“Amongst other things,” Lord Stoneleigh muttered, quietly. “Yes, he promised us a great deal – a different experience from what we were used to.”
“It was certainly that,” James remarked quietly. “I am sorry for Lord Gillespie’s betrayal. I know he was a dear friend of yours.”
Lord Stoneleigh nodded, his jaw flexing for a second.
“There is such a great deal I should like to ask him. Unfortunately, I will never be able to speak to him again. Lord Montague made certain of that.”
“Did Lord Foster ever find out why Lord Montague took Lord Gillespie’s life?”
James caught the twist of Lord Stoneleigh’s lips as well as the flash in his eyes.
“I believe it was due to the fact that Lord Gillespie did not wish to continue as part of that particular venture any longer.” A soft sigh broke from his lips. “And I can take some relief from that, at least, knowing that in the end my friend regretted what he had done.”
James drew his gaze back towards the red door. He could not imagine all that Lord Stoneleigh was feeling at present, for it must have been a great trauma to discover that someone he considered a close friend could treat him with such evil.
“Perhaps there was some incredible difficulty which forced Lord Gillespie’s hand,” he said, in an attempt to bring some quiet to the frown which drew itself across Lord Stoneleigh’s brow. “We shall never know the true circumstances and that must be a very great trial to you.”
“Yes, it is, but I have accepted it – and I am endeavoring to undo all of Lord Gillespie’s bad works, as well as revealing the other gentlemen involved - for I will not lay all of the blame on Lord Gillespie’s shoulders.”
“No, indeed not,” James replied, making no move toward the door of the gambling den. “Now, given that I did not lose my fortune here, it does not seem particularly wise to spend any time within the establishment itself.”
“I would agree.” Putting both hands on his hips, Lord Stoneleigh turned around. “Do you recall where you ended up?”
“No, I do not. I am sure it was nearby, but I could not give you any particulars.” A flash of heat burned in James’ cheeks as he shrugged. “I confess that I was so embarrassed that I did everything I could to remove myself from that place as quickly as possible, and I did not take note of my surroundings in any detail as a result. It was also very dark indeed, and I do not think that I would be able to find my way there now.”
“Then we should simply walk along the streets until we see something that you recognize. You say it was very dark, but perhaps something will nudge your memory.”
“Perhaps.”
They set off, but confidence did not fill him as he made his way along the dirty streets. The only thing he could remember of this place was the red-doored establishment where he and his friends had gone at the start of the evening. Thereafter, everything else was a blur.
“Anything?”
Lord Stoneleigh ambled cheerfully along beside him, his eyes alive with interest as they moved from one part of the street to the next. It was a very different world from the one they lived in, but James took no notice of that. Instead, he grew increasingly desperate with every step he took, wanting to find something that he could recognize, eager to be able to identify even the smallest thing… but nothing appeared familiar to him.
“I had not thought of this particular dilemma,” he muttered as Lord Stoneleigh chuckled. “I thought I would have every success. I thought I would be able to recognize that place fairly easily, once I laid eyes on it. But now that I am here, now that I have wandered a good distance away from that red-doored gambling den, I find that I am quite lost. How can I ask the lady anything if I cannot find her again?”
“Let us return by a different route,” Lord Stoneleigh replied, not answering any of those questions. “And let us pray that we do not get lost in the process!”
This brought a little relief to their situation, and James allowed himself a small smile. Returning by a different route proved a little more difficult than they had anticipated, however, and they soon found themselves wandering, with very little idea of where they were, or of how to return to the gambling den.
“It seems that this was not a wise idea,” Lord Stoneleigh muttered, no smile on his face now. “Forgive me. I thought it would not be as difficult as this.”
James shrugged.
“Nothing looks familiar anyway. Mayhap I can simply hail a cab and we can return to my town house.”
They were at a crossroads, with people and animals everywhere. James made to move across to the other side of the street, only to come to a complete stop. He reached out one hand and took hold of Lord Stoneleigh’s arm. Astonishment rattled through him.
“Whatever is it?” Lord Stoneleigh asked, as James continued to grip tightly at his arm.
James himself said nothing, staring straight ahead until finally, Lord Stoneleigh followed his gaze.
“Wait.” Lord Stoneleigh’s voice had dropped low. “Is that young lady the one you have been searching for?”
James could forgive the confusion that the words indicated, given that Lord Stoneleigh had only seen the lady’s retreating back as she had stepped into the large building opposite; a shabby wooden door closing behind her. Had his eyes deceived him? Could it be that she was here? Or was it simply that she had been on his mind and thus, he had mistaken her for someone else?
“No, it was not her. Not the woman we came seeking, at least. It – it cannot be.” Closing his eyes, he saw the scene play out before him. “Mayhap it was.”
