Without sayinga word to Lord Wiltsham about where he was going, Gideon quietly made his way from the house. His arm was a little better than it had been the previous evening, although he had spent a somewhat restless night battling against the pain which had continued to course through him.
After he had broken his fast, however, he had felt a good deal better, and had spent the morning speaking with his solicitors about his present circumstances. That had been severely disheartening, however, and he had returned to Lord Wiltsham’s house with his spirits rather low. If he did not regain his fortune, then he would have to do a good deal more than simply allow another family to live in his townhouse and pay him for their time there. What he was doing was helping a little, but it would not be enough.
There were no cabs nearby, so Gideon began to walk towards the center of London, knowing that he would find one there. In the afternoon sunshine, both ladies and gentlemen were promenading up and down the streets, some making their way into various shops whilst others simply stood to talk. He did not glance at any of them, instead choosing to make his way directly without hesitation. He was quite certain that someone called his name, but he ignored it, his mind fixed on his sole purpose.
Hailing the first cab he saw, he climbed in quickly and gave the address he wished to go to, to the jarvey. He had not expected to feel such uncertainty over his return to the place where he had lost so much, but yet, he could feel his heart beating a little more quickly and his mouth went a little dry. This was the place where he had gone that evening, glad that Lord Gillespie – a man he believed to be a friend – had sent them to a place where they might enjoy the evening and with any luck, have a profitable time also. Instead, he had awoken to discover himself in a great deal of pain and difficulty. For some time, he had believed that it was entirely his fault, only to realize that he was not the only gentleman who had been so injured. No one else had been bodily harmed at all, however, but they had all lost a great deal of money. Part of him still wanted to believe that the fault was his own, and had not Lord Foster and Lord Wiltsham not only regained their fortunes, but encouraged him to linger in the hope of doing the same, then no doubt Gideon would have been back at his estate, facing a dark and rather desperate future.
Although whether or not I am able to achieve the same as both Lord Wiltsham and Lord Foster remains to be seen.
Grimacing, Gideon glanced out of the window, just as the cab came to a stop. Taking a breath, Gideon climbed out, paying the jarvey and then turning all around, taking in the dank and dirty streets. The day was brighter than when he had first arrived here with his friends and Lord Gillespie a few weeks ago, but there was no mistaking that this was exactly where he had gone that fateful evening. Even the stale, musty smell was the same.
There were only a few people about, and none of them looked in his direction. Everyone seemed to have a place to go, keeping their heads low as they moved along the streets. A few small children ran up and down, with the occasional burst of laughter seeming to scrape against the darkness of the grubby streets.
I remember this place.
Gideon had very little idea of what he was meant to do next, however, thinking that perhaps this had been a rather bad idea, given that he had not given any time to form any sort of plan for what he would do once he arrived. Clearing his throat, he wandered forward, looking from left to right as he tried to find the particular gambling house he had stepped into that night. The more he considered, the more his memory of that night grew all the more confused, as if his mind wished him to forget entirely. Closing his eyes, he let out a long breath, pinching just above his nose, his mind suddenly filled with nothing but darkness and shadows. Calming his thoughts, he took in a breath, and then another. Surely something around here had to be of relevance to him! Surely something would bring part of that evening to mind?
A sudden scent caught his nostrils and he breathed deeply, his eyes opening at once as he recognized that strange hint of cinnamon and cedar. Something in him said that he remembered it, thinking it so odd against the smell of the streets. Turning his head left to right, he looked around him as he meandered around a corner – and then came across one open door.
It was painted red, with the large brick building reaching up towards the sky.
Yes, I remember this.
The memories came back to him thick and fast, but he shook his head, pushing the chill which came with them directly from his skin. Climbing the three stone steps, he pressed one hand to the red door, looking at it with narrowed eyes. The scent was coming from inside, and he followed it instinctively, his heart thudding.
Once within, it took a moment for his eyes to adjust, for it was a rather dull and dark place, with very few windows letting in only a little light.
“We are not open until a little later, Sir.”
A man that Gideon had not seen until now stepped out of the shadows, a dirty cloth over his shoulder and his hands pressed into his pockets. Assuming that he was proprietor, Gideon moved forward.
“Forgive me for coming into your establishment when it is not yet prepared, but I must ask you something.”
The man narrowed his eyes. He was tall, without a single hair on his head but a large, bristling beard that stuck out from his chin in all directions. His small, dark eyes were fixed on Gideon, and there was not even a small smile on his lips.
“I do believe I have made myself quite clear, Sir.”
“Certainly you have, but I wonder if I might trouble you regardless.” Gideon spread both hands, trying to keep his tone jovial. “I was here in this establishment a few weeks ago and sustained an injury which has been troubling me ever since. If there was anything that you could tell me which would shed light on what took place then–”
“I can offer you nothing,” the man interrupted, his thick eyebrows casting shadows into his eyes as he gestured towards the door. “Please take your leave. As I have told you, we are not open until later. If you would like to come back then, I could think about answering your questions – for a price, of course.”
Gideon grimaced, for he had no interest in returning to this place, particularly not in the evening.
“I could easily recompense you for your time now?”
Easilywas not the correct word to use, but for the moment it was all that Gideon had to offer. The man’s eyes flickered, but he shook his head.
“You gentlemen are all the same. You come into my establishment expecting to get whatever it is you wish from me without complaint. When I say I will not do as you wish, you go on to threaten me in some way. Is that what you think to do now? Do you expect to stand here and tell me that if I do not do as you ask, then you will injure me or injure my wife or my son or my daughter? Or tell me that you will burn down my place here, just like one of you has threatened before?”
Gideon shook his head slowly.
“Certainly not. I have no intention of doing any such thing. I wanted only a little conversation.”
“Pity it is that I am not about to believe you, then,” the man scoffed, putting out one hand and shoving Gideon back towards the door. “If you are so truly honest, then I’ll expect to see you this evening. Oh, and bring some coin with you.”
There was nothing for Gideon to do but turn around and make his way from the gambling house. He had not even learned the fellow’s name, but what the man had said had been rather intriguing. That certainlyhadbeen the place he had been in on that dreadful night. The smell, the red door… none of that would have come back to him otherwise.
But just who has threatened him?
