Buried In Blue

by L G Rollins

  “You best offer the lady a seat,” Lord Chauncey broke through his thoughts. “Or you will be seen as a cad.”

  Nathaniel mentally kicked himself for staring so long. Stepping around his desk, he pulled the comfortable chair he’d reclined in during Rowley’s visit, and rested it beside the marquess. “Yes, please be seated.”

  Doctor Sterling sat and crossed one leg over the other, her lab coat falling to either side. Her breeches, an ebony black, showcased her legs perfectly against the white of her coat. Nathaniel had to tear his eyes away.

  “As we were saying—”

  This time Nathaniel didn’t allow Lord Chauncey to finish, but raised his hand. “No, sir, I am simply not interested. I am needed here in England. As I am sure I have already explained to you both, I am not open for hire at this time.” Nathaniel’s services were often in high demand and he had expected some businessmen or another to harangue him for doggedly remaining on land. But this was far and beyond anything he had ever imagined.

  Nathaniel leaned back, determined they understand. As he’d explained to Rowley only moments before, no matter how intriguing the venture sounded, no matter how interesting Lord Chauncey might prove to be, no matter how beautiful Doctor Sterling certainly was, it didn’t matter. He wasn’t leaving England.

  Lord Chauncey tapped a finger against his chin as Doctor Sterling’s mouth pursed tight. The three of them sat for several moments in quiet. Very well, if his words wouldn’t convince them of his determination to stay, perhaps his silence would. He’d heard tale of too many children who, without a father’s guidance at hand, had ruined their reputations and their lives. Melissa deserved better. She deserved to have her father around.

  Mere hours earlier, Melissa had passionately, and loudly declared she would not do as her governess requested and repeat her math sums. The young girl was brilliant beyond her years, but growing obstinate. Leaving his her at this point was not something Nathaniel was willing to do. End of story.

  Lord Chauncey turned to Doctor Sterling. “Do you suppose the good captain would change his mind if he better understood the nature of your experiment?”

  The doctor shook her head. “This experiment is highly confidential. My own family doesn’t even know the details. If we start telling random people what we plan to do, we’d lose all our test subjects within the week.”

  He waved away her objections with a wrinkled hand. “If Captain Hopkins is to take us to the Puerto Rico Trench he’ll have to know what we’re doing there.”

  Doctor Sterling sat up taller in her chair and leaned in toward the old man, her jaw set tight. So, she was not one to be bullied, then.

  “If he isn’t going to take us to the Puerto Rico Trench,” she said, voice brooking no argument. “Then he shouldn’t be privileged to any information.”

  “I agree with Doctor Sterling,” Nathaniel said, ignoring the curiosity that pricked at him—just what would make a young woman set aside the easy life she was born to and pursue secretive scientific ventures?

  He, instead, repeated aloud his newest mantra. “It doesn’t matter.”

  The words flowed out as though he sang them religiously every morning, noon, and night. He thought them nearly that often. “I’m not taking you or your test subjects anywhere, so there’s no use risking the experiment’s secrecy on me.”

  Still, it was interesting that, of all places, Doctor Sterling wanted to visit the Puerto Rico Trench. Did she place stock in the rumors of giant sea monsters lurking in those deep waters? Nathaniel never had—he’d sailed through the area and never seen evidence of anything more than the occasional whale and large squid. Best he not bring it up, however, in case such proved intriguing to either of the two before him. Suppose Doctor Sterling took an interest in studying unique creatures? He’d hate to give them yet another reason to continue their haranguing.

  Lord Chauncey turned to Nathaniel. “This experiment regards werewolves and is the most forward-thinking research of our day.”

  Nathaniel’s gaze darted to the brown-paper package still on his desk. Since when had his whole world revolved around werewolves? First Melissa and now these two. Then again, this world could use a bit less cruelty toward werewolves and a bit more humanity. The agitation building in his chest eased.

  “Lewis!” Doctor Sterling’s flat hand came down with a smack on the armrest of her chair. “So help me, if you ruin this I’ll never let you in on my research again.”

  “There, there, my dear. The Captain can keep our confidences.” He patted her arm gently, but it didn’t soften the glare she was giving him.

