Mark of Caine Trilogy: Book One: Hidden in the Shadows (Victorian Villains) by Catherine Lloyd Page A

living in a hunting
lodge buried in the Berkshire countryside when he was not in London. When he
was in town, Caine could be found at the rooms he
rented in Baker Street. He kept a low profile which perfectly suited Queen
Victoria’s purposes.
    “Your residence in Berkshire is in the
vicinity of Gateshead Asylum, is it not?”
    “Yes, ma’am. Hawthorne Hall is in Bracknell Forest. The asylum is a two hour
journey away on horseback.”
    Few in Victoria’s circle of intimates
expected the twenty-nine-year-old Tanner Caine to
prefer a quiet country life over the glitter of London, but Caine retreated to the lodge as frequently as possible, resurfacing only when Queen
Victoria sent for him.
    She had cause now to be deeply grateful for
his self-imposed exile; she wanted as few eyes on the task ahead as possible.
She chose well, the queen thought, sizing him up. There was not even a wife to
get in the way. Though Tanner Caine was often seen in
the company of beautiful women, he had never married.
    No doubt because of his face.
    Perhaps the deformity was a congenital
defect that he did not want to pass down to his children. Victoria could
sympathize with the feeling of looking at one’s children and seeing only the
flaws staring back. The madness, the addictions, the sexual appetites....
    Caine was tall, broad-shouldered with glinting charcoal hair and piercing
black eyes. A breathtakingly sexual man with one flaw: a physical deformity
acquired at birth, mild enough, but disturbing on first meeting. The left side
of Tanner’s face was paralytic, pulled down at the corner of the eye and mouth.
His was a half-formed beauty, which made the queen trust him all the more. Marred
men were humble enough to take orders and ruthless enough to carry them out.
    “Mr. Caine , Laura
Mayhew must leave Gateshead Asylum and quite soon. How that is to be managed, I
cannot say, only my name must not come into it. Once she is free, I imagine she
will need an escort to her home in Dorset. It would be best for all concerned
if she never arrived.”
    His pause was brief, but telling. Victoria
braced herself.
    The ex-naval officer recovered his
equanimity. “How soon do you need the job done?”
    “As soon as possible, but that is entirely
up to you. I ought to say as soon as it is safe ,
only know this: I cannot run the risk of Laura Mayhew telling her story to
anyone.” She peered at him shrewdly. “Can you do that for me, sir, or have I shocked
you into speechlessness. In six years of devoted service, I never believed I
would come to you with such a request. My children have tried my patience time
and again. If given the choice, I would not have had any. But one is not given
a choice. One lies back and thinks of England.”
    “What threat does the girl pose to the
Crown, ma’am?”
    “Is it important that you know?”
    Tanner Caine’s expressionless stare told her that he would not take action without cause. She
valued that quality as well, although it was cumbersome at times.
    “Laura committed a capital offence for
which she cannot be brought to trial. She was Princess Louise’s confidante and
privy to sensitive information. Girlish secrets for the most part about which I
would not be alarmed were not for the fact that Miss Mayhew is determined to
make one secret in particular public. She is a grave liability. My informant
inside Gateshead tells me she befriended a young woman by the name of Clara
Hamilton and it is likely she confided the story to her. Mrs. Hamilton was released
into her husband’s care six months ago.”
    “Where can I find Mrs. Hamilton? I shall
need to question her.”
    “Her husband is Mr. Branson Hamilton. He
lives in Somerset at Windemere Hall.”
    Tanner Caine shifted his weight. “Branson Hamilton,” he repeated.
    Victoria had never seen Caine appear flustered before. “Do you know him, sir?”
    “I did once. Not anymore.” Abruptly, he
shook off the strange mood that had overcome him. “I’ll see