Freeing Ebony

Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Ebony couldn’t understand how he could have found out about Celeste. The only people who even knew she existed were Ebony, Ellen and Vernon. Ebony had only told Ellen because she needed someone to confide in and Ellen had become a trusted friend. Vernon had to have told him. But why would Vernon reveal that he was holding a child captive? He didn’t want to be imprisoned.

“How do you know about Celeste?” Ebony repeated her question. Had he seen her? Did he know where she was? If he did then they had to leave right away. If she knew Celeste’s location then she would not hesitate to take her and disappear. She had a stocking filled with coins that she’d hidden away from Vernon and she would use that to pay board somewhere until she could find employment. She felt a flutter of excitement in her stomach. She was going to be reunited with her sister.

“I want to help you find her,” Henry replied.

Ebony’s heart sank when she realised that Celeste’s location was still a mystery. But she was foolish to get her hopes up.

“Vernon mentioned you come from Suffolk so I used my resources to learn about your family and who Vernon took with you when he discovered you. I learned Celeste’s name from a friend of my uncle – Lord Pembroke.”

Ebony didn’t know whether to be offended or flattered. He’d been investigating her? She supposed he had no choice considering the fact that she’d sent him away rather rudely. Ebony remembered the Earl who lived in the big house on the hill. From her poor village it looked like a small cottage in the distance but she’d gone walking with Celeste when her sister was about four years old and they’d seen the large manor house up close. It was magnificent. Ebony could only dream of living in such a house.

“Why?” was all she could manage to say.

Henry furrowed his brows. “Why not?”

Was this man real? What kind of person wanted to help a stranger? Vernon had claimed he wanted to help her once. “You don’t know me. I could be a murderer or … or a …” but she didn’t have the stomach to say the word ‘whore’ which was what she was. Not a willing one, but a whore nonetheless.

“I know that a woman should never be treated like this. If it were one of my sisters then I would hope that someone would help them. I want to help you, Miss Seaver. I promise you can trust me. I will do everything in my power to find your Celeste.”

He was speaking so sincerely. She could see the truth in his chocolate eyes. But how could he find her? He could not simply contact a rich man in her home county and say ‘Pardon me, milord, but do you know of any brothels in which a little girl is working?’

It was an impossible quest. “You won’t find her. Vernon’s deliberately hidden her. She’s working in a brothel somewhere in the world and one foot out of line from me and he sends word to the wench who runs the place to put Celeste to work. She’s only eight years old, but he doesn’t care. He’ll do anything to make more money.” The thought of a disgusting old man taking her tiny sister into a room made her want to be violently ill. It would happen over her dead body, and she meant that. If he wanted to put Celeste into that business then Vernon would have to kill her.

“Miss Seaver, I’ll find her. I have money and time,” Henry said seriously.

“I still can’t understand why you would do this for me,” Ebony said in disbelief. She felt terribly guilty for accepting his help but she needed it.

“It might surprise you to know that some people are actually genuinely kind,” Henry replied. But his eyes said more. Ebony could see that he fancied her. For what reason she didn’t know. She wasn’t spectacularly pretty. He was genuinely kind though. She could tell.