“Then what business is it of yours to investigate Guild matters?”
“It’s not a Guild matter,” I said, my voice rising with exasperation despite my attempts to stay calm. “These people have gone missing!”
The man pulled at the sleeves of his coat, looking down his nose at me again.
“Then, I would advise you to take your concerns to the city guard and have them investigate.”
“But—”
He held up his hand to stop me speaking. “The city guard are the only ones with the jurisdiction to enter the Guild Hall without an invitation. Apart from the President herself, that is.”
My shoulders hunched, as a feeling of defeat washed over me. I didn’t want to trouble Alice with this until I knew there was something more to it than just a hunch. I sighed and turned away from the man at the doors without another word. As I moved slowly down the steps, the peal of the Pinnacle clock rang in the distance.
I tucked the article into my clutch and hurried down the steps, remembering my appointment with Gaia—I’d promised to take her out and show her some of the best places in the city. As I stepped back onto the street, I glanced back at the doorman. He stared over my head without acknowledging me at all.
“We need to make the people of The Forge aware of the cost of the aesthetic rules to those who cannot comply. We need them to see the unbeautiful in this city,” Gaia said, as she and I walked, arm in arm, down the wide Twelfth Avenue towards the wall. I’d taken her to my favorite teahouse, then she’d asked whether it would be possible to see a view of the city from the wall.
Twelfth Avenue was wide and clean. Steam carriages rolled through the streets, and people strolled the footpaths in hats and gloves, carrying parasols to shelter them from the glare of the midday sun.
As we’d walked past the large plate-glass windows that lined the avenue, we’d glanced into shops selling fashionable men’s and women’s clothes, hats, shoes, handbags, umbrellas, and other accessories. We’d passed several displays of gadgets and inventions—including an automatic kettle-pourer, a robotic butler, a self-ventilating hat with a fan on the front, a machine with footrests, and a chair that promised to exercise legs while seated, a self-lacing corset, boots with springs to cushion the feet and lengthen the stride, a rack that removed hats and coats on entering through a front door. Gaia had exclaimed at them all, asking constant questions as we walked. Then, the conversation had eventually turned to the situation of the hidden citizens of Melfall.
“They’re frightened of the reception they’d get,” I said, remembering how Mr. Thackery ran from me when I’d approached him. “What if they’re arrested?”
“If their numbers are large enough, the officials can’t arrest them all,” Gaia replied, though she looked sideways at me and an uncomfortable feeling gnawed at my stomach.
“I don’t know,” I mumbled.
We walked past a beautiful couple, sharing a slice of cake at a small outdoor table on the avenue. They gazed at each other, obviously in love. Raven’s face flitted into my mind, the way he’d looked at me when I’d been at his house in his arms. I wished I could introduce him to my new sister. Cappello’s Finest Hats wasn’t far away. I could take Gaia there now and introduce them. But what if… Chesh’s suggestions about vampires kidnapping people for their blood sprang to mind again. I took a deep breath—I hadn’t seen Raven since that conversation with Chesh, and I felt uneasy. I didn’t think Chesh was right, but doubts lurked at the back of my mind.
Besides that, I wondered what Gaia would say if she knew that I was in love with a vampire. She was my sister, but we still barely knew each other. I didn’t know how she would react. I continued past the turnoff that would lead me to Raven’s shop, and a lump formed in my throat as I silently cursed myself for being so cowardly. I pushed memories of Raven from my mind and concentrated on the problem at hand. “Perhaps we could start a petition for Mother to reverse the aesthetic laws?”
“Would people sign it?” Gaia asked.
“The people in the tunnels would sign it.”
“Unless they’re afraid of putting their name on paper and of the reprisals that might come.”
“The biggest problem is that no one even knows they’re there,” I said. “Chesh didn’t believe they existed when I told him.”
“Would they believe a list of signatures?”
