Four years ago, Doug disappeared from her life. The man who changed her life forever.
Emmie married her best friend, George. And she got stuck with her brother in law, Charles after her husband died.
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Charles...
Her leg has got swollen. She couldn't walk anymore. Emmie kneels down to massage her leg. Suddenly she feels someone is staring her.
She looks upward.
"What's a pretty lady like you doing here?" asks a drunkard.
She doesn't reply him,
Emmie quickly rises to her feet again. She ignores it when she felt a sharp pain on her leg.
"Hey, woman! I'm talking to you!"
The drunkard has blocked her path.
Emmie says as calm as she could, "Stay away from me."
The drunkard approaches her, he grabs her and is trying to force her down.
"Leave me alone!" yells her.
Suddenly the drunkard got lifted from her. The footman punches him and tosses him away easily.
He helps her to rise on her feet.
"Thank you..." says Emmie.
A woman behind him says, "You must be shocked. Let's go in. You could rest in my club."
Countess Hope.
Emmie could never forget her. The pretty lady who snatched Doug away from her.
Emmie replies coldly, "I better not. Excuse me..."
She tries to walk but her leg aches so much, it's impossible to leave on foot.
The Countess orders, "Derek, carry her in. We got another pigeon to save today."
The footman lifts her up easily. And takes her into the club.
An old wooden sign on the front door, "Broken hearts club."
Emmie struggles and struggles.
She yells, "Let me go! Someone help me!"
The footman presses a spot on her neck and she faints immediately.
"Unnecessary, Derek. But effective as usual. This little pigeon is full of spirits."
The sound of the locked door is like a sound of her sealed fate.
*****
Doug wipes his face from sweats. He has ventured almost all the prostitution houses in London. Still no sign of her. He promised enormous reward money for the pimps if they found her. Alive and unhurt.
(London isn't a safe place for a woman like her. I'm a fool. I shouldn't let her leave me. Emmie, be safe...)
No news from the runner yet. Although Doug has doubled the reward money.
Doug withdraws back into a small alley. That man. He is Charles Campbell. He is in London too. Searching for her.
Doug doesn't really know him well. George hardly ever spoke about his brother. Only saying he isn't a good man.
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(Charles Campbell)
Doug decides to follow him. Incase he has got Emmie first.
Charles yells at his men, "She's just a lady. How could you let her escape?"
"Sorry, Milord. Never thought she could escape from the manor..."
"Idiot!"
He punches one of his men. The same one who has let Emmie escaped from the hut back home.
Charles orders, "I want her found. Got it?"
"Yes, Milord," replies his servants in unison.
Doug exhales his breath when they have left the spot. Relieved he hasn't found her yet. Charles is a cruel man. He doesn't hesitate to use his fists. Emmie fled from him was a good decision.
It's getting dark.
Doug knows he should be going home soon. His stomach is growling because he has skipped lunch.
(If only George was here...he's smarter than me. He would know what to do).
Suddenly there's mist and a shadowy figure shows up few meters in front of him. From his back, he really resembles his dead friend, George.
The figure starts to walk to a certain direction.
Doug knows it's crazy. But his instincts told him to follow him. Man or ghost, he no longer care that much. As long as he found Emmie.
The shadowy figure walks toward a certain place. The sign on front door states it's some sort of a club.
The ghost just walks through the closed door.
Doug blinks few times before he rubs his face. That was really a ghost. Or maybe he has gone mad in his panic for losing her.
He stares to the door. It's too dark to see the sign. Only could read the word club.
His stomach is growling again.
Doug buys some baked sweet potatoes from a street food vendor. He blows the food for a while before eating them.
For poor folks in London like laborers, these potatoes are their daily meals.
Because a loaf of bread cost 3d( pennies), buying foods would cost almost a week salary, leaving little money for anything else. No wonder a poor family could only eat meat once a week, usually in Sunday lunch.
Fresh drinking water is another problem for poor folks. Drinks like beer and gin are easier to get, only 1d, compared to water. It's easy to guess why in many areas in London, you could easily find drunkards.
Many children's death are caused by poor diet, malnutrition and dirty drinking water.
Poor folks usually get their drinking water at the same source where they do laundry and heed nature's call. Drinking water contaminated with poops and chemical stuffs. Gross and yet it's the reality here.
Doug might be rich now. But he's used to poverty. Eating this simple meal is enough to satisfy his hungry belly.
The seller says, "Odd to see a gentleman like you bought cheap food."
"Don't let my fancy clothes fooled you, mate. A rich friend borrowed it to me to court a lady."
"Aye, thought you're bit different than those aristocrat snobs."
Doug munches his potato and then asks, "What's that club over there? Never know there is a club here..."
"That one? Seen a lot of ladies went in there. Hardly come out alone. Usually with a man. Higher level folks."
Doug frowns.
He asks, "Pardon?"
"Politicians. I think it's one hella expensive Abbey. You won't afford going in there, pal."
Abbey is a slang word for prostitution house.
Doug swallows a lump in his heart. Thinking Emmie might be trapped in there. Offered to men like a whore.
"Thanks for the chat. Must be going now."
Doug hails a hack and gives his address.
When he arrives at home, he quickly writes a letter to one of his friends. Then he changes his clothes into more fancy one. Non member usually couldn't get into a private club like that one.
But he knows someone who could.
--------------------------------------------------- Could Doug save Emmie?
