An Inconvenient Companion Read online

  “Damn it,” Alfred cursed as he hooked his hands under Laura’s arms and dragged her to her feet. “Laura, come on, stay awake, I need to get you home.”

  Laura was half supported, half dragged, down two further streets, before Alfred stopped in front of a lodging house. He sighed as he entered the building, if he was seen by his landlady, he would be homeless by the morning. She took pride in running an honourable house that attracted the right kind of gentleman.

  Laura made no sound as they walked up the stairs to the second floor. Alfred had wanted security where he lived, so a visible landlady and a set of rooms at the top of the building had seemed perfect. As he helped Laura, who was leaning heavily on him, he now questioned his sanity with choosing to live at the top of so many stairs.

  He opened the door and breathed heavily when he had placed Laura on a wooden chair in the hallway. He closed the door and leaned on the back of it. He had no idea what had happened in the months since he had seen Laura last, but he had an idea that he was not going to like it.

  When the colour had returned to Laura’s cheeks, he helped her into a small drawing room and placed her on a more comfortable sofa. “Wait here.” he instructed and moved to a side room. He had a small area for storing food that did not need keeping in a kitchen. The rooms did not have their own kitchen. His landlady provided the warm meals that he needed.

  He brought out some bread and cheese. His unsociable working hours meant that he always had a ready supply of food. In his job, there were very often long periods of time without the opportunity of sourcing food and he would not dare to knock on his landlady’s door at two or three of the clock in the night and demand to be fed.

  “Eat these,” he instructed Laura. “It will make you feel better. I am guessing you haven’t eaten for a while.”

  “Not since last night.” Laura admitted, falling onto the food as if she had been starved for a week.

  “That isn’t good for a woman in your condition.” Alfred said, not able to prevent the tone of disapproval in his voice.

  Laura paused from eating and met Alfred’s gaze. “You must think I am the lowest of the low.” she said quietly, losing her appetite at the tone of Alfred’s voice.

  “I’m in no position to judge you.” Alfred replied. It was true, he normally would not judge Laura. She was a lady of the night, most who chose that occupation had no other option, except to starve. He could not condemn someone for trying to survive, even if the consequence were unwanted pregnancies. The reason that it had affected him so much was because she was the only woman who he had ever considered….., ever wished that their lives could have been different. Only their lives were what they were, and although he had a lump of lead in his stomach that felt that it was the size of a large boulder, he would have to accept that Laura had been with other men, many other men.

  “I want this baby.” Laura responded defensively.

  Alfred gritted his teeth. “Is that why you want my help?”

  “No!” Laura said. “You gave me enough money for me to support myself and the baby, but there is something else.”

  “Go on.” Alfred said.

  He sat down as Laura told him everything that had happened since they had last met. Of the chaos when the property that Baron Kersal had lived in was raided by his colleagues, and how they had all scattered into London. Each had been thankful for the escape, but worried about the future. Even being in a trade such as hers, it had provided security, three meals a day and a roof over her head. For many of the girls, it was better than they had known before.

  Laura explained that she had hesitated when thinking about leaving London, it was her home and all she had known. She went on to tell him of the place she had settled in with Clara and the efforts they were making in trying to make a respectable living.

  “You had given me money, but I wanted to make sure it lasted and provided for the baby as well.” Laura explained, not quite meeting Alfred’s eyes.

  “What about the father?” Alfred asked, unable to stop himself.

  “Would you be happy if a woman of ill-repute came knocking on your door, saying that you were the father of her child?” Laura asked defiantly, but watching closely at the response to her words.

  “I probably wouldn’t believe her.” Alfred replied coldly. He was not normally so emotional, but Laura’s condition had caused his insides to twist and turn as thoughts raced through his head. He was being harsh with her, the last person in the world he would normally hurt, but at the moment he could not stop himself.

  Laura felt a part of her die at his words, but carried on with her story. She explained how the news that the Baron had walked away a free man had not really affected them, since they had not expected their lives to ever cross again. Then she told him about Sarah and Veronica disappearing.

  “Could they not just have left the area?” Alfred asked.

  “No,” Laura said firmly. “They had nowhere else to go. Veronica certainly did not have any family to go too. I didn’t truly believe that they were dead until I saw what happened to Clara though.”

  She explained what had happened by the side of the Thames. “Was it the first time you had seen the man?” Alfred asked.

  “Yes, I think so,” Laura said, trying to remember. “The problem is that in the area that we live in, you don’t tend to make eye contact with most of the men in the area, as it could cause problems. If he was only following Clara, I wouldn’t have noticed him, we weren’t together all the time.”

  “He probably wasn’t following her for long anyway,” Alfred admitted, more to himself than Laura. “You weren’t exactly hiding, so he would have found it easy to track you down.”

  Laura shuddered at the thought of someone watching them without their knowledge. “If Clara hadn’t wanted to wait another day.” she said quietly.

  “I don’t think it would have saved her,” Alfred said honestly. “If he was waiting to act, any sign from either of you that you were on the move, would just have made him act sooner. You were lucky that you had the presence of mind to get away.”

