Eleanor shrank back, clasping her hand to her chest. “Did they hurt her? Please tell me she is well.” Despite Miss Franklin’s questionable friendship with Lady Lucille, Eleanor wouldn’t want her to suffer.
Mr Franklin opened his mouth to speak but choked on the words.
“Is Miss Franklin here?” Theo said, equally concerned.
The silversmith nodded. “One devil hit her with a silver candlestick before making his escape. The doctor said it’s likely a concussion, but the next few hours are crucial to her recovery.” His voice broke, but he added, “I’m waiting for a constable to return to take a statement.”
Having hurt her head recently, Eleanor offered a few encouraging words. “It’s best not to rush these things. I slept for three days after I fell down the stairs. Other than the odd headache, I’m fine now.”
“Yes, Anna said you’d taken a tumble.” He muttered to himself before changing the subject. “Was there something you wanted?”
The question jogged Eleanor’s memory. “Yes, I visited your cousin’s emporium in Finch Lane. She asked me to deliver a book for Anna.” She handed him the parcel, though the paper was torn where she had whacked the lout in the yard of the Saracen’s Head.
Mr Franklin accepted the book. “I’ll leave it by her bedside.”
“If there’s anything I can do, don’t hesitate to ask.” She feared what he might suggest but had to be polite.
The man’s eyes brightened. “Once the constable has been, you’re welcome to sit with Anna. You might try to wake her from this worrying stupor.”
Eleanor forced a smile. “I shall visit tomorrow. Give her a little more time to rest. Mr Chance can help tidy the shop if you require assistance.”
Mr Franklin was quick to refuse the offer. “I’ll have it cleared by tonight. I’m not one to sit idly by when there’s work to be done.”
They spoke for another minute before parting ways.
“How awful,” she said to Theo as they crossed the street. “Poor Anna. Perhaps we should speak to Mr Gibbs. He may have seen something.”
Theo agreed. “Until the police have caught these villains, it’s not safe for you here. I find it odd that they’re still targeting the area. Thieves rarely hit the same street twice.”
“It wasn’t thieves who targeted my shop but someone known to me.” Someone with a secret to keep. “Maybe Mr Franklin has enemies. Maybe the apothecary prescribed the wrong medicine, and someone sought vengeance.”
Mr Gibbs had seen nothing untoward. “That’s odd. I barely slept and would have heard a commotion. On another matter, Emily came to the shop last night, wanting to speak to you, Miss Darrow.”
“Oh?” If Eleanor had any hope of understanding the past, she needed to speak to Emily, too, but she couldn’t think about that now. “If she calls again, tell her I will be in touch soon.”
Mr Gibbs nodded and asked for an update on their progress.
Theo told him about their visit to the emporium, and that Lady Lucille had hired men to follow them about town.
“Daventry came here yesterday, looking for you,” Mr Gibbs said. “He mentioned Wrotham uses a bookplate with two turtle doves. Though why the lord wants to deliver blank notes around town is a mystery.”
“We were hoping Lady Lucille might shed light on the matter.” She explained their plan to have Miss Franklin meet the lady in Hyde Park. “We’ve already sent the note purported to be from Miss Franklin. Lady Lucille should be waiting in Hyde Park at three this afternoon.”
“I doubt she will wait around once she sees us,” Theo said. “If we visit her at home, her father will ensure she never speaks to us again.”
Mr Gibbs scratched his head while observing Eleanor’s figure. “Happen you’re a similar height and build as Miss Franklin. And I saw a row of wigs upstairs. If you wore a disguise, you could get close enough to speak to her before she scarpers. Give her a reason to hear what you’ve got to say.”
Eleanor looked at Theo. “It might work. If we threaten to reveal her secrets, we might convince her to confess.” Confess to what? Eleanor had no clue. “It’s worth a try.”
Theo’s face was a picture of unease. “You’re not going alone.”
Her heart swelled at his concern for her welfare. “I could dress you in simple clothes and give you a flat cap. Jules could lend you his barrow.”
“I’m not pushing a barrow around Hyde Park.”
Eleanor chuckled. “If you want to come, you’ll have to wear a wig and an oversized greatcoat.”
Eleanor arrived at Hyde Park ten minutes early. She stood before the naked statue of Achilles, a grand monument to the Duke of Wellington, praying she looked remotely like Miss Franklin.
Miss Franklin rarely stood still, so Eleanor paced back and forth, wringing her hands and keeping her head slightly bowed. Few women gazed at the statue. Some had swooned before the sculptor covered Achilles’ genitals with a bronze fig leaf. But the statue was close to the gate, quite convenient for a lady who did not wish to be seen by the masses.
Theo ambled along the path behind a row of trees, pausing every few steps to ensure all was well. Looking menacing in a black wig and an enormous coat, people saw him and walked the other way.
In the distance, the bells of St George’s chimed the hour.
Long minutes passed before Eleanor spotted Lady Lucille Bowman strolling through the gates, her pretty parasol shielding her profile.
Eleanor turned her back, keen to draw the lady closer.
“What do you want, Anna?” Lady Lucille stopped behind Eleanor and tapped her shoulder. “We agreed not to meet again. We cannot be seen together in public. It won’t help my case if the inspector from the bank comes knocking.”
Taking a calming breath, Eleanor faced the lady hiding beneath the parasol. “I’m afraid Anna couldn’t come today. She was hurt in a robbery at the silversmith shop last night.”
Lady Lucille jerked in horror. Her pretty eyes darted over Eleanor’s dark hair and face in a look of utter disbelief. “Miss Darrow?”
“Forgive the deception, but I had to speak to you and knew you would not meet willingly.” When the lady paled and couldn’t form an articulate word, Eleanor added, “I know you stole my diary.” Anna Franklin lacked the courage to break into a person’s home. “I know you pushed me down the stairs to avoid detection. You hired men to follow us. You’ve been paying Lord Wrotham’s debts. We have the solicitor’s statement and those of his creditors.”
