Ether & Elephants (13 page)

The younger crowd milled around the refreshments table for a little while after the orchestra left, though one by one the couples retired up to their rooms. A few of the men had wandered off somewhere, probably to Victor’s study for another round of port and cigars. Nell had no idea where Tom had gone, and she didn’t care. Finally, only she, Roger, Wink and Liam remained, finishing off the last of the cheese tray.

“I’m going to take a brief stroll and smoke one last cigar,” Liam said. “Care to join me, Roger?”

Roger shot Nell a questioning look and when she nodded he stood and kissed her cheek. “Sounds good. I’ll see you in the morning, darling.”

The men walked them to the stairs before turning toward the front door. Arm in arm, Wink and Nell began to ascend until brisk footsteps in the hall below brought them to a halt.

Kendall Lake stood below them on the parquet floor of the front hall. “Something’s come up. Can you join us in the library?”

Both women turned and followed Kendall. Inside the library waited a meeting of some of the top Knights of the Order, the duke, Sir Fergus, Merrick, Connor and Tom, all of them looking grim. Nell sank into a chair and gripped the armrests, while Wink stood behind her a hand on each of Nell’s shoulders. Nell gazed into her father’s eyes. “What’s happened?”

Merrick slapped a sheet of paper against his knee. “This whole situation has just become more complicated.”

The duke opened his mouth to speak, but Tom turned to him from where he paced in front of the hearth. “Let me, sir. Please.”

The duke agreed and Tom continued to pace, back and forth, speaking to Nell without looking directly at her. “You know how Wink discovered there may be more men who fell prey to Polly’s scheme?”

Wink murmured her agreement while Nell remained silent.

Gritting his teeth, he ground out, “Well, it seems that either there are others just like her, or she reached well above myself and much more recently than we’d supposed.”

“Go on.” Nell dug her fingers into the leather upholstery but managed to keep her expression neutral. “What has this to do with Charlie?”

“Tom, sit down.” Merrick gently shoved his foster son into a chair and took a seat between him and Nell. “The connection, dearest, is that a couple matching the description and going by the name of Barrymore departed London this afternoon by steamship.”

“With them was their ten-year-old son who happens to be blind,” Kendall added. “It turns out that there are other government parties searching for these individuals. All our inquiries over the past few days have drawn the attention of, well, the palace.”

Merrick reached over and squeezed Nell’s hand. “I thought you should know. His Grace, Tom and I leave for London tonight.”

“Let me get my coat,” Nell said. “I assume we’re traveling by air?”

“Nell, you shouldn’t—” Tom broke off with a curse. “Hell. Bring a bag. We may leave for India directly from London.”

“I don’t think so.” Roger strode into the room, the flat soles of his shoes slapping loudly on the floor.

Liam stood behind him, arms crossed in a false display on nonchalance. Nell couldn’t help wondering what Roger would think if he knew he was six inches away from a werewolf. Not
all
the special abilities of the Hadrians and their friends had been discussed yet.

“My fiancée traveling across the world chasing potential criminals? No. It was bad enough that she was going to be traipsing around England, but a journey abroad? That’s utterly unreasonable. Darling, if someone from the school must go after Charlie, let it be me.”

Nell stood. “No, Roger. I have to do this. I have resources that you don’t.”

“Like what? A gift for music? I don’t see how that will be of use.”

Nell arched an eyebrow. “Oh don’t you? How about this?” She let her voice soar into song. “
Sit down and be quiet, Roger
.”

He sat, his mouth opening and closing like that of a goldfish, but seemingly unable to utter a word.

A few muffled chuckles filled the room, some disguised as coughs.

“You can speak now.” Resuming her seat, Nell tipped her head. “Still interested in marriage, Roger? I can do that at any time, you know.”
Please let him be brave enough to accept my gifts.

“
What
did you just do?”

Her voice quivered. “I don’t have a name for it. I almost never use it except in life or death circumstances. I just thought you ought to know, if you truly intend to marry me. Like other people in this house, I have powers, Roger. Ones I was born with.”

“You can compel people with your voice?” His own came out as barely a whisper. His face paled and his eyes grew round as plates. “Anytime you want?”

