Frostbitten Fairy Tales

by Melanie Karsak

  “The Thames is beautiful in all her seasons. But this is a sight to behold. It’s been nineteen years since the last Frost Fair. It’s amazing how much merrymaking a bit of ice can provide. Though I think your company is the first ever to perform on the river. It’s splendid.”

  I smiled at him. “We play at the Struthers Theatre year round. You’ll have to visit us there after the ice melts.”

  At that, he smiled but said nothing.

  Shortly thereafter, we arrived at the Hawkings’ workshop. The entire house was lit up, and from inside, I heard the sounds of clanging metal and an odd popping sound.

  “My friends are tinkers. Quite skilled, really, if a bit eccentric.”

  “All the best people are,” he said then let me go.

  He waited while I inquired at the door. A moment later, the Hawkings’ footman waved me inside.

  “Thank you so much for escorting me,” I told the baron. I didn’t know how to express to him how much his kindness meant to me after such an upsetting night.

  He removed his hat and bowed to me, his long blond hair falling forward when he did so. “It was my pleasure,” he said. “I hope to see you again, Miss McKenna. And, next time, with a smile rather than tears.”

  He had seen my distress, and he had cared. It moved me greatly. “Thank you.”

  With a nod, he turned and headed back into the night.

  Chapter 14: Mannerly Gentleman

  “Miss McKenna,” Isabelle called happily from the top of the staircase. She waved then came thundering down the steps. I had to look twice when I realized that under her apron she was, in fact, wearing trousers. As she descended, she craned her neck to look around me. Not seeing Kai there, she frowned but then quickly smothered her disappointment.

  “How good of you to come,” she said, panting when she got to the bottom of the stairs. “Father is working in the basement. Is…will Doctor Murray be joining you? We haven’t seen him today.”

  “One of the ship captains was injured. He’s needed on the ice,” I said, masking my worry. It was not quite the truth but good enough. “I came in his stead. I thought I could call on the gentleman.”

  “Oh, you should. He’s making a marvelous recovery. The Bow Street Runners were here today. They think we may have a lead on identifying him. Someone is coming in the morning to pay him a visit.”

  “Really?”

  Isabelle nodded. “A gentleman went missing some days back. His family has been searching for him. We’ll see in the morning. Now come, you’ll want to say hello to my father,” she said, pulling me by the arm. She headed toward a door leading to the basement, pausing to scoop up a pile of books sitting on the floor by the door. “Watch your step, and don’t mind the smell.”

  “Smell?”

  Without another word, Isabelle led us downstairs. “Papa?” she called. “Papa, we have a visitor.”

  “Ah, Doctor Murray at last,” Master Hawking replied followed by the sound of metal clattering. There was a strange odor coming from the basement, an odd mix of sulfur and vinegar.

  “Oh, no. He’s not here. Miss McKenna has come.”

  “She’s not…you didn’t bring here down here, did you?” I heard him ask a second before I turned the corner.

  I understood his hesitation the moment I did so. On two long slabs, Master Hawking had cadavers laid out. Their delicate parts were covered, but the pale corpses lay exposed to the open air. That, at least, explained the smell.

  “Isabelle,” Master Hawking said, chiding his daughter softly. “You must remember that not all ladies—” he began then sighed. “Some ladies have softer sensibilities, my dear. Miss McKenna,” he said, bowing to me.

  “I may be an artist, sir, but I assure you that the human body does not frighten me. I’m afraid I’ve spent too many years at Doctor Murray’s side. I’ve quite gotten over any nerves.” Despite my bravado, I swallowed hard.

  Master Hawking smiled then turned to the tables and his nearby workbench. “Doctor Murray and I have been working many months on ways to help the wounded,” he said then waved me to his workbench.

  Isabelle hopped up on a nearby table to watch. “Do you remember the optics I showed you upstairs?” she asked.

  I nodded.

  Master Hawking tapped a glass jar filled with eyeballs then reached out and picked up one of the optics Isabelle had shown me. “Better than a glass eye, but not yet as effective as I had hoped,” he said then set it down. “This, however,” he said, picking up an odd-looking ball inside a joint, “has shown promise.”