  “You mentioned test subjects.” Nathaniel knew he should be keeping his mouth shut right now. He should be focusing on staying home with Melissa. But if the doctor was working to end society’s outcry to kill werewolves, wouldn’t that also be helping Melissa? “Am I wrong in assuming they would be werewolves?”

  Doctor Sterling, lips pressed close together, still upset with Lord Chauncey’s revelation. “Yes. We have nearly a dozen werewolf test subjects who are willing to participate in my experiment.” She eyed him without a smile. Doctor Sterling could certainly come off as cold when she wanted to.

  At least some emotion was showing through now. Her brown eyes were sparking so fiercely, she looked as though she could light a candle with a glance. Choosing not to tease her for it, nor to admit his admiration at her pluck, Nathaniel instead simply prompted her on. “In which?”

  “In which . . . we hope to prove there is a way to prevent werewolves from shifting during the full moon.”

  Nathaniel’s brow dropped. “Impossible.” There was no way to prevent a werewolf from changing. “I would think if such were possible, every werewolf would implement it every full moon, regardless of the cost.”

  Doctor Sterling’s eyes took on a glint of steel. For one who had perfected the art of appearing unaffected, Doctor Sterling certainly wasn’t actually unaffected. One only had to look just beyond the surface to see as much.

  “I believe I have found a way.” Even her voice was steady and nearly emotionless. “But I need a submarine to prove it.”

  A submarine? What could a submarine have to do with werewolves changing during the full moon? The random pieces he knew of her experiment didn’t want to line up. Werewolves. The Gearhound. The Puerto Rico Trench. It made no sense.

  Nathaniel ran a hand down his face, Melissa’s pistol drawing coming to mind. The implications were easily inferred; if Doctor Sterling could devise a way to prevent werewolves from changing—or shifting as she repeatedly called it—then the case for treating werewolves humanely would be hugely helped. This research could certainly help change Melissa’s ideas and goals.

  He shouldn’t ask. Shouldn’t involve himself more. But the niggling need to help his daughter wouldn’t back down. “Exactly how do you prevent a werewolf from changing?”

  Doctor Sterling eyed him for a minute; probably weighing whether or not to trust him. Leaning forward and resting her hands on his desk, she began. “I’ve done several experiments testing how water and moonlight affect each other. I have found proof, I believe, that water absorbs moonlight. I suspect that is why the tides rise during a full moon. When the moon grows to be its biggest, that is when the tides rise as well.”

  Nathaniel lifted a finger in interjection. “They also swell during a new moon.” Life on, or more truthfully under, the blue sea wouldn’t allow him to ignore the obvious. “How do you explain that?”

  He expected her to be upset at his objection. Which would, no doubt, only look like mildly irked on her. Nonetheless, while her face remained impassive—no surprise there—a spark of excitement momentarily lit her eyes.

  Like a shot off the bow of a ship, not much was visible, yet the little that was denoted much more lurking beneath.

  “The moon emits two types of light.” Her voice was a tinge more confident as she spoke on. Not only was she secretly passionate about her work, but apparently she was also certain in
her findings. “One on the visible spectrum and one off. Both lights make the ocean swell, and both cause a reaction in werewolves. But the dark light, most prevalent during a new moon, does not a cause a werewolf to shape-shift. Mostly it just gives them the cranky, defensive disposition of a wolf.”

  So, on top of needing his submarine, now they were telling him that werewolves undergo a second change during the new moon? Nathaniel’s gaze jumped to the drawer were his pistol, silver bullets in the barrel, lay hidden. A tinge of guilt pressed its way into his stomach. How exactly did he intend to convince Melissa to change her mind regarding werewolves when he knew so little himself?

  “We intend,” Lord Chauncey spoke for the first time in several minutes, “to show that werewolves do not change when submerged deep underneath water. To prove that the water absorbs enough, if not all, moonlight and, without said moonlight, the werewolves do not change.” His voice was strong and left no doubt that he was used to being listened to and respected.