“As I said, I don’t usually do it unless it’s a matter of life or death. But to marry me, you’d have to trust me implicitly and believe I’d never control you to get my own way.”

“I knew some of your family had…gifts, as you call them, but I thought you were ordinary.” His tone broke. “Nell, I can’t believe this. How could I ever live, knowing you could do that at any time?”

She fought back tears. This was not how things were supposed to have happened. “I don’t know. My family seems to trust me. I guess it would all come down to you. There is more, by the way. I ought to ask if your new estate has ghosts. If there are any, you see, I’m the one who’ll have to live with them, day in and day out. You’ll probably never know they’re there.”

“Y-You…” he sputtered. “Ghosts? Bollocks.”

“I’m afraid so.” She sighed. “It’s real, Roger. And what’s more, these things are often passed down through families, so our children might have them too. Mostly, though, I wanted you to know that I’m not the sort of wife who will blindly do as she’s told. I will always,
always
follow my own conscience.”

“I can’t…” He shook his head, his mouth gaping.

She clasped her hands in her lap. “Still want to marry me, Roger?”

“No.” Roger gestured around the room. “This, you, all of it—it’s too much. I do care for you, Nell. And yes, I liked the fact that you have high connections, but not at this price. To live with a woman who can compel with her voice, to know that she sees, or thinks she sees, ghosts? No. It’s simply too much.”

“You know, an engagement can be seen as a contract,” the duke inserted. “You’re going back on a promise young man? I assure you, you’ll find no better woman than Nell, no matter how long you search.”

“Sue me for breach of promise if you must, but our engagement is off. I’m sorry, Nell. I do love you, but I don’t believe that’s enough.” Roger turned toward the doorway but Liam blocked it.

Nell gripped her father’s hand with her right and Wink’s with her left. “It’s all right. Let him go.” She wished she felt sad. She looked at her father’s questioning gaze and shook her head. “No lawsuit, Papa. In fact, I’ll take all the blame and jilt him. I’m sorry, Roger, but I just don’t think we’d suit. I wish you well at finding a bride who meets your needs, but it would never have worked between us.”

Roger inclined his head in her direction, his lips pressed into a tight line.

Nell stood. “Goodnight, Roger. And now, gentlemen, I have a bag to pack. I’ll meet you in half an hour, if that suits.”

Merrick shot a pointed glance at Roger. “You’ll be gone first thing in the morning, I assume?”

He cleared his throat. “Of course.”

“And if any word of anything you’ve seen here gets out, you can and will be charged with treason.” Kendall’s voice was calm, even convivial. “Just so you understand.”

“With excruciating clarity.”

Liam gave Roger a feral smile and stepped aside, and Roger strode from the room.

“I’m taking my private airship right away,” the duke said. “Along with Kendall. There is a meeting to prepare. I assume you, Merrick, will be shortly behind me with Nell and Tom?”

“We will,” Merrick said.

“Connor and I will continue to work from here,” Sir Fergus said. “Along with Melody and Wink on their Babbages.”

“Keep in touch and I’ll send on any information the minute we discover it.” Wink hugged Nell. “Come on, I’ll help you pack.”

Merrick walked the two young women Nell’s bedchamber, pausing outside the door. “Sorry, sweeting. If it helps at all, I don’t think he was at all good enough for you.”

“Of course you don’t, Papa.” She leaned her cheek against his evening coat. “I’m all right. Truly. Perhaps better than I’ve been in a long time. I’ve moved on. That means a lot.”

“You’ll be all right, traveling with Tom?” He searched her expression. “You don’t have to, you know.”

“I know. And I’ll be fine. This isn’t about my former feelings for Tom. It’s about catching a villain and finding Charlie.” She went up on her toes and kissed his cheek. “And I’m going to hold you to your promise to buy me a school and find someone to help me run it. That’s how I truly knew Roger wasn’t right for me. He wanted me to give up teaching entirely, and I don’t think I can.”

“Perhaps a school in the north this time? Cornwall was a long way away.” He held her door, ushering Wink and Nell inside. “Your mother would love to have you closer.”

“Northumberland would be lovely.” She waved him off. “Now go on. We all need to change into traveling clothes.” She set her maid to packing a bag.

