Echoes of Aether

by Gail B Williams

  “They were selected because they descended from Elizabeth Stuart, who was actually the elder sister of Charles the First,” Bobbie stated with passion, and a certain amount of disgust. “The truth is, they should have been the royal family all along. They would have been were it not for the total misogyny of inheritance law in this country. It’s ridiculous.”

  “The British people conferred the right, therefore we can confer it elsewhere,” Chalmers growled back.

  “Oh, you speak for the British people now do you?” Jenson asked.

  “And here I thought you were above all us commoners.” Amethyst’s sharp tone cut across the dining room. “Given how breeding will out and all that.”

  Lady Garrington-Smythe’s chair scraped on the parquet flooring as she stood. “Ladies, shall we leave the men to their politics?”

  Every clenched fibre of his being wanted to leave the room with the ladies, but there was nothing Jenson could think of to say or do that would release him from this turgid company. Similarly, the ladies were duty and convention bound to follow Lady Garrington-Smythe’s lead. Dutifully they all stood, though Lady Cynthia had to be pushed by her husband and pulled by a servant to lever her up before she could waddle around.

  “Try not to punch them,” Bobbie whispered as she got up. “However much they deserve it.”

  Chapter 26

  Relief washed through Amethyst as she stood, and most of the tension in her shoulders slipped away as she stepped out of that dining room. Thankfully, the two Chalmers girls waited for their sluggish mother. Amethyst moved quickly to catch up with Bobbie and Edwina. They trailed after Lady Garrington-Smythe and Great-Aunt Flora on the way to the drawing room.

  It was obvious that no more political talk would be tolerated by Lady Garrington-Smythe, so the four sat in silence, while Bobbie paced the width of the room. When the Chalmers’ arrived, the trio set themselves up on the opposite sofa.

  “How dare you be so disrespectful?”

  Amethyst considered letting the comment slide but decided now was not the time for discretion. She looked Lady Cynthia direct in the eye. “Perhaps it’s all that bad breeding. What’s your excuse?”

  Those fat lips moved up and down.

  “Don’t you know how to speak when your mouth isn’t stuffed full of food?”

  Great-Aunt Flora’s hand landed on hers. Amethyst clamped her own lips tight.

  It was a surprise that the door opened again. It was more of a surprise that Jenson stepped in. He stopped a pace inside, and looked around the room before he closed the door carefully.

  “Edwina, Bobbie, would you care to join me in a game of cards?”

  Bobbie swung on him. For a moment Amethyst feared that she’d snap at the inspector. Then she drew herself up and gracefully agreed. Edwina stood and moved towards the card table.

  “Do you need a fourth?” Amethyst stood too, as much as anything to be able to turn away from the sight of Lady Cynthia. Choosing the nearest seat put her back to the room and that was her preference.

  The only time Amethyst had experienced a more tense card game was when her father ordered a game shortly after what happened with Jade. Now they played gin and were thankfully saved from having to converse by concentrating on the cards. On the second hand, Jenson shuffled and dealt, and caught Amethyst’s eye. She saw stability and support in his gaze.

  They took up their cards, each sorting to their own preference. “You mentioned that Dickens was going to do some more input from Stephen’s notebooks,” Jenson observed. “How did she get on with that?”

  “Well enough,” Amethyst said. “There’s still a lot to do. I looked over it and the mathematics is becoming increasingly complex. There are some symbols that just don’t make sense.”

  “This hand isn’t exactly making a lot of sense either,” Jenson said. “What are we playing, again?”

  It was so easy to smile with him around, he was only being nice. They started to ease into the evening, though by the fourth round, the cards were swimming in front of Amethyst’s eyes. The tension was back in the room.

  “Of course, when my girls marry, the highest in the land will be in attendance,” Lady Cynthia declared.

  “An occasion to miss there, then,” Amethyst muttered.

  “What did you say?!”

  “I said,” Amethyst said more clearly without taking her eyes off the cards she couldn’t figure out. “That it would be an occasion not to miss.”