I sighed, and we walked in silence for a moment, before Gaia spoke again. “It’s a good idea,” Gaia said, “but I think we need some way of making the ordinary citizens of the city see what the aesthetic laws have done to people who can’t comply with them. They need to see, with their own eyes.” A line formed between Gaia’s eyes as she considered the problem. “What about a parade?”
I blinked, surprised at the suggestion. “A parade? Of whom?”
“The people hiding in the tunnels. The unseen, the unbeautiful. We need the people living here to acknowledge they exist—what better way than to march them through the city? We could take the march down this very avenue—then everyone in the shops and restaurants would see them. We could seek support along the way by asking onlookers to sign a petition.” Gaia smiled, her eyes dancing with excitement as she turned to me. “We could go all the way to the President’s Palace and present the petition to Alice.”
I tried to picture the scene of the people in the tunnels coming out of hiding to march through the most populated parts of the city.
“It could work, I suppose,” I said, doubtfully, wondering what reaction they’d get from the beautiful citizens who lined the avenues to be seen at their best. What was the worst that could happen? “If we can get them to come. I certainly don’t have any better ideas.”
“We could start the march here,” I pointed to a spot on the map. “Then we could march down Twelfth Avenue, through the market place, and along Sixth Avenue to end up at the gates of the President’s Palace. We could publicly present a list of demands to Mother about changing the aesthetic laws.”
Gaia and I pored over the maps in the President’s library. She was nodding. “When shall we do it?”
I shrugged. “As soon as we can, I think. No time like the present.”
“Give your mother some warning. No leader likes to be taken by surprise. She certainly won’t expect a crowd of unbeautiful at her gates demanding changes to the laws.”
I nodded straightening. “I’ll speak to her.”
“We will also need to—”
“Mother? Ivy? Where are you?”
Pearl’s voice wafted through the door to the library. I stepped away from the maps and opened the door to step out into the hallway. Black and white tiles arranged in a checked pattern along the floor, and a large staircase curled up around the walls to a mezzanine landing on the next floor. The banister was carved with cats—sitting, lying down, walking, pouncing, and watching. A grand painting of a younger Alice, when she was first sworn in as President, with her old cat, Dinah, in her arms.
At the far end of the hallway, Pearl was standing with her back to us. In one hand she held a parasol, and there was a light shawl around her shoulders, as though she’d just come in from outside. Her other arm was looped through that of a young man with a familiar figure. My eyes widened.
On the mezzanine level, a door opened upstairs, and Alice appeared on the upstairs landing, wearing a lace-trimmed dress in her favorite color—blue. Her blonde hair was pulled back from her face, and the glasses perched on her nose suggested she’d been working.
“What have I told you about yelling through the house?” she said, a note of irritation in her voice. Her shoes clicked the tiles as she started down the stairs, one hand sliding down the banister as she went. “What is it, Pearl?” she asked. “Are you well?”
Pearl turned around. As she did so, she dropped the arm that was linked to the young man, only to grasp it again when she’d spun around. She was beaming. I found myself smiling in response to the look on her face.
Then her eyes drift
ed to the young man on her right, and the smile fell from my face.
Pearl beamed up at Chesh, who patted her hand as it rested in the crook of his elbow. He glanced at me, sideways, but didn’t meet my eye. I took a step backward, putting up a hand to rest it on the wall.
“We’re absolutely wonderful,” Pearl replied. “Aren’t we, my darling?”
I stared at Chesh. He’d never shown any interest in my twin sister before—had he?
“Of course,” Chesh replied. “It’s a marvelous day, and I have one of the most beautiful women in The Forge on my arm, what could be better?” His eyes darted toward me again, and I could have sworn I saw a tint of pink color his cheeks.
“Mr. Cheshire?” Alice looked confused, staring at the couple in front of her, before casting a glance at me. She descended the last steps to come to stand in the hallway. I crossed my arms across my chest, then dropped them at my sides, before fiddling with my hair with one hand. I couldn’t stand still. I couldn’t meet the eyes of anyone in the hall.
“What a pleasant surprise,” Alice continued.