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “A knee,” he replied. “Well, at least the knee joint. Two canine trials have already proven successful.”

  I stared from the machine to the man. “How?”

  He laughed heartily and set the tinkered contraption back down. “Imagine it like this. Once the new, metal bones are set, the body will grow vines around it, holding it in place. That is the beauty. We also use nuts, bolts, screws, and clamping.” He then lifted an odd-looking bagpipe. “And this. Can you guess?”

  I shook my head.

  He inhaled deeply, let out a big breath, then breathed in again. After he exhaled he said, “No more death by consumption. I can repair or replace the lungs.”

  “But Master Hawking…that’s impossible.”

  “Oh no, my dear. I assure you, it’s quite possible. Doctor Murray understands the body. I understand the machine. When the two meet…”

  “It’s a perfect match,” Isabelle said, and this time I heard a wistfulness in her voice that made something mean in me tighten. Perhaps she wouldn’t think Kai was so perfect if she knew he was passed out drunk, and half naked, in the ship of a foreign captain.

  “It is truly a marvel,” I said then turned and looked at the bodies. The two men, both young, gone before their years, were pale as milk, their skin blue all around the edges.

  “Ah, my subjects,” Master Hawking said. “I’d appreciate your discretion on that matter, Miss McKenna. I’m sure you know acquiring subjects for research is a delicate matter.”

  By delicate, of course, he meant illegal. I had to wonder what role Kai might have taken in procuring the bodies.

  “Of course,” I said with a smile.

  “Will we be expecting Doctor Murray tonight?” Master Hawking asked.

  “He’s busy on the ice,” Isabelle explained then jumped back down.

  I nodded. “I wanted to come check on his patient.”

  “Fine man. He’s recovering very well,” Master Hawking said then turned to Isabelle. “Be sure to have some tea made for Miss McKenna. You must be frozen to the bone.”

  “Thank you. That’s very kind.”

  Isabelle waved for me to follow her. “Come on,” she said with a smile.

  “Thank you for showing me your work, Master Hawking. It’s quite amazing.”

  The old man smiled a wide and toothy grin. He nodded to me.

  Following Isabelle back upstairs, I pressed my gloved hand to my nose and tried to root out the smell, replacing it with the soft perfume that scented my clothes.

  “Why don’t you go up?” Isabelle said, pointing to the stairs. “I’ll come in a few minutes with some tea.”

  I smiled. The Hawkings were very charming, but their manners were so out of the ordinary that I hardly knew what to do.

  Without waiting for me to reply, Isabelle turned toward the kitchen.

  I went upstairs and down the hallway to the room where the gentleman was resting. I paused when I got to the door. It was highly irregular for a lady to enter a gentleman’s chamber unchaperoned. I knocked softly on the door.

  “Sir?” I called.

  “Yes?”

  “Sir, it’s Miss McKenna. If you are up for a visit, I thought to check on you. I’m very sorry, but I have no chaperone. I wasn’t sure…”

  On the other side of the door, the gentleman laughed. “Come in, Miss McKenna.”

  I opened the door carefully and
went inside. The room was well-lit. The gentleman sat in his bed, a book lying open on his lap. His color was much improved, a blush of pink in his cheeks.

  “Sir,” I said, curtseying when I entered.

  He smiled and waved for me to draw close. “Kind people, the Hawkings. Not the most formal, I must admit.”

  “No, sir,” I said with a smile then pulled a chair alongside his bed. “You’re looking much better.”

  “I’m feeling much better. The feeling in my legs has returned. I even had a turn about the room today. The local surgeon Doctor Murray has checking on me is very knowledgeable. I had hoped to see Doctor Murray today. Is he here?”

  “I’m sorry, he is attending to an injured patient on the Thames,” I lied again. Once more, my stomach clenched hard. I swallowed my upset and smiled serenely.

  The man nodded. “And you, Miss McKenna, how was your day? What did you enact?”

  “This evening, I played the role of Titania. This morning, however, I took on the role of the faerie godmother in Glass Slipper Girl.”

