by John Booth
Commander Willis shook his head in disbelief.
“But Lord McBride is a pillar of the establishment. He launched a destroyer in Glasgow last year.”
“He has been developing a secret engine for the Empire. One that works on a novel power source that no one truly understands, but that requires Grade 1 Spellbinders to refine it,” Trelawney told the astonished commander. “He has been asking us for the services of a Class A for years. However, his work is considered far too dangerous to risk a Class A anywhere near it.”
“And Glen Russell is less than forty miles from where this devastating explosion took place,” Belinda pointed out.
Trelawney looked grim as he considered their options.
“I shall have to speak with the Secretary for War. Possibly to the whole Cabinet,” Trelawney said as he rose to his feet. “If Lord McBride’s intentions were honorable, he would have told us of this explosive and certainly not worked with the Hungarians to kidnap a British Spellbinder. As it is, we must assume the worst.”
“And what exactly is the worst?” Belinda asked.
Trelawney shook his head.
“I only wish I knew.”
38. Relationships and Messages
Tom woke early and lay in the bed thinking about the situation. When he glibly suggested stealing the dantium bomb, it had all seemed so easy. Now he had time to think about it, it seemed much less so.
When Laura cast a bind on something, the length of time it would stay changed depended on how far from its original form it had been modified. Apparently, humans to animals required less effort that changing a large stone block to water, because humans and animals had much more in common and because the stone was much heavier.
Changing a massive metal cannon filled with two dantium cannon balls into something that they could transport easily was going to require enormous effort on Laura’s part. Well certainly if the bind was to last more than a few seconds. Laura had not complained on hearing Tom’s plan, but she must be well aware how difficult it was going to be.
Tom knew Laura well enough to know she would have other options in mind, ones too dangerous to tell him about. It was her way. But she might answer a direct question if he put it to her.
“Laura, are you awake?” Tom was lying on his back on the bed with Laura asleep beside him. Both wore the nightshirts that Rhona had left for them the day before.
Laura groaned and he heard her stir, though being a gentleman he did not look over at her.
“I am now, but it wasn’t your question that woke me. I was practically deafened by sound of gears turning in your head. What is bothering you, Tom?”
Tom decided Laura more likely to answer honestly if he was looking at her. He rolled over and discovered she was no longer wearing her nightshirt. Her pert breasts were visible above the sheets and he lost the power to speak.
Laura smiled at the effect her body was having and waited patiently for Tom to find his voice, wriggling a little so her breasts wobbled.
“Nightshirt,” he spat out after a minute or so.
“I took it off. I turn in my sleep and it kept wrapping me up. I usually sleep naked in any event.”
Tom rolled back so he was no longer facing her. Her fingers traced a path from the back of his neck and down his spine. He shuddered with suppressed delight at her delicate touch.
“So tell me, Thomas Merlin Carter. What is causing you so much worry this fine morning?”
“It may prove impossible to bind the bomb so we can carry it. I know you, and I am sure you will have formed an alternative plan. Will you reveal it to me?”
Laura ran her hand down further to squeeze Tom’s bottom. Even through his nightshirt, this deeply intimate contact made him gasp. This pleased Laura, who immediately did it again.
“Your plan was brilliant, as always, Thomas. However, this dantium is difficult to manipulate and changing it to water yesterday required considerable effort. I have considered another option that might buy us some time if I am unable to bind the bomb.”
“And that option is?” Tom asked. His voice rose to a squeak on the final word as Laura’s hand slipped over his hips in gentle exploration.
Laura withdrew her hand and pushed her body close to his. She whispered in his ear, her sweet breath tickling his skin.
“You are so warm, Tom. Like my own personal hot water bottle… I can change the ground under the device to form a deep well of water. When I tear the bind, the bomb will be buried some distance underground. It is not a perfect answer, but it would probably take Lord McBride many days to dig it out again.”
Tom sighed with relief that Laura’s plan was not dangerous. Then he stiffened again as she placed her hand upon his shoulder.
“Turn and face me, Tom. I am not something to be scared of.”
Before Tom could reply, there was a knock at the door and Rhona walked into the room.
Arnold followed a maid through the castle to the laboratory. It was nearly nine o’clock and Arnold was beginning to worry that he might be late reaching the laboratory. Daisy had told him that the laboratory was buried deep in the dungeons and so he was not surprised when the maid led him down a spiral staircase deep into the bowels of the earth.
“You must knock at that door, sir. I am not allowed to go any further,” the girl told him. She curtseyed hurriedly before scurrying away and back to her chores.
Arnold approached the metal door and knocked on it as loudly as he could. A minute or so later the door opened and a man he didn’t know opened the door.
“Arnold Smith reporting to see Lord McBride as ordered, sir,” Arnold said stiffly.
“You have not joined the army, you know,” the man replied and smiled. “Lord McBride warned me to expect your arrival. Come in, good sir. My name is Gordon Kemp and it is me that you will be working for.”
Arnold stepped into the room and his eyes were immediately drawn to the windows looking in the room beyond.
Kemp saw his gaze and answered his question before he could ask it.
