by Wendy Vella
“Are we still going to Dr. Engle’s House of Ghoulish Horrors, Lilly?”
“Of course,” Lilly said to the back of the boy’s head. His face was pressed to the window.
“As it happens, my destination is also Dr. Engle’s House of Ghoulish Horrors, so I shall be happy to escort you there, and to pass the time on the journey you can tell me why you were at the docks today.”
“You made that up!” Lilly said, certain she was right, and equally certain she did not want to spend any more time than necessary in this man’s presence.
“No, I did not. My siblings are at present awaiting me outside Dr. Engle’s House of Ghoulish Horrors. No doubt impatiently,” Dev added, pulling his watch from his pocket and noting he was now late.
Dev knew she wanted to tell him to go to hell; he could see the anger in her eyes. They had darkened to purple and her hands were clenched. He was a rational man, always had been. He liked to follow things to their logical conclusions. Everything had its place, but she made him irrational. He wanted to lock her in a room with him so he could learn everything she was hiding behind those pretty eyes.
“Why were you in that room above the Anchor today, Lilly?”
Ignoring his question she said, “Thank you for....”
“Saving you?”
“Aiding us in leaving the scene, my lord.”
“Why were you there? Surely you know it is not safe for you—”
“Because I am a woman, my lord, and therefore unable to look after myself?”
“Because anyone who was caught in that today would have been lucky to escape, and yes, because you are an intelligent woman and should know better. For pity’s sake, Lilly, had I not arrived when I did you would have been trampled!” Dev felt the anger he had just tamped down surge to life once more. If he hadn't arrived when he had....
“My name is Miss Braithwaite, please use it.”
“You are Lilly to me, as you were the night you ran your hand over my—”
“Yes, thank you.” She shot a look at the boy, who had stopped looking out the window and was now watching them closely.
“He's right though, Lilly, we shouldn't have gone there without more men.”
He was young, perhaps the age of Dorrie and Somer. But Dev had a feeling this boy, like the one he had met in Lilly's little house in Temple Street, had seen some of the worst things life had to offer a child. He had that world-weary look in his eyes. Clean and tidy, he was small, as many were who had lived a tough life.
“Please set us down, Lord Sinclair. We will make our own way from here,” Lilly said, drawing his eyes from the boy.
“As I have explained, our destinations are the same. Therefore there is no need to take a hackney,” Dev said, swallowing his smile as her teeth snapped together. “What were you doing at the port today, Lilly?”
“What I was doing there is none of your business.”
“How long before we get to Dr. Engle’s House of Ghoulish Horrors?” the boy said as Dev was about to question her again.
“Not long, I am sure,” she said, straightening his cap and shirt.
She was comfortable with him. Dev had never seen her touch anyone willingly, except children; of course, she still had her gloves on.
“Five minutes, Toby, and we shall arrive.”
Dev was subjected to a frank appraisal from the lad, which he sat calmly through.
“Thank you for saving Lilly, my lord.”
Dev nodded.
“It could have got nasty back there, Lilly, like I'm always telling you. You gotta be more careful.”
Good boy, Dev thought. The boy was reinforcing his own statement. Lilly didn't like it, not one bit, yet she bore it silently from Toby.
“I shall be more careful in future.”
“When will you begin fixing the place up then?”
“What place are you fixing up, Toby?” Dev asked, keeping his voice light. He could usually pry anything out of his younger siblings with that tone.
“Do not bore Lord Sinclair, Toby, he has no interest in our affairs.”
Dev watched Lilly wriggle in her seat then adjust her gloves and straighten her skirts. She wanted to be anyplace but here with him, while Dev could honestly say he was quite happy where he was, sitting across from her, smelling her scent, watching her twitch and generally unsettling her.
“You always told me to respect my elders, Lilly, and if I am spoken to then I should speak back.”
She glared at Dev as he muffled his laughter behind a cough.
“Of course, and you are right, but I am sure it would take too long to go into all the details, Toby, therefore I shall apprise Lord Sinclair of them when we have more time.”
Toby looked at her as only a child who has been fobbed off could, then shrugged and remained silent.
“As I am meeting my family at Dr. Engle’s House of Ghoulish Horrors, perhaps we can view the place together?”
“I-I don't think that will be necessary, thank you, Lord Sinclair. We have inconvenienced you enough. Toby and I have no wish to hold up your family, as he has never been there and it will take us some time to observe the exhibits.”
“My family has never been there either, and I'm sure they will wish to also take their time. The twins are very thorough.”
“Twins?” Toby said.
Dev spent the remainder of the journey telling the boy about his siblings. Lilly, he noticed, feigned indifference, yet he knew she was taking in every word. He liked children; they were open and honest, for the most, unless they were trying to get him to do something.
Further conversation ceased as the carriage pulled to a stop. Dev climbed down with Toby behind him and then he turned to help Lilly.
“Thank you, my lord.”
“It was my pleasure, Miss Braithwaite.”
She ignored the mocking tone of his voice and followed Toby down the street.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Dr. Engle’s House of Ghoulish Horrors was housed in a narrow alley below the ground. A large black sign with bloodred writing indicated they had arrived at their destination. However, if Lilly had not been sure she was at the correct location, Lord Sinclair's scowling family all standing outside awaiting him would have been a clear indication.