  Nathaniel put his chin in an upturned hand. Proving werewolves didn’t have to change would make an enormous difference in the way others viewed werewolves. More specifically, stepping up and being the one to help with the research would send a clear message to Melissa.

  Oh, but he hated to leave her again so soon.

  athaniel let out a loud sigh. “How soon would you be needing to leave?”

  Doctor Sterling sat up straighter, her shoulders dropping. He probably should have kept his mouth shut.

  “Within seven days.”

  “Seven days?” Rarely was a submarine readied and departing in so little time. Moreover, several of his crew members had taken work elsewhere. He’d be hard pressed to find replacements for all of them in such a short time.

  “The next full moon is in three weeks,” Doctor Sterling explained. “Assuming the trip can be made in two weeks’ time, then we need to leave early next week.”

  He would be far better of ending the conversation by declaring it impossible to arrive before the full moon. But that wasn’t entirely true, and Nathaniel was rather proud of how fast his Gearhound could sail. “If you’re wanting to dive to the bottom of the Puerto Rico Trench, it will take us seventeen days. Sixteen to arrive at the trench and one to dive.”

  “Then we’ll need to leave in five.” He could see Doctor Sterling calculating the days in her head, her eyes were turned up and her finger tapped absently on his desk. “That would have us arriving and diving before the first night of the full moon. We’d need to stay close to the ocean floor for three days before returning home. The whole trip should be only thirty-seven days.”

  “Only?” Still, that was by far a shorter trip than the last one he took on. “And you need to dive that deep . . .”

  “So that there is enough water to absorb all the moonlight. Or at least enough of it to prevent the shift.”

  Nathaniel rested back in his chair. Was he truly considering this? He couldn’t be. Gears above, if his mother knew he was asking so many questions she’d rake him over hot coals. “This is an interesting theory. But what proof do you have that water absorbs moonlight?”

  Doctor Sterling didn’t back down. If anything, she leaned in closer. “We have evidence.”

  “Did you bring it?”

  Lord Chauncey spoke up. “I didn’t even think to bring some. Perhaps we should have.”

  Doctor Sterling’s hand went to her lab coat pocket. “Perhaps we did.” She pulled out a small, copper vial which she placed on his desk.

  “This is a small amount of Bio-suspended Lunar Ulceratus Elixir, a chemical of my own making.”

  “The name was my idea,” Lord Chauncey said with obvious pride.

  Doctor Sterling all but rolled her eyes. “We call it BLUE for short.”

  Nathaniel’s chuckle came out as a short burst of air which he tried to cover with a cough. Doctor Sterling caught his gaze and for a brief moment her lips twitched upward in a half-smile. Apparently she both understood and agreed; with a name like Bio-suspended Lunar Ulceratus Elixir, they had to shorten it somehow.

  “Inject this into the arm of a healthy human and nothing will happen.” The doctor’s brief smile left as quickly as it had appeared and she continued explaining. “Inject this into the arm of a werewolf, one currently in human form, and he with shape-shift.”

  Nathaniel picked up the small copper vial and spun it between his fingers. “In other words, these are werewolf shots.”

  “Precisely.” She reached forward and placed her hand on his forearm. The touch brought with it an unexpected awareness. “I have worked for years to find ways to help those unfortunate enough to be werewolves. But there is so much more to do, to understand, so as to protect everyone. I can make a difference for many people.”

  Setting the small vial of elixir back on his desk, Nathaniel said. “Tell me, do you understand the nature of what you are asking?”

  “I am asking that you transport me and my test subjects down into the Puerto Rico Trench.”

  “I’m referring to life aboard a submarine. It’s not easy—the air grows stale within a day, and the food follows soon after. You are forced to see the same people every hour, every day, for weeks on end.”

  Lord Chauncey responded with an unruffled shrug. “Puts to mind my last stay in Rome. I am quite sure we can manage.”

  No, they had to be absolutely clear on this point. Nathaniel eyed Doctor Sterling pointedly. “Even on a large submarine, such as the Gearhound, there is no room for privacy, or secrets. Up until now, your test subjects have enjoyed remaining anonymous. That would end the moment they boarded. They must have no misunderstandings on this point. Privacy and submarine life simply do not go together.”