“The windows allow us to observe the effect of our work in that room. They form a barrier to keep us safe from harm from the dantium. You may have been told that exposure to it can cause illness and death. Lord McBride believes it releases the very gasses of hell.”
“I heard last night that Dantium can be dangerous, will I be at risk of my life?”
“I have never succumbed to it and I work here all the time, so you can put your mind at rest. However, you must never go into that room without donning one of the protective suits. I will tell you everything you need to know to keep you safe.”
“Where is Lord McBride? I was given to understand that he would meet me here,” Arnold asked.
“I expect he is still at breakfast. Then he will be taking our new Healer to Mr. Baxter, who is grievously ill. It may well be noon before the Laird chooses to make an appearance. Such are the privileges of rank.”
Arnold nodded. “I suppose so. What can I do for you, Mr. Kemp?”
“You can call me Gordon for a start. We have little formality in this laboratory and if you call me Mr. Kemp, I shall probably ignore you, thinking you are talking to someone else.”
“Thank you, Gordon. I always answer to Arnold.”
“Good. I have been pressing the Laird for an assistant for some time, but now that you have arrived, I find I have little for you to do. Are you any good at making tea?”
“I have had few complaints in that area,” Arnold said grinning. He could not tell a piston from a brake handle, but he did know how to make a good cup of tea.
Cam and Daisy stood outside the telegraph office in the concourse of the Glen Russell Railway Station.
“We must give whoever is inside the impression that Belinda Mann is our cousin and someone of no importance at Military Magic,” Cam reminded Daisy.
“I do remember, Camilla. I am not a fool, despite what you seem to think. I will play my part if you can remember yours.”
Cam g
rinned at her friend and pushed open the door to let Daisy enter ahead of her.
“I told you that we could send a telegraph,” Daisy gushed. She ignored the man at the counter and looked around the room in delight.
“It is so modern in here, and isn’t the light through the glass roof of the station marvelous?”
“Yes Daisy, but remember we do not have money to burn. Aunt Belinda is only expecting a message to tell her we arrived safely.”
Daisy danced across the room.
“But we must send her more than that. We must talk about the dancing last night and that strange thunder and lightning. You know how she loves to hear of mysterious events.”
“Can I help you young ladies?” the man at the counter enquired. He smiled at them.
“How much would a telegraph message to London cost?” Daisy asked.
“It is shilling for each message sent and a penny for every word within it,” the man replied, smiling warmly at Daisy.
“I told you it would be expensive,” Cam said discouragingly.
“But if we are to spend a shilling just to send anything, surely we can afford to add a few words?” Daisy asked in a wheedling tone.
“No more than three shillings in total Daisy. That would be twenty four words.”
The man presented Daisy with a blank form and she went over to the writing desk and dipped a quill pen held on a chain into the inkwell. She stuck her tongue out of the corner of her mouth as she composed the message.
Cam smiled at the telegraph man as she waited.
“Our Aunt Belinda is a secretary in London. She and her husband are all the family we have left in the world since our mother died. Daisy has always been her favorite niece,” she explained to the waiting man.
“Aye, it’s good to keep in touch with kin,” the man agreed. “Did I not see you in the first group of dances last night?”
“Yes, you did. How kind of you to notice. I was dancing with my brother, Arnold. He has come to join Lord McBride’s workforce. Arnold is a qualified engineer.”
“The Laird is a good man and that’s no mistake,” the telegraph man replied sagely.
“What do you think, Camilla?” Daisy asked anxiously and Cam took the message form off her before reading her message aloud.
ARRIVED SAFE GLEN RUSSELL STOP EVERYTHING WE ARE LOOKING FOR HERE STOP QUIET HERE NOT EXPLODING LIKE LONDON STOP DO NOT TELL JAMES STOP
“What do you mean by exploding?” Cam asked in feigned astonishment.
“Auntie Belinda will know exactly what I mean,” Daisy replied defensively. “I always describe London as exploding because it is so noisy, and you know how James thinks London is the best place in the world there is.”
“You should change that word to ‘busy’, exploding is so pretentious,” Cam told her severely.
“Nay, let the little lassie keep the word if she wants,” the telegraph man broke in. “It is a longer word than busy but it still costs only a penny.”
“Well Daisy, it is your money, I suppose,” Cam conceded and handed over the message form to the telegraph man.
The man looked at the form and whistled when he saw the address.
“Your aunt works for Military Magic?”
“It sounds like a better position than it is. She stacks files in a stuffy archive all day long,” Cam told him.
“Auntie Belinda has a very important job,” Daisy said defensively. “Those records will be invaluable to historians one day.”
“That will be three shillings please,” the man said and Cam paid him carefully using pennies and sixpenny bits.
“Can we watch while he sends it?” Daisy asked excitedly.
“That you may,” the man told her and quickly rattled off the message on a Morse key before giving her back the form.
“Thank you so much for your kind forbearance,” Cam said wearily and led Daisy out of the office.
“I did not go too far, did I?” Daisy asked anxiously on their way back to the cottage. Cam shook her head.
“No, I think you were perfect.”
