by Riley Cole
The rich scents of roast beef and fresh baked bread wafted up and down the aisle, torturing Spencer with thoughts of the luncheon they hadn’t thought to pack.
Meena opened her mouth, then shut it without saying a thing. She sank back against the seat and folded her arms in front of her.
Now he was intrigued. He’d never seen Philomena Sweet indecisive.
A nasty thought formed. It wasn’t missing the action that had her so twisted about. It was him. Did she despise him so much that even the thought of a few days at the seaside made her ill?
Spencer tugged at the hem of his suit jacket, smoothing out the wrinkles. How would they get on? He couldn’t slink around his own house, hiding in his study day and night to avoid her.
Not that Alicia would let him.
Best to air their laundry now while they were alone. He tensed, his body pulling tight as if preparing to take a blow to the gut. “Out with it. What’s got you so tangled up?”
Meena blinked at him as if she were nothing but a mindless tart. “Whatever do you mean?”
Clearly, she was loath to express her opinions. His stomach lurched. Must be worse than he even suspected.
Meena toyed with the silver locket around her neck, running the charm back and forth across the thick chain. “All right.”
She dropped the trinket and clasped her hands in her lap, threading her fingers together. She squared her shoulders and sat forward. Her gaze didn’t meet his eyes.
Spencer lounged back in his seat, trying to exude a sense of tranquility, and waited.
“I’d like to know….” She sucked in a large breath and started again. “I want to know, is there a Mrs. Crane?”
“N-no.” He concentrated on keeping the surprise off his face.
She nodded. “I see.” Her attention was focused firmly out the window. “It’s an engagement then. Or an understanding.” Her finger tapped on the windowsill like the needle in a sewing machine.
“Good God, no!”
He shrank back in his seat, waiting for the attack. She’d see his bachelorhood as one more black mark against him, somehow. The actual logic of it all, however, was most unclear.
But there was no explosion. Quite the opposite. For the first time since they’d boarded the train, the tension drained from her frame.
How, exactly was he supposed to take that?
“What about you?” He sat forward, wanting to know, yet dreading the answer. “There must be someone.”
Meena shook her head. “Not as yet.”
“But you haven’t abandoned the idea?”
“On the contrary. Some day I’ll cross paths with my soul mate.”
“Really?” That intrigued him. “Tell me about this ‘soul mate.’”
Meena sighed, her gaze focussed on the passing scenery. “He’ll be responsible, certainly, and we’ll share many of the same interests. He must be kind, thoughtful, and above all, steady. I’d prefer a good sense of humor, but I’m prepared to forego that, if necessary. One can’t have everything, can one?”
How was it that a plain blue traveling dress, with its severe lines, only accentuated her curves? Damned if he didn’t remember far too clearly how it felt to hold her in his arms.
He sat forward. “You forgot passion.”
“I most certainly did not.” Meena raked him with a look. “Highly overrated.”
“No adventure? No excitement?” Spencer shook his head. “Your prince sounds deadly dull.”
Meena squeezed her eyes shut. “Exactly my point, Crane. A man like you wouldn’t get one check-mark on my list.”
Clearly not.
Spencer slumped down in his seat. She’d settled into the corner of the bench, her head propped against the wall of the coach. If he were a betting man, he would’ve said she was asleep. And now he had enough nervous energy marching around in his stomach to fuel an entire regiment.
He tapped his finger on the windowsill in time with the clacking wheels. It was going to be a long trip to Brighton.
Much to Meena’s surprise, an hour in Brighton invigorated her.
Whether due to the clean, sharp sea air, or the surprising delight that was Crane’s charming house, she couldn’t have said. Whatever the cause, for the first time since this whole disaster began, she took a moment to breathe.
Unlike Crane.
Meena eyed him over the lip of her tea cup. He perched on the edge of the chair, more hovering than sitting. His wide shoulders appeared taut beneath the lightweight wool of his summer jacket. All in all, he looked stiff and tired and unaccountably wary, considering they were in his own house.
