Moonlight & Mechanicals

by Cindy Spencer Pape

  “No, you’re right.” He sighed again, then disentangled himself from her and climbed out of the bed. “But unless we want trouble of a different kind, sooner rather than later, I need to take you home.”

  “Bother.” He was right, though. Wink let him help her to her feet. Her muscles gave a little twinge, but she wasn’t overly sore.

  An hour later, she was back in her own room, with none of her siblings the wiser. After a quick, quiet wash in the bathroom she shared with Nell, Wink fell into bed. Her body still hummed with pleasure. She’d broken down one of Liam’s barriers. Now to get to work on the others.

  Chapter Ten

  Wink’s soreness had mostly dissipated after her morning bath, so she was able to face her family at breakfast without visible discomfort. Unusually hungry after last night’s exercise, she piled eggs, bacon and toast on a plate and sat next to Nell. Dorothy wasn’t here, but she spent the night at Miss Julian’s now and again, and they’d all learned not to discuss it. Even their servants had been hand-picked for discretion, a necessity in an Order household.

  Ready to get on with the day, Wink asked, “So how did last night’s investigation go?”

  Tom looked smug, but sat silently while Jamie’s cheerfulness fairly bubbled over. “We saw him! And one of his metal men. They got away from us in a boat, but we’ve actually seen them.”

  “Excellent,” Wink said. “Did it look like Lolly Archer’s drawing?”

  Tom nodded. “Almost exactly. She’s good. She could make a living at that, instead of…”

  “Prostitution,” Nell supplied. “And I’m sure she doesn’t realize that. Perhaps someone ought to speak with her.”

  “I know the police use sketch artists. Perhaps Liam will know more about that sort of opportunity,” Wink said. It was a good notion—assuming Lolly didn’t prefer her current occupation. “Right now, I’m more interested in the man you said you saw. You’re sure he was involved?”

  “He had a device in his hand,” Tom said. “With dials and knobs. Whenever he turned a dial, the man in the suit moved.”

  “So he was controlling it.” Wink had seen toys like that, had made a few for her younger siblings that operated through wires connected to a control box. “So there must have been a wire connecting them.”

  “I don’t think so,” Jamie said. “They were twenty yards or so apart at first. The man was down by the boat, while the creature started at the top of the steps. We did manage to rescue the man the creature was carrying, but it knocked Tom flying and fled.”

  Nell gasped. “Tom, are you hurt?”

  “Not to speak of,” he said. “A new bruise or two on my shoulder. Nothing you need to worry about. The important thing was that I’m sure it was a man wearing a suit. It covered his full body, but I’m sure I saw glints of skin between the seams. It was almost like a suit of armor, but one that somehow enhanced his strength as well as protected him.”

  “And you didn’t see any wires, even up close?” Wink had watched Tom move. He wasn’t seriously injured, so she wasn’t going to fret. “Was the man you saved able to tell you anything?”

  Jamie snorted. “Too drunk. Bet this morning he doesn’t even remember it.”

  “A dock worker, I think,” Tom added. “Not a little man and quite strong, which matches the other victims. He was completely potted, though. Wouldn’t have put up much of a fight.”

  “And where is he now?” Wink crunched on a rasher of bacon. It was amazingly tasty this morning. “You wouldn’t have just let him go.”

  “Don’t be silly.” Jamie rolled his eyes. “Do we look like idiots? He’s in the holding cell in the basement of the Camelot Club.”

  Wink glanced down at her empty plate. “Well, then what are we waiting for? Let’s go to work.”

  “I’ll go fetch Liam and meet you there,” Jamie said. “I think he’ll want to be there when we question the man.”

  Wink lifted one eyebrow. “Why not just telephone?”

  Jamie shrugged. “I could use a brisk walk this morning. It will do me good.” He bolted from the room before anyone could say anything else.

  Nell smiled and stood as well. “And I’m off as well. Just two more weeks at the Academy. I’ll miss it, but it will be a treat not to have classes and rehearsals every single day. If you come along now, Debbins can drop the two of you at the Club on his way home.”

  “I’ll drive the steam car,” Tom said. He stood and kissed Nell’s cheek politely as she left the room. Then he turned to Wink, his face an emotionless mask. “Ready?”

