your investigations for the Star Elite?” Peter asked with a frown.

“Should we involve him in our investigations?”

Peter sighed and thought about that for a moment. “I don’t know, but I don’t doubt that man is up to some shady shenanigans. He was a squire’s son. Not worthy of Matilda, my father’s sister. Everybody told her she could do better, but she refused to listen. The family suspected and were later proven correct. Clarence, bounder that he is, wasn’t really interested in her. He wanted Matilda’s connections and fortune to better himself, however didn’t count on the family’s vociferous objections to their union.” Peter coughed and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “In the end, Clarence had to marry Matilda, Poppy’s mother.” He threw Luke a telling look which Luke acknowledged with a nod. “Her father was angry and refused to acknowledge the union. When Matilda entered married life both of them were effectively shunned. The family wanted nothing more to do with them. They were never invited to social occasions and so Poppy was never raised in society in which she should belong. Clarence tried to curry favour again once the worst of the furore died down, but had more than his fair share of mistresses to his name, and publically turned his marriage into a farce so got nowhere. Publically, he humiliated Matilda, and made a mockery of their marriage. Once Poppy was born he spent more and more time out of the house at gambling houses frittering away Matilda’s fortune. Unfortunately, Matilda suffered from ill health after the birth and never really recovered her full strength. I tried on numerous occasions to persuade her to move to a more beneficial environment and take Poppy with her but she refused. I think to leave him meant she had to acknowledge that she had made a glaring error in trusting Clarence, and she didn’t want to lose face. She died when Poppy was ten years old. It was only when she passed that it was revealed Clarence had steadily worked his way through the money Matilda took into the marriage. Clarence came to me demanding more money to raise Poppy, to which I refused. He threatened to throw her out, hand her over to an orphanage, all sorts of things to get money off me. It got quite nasty, I can tell you.”

“So you didn’t give him any money?” Luke asked with a frown.

Peter shook his head. “I had hoped that once Poppy had come of age she would turn to the family for assistance, but we didn’t know what Clarence had told her. I have tried to speak with Poppy over the last several years but Clarence always blocked me. In the end I have had little choice but to sit and wait for Poppy to come to me.”

“She told me that you gave her five hundred pounds.”

“That’s right. Some of it is hers, inherited from the grandfather she never knew.”

“So she is wealthy?” Luke’s brows lifted in astonishment.

Peter read his mind. “She has been provided for; let me put it that way. It isn’t enough to purchase a house like this, but for someone who has lived in the relatively run-down house Clarence has plundered over time, she is well off. Unfortunately, because rumours were circulating that Clarence wanted money again, Poppy hasn’t been told about the inheritance. I think Clarence would just help himself to it anyway, and that is something I am working to prevent.”

“So when Poppy came here and asked for help, you gave it to her.”

Peter nodded and smiled. “I meant it when I said I would give her all the help she needs. I think the house frightened her a little with its opulence. Unfortunately, she made it clear that she was still with Clarence, although I sensed trouble, so I didn’t tell her about the remainder of the fortune that awaits her. Tell me, what is Clarence up to now?”

Luke wasted no time telling him.

Peter nodded. “He has always been a law unto himself, and has frittered away money left, right and centre rather than curb his rather avaricious appetites. I have no doubt he would help himself to the money and leave Poppy empty-handed. It is Clarence, I am afraid. This time though, I am not going to allow him to plunder Poppy’s fortune as he did his wife’s.”

“Tell me, do you know if he has a mistress, or any connections to people in London?”

“I have kept a close eye on Clarence over the years. He has a mistress, or had a mistress back in Cumbria. Her name was Helena. She was a merry widow and had a son.”

“Clarence’s?” Luke knew he was pushing the boundaries of what was right and proper, but if he had any hope of finding out how desperate Clarence was he needed to know the facts.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if the son was his but I have no proof,” Peter replied matter-of-factly. “So, what do you intend to do now? Please tell me he hasn’t gotten his hands on the money? I did tell Poppy to use it for herself.”