“Chet and I have been on the loveliest outing,” Pearl said, and as she did so, she flicked her fan open. “He took me to the most enchanting teahouse, and later this evening, he’ll be taking me to the theatre to see the latest production of Behind the Looking-glass.”
“The theatre?” I said, almost choking on the words. I glared at Chesh. “You don’t like the theatre.”
Chesh turned a deeper shade of pink, but it didn’t seem like Pearl had even heard me. Alice wrung her hands, looking at me, then to Pearl, as though she couldn’t decide whether to be happy or upset by this turn of events.
“This afternoon, Chet showed me his latest invention. He’s so clever! You never told me how clever he is, Ivy,” Pearl gushed.
I felt the words like a punch to the stomach. He was going to show Pearl his latest invention? He’d always shown me his inventions before anyone else. This hurt more than all of the disagreements we’d had over the last couple of weeks.
Chesh dropped his eyes to the floor, turning his face away from me. I clenched my fists and straightened my shoulders. Alice gave me a look of pity.
“I hope you have a lovely time,” I said, clipping my words as I spoke. “I’m spending the evening with my sister.”
This time Pearl did hear me. Her smile wavered, and I saw a sudden look of confusion in her eyes, as though she was lost. Then she fixed her eyes on Chesh again and patted his arm.
“I’ll need time to change, of course,” Pearl said.
Chesh dipped his head, then lifted her hand to brush a kiss over her knuckles. “I shall also change. I would not wish to shame you by appearing at the theatre in my day clothes. I will call again in a couple of hours. Until then, my love.” Chesh bowed.
Pearl beamed at him again. She dipped a curtsy and fluttered her fan as she looked at him from under her long eyelashes. She was the picture of beauty, of a young woman in love.
Chesh turned to acknowledge Alice, then his eyes flickered towards me again. I glared at him. He cleared his throat, put his hat on his head, and turned to leave, his shoes rapping on the polished floor as he walked.
When the butler closed the door behind Chesh, Pearl spun in a little circle and squealed. “Isn’t he wonderful?” she said, though she spoke to no one in particular. Without waiting for an answer, she ran up the stairs to her dressing room.
“Ivy?” Alice asked when Pearl’s door closed behind her. “Are you alright?” She took a step toward me.
I started to shake my head. Gaia stepped out from behind me, and I saw her figure in the corner of my eye. She put a hand out to rest lightly on my arm. When I turned to her, I saw concern in her eyes, but there was a soft smile on her face too.
“I am very pleased to be spending the evening with you, too, sister.”
A lump rose to my throat, and I took her hand and squeezed it.
I undid the buttons on my vest, shrugged it off, and threw it over the window seat, then stepped out of my skirts. Wearing only my underclothes, I flopped down on my bed, staring up at the curtains draped over the four posts of the canopy. The folds of the light material fluttered in the warm evening breeze coming in from the open shutters. I let my eyes blur, focusing on nothing, as my mind turned inward, ruminating on the events of the day.
Gaia and I had talked and planned during the afternoon and into the early evening, but I’d kept my eye on the carved clock on the mantle in the dining room. When I knew the theatre would be coming out, I made my excuses to retreat to my bedroom. I didn’t want to be downstairs when Chesh and Pearl returned. I didn’t want to hear about their evening together.
There was a sour taste in my mouth as I deliberately pushed aside thoughts of my twin and my best friend. Instead, I considered the proposal that Gaia and I had worked on over dinner. Alice hadn’t joined us, as she’d taken dinner in her office, but it had given Gaia and me time to work on the details of the proposal that we would put to Alice when it was ready.
We would need not only Alice’s blessing, but the march also relied on Raven’s support, or I didn’t think we would get the people in the tunnels to show their faces. My mind turned to the dark-haired man who haunted both my dreams and also most of my waking thoughts. I still hadn’t returned to see Raven since the night of our kiss. My fingers absent-mindedly brushed over my lips. I took a deep breath and lay my palm over my forehead and the other hand on my stomach.