  “Of course.” She fetched her shawl and bonnet from Mountjoy in the hall and followed Tom out to the mews and his steam car. Once they were moving, she asked, “What was it you wanted to say to me without Nell around?”

  He frowned. “Is everything all right with you?”

  She willed herself not to blush. “Of course. Why wouldn’t it be?”

  “Oh, I don’t know.” He kept his face forward, watching the road. “Possibly because you left a party the other night in rather a hurry. Or because you snuck out of the house after we left last night and didn’t return until after we did. I know you’re not playing games with Connor, so that leaves Liam.”

  “And if I did go see Liam last night? It’s none of your business, is it?” Damn the complications that went along with having investigators in the family. “Say anything to him, and I swear I’ll shoot you in your sleep.”

  Tom laughed. “I believe you. And no, I wasn’t planning to confront Liam. You’re both consenting adults. But regardless of blood or name, you’re my sister, and he’s my friend. I just want to be sure that nothing is wrong.”

  “Thank you. I love you too.” She smiled. “For your information, nothing is wrong except for his stubborn belief that he can’t trust himself. He’ll get over that, I hope. In time.”

  “Perhaps.” Tom was silent for a moment. “Try not to hurt him, would you? He isn’t as invulnerable as he likes to think.”

  Wink laughed. This was the most unusual conversation they’d ever had. “No, he’s not. I’ll do my best. I expected you to say that about Connor, you know. I am sorry I hurt him, but letting him keep hoping would have been even crueler. Marrying him when I don’t love him would be worse.”

  “I know.” Tom chuckled as well, but there was an odd note in his voice that Wink couldn’t identify—almost a sadness, as if he’d resigned himself to something he could never have. That would bear more investigation at a later date. “Jamie told me about his vision. Hopefully Connor will meet his dark-haired beauty soon.”

  “The sooner the better,” Wink said. “Now tell me all about this man you saw. It wasn’t Kersleigh, was it?”

  “No.” Tom shook his head. “I don’t want to repeat myself. You can hear the whole story once we’re all together at the Club.”

  * * *

  Liam had just gotten to the Yard when a constable showed Jamie Hadrian into his office. With an air mask pushed carelessly up on his head, Jamie’s skin was flushed and his breathing was heavy, as if he’d run all the way here. The lad was smiling, though, so Liam’s heart rate returned to normal after a momentary spike.

  “Well, what can I do for you?” He was having a hard time not smiling himself. Though he’d been awake much of the night by the time he took Wink home, he still felt more rested than he had in months.

  Jamie gave him a brief rundown of his and Tom’s find in Wapping the night before. “Thought you might want to question the man alongside the Order.”

  Liam nodded. “Let’s go.” He reached for his own mask and coat. “Are we walking?”

  Jamie shook his head. “Let’s catch a hack. My treat.”

  “Whatever you say.” Liam followed Jamie to the curb, where there was usually a cab or two waiting to be hired. Since Jamie rarely had money in his pocket, Liam knew he’d be paying himself, despite Jamie’s offer.

  Once they were on their way, Jamie said, “You know, there’s something I’m curious abo
ut. When you turn into a wolf, do you ever, you know, lick yourself?”

  Liam gaped. “What the hell brought that up?”

  The boy shrugged. “One of the chaps at school was being a prat. Said if he was a werewolf, he’d never leave his room. I clocked him one, but after a bit, it sort of made sense and I wondered. You never say much about what it means to be a lycanthrope. Well?”

  Liam doubled over laughing. Jamie had a way of lightening up the most serious moments. It was good to have the irreverent brat around. “No, I never have. Once when I was about fourteen, for a second or two, I thought about it, but the idea didn’t appeal. Sorry.” He just used his hand like every other man on the planet.

  “Didn’t think so.” Jamie cocked his head. “So have you ever been with another wolf? Gone at it all four-legged and furry?”

  “No again. Sorry.” Honestly the idea had never occurred to him—and the thought of his parents or his brother and sister-in-law having relations in wolf form wasn’t one he wanted in his head. “Apparently I’m more drearily respectable than I’d thought.”

