The Complete Adventures of Victoria Neaves & Romney

by Michael White

“I did, yes. He was against the whole thing of course. Said I was too old for his daughter, but by then it was too late. He said he had a Lord Corrigan from Stafford lined up for Charlotte and that I was to leave her alone. I did not believe a word that came from his foul mouth but by then he was off to his ruddy precious tower. The minute he told his family he was selling up then they all ganged up on him I imagine.”

  “Which saved you having to find another way of getting him to go to the tower.”

  “Yes.” said Cavendish, ‘The device was already in place.”

  “Charlotte was lying to you, Nigel.” said Victoria, “There was no mysterious suitor from Stafford. There is in fact no Lord Corrigan in Staffordshire at all. I have just conducted a search of the datacloud to no avail.”

  “And how did you do that?” smiled Cavendish. “You are clearly deluded.”

  “Am I now?” asked Victoria, “Tell me, Mister Cavendish about the fires.”

  “What fires?” asked Nigel, Vaillant looking up from his notebook, clearly puzzled.

  “The little fires in say a grate or an ashtray when Charlotte is alone. Perhaps when in a room such as this a blazing fire would have her entire attention?”

  Nigel sat fidgeting as if recalling more than one thing and slowly linking them together.

  “There was the incident in her room about six months ago when the maid accidentally set her bedroom curtains aflame with a candle.” He said finally.

  “This is of a night?” Victoria enquired and Cavendish nodded.

  “About nine o’clock at night. She showed me herself how careless the maid had been. The curtains were still smoking when I looked at them.”

  “Yet the household staff and the maids retire from the premises at seven thirty.” said Victoria and Cavendish lowered his head into his hands and began to sob quietly.

  ‘Yes.” he cried, “They do.”

  “Inspector.” said Victoria. “Please get Royston to search for Charlotte with all due haste. Ensure he is charged with returning her here. Under duress if necessary.”

  “Of course.” said Vaillant, rushing from the room, notebook in hand before returning a few seconds later.

  “He has gone to look for her.” he said, sitting back down again.

  “Tell me Nigel.” said Victoria softly, placing her arm on the crying man’s shoulder, “How were you going to get Lord Harrington into the tower in the first place?”

  “I had no plan.” sobbed the man, “Charlotte said he was always going up there. Heaven knows why. Once the device was in place the built in motion sensor would do the rest. It was only a matter of time. Nobody else ever visited there. There was nothing to see in there at all.”

  “A habit from childhood, Lady Harrington informs me.” said Victoria. “Tell me Mister Cavendish. Did you know that Charlotte was an ill woman? Ill mentally I mean.”

  “I suspected that there was something amiss yes. Yet I knew if she was my wife then I would be able to ensure she was looked after and received remedial correction to cure her ills. I hear good things about the healing properties of electricity these days.”

  ‘Indeed.” said Victoria. “Yet she is a dangerous woman, Mister Cavendish. Her obsession with fire and flames was the cause of the destruction of the west wing, I fear. It was only a matter of time before her illness struck again. There was no talk of marriage. Charlotte had been named as heir and Montague was to be disinherited. I would suggest that Charlotte’s motive was hastened by you informing her that the home that she would one day inherit was about to be sold.” She looked at the man sat head in hands sobbing in front of her. “I would suggest your motive however was love.” she said.

  “Put it in an order I can understand.” said Cavendish. Victoria counted out on her fingers.

  “Very well. First Lord Harrington loses patience with Montague and installs Charlotte as his heir. This Charlotte knows though Montague does not. Next however Harrington decides he cannot keep up with the bills to keep the hall standing, never mind repair the west wing, and decides to sell up. He calls upon you for advice and you inform Charlotte.”

  Victoria moved to her next finger, “Charlotte cannot bear to lose her home. Her illness is all based there. It is all she knows, and in anger she creates a tale that she is to be married off. Between the pair of you you concoct a plan to get Lord Harrington out of the way. Then Charlotte will inherit and you are free to wed. There was never any marriage arrangement of course. Charlotte provoked you and led you on to do what she wanted but ultimately you are both responsible for Lord Harrington’s demise without a doubt.”