“You're late, Dev!”
This cry came from the young boy standing beside Essex and Cambridge Sinclair, as they approached.
Lilly watched, surprised, as Lord Sinclair reached his family and bent to hug the three children. Whatever he said into their ears had them laughing in seconds.
She felt suddenly off-balance again, as she was when he removed her glove. Men like him were not supposed to be this way. They were aloof and left the raising of siblings and children to nannies and mothers. He wasn't meant to appear human in her eyes.
Yet hadn't she seen him with Sam, and just now in the carriage with Toby, and of course with Bee and Mrs. Davey? She needed to hate this man, yet was sure the softening in her heart suggested the opposite. Not a good idea, Lilly, she reminded herself.
“How lovely to see you, Miss Braithwaite, and in my brother’s carriage.”
“And you, Mr. Sinclair,” Lilly said, looking at the younger brother, who was a smaller version of Devon.
“Cambridge, please,” he said, bowing.
“Your brother came to my assistance when I... ah....”
“Became lost,” Lord Sinclair said, turning with his little sisters’ hands in his. “These are my sisters, Miss Braithwaite, Dorset and Somerset, and my youngest brother, Warwickshire.”
The girls curtseyed and the boy bowed, although his eyes were fixed on the entrance of Dr. Engle’s House of Ghoulish Horrors.
“How lovely to meet you, and I would be honored you if you would call me Lilliana, as Miss Braithwaite seems such a mouthful, don't you think.”
She heard Devon Sinclair snort, and knew it was because she had told him he must address her correctly.
“And this is Toby,” Lilly sa
id, taking the boy's hand and pulling him forward. His reluctance was obvious and she knew how he felt. She was never very good around strangers, and he had never known children who were raised differently from him.
“Are you going inside too?”
“We are,” Lilly told Warwick when he questioned Toby.
“Can I walk with you, because they giggle and shriek and hold on to me when they're scared,” Warwick said, his face a picture of disgust as he nodded toward his sisters, who were now poking their tongues out at him.
“Suppose,” Toby said, shrugging.
“This is a nice surprise,” Essex Sinclair said, slipping her arm through Lilly's. “Another woman to even up the numbers.” She laughed, making light of what to Lilly felt like a very awkward situation. What must they think of her, arriving in their brother's carriage?
“That combination of roses and cinnamon you wear, Miss Braithwaite, is really rather stunning on the senses.”
Lilly looked at Cambridge Sinclair in surprise. How had he known what her special blend of fragrance was from where he stood, several feet away? Was her scent too strong? Perhaps she should wear less in future?
“I have a good sense of smell,” he added, as if reading her thoughts.
“Can we go in now, pleeeeease?”
“Yes, Warwick, however whining like a girl is not very attractive in men.”
“And yet if my memory serves me correctly,” Essie said to Cambridge, “Mother always said no one whined quite like you.”
Even Lilly snuffled behind her hand as Cambridge lunged at his sister, who in turned skipped from his reach with a giggle.
She had never been around family who actually seemed to enjoy each other's company. It was quite a revelation.
Lilly felt Lord Sinclair's large, warm hand on the small of her back, but while she stiffened, she said nothing. His family was nearby, and she had no wish to draw attention to herself.
They walked down the steps and into the small foyer of Dr. Engle’s House of Ghoulish Horrors. She then watched Lord Sinclair move to the front of the small party and pull some money from his pocket.
“I can pay for Toby and myself, Lord Sinclair,” Lilly said as he held up eight fingers.
“You could, but as I have already done so that would be a shame.”
“Oh but—”
“You get used to that.”
“Get used to what?” Lilly questioned Essex as they followed her siblings through the door the proprietor had indicated.
“Him taking control. Unfortunately, he has had to do it for so long we just stand back now and let him.”
“I don't have to let him,” Lilly muttered, following the others into the room and immediately coming to an abrupt halt as the door behind them slammed shut, and she was surrounded by darkness.
“Can I walk with Warwick, Lilly? I know you're scared of the dark, so if you say no that's all right too.”
Lilly could feel her cheeks heat as Toby whispered these words loudly as he moved to her side. She hoped no one else had overheard him, as she had no wish to give Devonshire any more ammunition to use against her.
“Of course, I'll be fine,” she said, patting his head. In seconds he was gone and she was surrounded by black and Sinclairs, and she wasn't sure which terrified her more.
Dev, unlike the others, could see what was happening before it happened. His night vision allowed him to move freely in the dark. Cam had the twins in hand, and Warwick seemed comfortable with Toby. Essie, he noted, had fallen in behind the boys in case she was needed, which left Lilly to him. He loved his family, but never more so when they were looking after him, and there was little doubt both Ess and Cam had deliberately left them together.
The room was not overly wide but it was long, and he could see wisps of mist before them. The walls were dotted with small indentations in which stood figures, some real, others fake. Large cobwebs draped the ceiling and drips of something that looked like blood fell into pools on the floor. He supposed if you didn't have his vision and were scared of the dark, like Lilly apparently was, it could be intimidating. There were pockets of red light strategically placed to add atmosphere, but only enough to lead the way.