  “Yes and the help of a decent clergyman who believed what I said. He could have easily cast me out.” Laura said.

  “What now?” Alfred asked. “There is no hope of linking this back to Baron Kersal, if that was what you were hoping.”

  “Oh no!” Laura said quickly. “I never want to see that man again. I was being selfish. You are the only person in London who knows my background and who I trust. I was hoping you could help me to get away, hire a carriage and put as much distance between me and London as possible. I should have done it as soon as the Runners raided us.”

  “Yes, you should,” Alfred said roughly. He was not being cruel, just practical. “Where are you going to go? Have you any family?”

  “No,” Laura replied. “It’s the reason I know for certain that Veronica did not have any family, we talked a lot about our pasts, they were so similar. I just thought I would use the money you gave me to put as much distance between me and here as I can. I hadn’t thought about much beyond that if I’m honest.”

  “You need to go somewhere where you are sure you will receive support, or you will just swap one set of problems for another.” Alfred said. He sat and thought for a while before speaking again. He had thought of most options, some of which he knew were selfish and immediately had to be dismissed. He finally decided that in reality there was only one option that Laura had.

  “We shall have to write to Lord Halkyn and ask for his assistance.” Alfred said, sure that the peer would give it.

  “I know I helped to give information about Baron Kersal, but why would he help now?” Laura asked.

  “He will always feel obliged to you because of his wife.” Alfred responded, smiling at the expressions that passed over Laura’s face as she realised the implications of Alfred’s words.

  “You mean he……..she’s gone and………well I never!” she finally said, half laughing, half shocked.
/>   Alfred smiled. “It seems she was a good match for him. There was no doubt that he was smitten with her from the first time that I met him.” Alfred said, remembering the Lord who was determined to seek revenge for the girl who Baron Kersal had tried to wrong. It had only been through Laura’s guidance and Lord Halkyn’s help that Charlotte Webster had been able to escape.

  The result had been that Lord Halkyn, a confirmed bachelor had then fallen in love with the girl. It had not been an easy journey for them, but Alfred had not been surprised when he had received notification of their recent marriage.

  “Well I didn’t expect that to happen,” Laura said. “Who’d have thought that little innocent Charlotte could capture the cold hearted lord?”

  “He wasn’t very cold and aloof when it was anything to do with Lady Halkyn.” Alfred said, remembering the times he had been with Lord Halkyn. The emotions had ranged from raging lord, determined to seek revenge, to drunken wastrel, wallowing in self-pity, when the romance was not going as he hoped.

  “Lady Halkyn, how lovely that sounds.” Laura said. There was no bitterness in her words, people like Charlotte seemed to deserve happy endings more than her own kind did. “Do you think they would help?”

  “There’s no reason why they wouldn’t. But for you, they would never have met,” Alfred responded. “You are only asking for a place to shelter, which, if they knew what has happened, I’m sure they would offer without hesitation.”

  Laura felt the wave of relief wash over her at the possibility of a solution. “How will I contact them?” she asked.

  “I will send a letter, I think it would be better if it came from me.” ever the practical Alfred offered. “I will send it to Lord Halkyn’s London house, even though I know he is not there. They will know where he is.”

  “Can you suggest somewhere safe I can stay until we get a reply?” Laura asked.

  Alfred paused. He was being foolish he decided, as he uttered the next words. “You are in the safest place. You got here unobserved, and to leave would put you at risk, so you can stay here.”

  “How can I?” Laura asked, but the jolt of pleasure that had shot through her at Alfred’s words was the nicest feeling she had felt in a long time.

  “It is going to be difficult,” Alfred admitted. “I am going to have to feign illness, otherwise we are going to have Mrs Edwards, my landlady, coming in to clean.”

  Between them they concocted a plan that although far-fetched, because of Alfred’s previous impeccable behaviour, was more likely to be believed.

  Chapter 5

  Alfred sent off a letter straight away. He was not about to let Laura put herself at risk, but he did realise that the next few days would feel like an eternity. It had been hard enough to keep away from her when he had been working undercover in the Baron’s household, but in his own rooms, it would be harder still. He would have to keep reminding himself that she was heavy with another man’s child.

  He managed to convince his landlady that he was ill and sent round a note to his workplace, to say that he was not well enough to be at work. Once everything was in place all they could do was wait.

  Food was still provided for by Mrs Edwards, although it had to be split between two. Alfred tried not to dwell on what she thought when he returned every plate empty, while at the same time complaining that he could barely move due to illness.

  Laura busied herself as best she could, but there were few books and even fewer that would interest her. Alfred unsurprisingly did not collect novels. She tried to move around as much as she could, but although the rooms were spacious for a man of Alfred’s means, in reality the space was limited. The first day seemed to last an age.

  As the evening closed in, Laura sighed, flopping herself on the sofa. “How long do you think it will take to receive a reply?”

  Alfred smiled, it was the fourth time she had asked in the last hour. “It depends where they are. It could be days.”