I’d told Raven that I would come to see him again, but that was days ago. Why hadn’t I gone back to see him? I told myself that I’d been busy, and it was true. Since I’d last seen Raven, I’d discovered a sister and a past that I never knew I had. Still, deep down, I knew it wasn’t just that. Chesh’s accusations about Raven and the vampires being responsible for the people who had gone missing had affected me, nagging at me every time my mind turned to Raven. I couldn’t deny that the circumstances fit the explanation.
If I faced Raven, I’d have to confront him with my doubts. Deep down, I didn’t want to know the truth, just in case, Chesh was right. Then what would I do? My head said I would have to turn him over to the authorities. My heart refused to believe it.
I closed my eyes, trying to quiet my thoughts, with little success.
A sudden rapping on wood made me sit directly upright in bed. There was a shadow at the window sill against the inky night sky. Raven’s pale face shone in the moonlight, staring at me, unsmiling.
“Ivy?” he said, his voice was deep and throaty as he uttered my name. My breath caught in my chest. I hastily grabbed a robe and pulled it around myself.
“Raven,” I replied, standing next to the bed, one hand on the nearest post. Drawn to him, I held onto the bedpost like an anchor to stop my feelings from betraying my reason.
Raven smiled but didn’t make any attempt to come inside. There was a hesitant smile on his face, as though he wasn’t confident of his reception. I took another step forward.
“What are you doing here?”
Raven cleared his throat. “I’d hoped you would come to me,” he admitted. “The days were endless without you. When night fell tonight, and still you didn’t come, I decided I couldn’t wait any longer.”
I nodded, then cocked my head to the side. “Why are you on the window sill? Why didn’t you come to the door?”
Raven shrugged. “I saw the light in the window. I sensed you in here from below. I didn’t want to wake the household. Honestly, I didn’t know whether you’d told your family about me.” He raised an eyebrow, and my cheeks warmed.
I waited for him to move into the room, but he remained perched on the sill. “Are you coming in?”
This time it was Raven’s turn to blush. He cleared his throat. “You need to invite me first,” he replied. “Vampire, remember?”
My eyes widened slightly. “Of course, please…” I gestured for him to enter.
Raven shook his head. “It’s not enough. You need to say it
.”
I cleared my throat. “Please come in, Mr. Cappello.” There was a smile on my face as he entered, and my heart skipped as he stepped inside.
He held his hands behind his back, and as he stepped toward me, he brought out a hat. A molded felt bowler hat, with a large ribbon and flower detail tied around the base, flowing into a ribbon and lace train falling down my back.
He touched me, a brief touch under my chin with one finger to lift my face towards his. He studied my profile with a studious expression.
Several moments passed, then he pursed his lips and whipped the hat from my head. “No, not that one, either.” Raven sighed. “You continue to elude me, Miss Rowntree.”
I smirked at him. “Have you ever had such a complicated customer?”
Raven raised one eyebrow. “Not one so complicated,” He gently took my hand in his and raised my knuckles to his lips. “Nor so beautiful.”
“You tease me, Mr. Cappello,” I said, but I squeezed his fingers, enjoying his attention. A smile spread across his face, and he let the hat fall to the floor. He reached for my other hand and held them both in front of his chest, as though pleading with me.
“Tell me,” Raven whispered. “Why didn’t you come back? I’ve done nothing but think about you. Did you think about me?”
A lump formed in my throat. “Yes,” I whispered.
“So, why didn’t you come?”
A flush spread over me, and I pulled my hands away from Raven’s grip. He let them go without protest.
“Tell me.”
I took a deep breath. “I… heard reports about people who have been going missing in Melfall. I didn’t think… but the timing…” I pressed my lips together, then put a hand to my flaming cheeks.
There was a moment of silence. “You think I’m responsible for those missing?”
I swallowed.
“You think I drank their blood? Killed them?” Raven didn’t raise his voice. His eyes became sad, and part of him retreated from me, although he didn’t move at all.
Ivy: Daughter of Alice Page 22