Elinor and Flora talked a while longer about the latest styles, until Elinor said, “Oh my, it’s getting late. You should be getting home, but you must visit me again.”
As soon as we were in the carriage, Flora said, “I don’t know what Aunt Elinor was up to choosing that book, but don’t get any ideas. It doesn’t work that way in real life.”
“Do you mean your uncle isn’t keeping his mad wife in the attic?” I replied, perhaps more sharply than I should have.
“You know exactly what I mean,” she snapped. “Henry may be eccentric, but he wouldn’t go that far in doing something that would disgrace his family.”
“As you so kindly told your aunt, I have a suitor, so you have nothing to worry about on that account,” I said, firmly enough to end the conversation. We traveled the rest of the way in silence as I stewed over what I should do with Lady Elinor’s intelligence.
Lord Henry had returned while we were out. He, Olive, and Rollo were in the family parlor when we arrived home. Flora burst into the room with uncharacteristic enthusiasm. “Grandfather’s going to give a ball! For all the officers! And I’m to be invited! Please, Henry, say I may go!”
Only after she’d blurted all this did she take in the situation. Henry and Rollo, both with large pink flowers in their lapels, sat on the sofa holding dainty teacups, while Olive wore a flower-bedecked hat and sat on a nearby chair. “We had our own tea party,” Olive announced proudly. Rollo scowled, but Henry looked tired. Wherever he’d been, he hadn’t been resting.
“I can hardly give you permission to attend when you haven’t received an invitation,” Henry said mildly.
Flora swept over to perch on the edge of the sofa next to her uncle. “Oh, but I must go!”
“I want to go to a ball,” Olive said. “I could wear a pretty dress and dance all night.” She sighed wistfully, then turned to her brother and said in a childish imitation of proper ladylike tones, “Would you care for more tea, Lord Roland?”
“No more tea; it’s almost time for dinner,” Lord Henry said. He sent the children up to their rooms, and I moved to go to my own room, but he caught my eye, indicating he wished for me to stay. “How did Flora do?” he asked.
“Very well. Her aunt was pleased. I trust your journey was pleasant?”
“This one wasn’t about pleasure, I’m afraid. But I may have to travel again soon.”
I hoped he would stay home for a few days. When he was away, I had more responsibilities with the children, which complicated my efforts to communicate with the rebels, and I needed to pass on my new information as soon as possible.
IN WHICH I DISCOVER A DREADFUL DECEPTION
Much to my surprise, Flora provided the opportunity for me to meet the rebels. The next day at lunch she informed me that she’d heard from Lady Elinor, who had arranged an appointment for me with her modiste that afternoon. “There really is no time to lose,” Flora insisted. “It’s already too late to have a new gown of the finest quality, but in two weeks she can do something for a chaperone that won’t embarrass me.”
The modiste’s studio was near Union Square, not too far from the Mechanics’ headquarters, and that gave me the perfect opportunity to deliver my intelligence. My hopes sank, though, when Flora continued, “And if I must wear an old dress, I need some new ribbons for it. I should go with Miss Newton and purchase the ribbons. There’s one shop in the city that has what I want, and it is near the modiste’s.”
This time, I owed my thanks to Lord Henry. “I won’t have you going down there,” he said. “Miss Newton can purchase the ribbons if you write a note for the shopkeeper. I will call for a cab and provide a pass for Miss Newton to reenter our neighborhood.”
He came down the front steps with me when the cab arrived, and for a moment I feared he would insist on coming with me, but instead he glanced around as though making sure no one was listening, then said softly, “I hope I’m not imposing on you if I ask you to carry out an errand for me, as well.”
“Of course not. I would be only too happy to help.”
He handed me a small parcel. “Please deliver this to a bookshop near the university for me. The address is on the tag.”
“This person is expecting it?”
