Page 115 of Unmasking the Diamond
Alcott rose from the settee, rubbing a weary hand over his face. “We’ll sleep when Charlotte is home safely.”
Lady Alcott frowned, her gaze flicking between them. “I worry for you both. You look like death, and I mean that in the kindest possible way.”
A ghost of a smile tugged at Alcott’s mouth. “Thank you, my dear, but I could not sleep now even if I tried.”
“At least come and have some breakfast,” she urged. “You need sustenance if you are to think clearly.”
“I could agree to that?—”
Alcott’s words were interrupted by a brisk voice from the doorway. “Good morning, gentlemen. Lady Alcott.”
Luca turned sharply. “Rupert,” he breathed, striding forward. “Did you find Martha?”
A faintly smug smile touched Rupert’s lips. “I did. She’s in Newgate.”
“Newgate?” Luca repeated, incredulous. “For what purpose?”
Rupert sauntered towards the armchair and sat down as if he had all the time in the world. “I spoke to Lord Matthew’s housekeeper and discovered something interesting. Were you aware that Martha’s surname is Dawlish?”
“It is?” Alcott asked, clearly startled.
Rupert nodded. “The housekeeper at Lord Matthew’s residence mentioned it. Apparently, Martha has a grandmother living in Cheapside.”
“She did,” Luca said, “but Miss Dawlish fled after I questioned her.”
“Indeed,” Rupert replied. “That led me to Martha’s father’s residence, where I caught her returning home at dawn. I spoke to her—kindly.”
Luca crossed his arms. “You and I must have different definitions of ‘kindly.’”
Rupert’s smirk deepened. “I didn’t torture her, if that’s what you’re implying. I merely persuaded her that speaking with me would be in her best interests.”
Alcott’s voice was tight with impatience. “And what did you discover?”
The humor drained from Rupert’s face, replaced by something far more grave. “Martha was planted at Lord Matthew’s townhouse after Luca began asking questions about The Chelmsford Asylum.”
“Good gads,” Luca muttered. “We were tricked.”
“That you were,” Rupert said, “but there is more. Martha’s main objective was to lead Luca to his death. She was going to come to you and pretend she knew where Miss Winslow was being held, all in an attempt to have you ambushed and killed.”
“She admitted to that?” Luca asked.
“Yes, but she revealed something valuable in exchange for her life.” He paused, letting the moment stretch. “I know where Miss Winslow is being held.”
Luca’s heart lurched. “Where?” he demanded, barely managing to keep his composure.
Rupert grimaced. “The Chelmsford Asylum.”
Lady Alcott gasped, her hand flying to her throat.
Luca’s pulse thundered in his ears. “And how, precisely, did you get Martha to tell you that?”
“I convinced her it was in her best interests to speak the truth,” Rupert said. “I may have also implied that I’d ruin everyone and everything she loved if she didn’t.”
Luca didn’t waste another breath. He strode towards the door. “We go now.”
Alcott raised a hand. “Hold on. We need a plan before we storm an asylum full of guards and madmen.”
“I have a plan,” Luca snapped. “Save Charlotte and the rest be damned.”
