14.
I do not want to miss you
Over the next days, Connor tried to fully concentrate on the search for his friends. They still had the first priority. He ranged through almost every district of London, searching for clues. He listened to the gossip of the people when he walked through the streets and also visited one tavern or another, to listen around the people as an apparent guest. He turned all his energy and concentration to it, but as soon as he came to rest, his thoughts wandered back to the fight with Lillian. He didn´t know what to think about it. He had done the right thing when he had told Lillian that he didn´t want to see her anymore. It had to be. But Connor regretted that they had separated in conflict in the end. Lillian´s words had hurt him. He always did everything for the people close to him and she was wrong when she said that he was just ignorant and only interested in his own advantage. He couldn´t have accepted this reproach just like that. But in hindsight, Connor was asking himself if he had been too hard to Lillian. He couldn´t forget her hurt expression when he had called her a lonely person who wasn´t understanding anything about friendship. He had actually noticed that Lillian hadn´t been open to any person on the soiree, but he shouldn´t have hold it against her. What did he know about Lillian? What did she know about him? It had been wrong of him to let his pride gain the upper hand and say these words to Lillian. Connor knew this, now that he had calmed down. But he wouldn´t go to Lillian to apologize. He couldn´t because as soon as he came to her, he would revise his own decision.
So he had nothing left but to fully concentrate on his plan, but he felt that he was approaching another dead end again. Nothing he heard on the streets was really helpful. The few traces he found useful led into the void. It was hopeless. He had to find another attempt and so Connor decided to think back in his last investigations. He had learned about the address at the harbour, until now the best trace, on the soiree. The templar Mason had told Tibbet that he had left these important papers there. So Tibbet had had the responsibility and maybe he still had it. Connor had to find him and he already knew where to start his search.
The stench of sweat, mixed with the smell of human excrements and rotten food engulfed Connor as he climbed through the small window into the room, which seemed to be Walter Tibbets flat and it took his breath away for a moment. Disgusted, Connor put his hand in front of mouth and nose and tried not to look at the properly filled night pot next to the tattered mattress, which seemed to be the bed. Tibbet hadn´t made a tidy impression, but this room was outdoing everything. Tibbet seemed to have influence and money, but didn´t seem to attach importance to a high living standard like the most of his brothers. Obviously he only needed a decrepit small room over one of his warehouses. But it didn´t make him sympathetic.
When Connor had the feeling that he had reasonably got used to the stench, he took his hand from his face and used it to look around. He wasn´t entirely sure what he was looking for, but concentrated he attended to every corner of the room. He looked into the cupboard where was only a tattered coat. He opened the drawers of the only commode, which were full of unusable things and he also opened the drawer of the desk, which was also containing nothing helpful. Connor even pushed the mattress aside with his foot and checked some loose floorboards for a stash, but it seemed like Tibbet wasn´t keeping anything that would have brought Connor closer to his friends.
Frustrated, Connor pushed the mattress back. Why were all his traces leading into the void? It was impossible that he couldn´t find out anything. He was here for so long already and had achieved nothing. He had only failed and with every passing day, the risk grew that something worse than the arrest by the Templars happened to his friends. Again he remembered the words of the old lady. That Gardner had brought them here to let them get sentenced and that this could only mean their death. The only and quite dark hope was that the Templars were basically planning something else and that the condemnation was only an excuse. But Connor didn´t want to rely on that. He needed to find something at last.
Connor just wanted to leave the flat the way he had got inside, when the steps of two men sounded on the wooden stairs in front of the door. He could clearly hear Walter Tibbet´s voice. Connor quickly climbed through the window, stood on the wooden bracing underneath it and pressed himself against the crackly wall of the warehouse, the open window right beside him. He could hear how the door was opened and how the two men entered the room.
"He´s already on his way here, that´s why I want to know it done", the unpleasant voice of Tibbet continued the previous conversation.
"So…the delivery…"
"The delivery is already on its way to its destination and isn´t my responsibility anymore. Gardner is going to take care of it, as soon as he arrives."
"And why did you ask me to come here, Sir?" It was the voice of a young man who was obviously having great respect for Tibbet. A shaky undertone was proving suppressed fear. Fear of a man who was now uttering a crackling laugh.
"You, Mittens, certainly remember the special task I gave you", he said in a tone that wasn't to Connor´s liking at all. "You still know what I told you about the lovely Jarvis girl, don´t you?"
"Li…Lillian Jarvis? Yes of course, Sir. And you really want me to…?"