“She still has the money,” Luke hastened to reassure him. “I need you to write me a letter confirming that you gave Poppy the money, and it is for her to use. Clarence is desperate to get his hands on it, and I think is prepared to resort to outright assault if he has to. If you could provide me with proof he has no rights to it if he does take it off her then he can be arrested for theft.”

Without saying another word, Peter rose and scribbled the required note then handed Luke the sealed parchment.

“I will confirm this in court if necessary,” Peter promised. “Meantime, if you see Poppy, please tell her that when Clarence has been dealt with she needs to come to see me to learn the full nature of her fortune. However, her fortune is hers and hers alone, and is not even to be mentioned to Clarence.”

“Agreed,” Luke stood and held his hand out to Peter, who shook it enthusiastically.

“Please let me know how you get on. Meantime, if there is anything else you need, please don’t hesitate to call upon me.”

Luke nodded. His head was reeling a little with the enormity of the news he had for Poppy by the time he left. Now all he had to do was decide whether to tell Poppy about her good fortune just yet or wait until Clarence was out of the way. While he was pleased for Poppy because she now had sufficient funds to purchase a house of her own Clarence could never touch, he was also painfully aware that with means of her own, she was able to go wherever she wanted, and need not even consider a future with him. Unfortunately, by not telling her of her wealth was he being unfair because she would about her future needlessly?

Tugging the collar of his jacket higher, Luke tucked his hands into his pockets and went in search of his colleagues.

“Are we ready then?” Marcus asked as he eyed Luke and Jeb up and down two hours later. “Are you sure you want to do this?” Given the ruthlessness of the gang he wasn’t entirely sure that setting them up as lures was entirely a good thing, but both men nodded anyway.

Luke snorted. He could understand Jeb’s enthusiasm for a good fight. Right now he was so frustrated by the veritable plethora of questions rumbling around that he was champing at the bit to do something physical. It didn’t help that deep inside he was extremely worried that he was going to lose Poppy to her new life of good fortune, but he was unable to find a solution. After all, all he had to offer her was himself, an employee of the Star Elite who put his life in constant danger. Yes, he would love and protect her forever but was that enough?

“Someone has to do it,” Luke replied.

Once they arrived in the right street they split up. Jeb placed his broom on the barrow in front of him and began to push it down the street while Marcus sauntered in the opposite direction. Luke waited until his colleagues were in position then ambled casually down the street after them. He didn’t have to go too far before he came across two young lads propped up against a wall. The way they studied people as they passed was more than mere curiosity. The pedestrians who passed were assessed, and judged, as to whether they were worthy of mugging. Unlike the Toby’s group, these youths had a harder, more feral edge to them. Luke had no doubt who they were.

Luke tensed as he sauntered past. He kept his gaze trained on the end of the street and pretended to have not even noticed the thieves. However, inside he was very aware that one of the thugs nudged his cohort and nodded imperceptibly toward Luke. After a moment of hesitation they followed, just as Luke wanted. Luke turned into the allotted, considerably quieter side road, and hoped that Jeb and Marcus were around somewhere, and braced himself.

Unlike most pick-pockets, these youths didn’t use distraction. These louts went straight for the kill. Before Luke got more than a few yards into the street he was jumped on from behind. Years of training and experience within the Star Elite suddenly blasted into life. To his astonishment, however, he suddenly found himself outnumbered when several of the youths’ accomplices appeared out of various hiding places and surrounded him. Horrifyingly aware that the odds were now seriously stacked against him, Luke began to fight for his life.