The telegraph man considered telling Lord McBride about the message. He was supposed to report anything sent to people in authority. After some thought, he decided a filing clerk in Military Magic was hardly a person in authority and did not bother reporting it.
39. McBride
Tom was still suffering from bouts of blushing while they were eating breakfast, a hangover from Rhona’s visit to their bedroom. His attempts to explain what they were doing simply made the situation worse. She was in no doubt as to what they had been up to and Laura went out of her way to imply that she was correct in her assumptions. How was he supposed to protect a woman’s honor under these circumstances? All Tom knew for sure was that his father would be furious and his mother would be extremely disappointed in him.
The breakfast table was missing a few faces from the previous day. Gordon Kemp was nowhere to be seen and Lady Fenella had not risen that morning as her headache was still with her. If anything, their absence made Lord McBride more cheerful than normal and he brimmed over with good spirit. This was partially compensated for by Blane Grant’s permanently sour disposition.
“It’s going to be a bonnie wee day today,” McBride told them. “The Cèilidh went with quite a bang and no mistake, don’t you agree, Blane?”
“A little thunder and lightning never goes amiss at a party, Laird,” Blane replied sourly. “It saved some of the young women from severely bruised toes, given the poor dancing skills of the Englishman.” This last was said with a look straight at Tom.
McBride giggled at the mention of thunder and lightning. “It would be good to have the God of Thunder on our side, would it not? Our enemies would be trembling in their beds come the night.”
“I would rather that they trembled during the day while holding their weapons, Laird,” Blane said wryly, “Rather than during the night when they might enjoy it rather more than I would like.”
McBride burst out laughing.
“I should have employed you as my court jester rather than my secretary, Blane. You certainly have a rapier wit.”
“I am happy to fulfill both roles for you, Laird. However, I must warn you that I may have to double my salary.”
“When will we be visiting Mr. Baxter?” Tom asked.
“I want to be there too,” Laura said quickly. “Tom is an unusual Healer and may need my assistance after he has carried out his task.”
“Aye,” McBride said softly, the good humor leaving his face to be replaced by a frown. “It will be good to have Andrew back among us. As for you, Missy; you see yourself as a nursemaid rather than a Spellbinder?”
“What is good enough for Florence Nightingale is certainly good enough for me,” Laura said demurely. She patted her lips with her napkin, having eaten all she wanted. “You cannot have it both ways, Lord McBride. You threaten Tom to make me work for you, and healing someone near death is as much a threat to Tom as any whipping. How can you expect me to work in the laboratory not knowing whether he is safe?”
“I can have it all the ways I want,” McBride said in a harsh voice, his eyes suddenly glittering hard as steel. “And see that you do not forget it. However, I can see no reason why you cannot accompany us to Andrew’s sick bed when breakfast is finished. Mind that you remember that this is a privilege I am choosing to grant you, it is not a right.”
“Thank you, Lord McBride,” Laura said carefully. McBride’s sudden changes of moods were frightening and she did not wish to push her luck any further.
“Watch this one carefully, Laird,” Blane said waving a piece of toast in Laura’s direction. “She says one thing to you while she thinks another. I suspect that the boy here has no idea whether he is coming or going.”
This was far too accurate an observation for comfort and Tom stared studiously at the table, avoiding eye contact with those in the room.
“And what do you believe, Mr. Grant,” Laura asked in response. “You talk cyn
ically about everything; is there nothing in which you truly believe?”
McBride laughed as his good humor returned as swiftly as it had vanished.
“She has you there, Blane,” he chortled.
“I believe in Scotland,” Blane replied, almost whispering his words. “I believe in Justice.”
“Then I can only hope that Scotland will have reason to be proud of you, for your soul’s sake.”
“Scotland has no finer hero than Blane, lest it be my own good self,” McBride said before Blane could frame an answer. It seemed to Laura that her words had struck home in some unexpected way, judging from the haunted look in Blane’s eyes.
“Let us be off to see Andrew then. Soonest there, soonest mended,” McBride said happily. “It will be good to have him back on his feet. We have a small infirmary in the castle, a wee way from the other parts of the building to reduce the risk of infection. Follow me, if you will.”
“I have other matters to attend to, Laird?” Blane enquired and McBride nodded his approval for him to leave them. Blane hurriedly left the room.
Laura and Tom followed McBride as he led them through the castle.
Belinda Mann read the telegraph for a second time and a tight smile played across her lips. Camilla and her team obviously knew about Saunders and they had not only located Laura Young and Thomas Carter but they had also managed to infiltrate the estate of Lord McBride. Ernest should award them a medal if they survived this mission; even seasoned agents rarely did so well in the field.
The astonishing thing was that in a few innocuous words they had confirmed they knew about the blast the previous night and told her that the intended target for the next blast would be London. They could barely have been in Glen Russell a day and yet they had found out so much.
The bad news was that Lord McBride’s target was London. Reports of the size of the blast last night had been coming in all morning from the authorities. It was a great good fortune that the telegraph lines to Inverness stayed intact after the blast. It looked, if it could be believed, that a similar explosion, taking place in the centre of London would destroy the capital. The royal family would have to be moved to somewhere safer at once.