"Yes, I do. She will be in the Theatre Royal tonight. You will wait for her after the show and do what I told you to do, understood?"
"Yes, Sir. Of course, Sir."
"Go then."
Stumbling steps sounded, then the door was opened and slammed shut again. Connor could hear how Tibbet uttered a snort and shortly afterwards, a pattering sound, as the night pot was brought closer to the edge of its capacity. Not the only reason for Connor to get away from the window and climb down again. This conversation had troubled him, although he had sworn to himself that he didn´t want to think of Lillian for now. But he knew too well that Tibbet had threatened her that he wanted to keep an eye on her because he hadn´t believed the story about Connor´s identity on the soiree. But maybe he didn´t only want to keep an eye on Lillian. Maybe he had told Mittens to harm her and in this case, Connor had to pre-empt and stop him. Entirely silent, the assassin landed on the plastered street along the warehouses. He stayed in the shadows while he followed the man who had left Tibbet´s warehouse. He was a head smaller than Connor, was slim and had thin, blonde hair. He moved rashly, as if he was on an escape. His gaze kept flitting over his environment, sometimes behind himself. But he didn´t notice the assassin who was following him. Connor couldn´t imagine that he was really someone you would ask to hurt another person. But he didn´t want to be fooled by appearances.
He followed Mittens for quite a while. Away from the harbour, through the streets of London. They left district after district behind them. Sometimes Connor doubted that this man had an actual destination. It rather seemed like he was strolling through the city to kill time and this guess kept getting stronger. It became evening and only when the sun had set, it seemed like Mittens was really choosing a path with determination and like the hours before, a dark shadow was close behind him. Mittens left an alley and crossed a broad street with quick steps, past several carriages, which were standing in a long row in front of a big building. He shortly talked to a coachman, seemed to push some coins into his hand and watched how the carriage drove away before he walked on. Along the building led a corridor, framed by pillars and through the wide open and brightly illuminated swing door waved the sound of music and many voices outside. Small groups of splendidly dressed people were standing in front of the entrance, chatting and not paying attention to the slim Mittens, who was staying in the shadows of the pillars and seemed to wait. Connor had watched him from the opposite side of the street and now he also approached the building which had to be the Theatre Royal. Connor pushed himself past two waiting carriages and leaned against a pillar, a few metres behind Mittens, where he had a good view on the entrance without being seen. Mittens himself kept staring at the door and winced every time when someone came outside. He was waiting for someone and Connor knew for whom.
It didn´t take long when Lillian actually left the opera house. Connor saw how Mittens moved shortly, but stayed in his hideout. Lillian was only a few metres away from her watcher´s pillar, when she leaned against the building´s wall with one hand and opened a fan in her other hand and started to fan herself with air through quick movements. Even from his position, Connor could see that her chest was rising and falling frantically. She didn´t seem to be well. She appeared to be troubled. Only when a young woman, who Connor recognized as the maid Maria, came out of the opera house, Lillian pulled away from the wall and put her hand on her hips instead, staring straight at a spot on the wall.
"Miss Lillian, you can´t run outside just like that", Maria said and laid a coat over Lillian´s shoulders. "The other Ladies and Gentlemen already ask what is wrong with you."
"Nothing is wrong", Lillian snapped, which made Maria wince. "I just have enough of these sycophants and my cheeks are hurting from smiling. I endured this for three hours and have enough of the gentlemen in there."
"You mean the gentlemen Thomas and Brooks?"
"Exactly!" The movements of Lillian´s fan became more hectically and Connor was almost sure that he could see the anger in Lillian´s eyes. Her voice sounded so furious that you could think she wanted to beat someone with her fan. But obviously she was satisfied with abusing her wrist and with giving vent to her anger with words.
"The whole show I was sitting between those men and wasn´t able to follow the happening on the stage. Every few minutes they made advances to me. In turn. And never I could stand up or tell them that I´m not interested in what they´re thinking about me at all."
"But it is nice of them to…"
"It is not nice, Maria", Lillian interrupted the maid harshly. "Theresa has planned this, I´m sure of it. Certainly she´s expecting me to come home with an engagement ring."
"But Mr. Thomas and Mr. Brooks are good catches, are they not?"