  “Ah, yes. I remember that tale well. My governess used to read it to me.”

  “You had a governess?” I asked.

  He raised an eyebrow. “Apparently so,” he said in surprise which made us both laugh. “But Miss McKenna, why do I remember you as a ballerina? Do you dance?”

  “I do indeed,” I replied. I opened my bag and pulled out one of my soft pink ballet slippers. “I was trained in ballet by my grandmother.”

  “May I?” he asked, reaching out for the slipper.

  I handed it to him. As he looked it over, he smiled. “The material is silk. It is old, but a fine quality. The dye is well done. The stitches…did someone do this to your slipper intentionally?”

  “Isn’t it interesting that you know so much on the fabrics?” I said, avoiding the question. I felt embarrassed and annoyed that I was embarrassed. It wasn’t my fault Marion was an evil shrew.

  The gentleman raised an inquisitive eyebrow at me but said nothing. “I’ve spent all day noticing each piece of linen in this room, examining its weave and color. Much to my surprise, I can tell you everything about these fabrics and where many of the bolts came from.”

  “Then we must put out a call amongst the haberdashers and hosiers.”

  “Master Hawking was kind enough to send out inquiries earlier today. I don’t mean to press, but I notice that you did not answer my other inquiry, Miss McKenna,” he said, looking at the rip on the side of my slipper.

  “You’re right. My apologies. I felt a bit embarrassed. Alas, that is the handiwork of a rival actress,” I explained.

  He signed heavily. “I am sorry to hear such an injustice was done to you.”

  “Thank you, sir. It’s no matter. They are very old and worn and needed to be replaced anyway.”

  “Indeed, which makes me suspect you kept them for a reason.”

  “Whomever you are, sir, you are quite perceptive,” I said with a smile which made him laugh.

  “Only concerned. I owe you and Doctor Murray my life, Miss McKenna. It pains me to think anyone would harm you. Once I remember who I am, I am very certain I shall have quite the debt to repay.”

  “Think nothing of it,” I said, setting my hand gently on his arm. I was surprised to find the muscles underneath were very firm.

  He took my hand and squeezed it very gently, his blue eyes soft as he smiled at me.

  “Tea?” Isabelle called from the doorway as she entered with a tray.

  I pulled my hand back.

  “Is she wearing trousers?” the gentleman asked under his breath.

  I chuckled.

  “No, thank you, Miss Hawking. I’ll never sleep if I take tea so late,” he told her.

  “Miss McKenna.”

  “Please. After spending all day on the ice, I still feel chilled.”

  Isabelle poured a cup, ladened it with sugar, then handed it to me. Taking a cup for herself, she sat on the end of the bed and took a sip. “Is that your ballet slipper?” she asked, looking at the gentleman’s hands.

  I nodded.

  Setting her cup down, she rose. She took my cup from my hand and set it aside.

  “You must teach me a step or two,” she said, pulling me to an open space.

  “Now?”

  “Why not?”

  The gentleman chuckled.

  “Very well,” I said. “Let’s begin. Take your first position like this,” I said, modeling the arrangement of my feet.

  Isabelle copied my movements.

  “Now, let me show you a simple plié,” I said, showing her the move which she imitated in a graceful manner. Despite her unkempt attire, she really was a lovely girl. Her curling dark hair was accentuated by her wide, dark eyes.

  “How is that?” she asked.

  The gentleman clapped. “You have it, Miss Hawking.”

  “If you should ever like a real lesson, we can arrange it. You could come to Struthers Theatre.”

  She smiled. “What a sweet offer. I am so busy right now helping Papa work on the wedding commissions but maybe afterward.”

  I nodded then lifted my cup of tea once more, this time polishing it off. My stomach full of the warm liquid, I determined it was time to take my leave.

  “I must be heading home before it gets too late,” I said.

  The gentleman smiled. “It was very kind of you to stop by. Thank you.”

  “I’ll return tomorrow. Can I bring you anything?”

  He shook his head. “No. Thank you.”

  “Some onion soup, perhaps?”

  He laughed. “I think I’ve had a lifetime’s worth.”