Gritting his teeth, he caught sight of Jeb wading into the fray before he landed the first punch of what he suspected was going to be one long and very arduous fight. For several long moments all that could be heard were the sounds of fists striking against flesh interspersed with the occasional grunt or moan when a thump or a kick landed precisely where it was supposed to. Luke groaned when one youth’s punch landed square in the middle of his jaw, right on a spot last night’s assailant had already bruised. For a few moments all he could see were stars, and he gasped for breath while he fought his body’s need to fall to the floor. His brief pause in fighting was enough for his opponent to gain the advantage. Grabbed from behind, he bared his teeth against the volley of fists against his midriff before he landed a well-placed kick that rendered his assailant unconscious, and then turned his attention to the thug behind him. With systematic determination, the men from the Star Elite set to work clearing London’s streets of one of the most prolific and brutal pick-pocketing gangs they now knew worked for their arch nemesis: Terence Sayers.

Poppy blinked sleepily when several loud bangs from downstairs filtered through her slumber. Jolted at the ferocity of the pounding, she listened for a moment and recognised the muffled sound of Marcus’ voice. Without thought she lurched out of bed, dressed quickly and raced downstairs. Her heart was full of joy and excited anticipation at the thought that Luke had returned, and her face was wreathed in smiles as she yanked the door open. That smile quickly fell when she saw the state of the men on the doorstep.

“What on earth?” she gasped, eyeing the bloodied mess that had once been Luke’s handsome face. One eye was swollen and bled profusely from a cut directly above his eyebrow, but that was nothing compared to the blood and cuts on his hands, arms and, well, practically everywhere, Marcus and Jeb were just as bad.

“I am alright,” Luke assured her when she began to flutter around him fretfully. When she didn’t appear to have heard him and kept patting his chest for signs of injury he caught her hands in his and held them still for a moment. In spite of his colleagues’ presence, he placed a tender kiss on her lips. “It looks worse than it is.” In reality everything within him ached as though he had been set upon by the very Devil himself, but he didn’t tell her that. He was too busy trying to grin with delight at her obvious concern for him.

“What happened?” she demanded.

Barnaby stormed into the kitchen and threw her a worried look. “Can you get some water for them?” He nodded toward the dresser. “There should be some strips of cloth in the cupboard. We need to get them cleaned up.”

“They look to be in a bad way,” she replied.

“He got the worst of it,” Jeb warned her, pointing one long finger at Luke.

“Was it the gang?”

Jeb nodded. “We got them all. They are behind bars being refused contact with the outside world.”

Barnaby looked impressed. “All of them?”

“All of them,” Luke growled with satisfaction.

“Luke?” Poppy’s brows lifted.

Before the men could explain what had happened there was a knock on the door. Barnaby yanked it open and stared down at the youngster on the doorstep.

“Yes?”

“Is there another man in here?” the young lad piped up, his voice as worried as the anxious gaze he kept throwing over his shoulder.

Luke recognised that voice and leaned sideways in his chair to peer around the door only for his ribs to protest.

“Cor, what happened to you?” Toby asked in astonishment when he saw Luke. His gaze remained locked on Luke’s battered face as he walked somewhat absently into the kitchen.

“I got mugged, Toby, by that gang who stole your patch you told us about,” Luke murmured quietly. He beckoned the boy closer. “Don’t worry, we got them.”

Toby looked around the room warily as though he expected them to pop up from beneath the table.

“They are safely confined in jail, so you are safe,” Poppy reassured him.

The young boy looked like a rabbit that had just seen the hunter’s rifle. She nudged Luke aside and ushered the young boy to the table where she offered him a seat and sat beside him. When the boy’s hungry gaze fell to a half-eaten pie, she cut him a slice and slid the plate over to him, then added a huge chunk of bread and an apple.

“Now, what do you have to tell us?” Luke murmured gently when the boy began to tuck in.

Toby gulped and nodded his thanks when Barnaby handed him a couple of pennies. Poppy handed him a cup of milk.

“You are bein’ watched,” Toby garbled around a mouthful of food. He nodded toward the window.

Luke lifted his brows and looked at Barnaby, who suddenly stood to attention and lifted his brows at Toby. “Did you get a good look at them?” he demanded darkly.

“Aye. There was a man who was about her size but thin and dressed in black, and another fatter one.”

Luke nodded. “What did the second man look like?”