"Of course they are, if you´re looking at their purses and their influence." Lillian uttered a scornful snort. "But it can´t console you about their personalities. First of all, Thomas is at least twice as old as I am. His wife died half a year ago, left him five daughters and now he´s desperately searching for a young thing that finally gives him a son. He´s not interested in anything else and Brooks is a creep. I had too much to do with him in my youth and my biggest mistake was it to let him kiss me. After that he thought he could touch me whenever and wherever he wanted. He´s not looking for a wife. He´s just looking for a woman who´s keeping his bed warm and spreads her legs whenever he wants. Not to forget that he kisses like a wet piece of cloth."
Silence, in which Connor knitted his eyebrows. He really didn´t feel like listening to Lillian´s explanations about her former or not former lovers. Especially because he had to admit that he was surprised that Lillian hadn´t been as half as unexperienced in kissing than he had been. He had looked at Mittens from time to time who, unlike the assassin, had listened with great interest. He licked his lips, straightened his hair and tugged at his clothes, as if he was thinking that he didn´t fall into the raster of the rejected gentlemen Thomas and Brooks.
In the meantime, Lillian had taken a deep breath and turned to Maria, who had stood beside her full of uneasiness, watching her.
"I am fed up with it. Theresa keeps introducing me to some gentlemen who are not interested in me as a person. She always says I shouldn´t be choosy in my age and situation, but does it mean that I have to offer myself like a…breeding mare whose only purpose is it to be mounted and to give birth to children?"
After these quite direct words, some of the nearby ladies had crinkled their noses and had glanced at Lillian indignantly. But obviously he didn´t notice it. "Besides, it seems like I´m giving the impression that you can treat me how you want anyway."
Now she had sounded almost resigned. She had even lowered her hand with the fan, while she looked at the maid who was giving her a comforting smile in return.
"Don´t let yourself be discouraged by men like Thomas, Brooks and…others. Eventually Theresa will introduce you to a gentleman who doesn´t want to marry you because of some low motives."
"When this happens, God himself has to have a hand in it."
Maria laughed about this mumbled reply and shortly put a hand on Lillian´s arm. "I will go and check where our carriage is. Wait here."
Maria turned away and went along the row of waiting carriages. Lillian, who was standing with her back towards Connor and Mittens, uttered an audible sigh and her shoulder slightly slumped forward. Until now, Connor had only seen her in a straight posture, but although he couldn´t quite understand what she had talked about, it seemed to trouble her. But in this moment, there was something that was troubling him more. Mittens had slowly pulled away from his hideout and approached Lillian now. Connor saw something flashing up in his hand and he had jumped out of his hideout immediately. He wanted to storm towards Mittens, when he talked to Lillian.
"Miss Jarvis?"
She turned around to the man and Connor had disappeared behind a pillar in time. He walked around it a bit and was standing right next to Mittens, who had stopped a few steps away from Lillian. If he wanted to cross this distance, Connor would be there to stop him in an instant.
"Yes?" Lillian had no clue that she had been watched the whole time. She looked Mittens over attentively while he stepped from one foot to the other uneasily and ran his hand through his sparse hair. Again, Connor couldn´t believe that he planned to hurt Lillian.
"I…I don´t know if you remember me. My name is George Mittens."
Lillian slowly shook her head and smiled hesitantly. "I am sorry, no. I don´t know you."
"You do! Well…at least we´ve met before. I worked for your uncle a few years ago. As a guard for the…well…you know."
"The slaves?" Lillian´s voice became sharp and Mittens winced, but nodded.
"Well, so I´m not surprised why I don´t remember you, Sir. I always stayed away from my uncle´s businesses."
"Of…of course, Miss. My apologies."
"I don´t mind." Lillian´s gaze became a bit softer again, but uneasily she glanced over her shoulder. It didn´t seem like she felt comfortable in this situation.
"Mr…Mittens, I am sorry but I need to go. My carriage is already waiting."
She wanted to turn away, but Mittens made a step towards her, whereupon Connor jerked forward.
"Your…Your carriage isn´t here anymore. You…came with the old Kruger, didn´t you?"
"Yes…but how…?"
"I saw him drive away", Mittens said quickly. Kruger must have been the coachman Mittens had given money to. Obviously this man had a particular plan.
"But if you want me to, I would accompany you home. You can´t walk through the darkness alone after all. Who knows…which figures are lurking out there?"
Lillian stared at the man in front of her dumbfounded and shrunk back, when he suddenly reached out a hand, holding a metal flask. "I have something to drink, by the way…if you like. You seem to be troubled."
Lillian´s gaze flitted back and forth between the flask and Mittens. She appeared to be overtaxed and Connor couldn´t hold it against her. What was this guy thinking? What was he up to?
