Fate, The Relentless Hunter.

An intriguing meeting.

After bidding his sister and mother goodbye, with some reluctance, Richard returned to the city.

He was mounted on one of his father’s horses this time to pick up the promised dispatches that he was to take with him. He was followed on horseback by that same youth who would see both horses returned to the stable. Better if Richard did not saddle him with the responsibility of trying to get Khan back to the stable by himself just yet. The poor lad might not survive.

He retraced his steps of the previous night, but with much rolling over in his mind after that enlightening conversation with his mother. He was not sure what he might find, though he hoped to see some other sign where he had found that coin that he still had in his pocket. He wished he had seen that young lady more clearly now, as she seemed to occupy his mind more than any stranger would, and yet that was the nature of such meetings, where mystery began to take on intriguing possibilities in the mind. Unfortunately, there was nothing to see other than some minor scuffing on the cobbles from the iron hooves of the horses the previous night, and a small trail of blood into the alley. A cat was busy licking at it, trying to wring some nourishment from it. Anything of any—even minor—value left in the street would have been long gone by now, just as the blood soon would be. Clearly, the value of anything to those in need, depended upon the overriding primal need of survival.

While he was looking from horseback, he noticed another, slightly older man than himself, also searching the ground, but further along the street. He approached him after watching him for some moments. “Did you lose something here, sir?”

Few people approached anyone else for any honest purpose in that location. Richard saw that he was being looked at warily, and that the man had a heavy stick in his hand, and a leather satchel over his shoulder with his right hand within it. No doubt there was a gun in there. He had come prepared for trouble, knowing the area as he must, and recognizing that even the Runners would never think to come out here for any reason without there being at least two of them. How these people preyed upon each other was of little concern. It was their antics in the more respectable parts of the city that interested those from Bow Street.

The man clearly felt no threat from Richard once he saw the uniform. As with himself, there was also likely to be a pistol not too far from hand, considering the area they were in. The man relaxed at being addressed politely. “No, sir. I didn’t, but my mistress did. There was an attempted robbery here last night, and a minor trinket was lost. I was sent to look for it.”

Richard described what he remembered. “A light coach, four horses, one of them gray, no crest on the panels that I could see, and an older gentleman driving, with a young woman—with a parasol—inside. I imagine that the young woman is anxious to have her property returned to her.” He smiled knowingly as he said that. It might appear to be a minor trinket to some, but if the young woman was experiencing what he had once felt when he had misplaced his own, he knew what she was going through.

The man was speechless for a few seconds. The Hussar had seen a lot for such a brief encounter, and as for the young lady; ‘anxious’ did not cover the half of it. He had never seen her in such an agitated state about anything of such little apparent value. “Yes, sir, that pretty well describes them.” He took in more details of the gentleman. “From your uniform, and from what my master said and your description, I think you must be the gentleman who intervened on their behalf. If so, I must thank you.”

“I was that man. What kind of a trinket?”

The man seemed reluctant to disclose much of anything, but felt satisfied that the gentleman deserved to know more than he might, having played such a violent and welcome role—as he had learned—on the previous evening. Both his mistress and her grandfather had been shocked and overawed even, by the way things had suddenly and violently been turned in their favor, and had been grateful for this stranger’s intervention. He burned as much of the man as he might remember into his brain, to relate it later when he was asked.

“Nothing of any real value I am sure, sir, but my mistress is emotionally attached to it. It is an old and well worn silver-coin, about so big…” He indicated its general size with his fingers, about an inch and a half in diameter, “…and threaded on a green ribbon.” He described it further, and noting some aspects of the strange geometric and symbolic markings on it, but did not disclose too much.

“Is it like this one.” Richard reached up and took his own off his neck. It was tied with a piece of leather thong, threaded through a hole drilled into the edge of it. He knew it was the same, as he and his sister had noted how similar they all three had been, lying there, on the table together.

The man looked at it closely on both sides and looked up at him with some surprise. “That looks exactly like her drawing of it, sir, except the one she lost does not have that damage to it, or if it did, she did not mention it.” He was puzzled to see another coin just like the one he was looking for. Perhaps it was the coin he was looking for.