  “And you shall both swing for it I shall see to that.” said Vaillant beside them, standing up and placing his notebook in his pocket.

  “Not now Inspector.” said Charlotte. “Give the man a minute to compose himself.”

  “Victoria.” said Romney in her mind. The demon had her attention instantly. He never used her full name unless it was an emergency.

  “Yes?” she asked.

  “General increase in temperature on the second floor of the east wing. Rising rapidly and not staying local.”

  From somewhere above there came the distant sound of gunshot. Two shots were fired and Victoria heard pandemonium break out in the room adjacent.

  “It’s a fire.” Victoria said out loud.

  “Looks like it. It’s spreading very quickly.”

  “Mister Cavendish. Is Charlotte’s bedroom in the east wing?”

  “Second floor.” he nodded and then stood quickly, a look of horror on his face. ‘Charlotte!” he shouted, and eluding Vaillant’s outstretched arms raced from the room.

  Victoria followed the Inspector into the next room where the members of the family were already milling about the room, panicking.

  “Gunshots!” said William, his eyes wide. Montague stood by the door, watching his mother leave the room rapidly, the door still open from when Cavendish had left the room.

  “Cordelia, come back!” called Victoria, “We will investigate the gunshots! You must abandon the house!”

  “Never! I have lost my husband this evening. I shall not lose my family or my home too!” called Lady Harrington, and with that William and Montague took off after her too.

  “We must keep them together, Inspector.” said Victoria, “Then we can ensure nobody gets hurt. If they are not going to leave the house, then it is imperative we keep them together.”

  “Understood.” said Vaillant, “Come! We must not lose them!”

  “Well that’s hardly likely.” said Romney, “Fire on the second floor is now well established. I have two traces of lifeforms up there.”

  “Should be three.” said Victoria, “Royston should be up there too. I sent him after her.”

  “Only two sorry.” he said.

  “Damn!” Cursed Victoria as they raced up the staircase and followed the family members running along a wide corridor, then overtook them as Romney gave her the directions for the two life traces. Vaillant panted beside Victoria as she raced ahead, her augmented legs giving her greater speed than him. Still, he just about managed to keep up with her.

  They raced around a corner and saw that the corridor ended just ahead, a small set of double doors opening into a bedroom from which flames were already flickering, smoke rolling up the corridor as they came to a halt. In front of the door lay Royston, his chest covered in blood. Victoria leaned down and checked his pulse as the rest of the family cowered behind her and the Inspector.

  “Dead.” she said and as she stood Cavendish appeared in the bedroom doorway, backing away from the flames inside the room.

  “Charlotte!” he called, “Run to me. I will beat out the flames!”

  There was a reply from within the room but they could not hear it. Already the flames were starting to ripple along the corridor, smoke filling the air.

  “Boss.” said Romney. “Bad news.”

  “What now?” said Victoria, as her vision changed to scan the room beyond, narrow
ing to an x-ray vision that showed that Charlotte was standing on the far side of the room beside the windows.

  “Another fire on this floor.” said Romney, “This one’s a big one. Wait.” There was a slight pause as the corridor began to fill with smoke from the opposite direction.

  “For God’s sake do something.” said Lady Harrington, “My daughter is in there!”

  “Third trace.” said Romney. Forth too. Boss this whole floor is booby trapped. You’re cut off from the stairs.”

  “Well isn’t that just fine?” said Victoria sarcastically. ‘We are on the top floor here, yes?”

  “Of course.” said Montague, moving along the corridor towards the flames.

  “Stay back Montague.” said William, tugging at his elder brother’s arm, “Let the police do their job.”

  “Somebody help my daughter!” screamed Lady Harrington and Victoria saw Vaillant grab hold of her to prevent her running into the bedroom ahead, struggling with her in the corridor.

