The House Of Smoke (30 page)

She took the book out of my hands, placed a cool hand to my face and kissed me lightly. ‘No one is there, I promise you.’ She pushed me back on the bed. ‘Just as
I
am certain you were not seen coming here, be certain I have ensured
we
will not be seen while you are here.’

Elizabeth undressed me. Light and deep kisses punctuated the removal of each garment. When I was naked and breathless, she stepped into the pooling candlelight so I might see her better as she removed her nightdress. I swear the sight of her naked flesh in those flickering warm hues lit a thousand fires inside me.

‘Oh my God, I want you so much,’ I said, no longer caring whether Moriarty was watching or was in the room alongside us. ‘I want you so very desperately.’

‘I know you do,’ she teased. ‘I know it very well.’

Our love played out in a shadow dance on the wall, a wonderful waltz that was one moment frantic and the next exquisitely slow. Kiss by kiss and minute by minute I slipped away from the tense reality of the world.

I fell asleep with Elizabeth in my arms, and my pleasure doubled when I found she was still there when I awoke. Dawn light fell across us both and I studied her face while she slept. She was a good ten years older than Surrey and had wrinkles around her eyes where Surrey had none. But Elizabeth was all the more beautiful for them. The tiny flaws made her unique. Made me want her more than ever.

As the room grew lighter her eyelashes fluttered open like the wings of a tired butterfly. I saw her focus. She pieced together the events of last night then smiled sleepily, ‘I am glad to see you are still here.’

‘Of course I am here.’ I stroked her hair. ‘Why wouldn’t I be? You look so beautiful when you are sleeping.’

She pushed fingers self-consciously through her hair. ‘I am afraid I look my age. Which as you know is somewhat greater than yours.’

‘Everything about you is greater than me. Greater than any other person I know.’

She touched my face and smiled. ‘You feel like that because you have hunted me for so long and are intoxicated by getting what you wanted. Once your mind clears, you will quickly bore of me and my aged
greatness
.’

‘“Age cannot Love destroy.”’

‘Ha! If you are to quote Shelley then you must do so in honest fullness. “Age cannot Love destroy but
perfidy
can blast the flower, even when in most unwary hour it blooms in Fancy’s bower.”
Perfidy
, Simeon,
perfidy
.’

I knew she meant my betrayal of Surrey was deceitful and made me likely in time to be unfaithful to her as well. ‘I only want you, Elizabeth. I will only
ever
want you.’

‘Then you must tell your
other
lover that.’

‘I know I must. And I will, as soon as Surrey returns. But what of you and the professor?’

She frowned. ‘The professor?’

‘You and he are also lovers, so—’

‘We most certainly are not!’ She sounded aghast. ‘Is that what Miss Breed said?’

I nodded.

‘Then that little dollymop has lied to you. Lied no doubt, so she could keep you for herself.’

‘Don’t call her that.’

‘She’s lower than a common toffer. She sleeps with men not to pleasure them, but to take their lives. She is a succubus.’

‘Is that worse than your relationship with Moriarty? Because no matter how you protest, there is clearly a relationship of sorts.’

The remark stung her into silence.

‘If he is not your lover, then what hold does he have over you?’

Her face crumpled.

I put my hands to her shoulders. ‘You can confide in me. I will keep your confidence. You know that I will.’

Her eyes glistened. She blinked and a tear rolled down her cheek.

I wiped it with my hand. ‘Please tell me what upsets you so much that it makes you weep to even consider speaking of it.’

‘It is my father.’ She spoke softly, as though the words bore a terrible weight. ‘He is the reason why I am here. Why, like you and Surrey and Sirius, I am inextricably bound to the professor.’ She lowered her head.

‘I do not understand.’ I put my hand gently under her chin and raised it so I might see her eyes. ‘
What
about your father?’

‘I had him killed. By the professor. By Michael, to be precise.’

‘I can’t believe that of you.’

‘He abused me, Simeon. Abused me long before my mother died and before I was even of age.’

‘Dear God.’

‘Eventually, he made me pregnant. Lord forgive me, but it was a blessing that the poor child was stillborn.’