“No. This one stopped a ball from going into my heart, just a month ago.” Richard still had the bruise on his chest. He replaced it about his neck. “But I also found this one, here, last night.” He retrieved the one from his pocket, still on its green ribbon. He had not understood it, but it seemed that his journey to London, and his being on that road had been more than coincidence, and was somehow related to this coin and the young woman who had worn it. He had fallen asleep thinking of all of that. No doubt he would be thought mad if he said any of this to anyone, so had not mentioned any deeper thoughts of that, even to his sister. He had intended to keep it close by him if he had been unable to find its owner before he embarked. He was relieved that he was now about to be saved from doing that. Having it in his possession disturbed him in a way he could not describe, almost as much as the feeling of loss had discomforted him, when he had briefly misplaced his own. The coin of that young woman, had felt as though it was his own, as though it belonged with him, and yet it did not. He knew he should return it as soon as he could. He would like to know the name of that one to whom it belonged; her name, and even where to find that woman he had seen only in shadow inside the carriage before they had driven off. There was a feeling of urgency that he needed to meet with her and find out who she was for some reason that he could not understand. He knew that he should not keep it from her. She would be restless without it. What had she known of him that had seen her retreat into the shadows of the carriage? Had she known him? Or was she just afraid because of the extreme and unexpected violence that had taken place so close to her? He would find out what he might, now that there was an opportunity to do so.

The man before him was obviously relieved, as well as surprised, to see it. “Aye, sir, that’s it. Never thought to find it again, and it fair upset her, it did. She’ll be glad to get it back.”

Richard realized that now, here before him, was someone who clearly knew of it, and knew where it belonged, and might tell him something of the family. Despite having found its rightful owner, though at a distance, he was still loath to let it go for some reason, but knew that he should. He passed it reluctantly into the hand of the retainer and was surprised to find that he felt a great relief at having done so, as though he had done something noble, right, and necessary. The retainer also seemed more than relieved to have it in his hand. Richard had the feeling that he would encounter it again somewhere. He knew that, now.

“Might I know the name of the young lady who dropped it?” He looked closely at the man, and saw some hesitation. “Or at least the name of the older gentleman driving the carriage?”

The man had not liked to be asked those questions. “Sir, I am sorry to be disobliging to repay your welcome and timely intervention of last evening, for which my mistress thanks you, and I thank you, but I may not say. I am not being deliberately awkward, sir, but I made a promise, and there are ears everywhere.” He looked uncomfortably around himself at the buildings, and the few pedestrians who eyed them both with fleeting interest, before quickly averting their gaze, lest they provoke some response they might not like. Gentlemen of any kind were rare on this street, and those that there were, could be relied upon to defend themselves. Besides, the soldier had a saber by him and undoubtedly knew how to use it. “There are those who intend the family some harm, as I think you know from last night, and the less that is known of them and their whereabouts the better. However, if you let me know your name and direction, sir, I shall see that they learn of this and can send a note to thank you.”

Richard smiled at his clever and diplomatic evasion. “Of course. However, I am afraid the army does not readily pass out cards of introduction for its officers serving on the battlefield, and the habit has fallen out of favor with me of late. Probably wise of them.” He told the man his name and where he lived.

“Before we go our separate ways, I would ask another question of you.” The man looked at him. “Do the words, Wellbeck Ho. and Palestrina, mean anything to you?” The man thought for a few minutes, and then responded. I’ve heard that first name, sir. It is the name of a Point of Land near the mouth of the estuary, but the other? No. It sounds almost like the name of a ship.”

“Thank you. It does, doesn’t it? We appear to have been of some little help to each other.”

The man touched his hat by way of thanks, and they each departed to their respective destinations. The man on foot looked back often to ensure that he was not being followed, and that no one else had taken an interest in him being there.

Richard felt uneasily satisfied with the outcome. There was a mystery here that seemed strange. What might they be afraid of that they would not allow their names to be disclosed? He felt that he should follow the man, to find out where he lived. It was obviously not that far away for him to be on foot, but he did not have time, and he had the stable lad with him. Two such opportunities missed now.

He had lost enough time, and now needed to report to his superiors to pick up papers that would be ready for him before he set sail and it would not be acceptable to be late for that appointment. If he might think about it, he would ask about Wellbeck Ho. when he was on his ship and in the estuary on his way back to France. He turned for the city, and the docks. He would find out what the stable lad might know of that man back there, as they rode along, for he had seen him as well as anyone might, as he had sat his horse and taken in the conversation and their exchanges.