Toby frowned as he thought. His cheeks bulged with food. After chewing and swallowing thoughtfully for several moments he looked at Poppy. “Bit like her.”

“Was he about fifty-ish with a thinning patch of hair that’s a bit fluffy at the sides?”

Toby nodded. “He had a cap on but it was bushy on the sides and lighter brown than yours.”

Poppy sighed and looked at Luke. “Clarence.” They said together.

“Where are they?” Barnaby asked from his position in front of the kitchen door.

“Under the trees down the road. The one who looks like her left a little while back, but the other was still there,” Toby reported.

“So he has an accomplice,” Poppy murmured. “The attacker who assaulted us last night. I am not surprised he has someone else to do his dirty work for him.”

Luke nodded. The only outward sign of his inner fury was the muscle that ticked steadily in his jaw.

“I don’t understand what is going on,” she whispered. “I will go out and see him.”

“No, you won’t,” Luke replied. “Can I remind you that you were very nearly stabbed the other night? I need to take a look at that accomplice to see if he looks similar to the man I saw in the woods in the park the other day. You need to remain here where it is safe.”

“I ain’t stayin’ ‘ere,” Toby protested in a high pitched voice. He swallowed loudly and glared at Luke.

Knowing that Toby would probably get a thrashing if he didn’t return to his boss when he was supposed to, and have a prize to give him when he did, Luke handed him a couple more coins and shook his head.

“No, you have been a worthy help, Toby. I thank you and your friends for helping us in this way. One thing I need you to do now for me is keep an eye out and see if you can find this man again – not the accomplice, but the other man. His name is Clarence, but you mustn’t call him that. Don’t approach -.”

“I know,” Toby piped up. “Keep your distance. Stay safe and just watch.” He shared a conspiratorial grin with Luke then jumped when Marcus held out several more pennies to him.

“These are for you and your friends. You are fine to call by here whenever you have information. If Luke isn’t around then ask to speak to any of us.”

“Just stay safe Toby. If anything poses a threat to you just leave it well alone. Don’t put yourself in any danger,” Marcus ordered.

“Whatcha goin’ to do with that gang you got? They are dangerous.” The boy’s eyes were big and round with awe.

“They are in jail and are going to stay there for a long time yet. Although they are off the streets, don’t go to their patch just yet. So far, all anybody knows is they have just vanished. Sayers may send another gang in once he realises they have gone, so watch your back,” Luke warned. 

“I will see you back to your patch,” Marcus offered once Toby was full, and had been furnished with yet more money and food.

“I think Clarence has two accomplices. One is the man. The other is the woman at the coaching inn who pushed you over,” Luke murmured once Toby had gone.

“Who is she?” Poppy asked. “Is she his mistress?”

Luke nodded slowly. He told her what he had learned from Peter. “It is just rumour, you understand, but it appears that Clarence has secrets, and a lot of them. From the sound of it, he has never been entirely honest with you.”

“We will go and see if we can find them,” Barnaby said and followed Jeb out of the house before anyone could object.

“Is there any possibility that Clarence might have been meeting with this friend in London, without you knowing about it?”

Luke was used to the world of smoke screens and subterfuge to be fooled by one man’s scheming. He was also used to thinking like a criminal to be fooled by one and strongly suspected that Clarence was indeed a criminal of the most conniving kind.

Poppy’s mind was reeling. “Has he followed you too, or just me?”

“I doubt he has followed me,” Luke snorted. He used several tactics to avoid being followed when he was alone. He just wished he had used them the other night with Poppy. “I think this accomplice probably didn’t vanish into the smog as we thought he did. He could have used the fog to hide while he followed us all the way here. I used it to hide while I followed you. There is no reason why that attacker couldn’t have done the same. Have you been anywhere near the window since you have been here?”

“Only to look out onto the street,” Poppy replied, horrified at the thought that Clarence had seen her with her being aware of it.

