Sweet Love of Mine

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Twenty-Nine

The coach stopped beside a particularly unremarkable establishment. Its bare stone walls did not hint at secret debaucheries that occurred from within, nor did it give the impression of being unkempt and filthy.

In fact, it was rather clean and the street outside the residence was swept of all debris and cleansed of all purgings that may have occurred from man or, as it were, beast.

It was unnamed- no placard hung above the door of this building- and large windows flanked the heavy wooden door, heavily draped and barred. Sebastian would not have glanced twice at it, or ever considered that unconscionable acts of depravity would occur inside, especially if Emily was concerned.

He mused over this as Blackwood pushed his head inside the carriage, looking disgruntled. He shook his swarthy head. ''No gentlemen,'' he told the other two. ''The lout at the door barely managed to utter more than a monosyllabic response, but he clearly said no gentlemen tonight.''

''What?'' Sebastian and Lyons said simultaneously.

''How odd,'' Lyons muttered ponderously.

Sebastian cursed under his breath. ''Are you certain?'' he demanded of Blackwood.

''Quite. I am of the firm opinion that if I had not vacated the premises when I was ordered to I would have had a bullet in my chest,'' Blackwood drawled sardonically.

''What a pickle this is,'' Lyons said, rather unwelcomingly in Sebastian's opinion.

Sebastian swore and thrust his way past Blackwood. ''Rochester, wait-''

But the words died on Blackwood's lips as Sebastian pounded his way through the front door. It wasn't barred against his arrival, as he had suspected it would be, so he stumbled with the anticipated force and blinked in the dimly lit interior. A few settees littered the walls on either side, darkly hued and catered to masculine sensibilities, and then his eyes settled on the only other individual in the chamber with him.

A portly man adorned in nondescript attire, a drab brown coat and trousers, stood against an adjoining door that was closed. Sebastian's ears pricked on sound, of movement and music, of general ribaldry and boisterous men who had imbibed more than they should, though it was muted with the door shut. The slightly bald man considered him shrewdly, a frown crinkling the soft pink skin of his brow.

Sebastian cleared his throat. ''Good evening, my good man,'' he announced with a tight attempt at a smile. ''Could you-''

''No gentlemen tonight,'' the man grunted sharply, quickly assessing Sebastian from top to toe.

''Perhaps you'd enlighten me-''

''No,'' the man repeated with ominous threat edging his voice, ''gentlemen this evening.''

Sebastian drifted closer, sensing from what Blackwood had said that this lout was indeed armed. A feeling, an intuition, told him that he needed to get into the room beyond, and a lurking suspicion that it was imperative he discover why.

Silently, Lyons and Blackwood shifted inside the room from behind him.

''We don't want any trouble,'' Sebastian said quietly. ''I'll gladly compensate-''

''No.''

A step closer and Sebastian would be directly in front of the man. For his part, this henchman simply crossed his burly arms over his chest and spread his feet apart. The coat shifted and Sebastian caught the glint of pistol nestled at the man's hip. He needed to get inside that room and the only thing standing in his way was this brute and his weapon. It wouldn't be difficult to apprehend the fiend and disarm him. Indeed, Sebastian had done far worse in his misbegotten youth. But it would be wise for them to practise caution, for any sign of disturbance or ruckus could quite possibly bring about yet more henchmen and that would cause a problem.