“Yes.” He shifted uncomfortably, then didn’t quite look me in the eye as he added, “But he doesn’t know who’s sending it. The transaction is rather, um, under the table, so to speak. Not illegal, though. The discretion is more due to, uh, class divides.” He leaned closer to me. “I appreciate your assistance, but I also trust your good sense. Don’t take any unnecessary chances. If it seems dangerous there, don’t worry about either my errand or Flora’s ribbons.” He handed me up into the cab, negotiated a fare with the driver and paid it in advance, then gave me money for the return fare.
The modiste called herself Madame Flambeau, but she only smiled nervously when I greeted her in French, so I switched to English without comment. Her speech was accented heavily with Irish, with the occasional French word thrown in, not always used in a way that made sense, and her hair matched her name. Even if she wasn’t truly French, she did seem to know her craft.
“A chaperone’s gown should be simple, not showy, no?” she said. “No lace for you.” She lowered her voice like she was sharing a secret. “There’s too much lace being used in this city, if you ask me, but that’s what they want, and they’re the ones paying the bills, so lace I give them. You are not a lady for lace, I think. Far too practical.”
Although I didn’t much like lace, I couldn’t help but bristle at her assessment of me as too practical. I imagined her putting me in a slightly fancier version of the kinds of day dresses I usually wore, but she returned from her back room with a bolt of cloth the color of new leaves in springtime and draped it around my shoulders. The silk fell in supple folds, and I sighed with pleasure. “Yes, that is the color for you,” she said with a nod. “It brings out your eyes.” Then she showed me a fashion plate of perhaps the most beautiful gown I’d ever seen. It was simple, but so very elegant with a sweetheart neckline, snug-fitting bodice, a slight bustle, and a swirl of skirts. “Do you like?” she asked.
“Oh, yes!” I said, thinking it was a pity Alec wouldn’t see me in this gown. Madame Flambeau took measurements and sent me on my way, telling me to come back in a week for a fitting, assuming the rebels hadn’t burned down the city by then.
The shop selling Flora’s ribbons lay beyond the barriers. British soldiers were checking credentials of people heading uptown, but they waved me into the downtown zone with a firm “Be careful, miss. There are ruffians about.”
This part of town looked very different from the way I’d last seen it. Rebel Mechanics banners now hung from windows and fire escapes, along with the white banners smeared with red paint to symbolize blood. Almost every available wall surface was covered in posters and signs, pasted over each other in a mad collage. The posters urged citizens to resist British rule, reminded people that British troops had fired on colonial children, and promoted the benefits of machinery over magic.
The streets were oddly quiet, with none of the usual bustle, and most of the shop doors remained shut. I decided to carry out my errand for Lord Henry first, as I was nervous about having his parcel with me. The address on the parcel was a few blocks down Broadway. The bookshop didn’t appear to be open. The front door was locked, and I saw no lights or signs of life through the small gaps between posters on the front windows.
I doubted Lord Henry would have sent me to the wrong address, so I pulled the bell and waited for a response. I jumped and barely swallowed a scream when an eye appeared in a narrow triangle between two Rebel Mechanics posters on the front window. I took the parcel from my bag and held it up. The door suddenly flew open and a hand reached out to grab me and pull me inside. Before I knew it, the door had closed behind me.
The shop was dim, lit only by the light coming through the transom. It took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust to the meager light so
I could make out the tall, lanky man with sparse yellowish hair facing me. “I was wondering if we’d get that,” he said, grabbing my parcel. “Were there difficulties?”
“I have no idea what you mean,” I replied. “I’m merely a courier. Now I must be on my way. Have a good day, sir.” He stepped out of the way and opened the door. It closed so quickly behind me after my exit that it nearly caught the tail of my skirt.
The ribbon shop was several blocks farther downtown. The front door was locked there, as well, and after I tapped on the glass, the curtains were pulled aside ever so slightly so that the proprietor could peer out at me. Then the door opened a crack. “What do you want?” a voice quavering with age asked.
“I’m on an errand for Lady Flora Lyndon. She needs some ribbon for a ball gown.”