  She rolled her eyes, and caught Jenson’s expression as he tried not to laugh, those grey eyes sparkling were like morning dew on webs, sparkling in the sun. She had to concentrate on her cards.

  “Of course,” Lady Garrington-Smythe agreed. “Nothing better than a wedding to bring out the great and the good. When my own dear Roberta married darling Davenport, our Queen, two princes and two princesses were among the guests.”

  “Your Queen, perhaps-”

  “Careful, Lady Cynthia.” Jenson spoke clearly as he leaned to one side to see the fat woman around Amethyst. “Treason is a crime and I have the power to arrest and clap in irons any whom I have sufficient reason to consider criminal.”

  The tension in the room ratcheted, but at least Lady Cynthia went quiet.

  “I wish I’d had a daughter to arrange a wedding for,” Violet said as if broken-hearted. “Unfortunately, Maker has never blessed me with children.”

  Apparently, no other man could either. Amethyst didn’t like herself for the vicious thought, but at least she managed to keep it a thought.

  “My own wedding,” Violet lamented with a sigh. “Well, it was rather smaller than I would have liked.”

  “That’s what happens when you marry in haste.”

  Marry in haste? Amethyst frowned at the idea. Though she’d known that Maker and Violet had married very young, seventeen and eighteen respectively; she’d assumed that it was a parental arrangement that had been planned to the smallest detail. Curiosity as to the circumstances of the Makers’ wedding was now rife in her mind, but she knew she couldn’t ask. So she concentrated on another curiosity.

  Amethyst turned to Bobbie. “The royal family were at your wedding?” They hadn’t been friends when Bobbie was seventeen and getting married.

  Bobbie nodded, whispering her answer. “Pretty sure that Prince Bertie was only there to harass my bridesmaids.”

  “Isn’t that what most single men go to weddings for?” Edwina joked.

  Bobbie turned her attention. “What about you, Jenson? You’re an unmarried man, why do you go to weddings?”

  “Usually because they’re family.”

  “You have a large family then?”

  “I’m the eldest of five brothers.”

  That made Amethyst smile. “So there really are more like you at home.”

  “Yes, but they’re all married with children. And we have lots of cousins with lots of children. Unmarried and childless, I’m a disappointment to a big family.”

  “I’m sure that’s not true.” Amethyst didn’t believe that he could be a disappointment to anyone.

  The cough was Great-Aunt Flora’s. “It’s late. I think I’ll retire for the night.”

  Amethyst recognised that tone, and for once she was grateful for it. “Of course, Great-Aunt Flora, I’ll go up with you.” She placed her cards face down on the table and apologised to her fellow players. Jenson stood, being too much the gentleman. Very nice it was, too.

  She met Great-Aunt Flora by the edge of the sofas and offered the older lady her arm, which was quickly taken. Great-Aunt Flora was putting more weight on her than usual, which was a worry.

  As they turned to the door, it opened to admit the remaining gentlemen, Monty first. He took one look at the pair of them and his face fell.

  “You’re not retiring already are you, ladies?”

  The disappointment was audible, something Amethyst hadn’t expected. The other men moved around Monty into the room. Maker, she noted, moved to the card table to take up th
e seat she had vacated.

  “I’m afraid so,” Great-Aunt Flora said. “I’m rather tired after the exertions of the day.”

  ‘Exertions’ was pushing it, given that Flora had been in the Bathhurst Chair or a carriage all the way to and from the shooting spot. But there again, she was 88 years old, Amethyst thought, allowances had to be made.

  Monty smiled. Amethyst couldn’t decide if it was indulgent or patronising.

  “You did kill a fair few birds.” His attention switched to Amethyst. “But surely you don’t need to go so early?”

  “I am also tired, and tomorrow I want to be fresh to go through Stephen’s notebooks. The latest pages have become somewhat intricate, and since aetheric notation hasn’t been entirely standardised yet, it’s rather difficult to read. I’ll need a clear head to deal with those pages. Or some help, and unfortunately everyone I know who is familiar with aetheric mechanics is a very long way away.”

