Page 57 of The Unfortunate Debutante
“Don’t you?” he asked.
The man huffed. “I am Constable McKay, and I don’t report to your magistrate.”
A loud commotion came from near the podium as a fight was breaking out. The constables were hitting men and women with their batons, but this time, the people were fighting back. A bloody-armed Janet emerged from the crowd near them.
“Get out of here,” she urged. “These constables are beating us for no reason. We weren’t resisting!”
Simeon grabbed Emma’s arm and yanked her towards him. “She’s right. We need to leavenow.”
“Not without Janet!” she declared, holding her hand out for Janet to grab.
Without waiting for another moment, he started heading towards an alley when another man stepped in front of them. “Where do you think you are going?” he asked gruffly.
“I demand that you let us pass,” Simeon declared.
His eyes perused the length of Emma’s body lewdly. “I don’t think so. It looks to me like you rebels could benefit from some time in prison.”
Simeon squared himself up to his full height. “I am a Bow Street Runner, and I am on assignment.”
“Well, I’m Constable Stone, and we have strict orders to bring each of these worthless rebels into prison,” he stated dismissively.
“Our prisons can’t handle this influx of people, and you know it,” Simeon argued. “Whose authority are you working under?”
“Justice Keats, the district magistrate.” Constable Stone’s eyes focused on Janet’s wounds. “You can go, Runner, but I’m taking these ladies to the Bridewell prison in Westminster for a spell,” he asserted, reaching out to grab Emma’s arm firmly.
“I don’t think so,” Simeon growled, knocking his hand to the side.
Reaching for the dagger in the waistband of his trousers, Constable Stone wasn’t even bright enough to consider Emma a threat. She came around Simeon and jabbed the constable in the throat, causing him to fall onto his knees.
“Let’s go,” she admonished.
The sound of a pistol cocking behind them made them all stop in their tracks. Simeon put his hands up and turned in the direction of the sound. A man dressed in a brown suit was holding a pistol, and it was aimed at Emma.
The man’s glare intensified as he watched her. “You’re under arrest for striking an officer of the law.”
Keeping his hands up, Simeon said, “I am a Bow Street Runner, and this young lady is my partner.”
The man gave him a look of disbelief. “Bow Street Runners do not hire women. We both know that women do not have the mental fortitude to handle such work.”
“Regardless, you don’t want to arrest this girl,” he attempted again.
“And why is that?” the man scoffed.
Slowly, he lowered his hands and took a step closer to the man. “That is Miss Emma Pearson, and she is the ward of the Marquess of Downshire.”
His pistol wavered slightly at Simeon’s words, but then the man ran his eyes down the length of Emma’s gown. “She doesn’t look like a lady to me.”
Simeon heard a loud slap behind him, followed by Emma crying out. He turned and saw that Emma had a hand over her reddened cheek, and Constable Stone was gripping her other arm tightly.
“This one goes to Westminster Bridewell, and it doesn’t matter if she’s the queen of England,” Constable Stone said.
“Then I’m going with her.” Simeon approached Constable Stone and knocked his hand off Emma’s arm. He kept his voice low and controlled. “You are going to pay for your ill-treatment of Miss Pearson, constable. I guarantee it.”
A hint of fear came into his eyes, and Constable Stone was wise enough to step away from Emma.
“Get into the wagon,” the constable said, pointing towards a wagon not far away.
“Are you all right?” he asked, leading her towards the wagon.