The door opened wider, and the voice said, “Please come in.” A tiny white-haired man in a green apron then stood before me. “My apologies. One can’t be too careful these days. I’m not sure which is worse, the British or the rebels.”
I couldn’t imagine why either group would have any interest in ribbons, but I gave him a sympathetic smile as I handed him Flora’s note. “Here is Lady Flora’s order.”
“Right away, miss.”
The shop was small and old, with a narrow wooden counter, behind which were towering shelves full of ribbons of all colors, fabrics, and sizes. The shopkeeper climbed a library ladder and reached for a spool of pale blue ribbon, which he brought down, measured against a yardstick nailed to the counter, and cut. He rolled the cut ribbon into a loop, wrapped it in white paper, tied that off with string, then wrapped that parcel in brown paper and tied it off with twine, leaving a loop like a carrying handle. All of this took only seconds. “Will there be anything else, miss?”
“Not if that is all Lady Flora requested.”
“Very good, then.” He handed me the parcel. “Thank Lady Flora for her custom,” he said, darting around me and opening the door just enough for me to slip through. I’d barely made it to the sidewalk before the door slammed shut and I heard the click of a lock. If the shopkeepers were this nervous, I wondered how safe I was walking these streets. Conditions didn’t seem all that bad. There were neither roving bands of rebels nor military patrols. But the streets being so empty made me feel exposed and vulnerable.
I checked my watch. I’d made quick work of my errands, so I thought I might add one more without being suspiciously late to return home. I hurried toward the Mechanics’ headquarters and knocked on the door.
I had my insignia ready to show, but when the door opened, Nat greeted me. “Verity!”
“Hello, Nat,” I said. “I’ve been wondering about you, since I haven’t seen you selling newspapers this week. I suppose this has been a difficult time for newspaper sales.”
“Are you kidding? It’s been the best ever. I can’t go up into magpie land, but I sell out first thing in the morning. If this keeps up, I’ll be rich soon.”
“That’s good to hear. I was worried.”
“You really are a nice girl, Verity. What brings you down here?”
“I’ve got some important information I need to pass on, if Alec, Colin, or Lizzie is around.”
“I don’t know about Lizzie, but Colin and Alec are in there.” He stepped back from the door. “Go on through, you’ll find them up in the balcony.”
I found the stairs at the rear of the auditorium and made my way up. A large table at the end of the balcony held piles of documents, including maps of the city and diagrams of machines. Alec and Colin stood at the table, bent over a city map. Mick stood at Alec’s elbow, leaning over the map like he was part of the planning.
“Alec!” I called out, my pulse quickening at the sight of him. He wore no coat and his shirtsleeves were rolled up to his elbows, which made him look like a man of action.
He straightened, turned, and moved toward me, saying, “Verity? What are you doing here?” Before I could answer, he’d caught me in an embrace and kissed me as though he’d been wanting to do so for days.
I was equally pleased to see him, so much so that I almost forgot my errand. My senses finally returned, and I pulled away enough to say, “I have information I thought was worthy of bringing in person.”
He slid his hands from my back down to my waist and held me in the circle of his arms. “How did you get all the way down here?”
“I’m on an errand.” I held up my parcel. “I had to buy some ribbon and, apparently, the only suitable shop is near here.”
Colin whistled in appreciation. “That’s good thinking, Verity.”
“I would love to take credit for being so clever, but it was pure happenstance. The eldest girl was in desperate need of ribbon, and Lord Henry wouldn’t let her come to this part of town.”
“But he allowed you?” Alec’s color rose, as though he was offended on my behalf.
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Yes, and it’s a good thing, too, so calm down.”
“You said you had news?”
“Yes. They’re bringing over the Third Division from England, and they’ll be here this weekend. And then there’s a special brigade from India that specializes in putting down insurrections. They’re going to billet them in the student housing at the university!” My voice rose in pitch and volume as I reached the end of my message.