“We must take her to the aquarium.” Crane’s young sister, Alicia, vibrated with youthful energy. “You’ve probably never been to the West Pier, either.” She directed this to Meena, who shared the horsehair sofa with her. “And then there’s shopping on Madiera Row.”
Their aunt, Emmeline, laughed and set down her own cup. “Slow down, young lady. There are only so many hours in the day.” She paused. “And you have school tomorrow.”
Alicia sighed loudly. “Yes, but Professor Xavier’s such an old bore. I could skip that—”
“No, you won’t.” Crane cut her off. “Education is too—”
“—important to take lightly.” Alicia finished the phrase she clearly heard far too often. Her mouth took on the stubborn tilt only a sixteen-year-old girl could produce. “But we have a visitor. That calls for a certain amount of leeway.” She threw her brother a challenging look.
“I can’t wait to see all of it.” Meena intervened before he could say something idiotic. “Unfortunately, your brother and I have some business affairs to discuss.” She smiled at the girl. “We could take care of all that while you’re at school. I’ll be ready for a bit of fun after that.”
Alicia beamed at her. Her golden curls shone in the sunlight pouring in through the large windows. “I’ll be home by luncheon. We’d have plenty of time for the aquarium at least. You must see the Mastigoteuthis flammea. It’s the most amazing creature. Do you know they actually communicate with each other? It’s thought they mate for life.” She rushed on, her brown eyes gleaming. “They’re highly intelligent, and social.”
Aunt Emmeline smiled at Meena as she moved to gather up the dishes. “That’s more than Meena wants to hear about fish for now.” She picked up the tea tray and headed off for the kitchen. “It’s Clara’s afternoon off. Come help with the dishes?”
Alicia jumped up off the sofa and followed her aunt.
“They don’t know.” Crane said in a low voice. He glanced toward the kitchen, then slid closer to Meena. “About the Jonquil. They believe I made my money as an engineer.”
“Spencer invented a process to manufacture crown moulding.” Alicia rushed back into the room and plopped down in her seat. “Like that.” She pointed up at the tasteful line of moulding rimming the room. “He designed the machine that cuts those tiny little squares.”
Meena locked gazes with Crane. His expression was impassive, but his eyes begged her to play along.
“I have always wondered what your famous machine did.” She pretended to study the edging. “How extraordinary.”
“It is, isn’t it?” Alicia agreed.
Meena coughed. “I had no idea your brother had so many talents.”
“That reminds me.” Alicia whirled around to face her brother. “Spencer, show Meena your trick.”
Crane slid back in the chair and waved her off. “It’s been a long time. I’m out of practice.”
“You don’t need practice. Please?”
Their aunt Emmeline rejoined them. "Oh do, Spencer." She looked at Meena. “His tricks are quite good."
Meena suppressed a grin. "I have no doubt."
"Yes well, I have some things to attend to." He stood.
"Oh don't be a horses ass, Spencer." Aunt Emmaline waved him back down. "Have a little fun."
Alicia removed a delicate butterfly barrette from her hair. “He c
an use most anything small.” She held it out to her brother.
Crane palmed the ornament. He sighed. “It appears I must bow to the whims of my audience.” He moved toward Alicia.
"Not me." She waved him off. "Show Meena." She jumped up off the sofa so Spencer could take her place.
He perched on the arm of the sofa as if unwilling to get too close.
Meena tried her best not to laugh, but a small giggle escaped her lips. Oh how she was enjoying having one up on him for a change. "Do your worst Mr. Crane."
Crane hesitated. His fingers worked the small barrette, tumbling it back and forth over his knuckles in a way Meena had seen Briar do countless times. It was the mark of an excellent pickpocket. One who had the utmost control and finesse.
His well-shaped fingers moved quickly, rhythmically. Meena wanted to look away, but the movement mesmerized her. Memories of those same hands touching her, caressing her, undressing her, made her breath come faster.
Suddenly, the parlor trick didn't seem so silly. She flashed him a look.
