Page 76 of The Unfortunate Debutante
Pushing his way through the crowds, he finally reached the front of the lawn where people were shielding their eyes as they looked up to admire the balloon. Simeon’s eyes scanned it, but nothing appeared out of place, until he stepped closer to the wicker basket and saw four barrels, tied with rope. His heart dropped. Barrels with rope were used to store gunpowder. This balloon was a bomb!
“Everyone move back!” he shouted at the crowd. “It’s a bomb!”
A few of the women gasped, but a bulky man quickly stepped forward and corrected him. “It isn’t a bomb. It’s a balloon held up by hydrogen.”
Simeon placed his hand on the side of the basket. “There are barrels of gunpowder in the basket. One spark will ignite this balloon into a bomb of epic proportions.”
The bulky man shook his head. “The barrels are used to store equipment, nothing more.”
He didn’t have time for this. If a spark hit that gunpowder, it would kill everyone in the immediate area. Thousands would be killed.
Straightening himself to his full height, he declared, “I assure you that I know what I am speaking of. I am a Bow Street Runner.”
The man stepped closer to him, and his eyes were filled with disdain. “Why should we take the word of a Bow Street Runner? You are against our cause. For all we know, this could be a trick to break up our protest.”
“No, I assure you that I support your cause,” he replied as all eyes landed on him. “Will you take the word of a viscount?”
“It depends,” the man said cautiously.
“My name is Lord Wentworth, and I plan to fight for your rights in Parliament. The Corn Laws punish the poor and defenseless.”
“If what you are saying is true, then why did you allow it to pass?” the man exclaimed, earning cheers from people behind him.
“I am just one man against hundreds in Parliament. But I vow to take a more active role in the House of Lords,” he proclaimed. “However, now is not the time to debate it. We must evacuate Grange Gardens…now!”
The bulky man bobbed his head. “I’m going to hold you to your word, Lord Wentworth.” He turned to the protestors and shouted, “We found a bomb! Get out!”
Panic set in on the group as people started running towards the entrance gate. As the area around the balloon started to dissipate, Simeon could see Constable Stone in the cover of the trees about thirty yards off with a flaming arrow.
If Stone caused the gunpowder to go off, it would still kill hundreds of people still waiting to evacuate. He pulled out his pistol but realized if he tried to shoot him this close to the gunpowder, it might ignite it as well.
He watched helplessly as Stone released the flaming arrow, but to his relief, it sailed past the balloon’s basket. He broke into a run, hoping to stop Stone from releasing another arrow. Unfortunately, by the time he reached the man, another arrow was nocked in the string, and he had it pulled back.
Simeon brought up his pistol and pointed it at him. “Put down the arrow,” he ordered.
Stone laughed cruelly. “You won’t shoot me.”
“I daresay you are underestimating me.”
“Not as long as I have this arrow nocked,” he stated. “My next arrow will hit the basket and all these pitiful protestors will be killed. The Anti-Corn Law rebels will be no more.”
Keeping his pistol trained on Stone’s cold heart, Simeon attempted to reason with him again. “You’re wrong. The voice of the people will be made known. You cannot silence them with an act of violence.”
“You’re such a disappointment as a Bow Street Runner,” Stone growled. “You’re supposed to uphold the law, not argue against it.”
His lips parted in disbelief at the hypocrisy of that statement. “Are you mad? You intend to blow up innocent men and women because they are protesting a law that’s causing them to starve?”
“I’m doing what I’m ordered to do,” Stone exclaimed. “I am squashing this rebellion.”
Simeon shook his head. “It’s not a rebellion. It’s the start of something great.”
“You’re deceiving yourself, Runner,” Stone scoffed.
Putting his hands up, Simeon shouted, “There is no reason to release that arrow! The rally is over! The people are fleeing as we speak.”
Stone’s eyes shifted towards the exit where hundreds were still anxiously attempting to exit the iron gates.
“Who ordered you to do this?” Simeon demanded.