Alec and Colin exchanged glances, then Alec turned to Mick and said, “Mick, go get Verity some water.” Once the boy was gone, he said to me, “How do you know this?”
“I heard it at the governor’s house.”
“How?” Alec asked.
“It came up when we were talking about a ball the governor is planning for the officers when they arrive.”
“There’s not much action we could take, though it is good for us to know,” Alec said.
“I thought you could get your people on the staff of those buildings, perhaps set up ways to listen to or observe the soldiers,” I suggested.
Colin laughed. “I believe we’ve created a monster. Next thing you know, she’ll be leading the revolution, standing on top of the barricade with a banner, shouting defiance at the British.”
“No, that would draw too much attention,” I said, shaking my head with a smile. “Remember, my expertise is espionage.”
“When is this ball you mentioned?” Alec asked.
“The Wednesday after next. I don’t know the exact time, as the official invitations haven’t been issued. I also don’t know who will be invited, if it will be only the highest-ranking officers or only the newly arrived officers.”
Mick arrived with the water, then leaned against the table, looking like he was trying to make himself inconspicuous so Colin and Alec wouldn’t notice he was there and send him away again. I took a grateful sip. I hadn’t realized how parched I’d become while walking around. “What I was worried about,” I continued, “was having that many troops billeted so close to your headquarters. They’ll have you surrounded. They might decide to search the theater again, and you’d have less warning to hide the evidence.”
Colin and Alec exchanged a meaningful look, and while they seemed to be weighing their response, Mick laughed. “You don’t have to worry about that!” he said. “The magpies would never think to look here.”
The glare Alec shot him should have killed him on the spot. A little doubt in the back of my mind grew, taking form as I realized what was wrong with what Mick had said. “But didn’t they suspect your headquarters were here when the police searched the theater the night of the party?”
Alec turned a purplish shade that didn’t look healthy. Even his scalp was red beneath his fair hair. Colin went so pale that his freckles stood out like copper coins on his face. Neither of them spoke. “There was no raid, was there?” I said, breaking Alec’s hold on me and backing away. The realization made me ill. “The police weren’t searching the neighborhood. All that gathering evidence and escaping was merely a bit of theater to make the new recruits—what did you call u
s, ‘sparks’?—feel like we shared your danger, to convince us of how horribly persecuted your movement was so we’d sympathize and be useful to you.”
Alec regained his composure enough to ask, “Do you disagree with the cause, Verity?”
“No, I don’t, because it’s a good and just one. There was no need to trick me.” That fateful day in the park flashed before my mind’s eye, and I saw the roadster rush past after Alec swept me off my feet. The driver’s hat had been pulled low, but I remembered red hair. “That was you that day in the park, wasn’t it?” I asked Colin. “That reckless ‘magister’ who nearly ran me down so that you”—I whirled on Alec, my finger pointed in accusation—“could rush to my rescue. What did you do, steal the roadster from some unsuspecting magpie?”
“Borrowed,” Colin insisted. “He was having lunch and never knew it was gone.” He went a little misty-eyed. “Drove like a dream, too.”
“You were a potentially valuable resource. We had to secure you,” Alec said stiffly, ignoring Colin. “We weren’t likely to find another person placed that high in the magpie world who might sympathize with us. After Nat told us where you were employed, we had to get you on our side, right away.”
“So all of it was a lie?” My eyes stung, but I refused to cry.
“Not all. It may have started that way, but it came to be true.” Alec looked genuinely distressed as he reached out to me.
I wasn’t ready to forgive him. He’d kissed me. I’d kissed him. I’d thought it meant something, but I’d been such a fool. “What part was true, and what wasn’t?”
Alec opened and closed his mouth, but no words came out. “We liked you from the start,” Colin said. “What I said on the bus that day was true, that you’re the kind of person we’re doing all this for. Even if you hadn’t wanted to get involved with us, Lizzie would have been your friend. She thinks you’ve got a good heart.”
Rebel Mechanics Page 18