His eyes, more green than brown in the afternoon light, seemed to see straight into her. The pulse at the base of his neck beat strongly. The gentle scents of soap, and male skin, were doing odd things to her breathing.
She glanced off over his shoulder, needing to break the spell.
Perhaps encouraging this had not been a good idea. But they were in it now. Alicia and her aunt watched expectantly, their faces bright with laughter.
The barrette still in his hand, Crane pulled back his sleeves. He muttered something Meena didn’t catch. Then he sighed as if about to do something unpleasant.
"Behold, ladies and gentlemen." He began his patter. "As you see, I have nothing up my sleeves.”
Alicia giggled.
“Nothing in my hands, but this.” He held the barrette high. "And now, I call on the Great Divine to aid me." He stared theatrically at the ceiling. "Now you see it, now you don't." With a shake of his hands, the barrette vanished.
Even though she knew very well how the trick ended, Meena held her breath.
He cupped the edge of her ear in his hand, his touch light as a feather. She expected that. She hadn’t expected the fire that spread from the sensitive lobe of her ear, down her neck, and deep into her belly.
She hadn't expected that at all.
"And here we have it." Crane presented Meena with the barrette he appeared to extract from her ear.
“Bravo!”
“Well done!”
Aunt Emmeline and Alicia clapped enthusiastically.
Meena stared up at him. He’d felt it too. His lips were parted, and a pulse beat strongly at the side of his neck. It was as if an electric charge had jolted both of them, reigniting fires best left as spent coals.
Crane palmed the ornament in his strong hand and leaned in, close to her ear. His warm breath caressed the sensitive edges of her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. “Still believe passion is over-rated?”
Overrated. Overdone. But most importantly, overly dangerous.
Meena spread her hands out across the sofa, needing to feel something solid beneath her. A loose curl tickled the edge of her ear. She swiped at it, moving it quickly back off her skin. What an excellent reminder of the potency ill-advised feelings could have. It shocked her, the ease with which a simple touch could knock her feet straight out from under her.
And the devil of it was, she liked it. She liked it very much.
That part, she’d forgotten.
“After the Mastigoteuthis flammea, we should see the Chlamydoselachus. The Brighton Aquarium has a splendid example.” Alicia pressed her pretty nose to the glass of the enormous seawater tank. She seemed transfixed, as if the murky water held the secrets of the Universe.
Meena clutched her purse. She’d been in the Royal Aquarium in London enough times to recognize the way her stomach tightened as she walked through the doors. The Brighton Aquarium set her nerves on edge just as quickly. The sheer size of the place was breath-taking, but the tanks themselves…. She shuddered. The looming weight of all that water restrained by nothing but a sheet of glass brought on that same tight feeling in her chest.
But Alicia had been so very excited to bring her, Meena couldn’t have refused.
“Most people believe the octopus is the most intelligent of the sea creatures,” Alicia observed, her attention never wavering from the tank, “but Edward says the Teuthida is a smarter animal, especially the Mastigoteuthis flammea.”
Meena forced herself to squint at the rocky wall lining the back of the tank.
“Over there! See it?" Alicia pointed. There, not a foot from the sandy bottom, swam a flame-colored arrow. It was far smaller than Meena would have imagined, given Alisha’s enthusiasm. It was a lovely shade of red, however.
“So it’s a squid, is that right?” Crane frowned at the darting red fish with its waving orange tentacles.
Alicia rolled her eyes. “If you prefer the common name.”
Meena bit her lip, stifling a giggle at Alisha’s transparent adolescent know-it-all-ness.
One eyebrow rising skyward, Crane regarded his sister. Meena wondered if the girl recognized the danger in his pointed look. It was a long moment before he spoke. “You’ve taken a tremendous interest in oceanography—”
“—oceanographic biology.” Alicia corrected him.
Meena winced.
Crane cleared his throat. “Oceanographic biology. I see. I trust this new interest is not to the detriment of your other studies?”