* * *

Tom had to work hard at not breaking Roger Braithwaite’s patrician nose. How dare the bastard jilt Nell? Especially over something so innate as her powers. Not that the bastard was good enough for her, of course, but the man ought to be flogged, just the same.

Unfortunately there was no time for that. Tom hurried to change out of his formal evening clothes and pack for London. Within the hour, he, Merrick and Nell were in one of the Order’s fastest airships, piloted by one of Melody’s protégés. The trip to London was swift, and there was little time for discussion. Once they’d landed, they found a steam car waiting at the airfield and they were rushed directly to the Duke of Trowbridge’s townhouse, despite the fact that it was three in the morning. Not only was Kendall’s father head of the organization, he was also a close advisor to the throne. Therefore, it came as no surprise that once the butler had taken their coats and breathing masks, they were ushered into the duke’s private study to see one of the monarch’s privy councillors sitting beside the duke in front of the hearth.

The shorter, rounder figure swathed in black, however, did come as something of a shock. Tom bowed instinctively, even as his mind boggled. Since her widowhood, Queen Victoria almost never left the palace. Certainly not in the dead of the night.

On either side of Tom, Merrick bowed and Nell dropped into a deep, graceful curtsey.

“Come closer, my dears,” the monarch said, beckoning with one black-gloved hand. “What we have to speak about requires utmost urgency.”

“And complete discretion,” Sir Charles Beaumont Phipps added. Balding and with bushy silver whiskers, Sir Charles showed the strain of his difficult situation. Though his official title was Keeper of the Privy Purse, those close to the throne knew his primary task was to rein in the excesses of the royal heir, Edward Albert, Prince of Wales. When necessary, Sir Charles was also required to ensure those excesses that couldn’t be prevented remained firmly under wraps. Tom hadn’t met the man, but as a Knight it was part of his job to know who was who in government.

Merrick dipped his head. “Of course, Your Majesty.” He did likewise with the other two men— “Your Grace, Sir Charles” —and gestured to Tom and Nell to follow his lead. The three of them pulled up chairs and joined the queen and her advisors beside the hearth.

“It should come as no great surprise,” Her Majesty said, “that our eldest son has, throughout his dissolute life, found himself in unfortunate situations, generally of his own making.”

Everyone nodded. The Prince of Wales was a noted rake and gamester. In fact, it was common knowledge that the queen held her heir responsible for the death of her beloved Albert, as the Prince Consort had taken ill during a trip intended to reprimand his son.

“Now that he has recently wed, We had hoped that these difficulties were behind Us,” the queen continued. “However, just when he is out of trouble, it seems that an old scandal has chosen this time to rear its ugly head.”

“How can we be of assistance, ma’am?” Nell and Tom remained silent, allowing Merrick to speak for all of them.

“Ahem.” Sir Charles cleared his throat. “Allow me, ma’am.”

Her Majesty gestured for her advisor to pick up the tale. “Some two and a half years ago, His Highness matriculated at Trinity College. Like most young men in similar situations, he was wont to take advantage of the…recreational offerings of a university town. One of those women, a Miss Paula Berkeley, claimed she was carrying a royal offspring, and demanded marriage from the prince. Since this, of course, could not be allowed, a significant sum was paid to silence the chit and her father. They were told that if any further rumors were heard, the two of them would immediately be sent to Australia. Wisely, they decided the matter was ended—until now.”

Paula Berkeley?
The name could not be a coincidence. Had Polly, or whatever her real name was, continued to run the same confidence game for more than seven years? She’d only been seventeen or so when Tom had known her, so he supposed it was possible. But had there been a child born each time? Or had he simply been duped on that issue as well?

“What’s happened recently, Sir Charles?” Merrick asked.

“We assume it was last month’s royal wedding that brought Miss Berkeley back to the trough.” Sir Charles rubbed his forehead. Tom could only imagine the headaches the man had to deal with on a daily basis. “Her letter, demanding additional sums of money, arrived by this afternoon’s post.”

“The press has talked of little else for the past year,” Nell said. “The wedding was the spectacle of the decade. It would certainly have caught her attention.”

“Yes.” At this, Everett Lake, Duke of Trowbridge, handed Merrick a letter. “While I was discussing our current investigation with Sir Charles, we discovered a certain overlap with today’s extortionate missive.”