  “So it seems.” Jamie crossed his arms over his chest and quit smiling. “Now then, just what are your intentions toward Wink?”

  Liam blinked. He’d have expected this from Merrick, or even Tom, but the stripling? Really, that was just too much. He bit his lip to keep from laughing yet again.

  “We know she was with you last night.”

  Well, that took some of the wind out of Liam’s sails. He didn’t want to insult the boy, but he didn’t want him confronting Wink about this either. He steadied his breathing, all traces of humor gone. “Yes, she came to talk to me last night. I assure you, I was as surprised as you were. After I scolded her for walking alone at night, we talked for a while and then I drove her home.” It was all true, even though he’d omitted a significant chunk of time in the middle.

  Jamie nodded. “Wink doesn’t listen to anybody. Mum or Papa sometimes, but not even them often. She’s not as indestructible as she thinks she is, though.”

  “Believe me, I know.” On that Liam could wholeheartedly agree.

  Jamie went on, oblivious to Liam’s remark. “I mean—she could handle herself against footpads or vampyres. I’m not worried about that. She probably had Pippin with her, maybe even Lark. And she’d have been armed.”

  “I didn’t see the bird, but Wink did have Piers’s steel dog with her. Let me guess. Nell’s little silver songbird is a weapon too.”

  “Naturally.” Jamie seemed surprised that Liam would even ask. “Wink built most of the animals before we left Wapping, you know. The only one she built later was the dog, because the kitten she made Piers first got destroyed.”

  “That’s reassuring.” Liam willed Jamie to get to the point. He didn’t want to think about Wink and the others needing weapons.

  “But she can be hurt. Her father, her natural father—well he wasn’t very trustworthy. I’d hate to see her get involved with another man who would take her for granted and neglect her.”

  “Agreed.” Taking Wink for granted wouldn’t be easy to do. A man would have to be an idiot not to see what a gem he had in her.

  “So you’re not taking advantage of her, then?” Jamie sighed. “Good. We like you—all of us. We won’t mind having you for a brother-in-law.”

  “Wait just a minute.” Liam hadn’t said anything about marriage. “It isn’t that simple.”

  Jamie lifted one eyebrow. “Then you are just using her?”

  “I didn’t say that either.” Liam half wished the boy would shoot him and be done with it. “Stop trying to put words in my mouth.”

  “If that’s all you put in your mouth, you won’t have any problems, now will you?” Jamie made a face. “Wait, I didn’t say that right. Damn it. You know what I mean.”

  Liam took pity on the boy who was, after all, only trying to defend a sister he adored. “Look, Jamie, I can’t tell you exactly how things stand between me and Wink. Hell, I don’t even know that myself. What I will say is that anything happening between us is entirely of her choosing. I haven’t and never will lie to her or take advantage of her in any way. Does that suffice?” Though hadn’t last night been taking advantage of her? He couldn’t quite sort that out. Not yet. This depth of emotion he felt was too new and too raw to make any sense.

  Jamie pursed his lips as he thought. After a moment, he nodded. “All right. Just be careful, would you please? We have a shady enough background, with everyone knowing we’re adopted but not knowing who our real parents were. If Wink’s reputation gets damaged, it won’t take much to turn the biddies of society against her.”

  “I know. Believe me, I don’t intend to do anything that will cause her grief.” Except he already had, hadn’t he? When he’d made it clear they could never marry. And now he’d put even that resolution in jeopardy. If she conceived, they wouldn’t have a choice. That idea made his mouth go dry. He looked over at the boy across from him. “You haven’t had any visions, or anything, have you? Nothing that involves Wink?” Like seeing her pregnant.

  Jamie shook his head. “Not in ages. I just worry about her, that’s all.”

  “Well then, that makes two of us.”

  Jamie smiled and leaned back in his seat. “Good. Now, how are we going to question our drunkard?”

  Their plans on that matter turned out to be pointless, because the man couldn’t remember anything after leaving his job on the docks the day before. After interrogating him for almost an hour, Liam and the others conceded defeat. Tom and Liam drove the man home while Wink and Connor started researching the list of names Liam had compiled from his “club meeting” the night before. Liam had no idea where Jamie had run off to.

