A Promise of Tomorrow by Rowan McAllister

fromyou.”
“Oh, of course, my lord. Thank you, my lord,” Allen replied hurriedly, then bowed again as James turned to make his way up the stairs.
    He’d just entered the hall and leaned his back against the door when his niece came running down the main stair, all fluttering pink ribbons and white muslin.
“Oh, good morning, Uncle! Excuse me, Uncle!” she gasped as she made her waytoward the back ofthe house.
    “Good morning, Anna. Wait a moment, what’s the rush?” James asked, pushing himself away from the door and reaching for her hand.
“Sorry, Uncle, I need to talk to Mott about something. It can’t wait!”she said as she attempted to pullher hand fromhis.
    “Anna, stop just one moment, young lady. Why is it so important for you to speak to your father’s coachman?” He was getting swallowed into the mystery again, he was sure of it, and he was also sure he wasn’t goingto like it.
    Anna bit her lip, then answered in a rush, “I went to talk to Andrew first thing when I woke. Andrew was supposed to look out for Mr. Allen last night. He was supposed to help him, and it’s my fault that Mother and Father found out and Andrew got dragged back home. But at least Andrew could’ve made sure Mr. Allen had somewhere to stay before letting himgo off alone in the carriage, and I just want to make sure he made it somewhere safe and he’s going to be all right. And Mott can tell me where they let himoff. So that’s whyI need to speak withhim.”
    “Take a breath, sweet. All is well, I assure you. I just this moment finished speaking with Mr. Allen right outside this house. He seemed well enough. There’s no reason for you to be so overwrought.” James spoke calmingly while stroking his thumb over the back ofher hand.
“Outside? Just now? Oh, thank heaven!” she cried before rushingaround himand out the front door before he could react.
    He caught up to her at the bottomofthe stairs and followed her gaze to Allen’s retreating back. The young man was almost to the corner when a tall blond man grabbed his arm and started dragging himacross the street. In the dimlight it was hard to see his face, but James was fairlycertainit was Weir.
“Ohno!”Anna exclaimed, and she started to rushafter them.
    James managed to catch her armbefore she’d gone more than a step. “Hold on, younglady. What do youthink you’re doing?”
“Uncle James, please, we have to help him! That man is going to hurt him again. I just know it. Please, please hurry!” she cried, tryingto pullawayand follow the two menas theydisappeared down a side street.
“Stay here!” he commanded. “Promise me you won’t move fromthis spot or neither one ofus is goinganywhere.”
    Her anxietyhad infected him, and he was a bit startled whenhis heart lurched at the thought that Allen might be in danger. But no matter how strongly he wished to rush after him, his first responsibility was to his family, and he certainly wasn’t going to allow his niece to be inanykind ofdanger, either.
“I promise! Just, please hurry, Uncle!”she pleaded.
    “Go back inside,” he ordered, before charging off down the street.
He caught up with them in a dark alley leading to the stables behind the houses. As he closed in on them, the taller man pushed Allenhard against the brick wallnext to themand pinned himthere by the shoulders.
“You little shit!” Weir hissed. “How dare you disappear on me like that? Obviously you didn’t learn your lesson last night and you’re in need of another. Did you actually think you could simply walk away fromme? After all I’ve done for you? After all I’ve given you? Stupid, ungratefullittle tart.”
James’s anger and concern quickly turned to confusion. What the hell is going on?
Weir was a gentleman , for God’s sake . Though James had never liked the man, bullyinga youngmaninanalleyonlya few yards away fromthe prying eyes and ears of the servants in the stables just didn’t fit withanythinghe’d heard