  The way Monty broke into a smile was rather like the way the day would break into sunlight. “That is something I might be able to help with. There’s a young man in town, a mechanic. He’s very good with aetheric machinery, I believe Stephen used to consult with him often. I could take you into the village in the morning, introduce you.”

  “Oh! A trip into town would be delightful.” The way Violet said it made Amethyst’s heart drop.

  “Yes,” Lady Cynthia agreed. “I’m sure we’d all enjoy a trip to the village, wouldn’t we, girls?”

  Amethyst wasn’t sure if she was amused or annoyed by the way the Chalmers girls chorused agreement and started to coo towards Monty, saying how they’d adore for him to show them all his favourite places.

  “That would be very helpful.” Amethyst smiled at Monty. “Thank you. As for tonight, I think I will retire if you don’t mind, to be ready for the day ahead.”

  She was also rather glad the key for her bedroom door had been returned.

  Chapter 27

  It seemed that everyone wanted to join the trip to Sharnwick. They had travelled in three separate carriages. That Lord Montgomery had insisted on taking Amethyst in the A-Class was a machination Maker could hardly call surprising. Infuriating would be a better description.

  Amethyst was flattered, and more eager than Maker was comfortable with. Jenson, who was not joining the party so he could continue his investigations, had looked less than impressed too.

  As was his preference, Maker stood aside and let the more vivacious take centre stage. Violet was striking in a rich red walking dress, her shawl was tartan, unfortunately she’d picked the Ailsa Red and, in all honesty, he thought it might as well be gingham. He hadn’t dared voice that opinion since she clearly wasn’t happy that there was no room for her in the two-seater A-Class.

  Now they had all arrived and were alighting at the village green. A mass of bodies that really didn’t seem to have any purpose and not a sign of Lord Montgomery and Amethyst in the A-Class. He took in a deep breath and refused to grind his teeth.

  The group finally started to gather itself, then Great-Aunt Flora made a beeline for him. He swallowed. She was Amethyst’s most strident defender and he couldn’t fault her for that, but she looked ready to blame him and this wasn’t his fault.

  “Where are they?”

  He wished he knew. The problem with aetheric engines was that there was little sound. A steam engine could be heard from quite some distance, but the most you got from an aetheric engine was a mild hum. The loudest thing on the A-Class was the horn, it…

  Blasted, sending yelps and giggles around the group. Maker thought Montgomery was driving far too fast as he approached the green, but he stopped just as quickly. Amethyst put her hand on the dashboard to avoid being smacked into it. Maker didn’t even think about it, just let his long stride carry him across the grass to open the door for Amethyst. Her smile was offered, though it was debatable if it would hold. Confusion marked her eyes. Her hand shook as she took his, and her legs seemed a little unsteady as she stepped out.

  “Enjoy?”

  She nodded. “It was… yes. It was enjoyable.” She looked to Lord Montgomery, who had jumped out of the conveyance looking for all the world like the cat who’d got the cream.

  Don’t grind your teeth.

  “Where did you go?” Great-Aunt Flora demanded as she arrived, not looking at all impressed.

  “All the way‒”

  Maker wasn’t the only one whose full attention snapped to Montgomery. He wasn’t the only one glowering either. A cane twitched like a snake eager to strike, but was held in check.

  “‒to Apollo Tower on the hill.”

  His head indicated the hill west of the village, to the folly on the horizon. It was several miles up there and back, and it would take three hours to walk and return. The speed that Montgomery must have driven made Maker hot with anger. It was a risk, and he’d risked Amethyst in that thrill ride. Montgomery should be…

  “Why don’t I take you across to the smithy?” Montgomery moved around the A-Class and held out his arm to Amethyst, taking her hand and leading the way towards a thick-walled building set in a wider plot than any of the other buildings. The tall chimney was higher than the rest of the thatched bungalows around the green. Behind the bungalows there were more modern buildings with red clay tiles.