  She gave him a curt nod. “They have all been told as much before now. I do my job well, captain. You need not worry on that account.”

  Nathaniel’s lip twitched at her adamant declaration. He certainly had no worries on that account. Doubtless, Doctor Sterling was very good at her job.

  The book room door flung open, banging against the back wall. Nathaniel and Doctor Sterling both started at the loud noise. Melissa flew into the room, pig-tails flying behind her. She rushed up to Nathaniel and threw her arms around his neck.

  “Can I come?” she asked excitedly. “Can I please?”

  “What are you doing here?” Any young girl should know better than to burst into a room thusly. Gads, just how much of a hooligan had his daughter been allowed to become? For all his mother’s insistence that Melissa be raised a proper lady, the moment she was not around Melissa switched from prim to pixie almost instantly.

  Melissa waggled her eyebrows dramatically, and her voice dropped low. “I got away from Grandmama and her boring visitors.” She drew out the word “boring” in the same intonation he’d heard guttersnipe use.

  Nathaniel sighed loudly and pulled Melissa up onto his lap. She certainly needed a more involved parent. “Doctor Sterling, Lord Chauncey, may I introduce my daughter, Melissa.”

  Lord Chauncey smiled broadly at the little girl’s antics, while the doctor seemed to be trying to retain her composure.

  “Can I, Papa?” Melissa continued to beg. “I want to go with you and the pretty science lady. I want to see a submarine full of werewolves.”

  Doctor Sterling’s amusement faded, as her mouth pursed and both her eyebrows rose.

  Blast, how much had Melissa heard?

  Oblivious to the tension building around her, Melissa turned to Doctor Sterling. “When I grow up, I’m going—”

  “Melissa,” Nathaniel cut her off before she could direct any more of Doctor Sterling’s anger his way. No doubt she was fuming at him for inadvertently being the reason her much guarded secret was in the hands of a young girl.

  Jaw set tight, he placed a hand on Melissa’s chin and gently turned her gaze back to him. “How long have you been listening at my door?”

  Melissa’s silently squeezed fistfuls of her lavender dress. Apparently, she’d
finally realized the extent of her impropriety, because she didn’t respond but looked up at him with wide eyes and pouty, pink lips.

  “You have to tell me,” Nathaniel prompted.

  “You were talking about werewolves,” she said quietly. “Oh, but Papa,” her hands came up pleading. “I want to come with you. I don’t want to stay with Grandmama this time. Please? And I want to wear breeches like her.” Melissa pointed at Doctor Sterling.

  At that moment, Nathaniel’s mother marched sharply into the room. “What a naughty girl, to leave your grandmother like that.” Between his daughter’s unexpected appearance and his mother’s sudden and gruff rebuke, Nathaniel felt like someone had open the exit hatch of his submarine and he was drowning in mayhem.

  Taking Melissa’s hand, his mother pulled the young girl off his lap. “Stop pointing. Your father’s visitors will think you have no manners at all.” Gaze coming up to him, his mother pinned him with a scowl. It seemed no matter how many years passed, she could still make him squirm with a look.

  Mother turned her ire on him. “You mustn’t coddle her so,” she criticized, as though Nathaniel had been slipping the girl lemon drops for sneaking up on his highly confidential meeting. “Melissa will only learn to take advantage of you. Now that she’ll be seeing you every day, you must make it absolutely clear that she is to behave properly.”

  This was neither the time nor place for such a conversation, but it would be impudent of him to state so much clearly. Instead, Nathaniel took the opportunity when his mother first drew breath to break into the diatribe and introduce the two across from him.

  Upon hearing the name “Doctor Sterling”, the older woman’s face soured. “Tell me you aren’t considering taking part in this ridiculous plan.”

  Lord Chauncey, who had stood the moment Nathaniel’s mother had entered the room, spoke. “Madam, I have heard tale of your lovely imported rugs.”

  Caught off guard, his mother sputtered, “Yes. Nathaniel brought them from India.”

  Lord Chauncey moved over to her and offered an elbow. “Would you do the the honor of allowing me to gaze and gawk at them in person?”