  “I will be in Bedlam before then!” Laura said dramatically.

  “I will go out tonight and see if I can gather anything that will distract us.” Alfred said.

  “Can I come?” Laura asked eagerly.

  “Walking the streets of London, at night, when someone is looking to kill you is a wise plan of action, is it?” Alfred asked sarcastically.

  “But I’ll be with you.” Laura responded.

  Alfred paused before speaking, her words had flattered him, in that she had so much faith in him. “It is not safe Laura,” he said gently. “I will bring what I can.”

  Alfred left the house when everything had gone quiet. He was used to coming and going without making a sound, so no one in the other rooms was disturbed. He checked the area once he was outside. He was fairly sure that Laura had not been followed, but it was better to be safe than sorry. He only left when he was sure that Laura would be secure.

  He wandered the streets, enjoying the fact of being outside, even if the air was humid. He was not used to being inside so much, so he picked up his pace and burned off some energy before becoming focussed on his tasks.

  He visited numerous establishments. Some parts of London never closed, if you knew where to go. He obtained everything he needed and returned to his rooms, being careful to double back and make sure he was not being followed.

  He crept in the room and immediately knew that Laura was asleep. There was a stillness to the air that only occurred when everyone in a place was at rest. He had learned to recognise the different atmospheres in a building as part of his training for his job. He placed all his packages in the side room and settled on the sofa. It was going to be an uncomfortable night.

  Laura woke as first light entered the room. She had not closed the curtains, for fear of being seen near the window. She lay in the sunlight, slowly going through the previous day’s events. She stretched and climbed out of bed. She had hung her dress as best she could, to try and get the creases to drop out, but it would not be many days before she looked like a waif off the streets.

  She entered the drawing room and stopped at the sight of Alfred lying on the sofa. He looked uncomfortable and she felt guilty at preventing him from having his own bed. She moved slowly across the room, but even though she had been careful, Alfred awoke at her movements.

  “Good morning.” he said groggily, sitting up and rubbing his hands over his face.

  “You look awful.” Laura said with sympathy.

  “It will help me to be more believable then,” Alfred croaked. “There are books on the table that you may be interested in.”

  Laura picked up the books in wonder. Novels! He had chosen well, Fanny Burney, Maria Edgeworth, in addition to some by unnamed authors, plus books of poetry, Byron, Wordsworth and Shelley. He had also managed to obtain some periodicals. At least the second day would not seem as long as the first one had.

  “I’ve also got more food and drink. It isn’t hot, but I think it would be more convincing if I sent some of my dishes back with some food remaining on them to Mrs Edwards. She is more likely to believe that I am ill, that way.” Alfred said.

  “Yes, but her cooking is so good.” Laura said longingly.

  Alfred smiled. “Control yourself, woman!”

  Laura tutted at his cheek and walked into the side room. The worktop was covered in bread, cheeses, hams and cold pie. There were also flagons of small beer. “You have been busy, I’m surprised you managed to carry all this home,” she said with approval. “Are you preparing for a siege?”

  “We don’t know how long we will need to remain here, so thought it was best to keep the need to leave my rooms at a minimum.” Alfred said, entering the room and tearing off a piece of bread.

  “I was hoping that you would receive a reply today.” Laura said, her buoyant mood fading a little.

  Alfred smiled, “Lord and Lady Halkyn are possibly still away after their wedding, it could be a few days.”

  Laura settled herself down and read for the morning. She hid in the side
room whenever Mrs Edwards knocked on the door to deliver food. Alfred always asked her to leave it outside the room, his excuse being that he did not wish his landlady to catch whatever malady he had.

  In the afternoon, she became unsettled again. She was not used to being so confined. Even at Baron Kersal’s she had the days to herself, as gentlemen usually spent the days with their families. They only visited during the evenings when they wanted to explore the seedier side of life with the women of the night.

  Laura started to pace around the room. Alfred watched her for a while without speaking. She had left her hair down and she looked every bit the trapped tigress as she prowled around his drawing room.

  “Would you like a game of cards?” Alfred asked, trying to divert them both. He did not like the way his body still reacted to Laura, even though she was with child.

  “I suppose so.” Laura said, sitting opposite him.

  “Your enthusiasm is heart-warming.” Alfred said drily.

  “I’m not very good company, am I?” Laura asked with a smile. “I am grateful for what you are doing you know, even though I may not sound like I am.”

  “Anyone would have helped you.” Alfred said, brushing off the complement.

  “No, I know a lot of people, although few of them well,” Laura said, picking up the cards that Alfred had dealt. “But there was only you that I knew I could trust.”

  “Dependable Alfred eh? Doesn’t sound like much of a recommendation.” Alfred said with a grimace.

  “Believe me, it is the highest recommendation I could ever give someone,” Laura said with feeling. “Anyway, you get your excitement from your job, I would have thought that you would want a quiet life when you return home.”

  “I do.” Alfred responded truthfully.

  Laura looked at her protector. “You are a man of many faces aren’t you?”