Time to Heal Read online

  “Where was he from?” Emmeline demanded. “Did he come from Hastings Hall? From my family’s estate?”

  Rose made her odd, lopsided sneer again.

  “No, your Majesty,” she snapped, her large lower lip smacking wetly on the title. “He said he came from an Earl and he promised to pay me a king’s ransom if I could help him get back his Lordship’s stolen heir.”

  “Oh no!” Emmeline put a hand to her head and looked at Skahr. “Lord Torrington—the Earl of Kent—that’s who he was talking about. He’s Jack’s father!”

  His frown deepened. “You are speaking of the male who attacked you? His father has taken your son?”

  Emmeline nodded frantically. “Oh, if they’ve already taken Jamie to the Torrington estate we might never get him back! I’ve only been there once but the grounds are huge.”

  “We will find him,” Skahr promised her grimly. “Never fear.” He looked back at Rose. “How long have they been gone?”

  “Nick saw them leaving no more than three hours ago,” Mother Griffith said. “But wouldn’t they be more likely to take the babe to his Lordship’s house in town first? Wouldn’t it be closer?”

  “You’re right of course!” Emmeline shook her head. “Oh, I’m so upset I can hardly think! My poor Jamie!”

  “We will get him back, delora,” Skahr told her. “Never fear. Where is this house? Do you know?”

  She nodded.

  “Yes—I went to a ball there once. We’ll need to get a carriage but we can get there much faster than the country estate—it’s across town in Fitzroy Square.”

  “That’s where all the swells live,” Mother Griffith said, nodding. She squeezed Emmeline’s arm. “I’ll help you find him, my dear! I’m so sorry about what happened. If I had dreamed for one minute that Rose would do such a thing…” She turned to glare at the misshapen girl. “I’ve been harboring a viper right here in my house, so I have!”

  “Never mind about that!” Rose snapped. “I told you what you want, now put me back to normal!” she demanded of Skahr.

  He shook his head. “Unfortunately that is out of my power. The magic must wear off on its own.”

  “What?” It was a positive shriek that nearly split Emmeline’s eardrums. “What are you saying!” Rose screamed. “Put me back! Put me back!”

  “You will return to your normal appearance when the magic wears off,” Skahr told her. “And not a moment sooner.”

  “When does it wear off then?” Rose demanded. “An hour? A day?”

  “The spell I spoke was a lasting one,” he growled, frowning down at her. “It could last anywhere from a standard week to an entire year. Maybe in that time you will learn to mend your ways.”

  “A year?” Rose shrieked again. “I can’t be ugly that long! No Jonnie is going to want me looking like this! I’ll have to hide myself away!”

  “You can hide yourself away someplace besides here then,” Mother Griffiths said crisply. “You can take your things and leave, Rose. I’ll not have a sneak and a liar who would sell out another of my girls for a bit of gold under my roof.”

  Rose’s eyes grew wide—well, the tiny one did, anyway. The huge one was already almost as wide as a pie plate, Emmeline thought.

  “But where shall I go?” she demanded. “I won’t be able to find work anywhere but the freak show, so I won’t!”

  “Go to the freak show then,” Mother Griffiths snapped. “I don’t care where you go so long as you get out!” She pointed at the door to her private parlor. “Now, Rose—you have fifteen minutes to gather your things. After that I’m sending Nick for the constable.”

  “You…you…” Apparently Rose couldn’t think of anything bad enough to say. She staggered through the door, banging against the wooden frame as she ran and probably giving herself a black eye as she went. Then she slammed it behind her and was gone—Emmeline hoped forever.

  She looked up at Skahr. “I didn’t know you could use the magic dust to do that.”

  He frowned. “It has many uses. She should not have betrayed the woman I love.”

  Emmeline bit her lip—it was the first time he had said he loved her and she didn’t know how to reply. She felt deeply for the big Kindred too, but right now getting Jamie back was the first thing on her mind. The heaviness of her breasts, so filled with healing nectar for him, made her long to hold her baby in her arms.

  Luckily, Mother Griffith stepped in to change the subject.

  “If you’re going to Fitzroy Square, hadn’t you better change your clothes, dearie?” she asked Emmeline. “You’ll never be admitted to a nobleman’s house looking like that.” She nodded skeptically at the brief leather top and short leather skirt Emmeline was wearing. “The butler will turn you away at the door at once.”

  “She is right,” Skahr agreed. “We must wear the clothing of your people if we are to be admitted into their dwelling.”

  Emmeline started to agree with them…then stopped.

  “No,” she said slowly. “No, I don’t think so. In fact, I believe we are dressed exactly as we need to be in order to get Jamie back.”

  “I don’t understand,” Mother Griffith said blankly. “Dearie, you’ll be arrested for public indecency if you go out in that get-up, so you will!”

  “No I won’t.” Emmeline pulled out the black feather cloak Talli had loaned her and pulled it around her shoulders. “See? I’m covered now.”

  Mother Griffiths looked even more non-plussed.

  “So you are but you look almost as much a freak as poor Rose does now!”

  “I know.” Emmeline nodded. “That’s the idea. Now listen…”

  Twenty

  “Wait here please,” Emmeline told the driver of the hansom they’d hired to take them to the Earl’s town house in Fitzroy Square. She hoped to be back out the door with Jamie in her arms as soon as possible. If only things would go according to plan…

  “Yes Miss.” The driver looked at her dubiously, as though he wasn’t certain the title he gave her was appropriate. But he seemed willing enough to wait when Mother Griffith pressed some money into his hand.

  “Now,” Emmeline said, pulling on the black leather mask she normally wore when she was “disciplining” Jonnies. It would serve two purposes—first to hide her identity and second to lend her an air of mystery she hoped would be irresistible. “Is everyone ready? Does everyone know their part?” she asked.

  Skahr nodded and Mother Griffith said, “Lead the way, dearie. I’ve been putting on shows for the swells all my life. I know what to do.”

  “Good. Then let’s go.” Adjusting her mask and the feather cape she wore once more, Emmeline strolled confidently down the neatly tended lane that led to the imposing Grecian-style mansion which was the Earl of Kent’s house in town.

  When they got to the immense double doors which were painted oxblood red, she stepped to one side and let Mother Griffith take the lead. The older woman looked imposing her best black hat and fur collar and cuffs and as she knocked imperiously at the door, her face took on a look Emmeline knew well. She thought of it as the “face of authority” and when Mother Griffith was wearing that particular look, she had never known anyone to disobey her.

  After a moment, one of the doors opened and a haughty-looking butler peered out. If he was surprised to see a woman in a black feather cape and a black leather mask and a huge barbarian man dressed in nothing but a loincloth and boots with a huge sword strapped to his back, you never could have told by his impassive expression.

  “And who might the three of you be?” he demanded, looking down his long knife blade of a nose at Mother Griffith who was in the lead.

  “We are the Countess of Kent’s entertainment for this afternoon, my good man,” she answered crisply. “So if you’d be so kind as to let us in out of this cold, my Barbarian Lord and his queen are not used to our northern climate. They come all the way from the Lost Southern Continent, they do.”

  “I think not.” The butler sniffed