  “That’s a good idea to ask Lolly if she’d like work as a sketch artist,” Liam said after they’d dropped the near-victim at his lodging. “If you’d like, we can give her a trial run by asking her to draw up your suspect from last night. If it’s good, I can broach the subject with my superiors.” They’d ascertained that it wasn’t Kersleigh, or anyone else from the Prodigal’s Club, but had no clue as to who it could be.

  “Good idea,” Tom said.

  Liam waited for Tom to launch into a conversation similar to the one he’d already had with Jamie, but Tom surprised him by not saying a word about Wink. That was almost as disconcerting as being interrogated.

  “Royal Ascot starts in just two days,” Tom said instead. “Are you going to the races?”

  Liam nodded. “I wish I didn’t have to. I don’t really think there will be an attack, but I need to attend, just in case.”

  “And your parents are going to be there.” Tom nodded. “Want me to come along for support?”

  “I thought the duke was sending all hands?” Liam had understood that all the Knights available would be turned out in case of trouble. “Won’t you be there regardless?”

  Tom shrugged. “Oh, I’ll be there, anyway. Just thought you’d like to know your friends are there for you.”

  “Thanks,” Liam said. “I appreciate that.” It was a nice gesture, even though he didn’t think it would make a bit of difference in how things played out.

  Tom grinned. “No problem. You know, I’m younger than you, but there’s something I learned years ago that you might do well to figure out and sooner, rather than later.”

  “What’s that?”

  “That family is a word with a lot of definitions.” Tom spread his hands. “According to the law or blood, I don’t have a single relative to my name. I never knew my father, and my mother died when I was young. I met my grandfather exactly twice before he died, and because the inheritance was potentially tricky, Merrick and Caroline couldn’t adopt me legally along with the others. So if you look at family as just the people you were born to or even those you share a name with, I don’t have any at all.”

  “But you do,” Liam said. “You’ve got a damn big and damn loyal family. We both know that, so what’s your point?”

  �
�That is exactly my point.” Tom set his chin. “For as long as I’ve known you, I’ve admired you. Even idolized you a little when I was a kid. You’re one of the most intelligent men I’ve ever met, except for maybe Piers, and he’s just plain scary. But when it comes to family, you don’t have a bloody clue. In fact, you’re downright stupid. You insist on defining yourself by a worthless bunch of idiots who’ve done nothing productive as far as I can tell and who’ve ignored you your entire adult life.”

  “Blood will tell, as they say,” Liam said. “I don’t like to claim them as family, but I can’t deny I’m made from the same stuff. Like it or not, I’m still a werewolf.”

  “Blood will tell?” Tom spread his hands. “That’s horseshit and you know it. What we are, who we’re born to, doesn’t define who we are. Are Piers and Nell like the mother who entertained sailors for money? Is Jamie destined to be a bigoted fool like the aunt who threw a five-year-old into the street because he has visions? How about Wink? Her father neglected her and her grandparents cut off her mother for marrying beneath her. Can you see Wink doing either of those, under any circumstances?”

  “It’s not the same,” Liam said between gritted teeth. “Werewolves have instincts—we’re violent by nature.”

  “And the Knights aren’t?” Tom shook his head. “Ballocks. You, Inspector, are a good, solid person, werewolf or no. I’ve seen you hold each of the Hadrian babies. You’re as wrapped around their little fingers as Nell is, for Christ’s sake. As to being a risk to Wink, ballocks again. Have you ever hit a woman in your life?”

  “Of course not.” Liam sighed. “But I have come closer than I’d like and I haven’t had to live day by day with one, or with children either. It isn’t the same.”

  “That’s up to you, isn’t it? All I’m saying is don’t be a fool. If I’ve learned anything in life, it’s that a true family is a group of people who give a damn about each other. People who care enough to fight for you when you’re in trouble or to let you know when you’re making an ass of yourself. You’ve had that for years, though you don’t seem to realize it. You’ve been part of our family since the day you and Merrick found us in Wapping. Yes, seeing the jackass who sired you is probably going to be awkward. I’m sorry about that. I just thought you ought to know that your real family will be right there beside you.”