“I don’t think it is you he is bothered about,” Luke retorted without thinking. “I am sorry,” he added hastily when she closed her eyes. He couldn’t help it; he had to touch her and placed his hands warmly over hers. “I am sorry.”

Poppy smiled bravely, but it quavered slightly. “He is behind all of this, isn’t he? The park, that woman who knocked me over in the coaching yard, the near fatal stabbing the other night, it’s all him.”

“I would love to say no, but I strongly suspect he is.”

“Who is the accomplice though? Do I know him, do you think?”

Luke sighed. “No, I don’t think you do know him. Clarence may not have introduced you.”

Poppy looked at Luke blankly for a moment while she thought about that. Eventually she began to shake her head as she tried to battle the growing sense of disillusionment that swept through her. Desperate to do something before she went quietly out of her mind, she pushed to her feet and began to dip strips into the bowl of water on the table.

Sensing her disquiet, Luke remained perfectly still while she began to wipe the dried blood off his face. His body predictably responded to her nearness, but he ignored it given he suspected her trembling fingers had nothing to do with reciprocal desire. Was she angry though or upset?

“Tell me, did you get many visitors in Cumbria?”

“No,” she whispered, feeling sicker and sicker with each moment that passed. “Now that I come to think about it, we had no visitors at all. Clarence always said it was because most of the family were dead, and his friends didn’t make house calls. He lied, didn’t he?”

Luke nodded.

“Do you think he might have lied about it all to get his hands on the money? If he wanted the money though why not just take it out of the house while it was there. Why all the subterfuge and deceit of the meeting in the park though?”

Luke instinctively shied away from the very thought of what could have happened to her if he hadn’t found her in the park. Somehow he suspected that Clarence hadn’t been expecting Poppy to return to the house that morning. He just didn’t know how he could tell Poppy that. The man was, after all, her father. 

“I don’t know,” Luke sighed. “I think that matters will unfold in time.”

“Not too much longer, I hope. I want to get this over and done with,” she replied sadly.

Luke sympathised. “We need to question either Clarence, or one of his associates, but until one of them surfaces and we can get our hands on them, we will carry on as normal.” He didn’t add that she wouldn’t be left alone, especially now that Clarence was outside. “There is more I need to tell you about my meeting with Peter, but for now please don’t worry. I am here, and shall not allow anything to happen to you.”

He had never meant anything so much in his life.

“There is something you are not telling me, isn’t there?” Poppy slumped into a chair wearily when Luke nodded.

“Clarence has a mistress, Poppy. I think it is that woman in the coaching inn. Peter said she has a son, but nobody knows if it is Clarence’s son.” He closed his eyes when he heard her gasp. “I think it is safe to assume that there is no creditor. That park meeting was a set up to get you to hand the money over to Helena’s son. It is a way of getting money off you, or Peter, without you being aware that Clarence has it.”

“Did he intend to abandon me, do you think?”

Luke hated to do it but he had to nod. “I think so. He knew Peter would never loan him that kind of money, or anything really because of the bad blood that lay between them so he had to send you. However, he didn’t want you to keep the money. A woman in London is very vulnerable, especially without the means with which to support herself.”

Poppy battled tears as the weight of her father’s ultimate betrayal sank in. She shouldn’t be surprised to find the selfish ingrate she had spent too many years trying to get to like her was so calculating.

“Peter wants you to keep the money. When Clarence is out of the way, he wants you to go and see him before you make any decisions about what to do with your future.” Luke declared, glad that his colleagues had given them a few moments alone to discuss matters privately. “I do, however, want you to consider our relationship.”

“What do you mean?” Poppy whispered. She suspected that her heart was in her eyes but she couldn’t help herself.

“I ruined you, Poppy. Not only that but I didn’t take the proper precautions to prevent a child.” He couldn’t prevent a soft smile from curving his lips at the thought of Poppy carrying his child. The idea thrilled him; to the point that he fervently hoped it was a reality. “I want you think about staying here with me once Clarence has been dealt with. We need to spend some time together, Poppy so we can discuss making this a permanent arrangement.”