I tried to comfort her, but she pushed me away. It was as if she needed the space to be able to say anything more.

‘He said it was my fault. That
I made him
do those things. He said God had taken the baby from me because I had been sinful and wronged both my father on earth and Father in heaven.’

‘Father?
That evil man was no parent to you. Had I known him, I would have killed him myself.’

‘Thank you.’

‘Forgive me for asking, but how did you even come to be acquainted with the professor and Michael?’

‘Moriarty has known me since I was a young girl. He regularly came to my father’s business and our house in Scotland for dinner.’

‘What kind of business did your family run?’

‘Shipping. Import and export. In its prime, it had vessels and crews in both Scotland and England, trading with China, Europe and America. One day, Moriarty came to see my father but he was not at home and instead he found me …’ She struggled to continue.

‘Found you what?’

‘Close to death. I had tried to end it all, by taking laudanum and cutting my wrists.’

‘Dear God.’

‘Moriarty and a maid found me bleeding and unconscious on a chaise longue.’

‘You poor thing.’

‘The professor kept me alive while a doctor was sent for. I’d have been dead but for him. It was when he came to see me the following week that I broke down and told him what Papa had been doing to me.’

‘And Moriarty offered a remedy? A permanent one?’

‘He did. But not there and then. It came more than a month later, after he and my father had fallen out. The professor asked if it was true that I would inherit both the house and the business if Papa died. I told him it was but that our home had been heavily mortgaged to pay debts run up by the business. He proposed to have him killed, in return for me transferring the business to him.’

‘Quite a payment.’

‘One I am still settling.’

‘And your title?’

‘My title?’ she smiled ironically. ‘That came after father’s death. I was so low and wretched. We had just buried him and I told the professor I believed myself to be the worst of all womankind and he should have let me die. Instead, he berated me for my self-condemnation. Said I was a
lady
. Can you imagine? He insisted that I travel with him back to his home in England and stay there until I recovered, which I did. And from that moment forth, whenever he introduced me, he did so by saying, ‘Meet Elizabeth, Lady Elizabeth.’

‘And where did the Audsley come from?’

‘My mother’s maiden name. God bless her soul.’

‘Now I understand. Then I shall resume the good practice of calling you
Lady Elizabeth
.’

‘You will not.’ She smiled gently and added, ‘May I ask a favour of you, Simeon?’

‘Of course.’

‘Please do not take offence, but I would like to be alone now. I have said much more than I intended to. About myself. And about how I am bound, in both honour and dishonour, to the professor—’

‘As are we all,’ I interjected.

‘Indeed. But I am tired. Physically and emotionally tired, and I am feeling somewhat vulnerable.’

‘Then let me stay and care for you.’

‘We are not yet
that
close, Simeon. May never be. Now, if you please, just gather your clothes and leave. Last night was a mistake. One I would like neither of us to speak about ever again.’

She turned away from me. And though I did speak, did plead to stay and comfort her, Elizabeth said no more. She would not even look at me. Indeed, it seemed she had shut out the entire world.

Theodore Levine finally materialised. He was dressed as dandily as usual, in a purple jacket, black breeches and an astonishingly tall topper, which he took off with a flourish before glaring at the gaoler loitering in the secure room we had been shown to.

‘Privacy, my good man!’ he shouted at the turnkey. ‘Please do not have the temerity to hover like a great stink. My client has the right to confidential counsel and I am asserting it on his behalf, so be gone with you!’

Levine stared a hole in the back of the turnkey’s tunic until the door had been soundly shut. He then gave me his full attention. ‘A fellow named Arthur Cross has lodged an official complaint with the chief constable. An hour ago he resigned from the constabulary. He did so because he felt his letter was not going to be dealt with fairly, promptly or professionally.’

‘And how is this pertinent to me?’

‘I shall illuminate you. When you were arrested you were taken into custody where you were beaten, were you not?’

‘I was.’

‘One of those men was PC Cross.’

‘I cannot recall any names. What difference does his admission make?’