  “Charlotte!” shouted Cavendish, flames licking at his clothes now, “Quickly! Run towards me and…”

  There was a dull explosion of flame that shook the entire corridor.

  “The pipes for the gas lamps.” said Romney. “Boss. We have to get out of here!”

  In the doorway Cavendish stumbled then somehow managed a step forward, then a second explosion tore the room beyond apart, flames ripping along the corridor and shattering the ceiling. The man screamed as fire erupted about him and when they looked back through shielded eyes, cowering before the flames Cavendish was gone. The room beyond was a pit of flames.

  “The fire is behind us too.” said William and Victoria looked along the corridor. That was now impassable as well.

  Victoria looked up at the ceiling as she pointed her arm upwards, a tight blue beam firing from her finger and slicing into the roof. Dust and debris fell down from above but Victoria flicked it away with her other arm as if it was nothing as she cut a small circular hole in the roof.

  “What in the name of…?” said Montague, clearly startled as through the hole there came a crisp breeze and above the sight of stars against a dark black sky.

  “One at a time.” said Victoria and Montague stepped forward as she kneeled down locking her hands together and placing it under one of his feet, lifted him up towards the hole and almost threw him out of the gap and up onto the roof. “Lean down to help, please, Montague.” She called after him, and soon after his face appeared in the hole, followed by his arms stretched downwards.

  “Lady Harrington is next.” said Victoria and Vaillant released her.

  “Help my daughter.” She said, and Victoria looked at her directly.

  “She is gone, Cordelia.” she said, “You saw the flames Yourself. We must save the rest of your family now. It is all that we can do.” The older woman nodded once and Victoria made a saddle of her hands and helped her out onto the roof. William was next and then just Vaillant and her were left.

  ‘Quickly now.” said Victoria as the flames were now nearly upon them. Vaillant coughed in the smoke.

  “What about you?” he shouted.

  “Never mind about me.” She said, “Up you go.” and she helped him up, Montague hauling him up onto the roof.

  She stood alone in the corridor as flames began to lick about her boots. From somewhere on the same floor a loud explosion rocked the building as more gas pipes erupted in the heat.

  ‘Stand back, Montague.” she said, and the man shot through the hole. She looked up and leapt into the air, jumping straight through the hole and onto the roof.

  “Quite a leap.” said the Inspector as she looked around to see where they were and what escape route they could take. “You have many hidden talents, Miss Neaves.” he smiled, his face beaming in the moonlight that lit the night.

  They were on the roof of the east wing. The ruins of the west wing were over to one side, but there the roof was mostly gone, holes damaged by the previous fire making it unapproachable and dangerous. The main wing of the house was already aflame, fire raging high into the air, and the east wing was already well alight, holes burning through from above. Above them the Zeppelin tower rose high into the air, the cruiser tethered to it, clearly visible in the moonlight about fifty feet higher than the edge of the roof itself. Unfortunately, between where they stood and the zeppelin tower the roof was completely ablaze, flames already blowing towards the girders and steel pylons of the tower.

  ‘Trapped.” said Lady Harrington. “There are no routes down to the ground from here.” They were on a flat part of the roof but above them the eaves of the roof rose slightly above them. William climbed to the top of the roof and looked about wildly, shaking his head as he did so.

  “The fires are being blown this way by the wind!” he shouted, and from below they all heard the sound of breaking glass as windows blew out in another loud explosion from the rooms below them.

  “We don’t have long.” said Romney.

  “Does the cruiser have a rope ladder?” she asked.

  “Sure. One problem if you are thinking of bringing the zeppelin over here though.”

  “What’s that?”

  “The temperature. The lighter than air gas is chemically fire resistant these days, but it has its limits or it just wouldn’t fly. I figure that the rising temperature from the fire below may just be too hot for it.”

  “It could explode?”

  “Yeah.” said Romney carefully, “Course it might not. Can’t be sure either way really, though I would need to keep a very close eye on it.”