"No…thanks." Lillian kept moving back from Mittens and glanced over her shoulder again. She took an audible sigh of relief as she saw Maria approaching her. "Mr. Mittens. Your offer is very kind, but I have to refuse. There are still some friends of mine in the Theatre and I guess someone will bring me home. Thank you for your kindness."
And with that, she turned away, grabbed Maria´s arm and pulled her back to the opera house. Mittens stayed like rooted to the spot, the hand with the flask still stretched out. A sneering smile appeared on Connor´s lips. Whatever this man had planned, it hadn´t worked. Mittens had to watch how Lillian and Maria left the building with a couple, climbed into a carriage and drove away. He stayed, but then he uttered a curse and ran off. He stormed after the carriage and once again, Connor followed him. The carriage was driving through London´s streets in an unhurried speed, so that they just had to run slowly. It was no problem for Connor. He could leave quite a distance behind him like this without a problem, but Mittens became more and more slowly and although Connor was keeping a distance, he could clearly hear the man´s heavy breathing and then a relived sigh, when the carriage stopped in front of Lady Bonham´s house.
Mittens hid in the shadow of a wall while he watched how Lillian and Maria left the carriage, waited until it drove off again and went to the house where they disappeared. Connor, who had stayed hidden, too, had actually expected Mittens to try to come closer to Lillian again. But he didn´t. At least not directly. The slim man pulled away from his hideout and climbed, quite awkwardly, over the iron fence. Frowning Connor watched the figure, which was slowly moving through the front garden and approached the tree, Connor knew too well by now.
"You wish", the assassin growled and started running. He climbed over the fence, ran silently through the garden and reached Mittens, when he just wanted to climb the tree. The man didn´t know what happened when he was grabbed and pressed against the tree. His eyes widened in fear, when he could feel the cold steel of Connor´s blade against his neck.
"What are you doing here?", Connor asked in a threatening voice. "Why are you following Lillian? What did Tibbet want you to do?"
"How…how do you know…?", Mittens stammered, but Connor just pressed the blade firmer against the thin skin of his throat.
"Answer me."
"Al…Alright. Please! I…I´m just supposed to keep an eye on her and have to tell Mr. Tibbet, as soon as she...meets with…well…strange people."
"You mean, people like me."
"Y…yes, Sir."
Connor cursed inwardly. He had expected something like that, but with his intervention, he had reached exactly what he had wanted to prevent. Of course Mittens would tell Tibbet about him and Lillian would get into trouble. But at the same time, he couldn´t have allowed Mittens to climb this tree and watch her through the window.
"Why did you talk to her by the opera house?", Connor asked because it confused him that Mittens hadn´t restricted himself to watching.
"I thought…I thought if she trusts me somehow, I could talk to her and wouldn´t need to watch her."
"That was everything? Connor hesitated. Obviously Mittens was saying the truth but still it was one of the crudest plans Connor had ever heard about. It seemed like Mittens wasn´t blessed with much skill. But now it wasn´t important anyway. He could still tell Tibbet everything and although this thought wasn´t to Connor´s liking, he had to prevent it.
"Come", he growled, grabbed Mittens' arm and dragged him through the garden, back to the fence. They climbed over it and Connor pulled the man over the street, away from the house and away from this district. Mittens kept whimpering quietly and stammered something that sounded like a plea. Obviously he knew what was awaiting him, but Connor would show no pity. It was necessary. To protect himself, but also to protect Lillian.
After they had left some blocks behind them, Connor pulled the still whimpering Mittens into an alley and pushed him against the wall. "I am sorry, but you should not tell somebody about me."
"I…I won´t. I prom…" Mittens couldn´t finish his sentence anymore. Connor had shoved the hidden blade into his throat and held him, when he slid to the ground, slowly and breathing raspingly. Connor kneeled in front of him for a moment, closed his wide eyes, wiped his blade clean on Mittens' coat and stood up again. This situation had been caused by his own rashness, he knew that. But he´d had to kill Mittens. But at the same time he knew that Tibbet had been serious about his threat towards Lillian. Certainly Mittens wouldn´t stay the only one the Templar would put on to her. Connor needed to be more careful from now on. He wasn´t allowed to come closer to Lillian, but still he planned to look after her from time to time. Just to be sure that Tibbet didn´t aggravate his actions. Although he had wanted to stay away from her. He hadn´t wanted to waste a thought on her anymore and still it was his sense of responsibility that was driving him to do the opposite.
It is time to find the others at last and sail home, Connor thought bitterly and left the alley.