“We have to walk through there, Lilly; the door behind us is now locked. Remember what the man told us when we entered,” Dev said, taking her arm to guide her forward. She hadn't made a move to follow the others.
“O-of course.”
She took a step forward and then another, but she looked a bit like a drunkard, listing from side to side. Dev kept pace with her, trying to see her eyes; however, her head was lowered and he had a suspicion she was closing them every few feet.
“You really are terrified of the dark.”
“No, of course not. Adults are not afraid of the dark.”
“Where is that rule written?”
“It just is.” He could tell she wanted to snap, but her words didn't have the strength behind them.
“Is this another weakness of the beautiful Miss Braithwaite?”
“No—yes, I... I— Dear God, what was that noise? The children, I must get to them.”
“Cam and Essie have them, and they are at present laughing and shrieking in delight at their adventure. You, however, are pale and sweaty and about to pass out from lack of air if you do not slow your breathing down.”
“Don't be absurd, I never faint.”
That put the poker back in her spine.
“How very well-bred of you,” Dev taunted.
“’Tis ill-mannered to rag at s-someone when they are not at their best, Lord Sinclair.”
“I am duly chastened,” Dev said, leading Lilly forward as the children called for them to follow.
Her body was rigid, the arm he held clenched tight.
“It's funny what scares us. I can't stand to see my siblings bleed. Unmans me completely, and I usually end up on the floor.”
“Really?”
Her eyes were going from left to right with speed, waiting to see what horrors awaited her next.
“Yes, it is a weakness, and gives my family no end of enjoyment at my expense, but there is little I can do to change it. Seeing the blood of anyone I care for unsettles me.” He remembered how he’d felt seeing the blood on Lilly's chin that night she had saved the boy, and prayed fervently he never saw any on her again in his lifetime.
Dev saw the man lift the ax and get ready to lunge at them, but knew Lilly had not. Placing an arm around her waist, he drew her to his side.
“My lord, unhand— Argh!”
Dev was sure he had just ruptured an eardrum, but it was worth it. Lilly was now buried against his chest. Her heart was beating a rapid tattoo and she was clutching his coat in her fists. He was a cad for taking advantage of her fears. Bad person that he was, watching her come unraveled was as enjoyable as her touching his face. When her defensives lowered, Lilly was extremely hard to resist.
“Lilly, it's all right.”
“I... I hate the dark and I hate to be scared and I want to l-leave now.”
The words were muffled in his chest. She sounded young and vulnerable at that moment, and he wondered at the experience that had given her this fear. One day she would tell him, along with everything else he wanted to know about this infuriating woman.
“And so we shall, but first we have to find the way out.”
Taking a deep breath, she pushed out of his arms and looked up at him.
“You're enjoying this.”
“Having a beautiful woman terrified in my arms? Never.” Dev laughed as she huffed.
“I will concede to being scared witless, my lord, and I will also concede that I need your assistance to navigate the remaining corridors of this hideous place, yet once we are outside, I will again dislike you intensely.”
“Fair enough, forewarned is forearmed. However, I must point out that you don't dislike me at all,” Dev said, intercepting her hand as it sought his sleeve and twining their fingers together. She struggle
d for several seconds, but he won the battle as a cobweb brushed her face and she swallowed a shriek.
“No, I do.”
“Of course you don’t. We have visited a Watch House together. I am the first person you have touched and enjoyed. Then there is the small matter of me saving you several times.”
“About me touching you,” she said. “Please forget that incident, as I was not myself.”
“Of course you were.'' He brushed her words aside.
“You are an arrogant and conceited man,” she said, moving closer to his side as another axe-wielding man appeared before him.
“Conceited no, arrogant upon occasion,” Dev conceded. “But do you honestly believe I could get away with being arrogant around my family? My sisters alone constantly humiliate and belittle me. It is a wonder I have any pride left at all.”
“And you would have them no other way,” she said softly.
Dev sighed. “How is it that on such short acquaintance you can see through me?”
A fountain of blood erupted from a man's chest and she screamed.
“Bloody bothering hell!”
Dev laughed as she shrieked out the words.
“Well, well, well, not quite as well-mannered as you portray yourself to be, Miss Braithwaite?”
“Go to hell.”
Dev was still laughing as they came to a stop behind their party, who were inspecting a cabinet of what seemed to be bloodied body parts. Everyone was talking at once as they pointed and stared; not one of them sounded frightened, he noted.
“How is it that none of them appear even the slightest bit afraid?”
“Well, I can't speak for Toby,” Dev said. “But my three have been exposed to darkness and terror by their elder siblings since they were old enough to walk. We used to play hide-and-seek in the dark, and often jumped out at them at any given time. It certainly toughened them up.”
“You all love each other very much, don't you?”
The words were quietly spoken, yet Dev heard the longing, and at that moment he would have told her what was inside his heart had he thought she was ready to hear the words. Because everyone deserved to be loved, but he believed Lilly had not experienced the emotion for some time, and that upset him a great deal.