  “It’s a deal then.” said Victoria as she ran commands on her internal Babbage computational engine. Across the rooftops the zeppelin tower suddenly gave a loud electronic alert as the cruiser uncoupled itself from the tower arm and began to slowly rise into the air. “I will drive. You monitor the temperature.”

  “Got it.” said Romney, “I will let you know if we have a problem.”

  “Good lord, Victoria!” shouted Vaillant across the roof, smoke staining his face black, a smile upon his face. “How on Earth are you flying the zeppelin from here?”

  Victoria smiled at him but did not answer. She was concentrating on getting the zeppelin as near as she could and as quickly as possible without endangering the ship. Already it was half way towards them but she had taken it higher than the building so she could get it in position and then lower it slowly over the roof, monitoring the temperature of the craft as it descended.

  “Temperatures is fine.” said Romney, keeping Victoria informed as she concentrated on its flightpath.

  There was another loud explosion and the roof trembled. They all staggered but did not move.

  “It is for the best if you all remain very still.” said the Inspector, who looked as if he was about to continue but just then from a hole in the roof amid the flames climbed a ruined figure, her body burnt and twisted, her hair gone and what was left of her clothes melted to her. She dragged herself up from the fire and stood on the roof staring at them as if she could not believe they were there.

  “Charlotte!” screamed Cordelia, making to head towards her but Montague bounded across to her and restrained her, grabbing her by her wrist.

  “It's too late, mother!” he screamed. “Look at her! It’s just too late!”

  Charlotte staggered forward away from the hole in the roof, heading towards them, flames leaping through the hole through which she had just climbed out. She held her arms out, her head turning from side to side as if she was trying to dislodge the damage the fire had caused.

  “Why if it is so pretty does it hurt so much?” she wailed, her hands held towards them just as another explosion tore through the building and the roof collapsed below. There was a brief suddenly ended scream and Charlotte fell down into the pit of flames below them.

  “No!” screamed Lady Harrington, her family gathered about her as the zeppelin came to a halt overhead.

  “In place, Romney.” she said in her
mind. “I will bring it down ten feet at a time.”

  “Okay. Go.”

  Overhead the large zeppelin began to descend, the underneath of the cabin hanging from the ship reflecting the flames from below. As the ship began to descend Victoria opened the hatch, the underneath of the cabin irising open a small hole from which unfurled a long rope ladder.

  “All green on the temperature.” said Romney as Victoria made small adjustments for the wind, the zeppelin moving slightly sideways overhead, the end of the rope ladder still at least ninety feet out of reach.

  “I am bringing it down in ten feet increments.” Said Victoria as the zeppelin overhead jerked and descended slightly, the rope ladder swinging in the breeze below it leaping about wildly as the ship began its descent. On the rooftop Lady Harrington gathered her remaining children about her, William and Montague holding on to her too as the flames continued to rise from below threatening to destroy the roof upon which they were stood at any moment. As they stood together holding on to each other, William looked around him and then below, his eyes wide with fear. Montague stared at the approaching zeppelin as if willing its approach to hasten. Inspector Vaillant stood off to one side watching them and at the same time he too kept a close eye on the ship descending at the same time. As the ship continued to approach they all turned their attention upward as if they were trying to drive from their minds the sight of the great house now burning fiercely beneath them.

  “Still green.” Said Romney, “Bring it down twenty feet this time. We have the space to make it down quicker.”

  “Check.” Said Victoria, and the ship descended faster, growing larger overhead as it came down towards them. The hatch was clearly visible now, the inside of the craft appearing tantalisingly close through the hole underneath the cabin from where the rope ladder continued to swing in the breeze.

  “Green still. Bring it down three notches. Thirty feet.”

  “Descending another thirty feet.” Confirmed Victoria. The ship now blotted out the night sky above them, the reflections of the flames from the conflagration below them playing across the vast canopy of the gas filled zeppelin.