‘A great deal, and if you kindly afford me a little of your patience, then I shall be pleased to explain.’ He reached to his side and from a case produced a document. ‘As you will see from his sworn statement, he and several other officers had been instructed by their inspector to assault you.’ Levine picked out their surnames with stabs of an index finger. ‘Here, here and here.’

‘I see.’

‘I am seeking to use this assault as grounds for appeal. I will build a case that such was the level of brutality it left you traumatised and unable to properly respond to questioning.’

‘Will the Crown not purport that I had such an opportunity at my trial?’

‘They will, but we will assert that you were
still
in a state of trauma, that such was the brutalisation, you were in no fit state to make your case.’

‘And my lawyer?’

He looked embarrassed. ‘We must concede that you were inadequately represented, that counsel was incompetent. That much is true. I have dismissed the flibbertigibbet and once more you have my apologies for his failings.’

‘Thank you, but sadly there is no turning back of the clock.’

‘We are trying, Mr Lynch, but the clocks of Justice are rusted and stubborn.’

‘Then I pray you free them soon so that I might be freed. Meanwhile, I am desperate for news of the outside world, Mr Levine – news of our mutual employers, my former colleagues and associates.’

‘Yes, I imagine you are.’ His countenance became more businesslike as he added, ‘I am not at liberty to speak openly about our employers in these surroundings, nor is any visit possible at the moment. I hope circumstances may change but for reasons of safety, such a venture is currently out of the question. Once more, I convey to you their deepest respect and highest gratitude for your continued loyalty.’

‘If only locks could be picked with your fine phrases, Mr Levine, then I should already be strolling down The Strand.’

‘Sir, I mean only to honestly convey to you—’

‘Save me your expensive flattery. What of Surrey Breed? Do you have any word on her?’

‘I am afraid not. Despite limitless enquiries, there has been no sight or sound of her since the night of your arrest.’

The news saddened me and I couldn’t help but fear the worst for her. Levine got to his feet and pushed the chair beneath the table. ‘If there is nothing further then I shall go, and busy myself on your behalf.’

‘That is it? Your fleeting visit is over?’ My temper boiled. ‘You must work harder and get me out of here, sir!’ I banged a fist on the table out of frustration. ‘These hands must close around the throat of my nemesis!’

‘Sir, please, control yourself.’ The lawyer glanced towards the door and the gaolers we both knew would be standing with their ears pressed to the other side. ‘I strive relentlessly for your freedom, Mr Lynch. We have our men of straw for the case of the murdered policeman, and we have PC Cross to call into question the validity of your second murder conviction. Now, if I am to secure your liberty, I really must bid you good day. There is much to be done and very little of your time left in which to do it.’

The journey to Epsom that day almost thirteen years ago had been awful.

Elizabeth and I found not a single moment in which to be alone and overcome the awkwardness that arose from her confession of her debt to Moriarty and culminated in my subsequent banishment from her bedroom.

My discomfort must have been palpable, for once on the train from Derby, and again as we exited at the station, the professor questioned my peculiar quietness. I insisted that I was merely feeling under the weather and thought he had accepted this. I was wrong. As we made our way into the racecourse he pulled me to one side. ‘I am no fool, Simeon, so please do not treat me like one. While I may have been inclined to ignore your relationship with Miss Breed, I am most certainly not going to approve of your obvious dalliance with Lady Elizabeth.’

‘It is not—’

‘Be quiet! Don’t irritate me with ill-thought-out lies. It is blatantly obvious from the past few hours of avoided eye contact and leaden silences that something has occurred. And if it is what I fear it is, then it must be ended. Immediately! Do you understand me?’

‘Sir, with respect, I have the most honourable of feelings towards Lady—’

‘God help me, Simeon!’ Moriarty pushed me backwards. He was angrier than I had ever seen. ‘I did not enquire, nor do I care a jot about your feelings. I asked if you understood my demand to end your dalliance.’

‘I understand your demand,’ I replied firmly. ‘But I am not willing to comply with it.’

‘
Not willing?
’ His hands balled into fists, but I knew he would not strike me. He had not the brashness of personality to do so and this was far too public a place for him to lash out and be seen losing his temper.