  Grinning, I curtseyed to him, and turning to Isabelle, we both headed back downstairs.

  “You will tell Doctor Murray we were sorry we didn’t see him today?” Isabelle said as she followed me to the door.

  “Of course. I’m sure he’s sorry he was not able to make a call.”

  She nodded, her expression hiding her disappointment very poorly. Perhaps she would make a graceful dancer, but her face was far too honest for the theatre.

  I fastened my coat once more, and with a wave, I headed back out into the night. The chilly air bit my nose. All at once, I was overcome with tiredness. I wanted nothing more than to be back in my little garret apartment.

  Following the twisting cobblestones, I finally found my way home once more. It was so foggy, I hadn’t seen a soul on my path there. The loneliness of it filled me with disquiet. Once I was inside my flat, the feeling did not ease. I lit the fire then pulled off my day clothes in favor of a dressing gown. The window of Kai’s garret was dark. He wasn’t home. Soon, my fire was burning warmly. Wrapping my blanket around my shoulders, I crawled up on the little ledge beside the window and stared at the darkened frame of Kai’s window. A sick feeling racked my stomach. I closed my eyes and tried to remember all the good that had happened today, to remember the summer in winter John had shown me, the taste of his kiss, and the sweetness of his words. But no matter how hard I tried to focus on him, my eyes returned again and again to the dark window and the terrible sense of dread that washed over me.

  Chapter 15: Distinctly Feminine Dragons

  I woke the next morning feeling tired after a night full of fitful dreams. The sun had just risen over the horizon. My fire had burnt low, and it was terribly cold in the apartment. I pulled my blankets around me. Rubbing my hands together, I knelt by the stove to rekindle the fire. When the work was done, I rose and went to the window. Kai’s flat was still dark. I slipped on my boots, not bothering to lace them, then pulled on my coat. I went to the window and undid the latch. Moving carefully, I crawled out onto the roof.

  A wind whipped hard across the London rooftops, carrying with it the terrible chill that had frozen the Thames. I went to Kai’s window. Grabbing the metal handle, the deep chill of the freezing metal biting my hand, I pushed the window open and looked inside.

  “Kai?” I called. The flat, which was n
o larger than my own, could be taken in in one glance. But still, it unnerved and surprised me to find it empty. I slipped inside.

  His little garret apartment was a mirror of my own. The only difference was that his grandmother, who had been talented with art, had painted the walls with flowers, birds, and swirling designs. I glanced around the room to find Kai’s small bed was still made.

  My hand dancing close to his stove, I felt no heat. I opened the grate and looked inside. There wasn’t even an ember still warm within. The fire had grown cold. Kai had not been home since we’d left yesterday morning.

  Panic swept over me, and my heart beat hard. It was unlike Kai to be so impulsive. He was a man whose days ran like a clock. As a girl, I had chided him because he would never dare risky adventures. Kai was serious and thoughtful. Maybe I flattered myself to think he wouldn’t be so callous as to leave me worrying about him like this. Maybe I didn’t fall as high in his esteem as I thought. Was I simply his childhood playmate? A neighbor? A poor orphaned girl for whom he felt sympathy? Maybe now that John had made his intentions clear, Kai didn’t feel like he had to worry about me anymore. The captain was very attractive, and Kai was unattached. Surely he had a right to his dalliances. What business was it of mine anyway? But if it wasn’t my business, why did I feel so miserable?

  A tear slipped down my cheek.

  The image of Kai lying on the captain’s cot, his shirt undone, and the captain naked, rolled through my mind. My stomach clenched. It seemed unthinkable that Kai had been intimate with another woman.

  Another woman?

  Other than me.

  What?

  I lay down on his cot. What a ridiculous notion. I didn’t own Kai. He was like a brother to me. I just wanted the best for him, that was all. I just wanted him to be happy, but getting drunk and rolling around with a lusty ship captain was just so out of character and entirely unacceptable. Kai was so much better than that. He was smart, handsome, kind, and loving. He was quite perfect, his surly nature aside. But I loved him for that. It was part of what made him who he was. How could he just throw himself away on a wanton woman instead of someone proper, someone who truly cared for him?