  Jaw clenched, Maker offered his arm to Violet, as she and the rest of the party had gravitated across. Great-Aunt Flora followed with a furious note as her cane hit the ground increasingly hard, thwack-stomp, as she followed the young pair. Monty was leaning over Amethyst, holding her hand tightly. Maker wasn’t sure if Amethyst could get away if she tried. Why wasn’t she trying?

  Then they reached the open area before the smithy, Montgomery stopped Amethyst and they all gathered around. Monty disappeared into the building, through a double width door that was wide open. Clearly the forge was at the back of the building under the chimney, and there was a space for two horse-stalls, but at one time there had clearly been more. There was a workbench and Maker could see plenty of tools and things he had no name for. Montgomery stepped back out of the building a few moments later.

  “Jay is just washing his hands. He does that an awful lot. Not sure why.”

  “He has to,” Amethyst said. “If he’s working with aether, one has to be careful to keep the skin clean as prolonged exposure can lead to skin necrosis.”

  Montgomery’s surprise showed. Amethyst looked around to find everyone was looking at her like she was a lunatic. She shrugged.

  “Aether is safe enough in the kind of machines that you’ll have in your homes, the aether itself is contained. Or in the engines for cabs or that A-Class Conveyance. But when you start working with the engines or taking them apart, necrosis is a risk.”

  “Necrosis?” Lady Garrington-Smythe asked.

  “Death.”

  The blatant statement caused a few gasps around the group.

  “The exposed skin turns black and dies.” Amethyst shrugged. They could hear footsteps inside the smithy area. “It’s not nice, but it’s easily avoided by handwashing with coal tar soa‒”

  Maker saw a young man in leather trousers, an untucked white shirt of thick cotton, thick soled back boots, laces trailing. He was probably five foot ten, his hair was a bit too long and shaggy, waving around and the colour of chestnut. The man took another step into the light, still wiping his hands, looked up and stopped dead. Whatever he was about to say, the words died on lips that went slack below hazel eyes gone wide. He reminded Maker of‒

  Amethyst flew at him. The towel was dropped and he swept Amethyst up in a tight hug. They were clenched together, each hiding their face in the other’s neck. Their hair was so similar it was impossible to tell which was which. This must be ‒

  “A lady would never throw herself at a tradesman like that.”

  You do. Maker didn’t have time to react as Great-Aunt Flora got there first.

  “You do when the tradesman is a family member we haven’t
seen in three years.”

  At the sound of the old woman’s almost tear-filled voice, the man put Amethyst back on her feet.

  “Three years, seven months and ten days,” Amethyst said as she shifted far enough to let the man sweep Great-Aunt Flora up and swing her around.

  “Oh, put me down, deary. You silly thing.”

  Unbelievable; All three of them were wiping tears away, and as soon as he could, the man wrapped an arm around both women and squeezed them tight, even dropping a kiss on the top of Amethyst’s head.

  Lord Montgomery coughed. “You clearly know each other?”

  Amethyst hugged the man and her great aunt once more before turning to Monty. Maker had never seen her look so happy. “This is Jade. This is my twin brother.”

  Chapter 28

  Every footfall crunched as Jenson strode across the yard towards the servants’ entrance to Lord Montgomery’s baronial pile. He had no qualms about using the tradesman’s entrance, he’d learned over the years that servants frequently knew more about the goings on upstairs than a lot of the upstairs lot would be comfortable with. He’d also learned that many were more loyal to their masters than was returned or warranted. He was surprised to see Blanchard leaning against a stack of boxes outside, smoking.

  “I hope that’s just tobacco.”

  Blanchard finished his last drag and blew it directly into Jenson’s face. Jenson closed his eyes and tried not to breathe until the smoke dissipated. He opened his eyes to be met with Blanchard’s direct gaze.

  “Just tobacco, then.”

  “What did you expect?”

  Jenson shrugged and moved to stand beside Blanchard. “Normal tobacco. As far as I know you were a retailer, not a user.” The fact that Jenson had known Blanchard for at least a decade wasn’t something he was ever likely to admit to Maker or Amethyst; they didn’t need to know and as long as Blanchard stayed on the right side of the law, he wasn’t going to give him any trouble. “So how did you get from that to this?”