Alicia sniffed. “I’m mindful of the sacrifices you and Aunt Emmie make so I may attend school. I would never disappoint you.”
“I know that.” Crane pulled her into a hug. “I’m teasing. Any scientific interest you have pleases me to no end.” He set her away and swiped the end of her nose with a playful finger. “You have an excellent mind. As long as you’re using it, I’m delighted.”
Alicia reached up on her tip toes and kissed him on the cheek. “You needn’t be concerned about me.”
Crane’s heart-melting smile went straight to Meena’s heart. She pressed a fist to her chest. There was a time when she would have given every jewel in London to have one of them herself.
Even while a part of her ached for what would never be, she was happy for him. It seemed the self-centered gadabout had found some measure of peace.
She turned her attention back to the giant tank. The life force contained behind the walls seemed to surge straight through the glass. It wasn’t just the sea creatures. The water itself pulsed with its own energy. Enormous iron struts held the plates of glass together, every inch riveted fast against the massive forces of the water it held back.
An incredible achievement.
Oblivious to the fact that they swam so close to utter destruction, fish of every size and description floated past. As with humans, there were the fat and thin, the slow and fast, the ugly and the beautiful.
Which made Meena realize that the bright red Mastigoti-whatever had disappeared.
“We were lucky to have seen him.” Alicia had moved to Meena’s side. “Edward says—” She cleared her throat. “I mean, it’s well known that the Teuthida as a genus are very shy. It’s an honor even to have one in the aquarium. They have none in London.”
“I shall count myself lucky then.” Meena smiled at the girl’s outsized enthusiasm.
Emmeline was wrinkling her nose at a pugnacious-looking fish. Brown and spotted and altogether lumpy, it quite looked to Meena like the finned equivalent of a warthog.
“A Montague’s blenny,” Alicia pointed out. “I believe they are native to the shallower waters in the Channel. Far less interest than the flammea.”
Which appeared to interest a sixteen-year-old girl far more than was entirely credible.
Emmeline moved into view over Alicia’s shoulder. She shared a knowing look with Meena. Somewhere in Brighton, there must be a handsome young man entranced with flaming squid.
Oblivious to Alicia’s enthusiasm, Crane was studying a grouping of plump gold starfish that clung to the sharp rocks close to the glass.
“What would you called these?” He tapped on the glass next to the starfish.
When there was no answer, he turned. “Alicia?”
“Alicia?” he repeated when there was no response.
Spencer stared into the crowd. “Where is she? Did she say she was leaving?” There was no mistaking the panic in his voice now.
“No.” Emmeline rose on tiptoe to scan the crowd. “That silly girl. She probably planned to beat us to the ice cream parlor.”
Her answer did nothing to convince Crane. He stared at every corner of the huge room, muscles tense, senses on alert. "Wait here,” he murmured to Meena.
“Of course.” His worry was infecting her as well.
Crane dove into the crowd. Not two steps away, he froze. Meena followed his gaze.
Fear squeezed the air from her lungs. That tall skinny form with the lank, dark hair.
No. It couldn’t be.
She tried to swallow, but her throat was dry. She peered harder at the slender back, but the man was too far away, the hall too dim, to be certain.
Crane whirled around. His face was ashen, his mouth slack with shock. “It can’t be. There’s no way he would know—”
“I’ve got him.” Meena was already moving to intercept Ramsay. “Find Alicia.”
She ducked her head and shoved her way through the crowd. Every few steps she stopped and poked her head up to make sure she was still following her quarry.
Thank God it wasn’t a Sunday. The great hall was full enough with day tourists from London. On a Sunday, she would’ve lost the man for sure. She put her head back down and barreled forward.
She squeezed between a large family pushing a perambulator and a short round woman. Then she reached him. Just as she was working out how she would take Ramsay to ground, he turned.
From the back, he could have been Ramsay’s twin. Not so once he faced her.
Relief flooded her, turning her knees to jelly. “Oh thank God.”
The skinny man gave her a strange look and hurried off.