Around four o’clock, I gave up on the journals. Nathaniel had scientific notes mixed with quotes from Dante, Milton, and Shelley. His train of thought was hard to follow and it appeared as if madness had overtaken him, though I had a nagging feeling that I was missing a crucial clue hidden within his ramblings. No matter how hard I tried, I kept reading the same sentence, my gaze returning to the second hand of the clock as it anxiously ticked along.
Uncle had left nearly an hour ago to meet my father and aunt at the docks.
Each time a carriage rattled by, my heart pounded through my body in a wild, thrashing beat. I moved my new cane from one hand to the other, focusing on the smooth rosewood and fierce dragon to soothe my nerves. Liza and I had changed into finer dresses, and my lavender skirts were quite the contrast to my menacing, red-eyed dragon cane.
“Remember, your father worships me, Wadsworth.” Thomas dragged me from my spiraling worry, expertly reading each shift in my mood. “Leave charming him to me.”
My lips twitched upward. “Yes, well, if that’s true it’s a clear indication Father’s abusing his tonic again.”
“Or he’s got horrible judgment,” Liza added, grinning at Thomas’s scowl. “Don’t be cross, Mr. Cresswell. I’m only stating facts. You know, those bits of logic and hard truth you adore subjecting the rest of us to incessantly?”
“Wonderful,” he said, “you’re both hilarious now.”
“You started it,” I said, now focused entirely on him and not my nerves.
Thomas offered an amused grin from behind the journal he’d been engrossed in all day. I very maturely stuck my tongue out, and his eyes darkened in a way that had my pulse speeding for other reasons. Despite my best efforts, my cheeks flushed warm and the rogue winked, turning his attention back to his reading material. I all but rolled my eyes.
Liza stood several times, drawing back the heavy velvet drapery, staring down into the street. She sat beside me, picked up her needlework, then tossed it down and practically ran to the window the next time wheels clattered by. Her skirts seemed to increase in volume depending on her mood, and today they were ruffled and fluffed to within an inch of their lives. She was as nervous as I was. Perhaps a little bit more. Aunt Amelia was a force to be reckoned with on a good day. I feared today would not be one of her more gracious days.
“This is ridiculous,” Liza muttered. “It’s not as if our parents are going to murder us.” She glanced sharply at me over her shoulder. “They wouldn’t get away with murdering their own children, would they?”
“Depends on how well they dispose of your bodies.” Thomas just managed to dodge a pillow that flew by his head. I smiled as Liza huffed a few unladylike curses under her breath.
In a continued effort to give me freedom, my father had granted me permission to sail to New York with Uncle Jonathan and Thomas to assist with a forensic case, but Aunt Amelia had been worried into a fit when Liza vanished without so much as a note. Learning that her well-bred daughter had in fact run away to join a floating carnival likely turned all that fear into a raging fury. I suspected my aunt might become hysterical upon seeing Liza. She might very well lock her away in a tower.
I pasted on my brightest smile. “Your mother is going to be very relieved to see you.”
Likely after she let loose a litany of admonishments and chained Liza to her rooms for the remainder of her natural life. My cousin gave me the sort of look that called me on my lie, but she turned her attention back to the street, her face turning deathly pale.
“They’re here.”
“Very funny.”
“Truly.” Liza held a hand to her center. “Your father is stepping out from the hansom now.”
I wondered at the sudden void of nerves. It seemed as if my heart either skipped a beat or had ceased to move entirely. I snuck a peek at Thomas, hoping for him to appear as uneasy as my cousin and me, but he sprang to his feet with a jaunty hop.
I stared, openmouthed, as he bounced from foot to foot.
He caught my eye. “What? Can’t a young man enjoy a good hop every now and again without judgment?”
I shook my head. “Aren’t you the least bit worried?”
“About what?” he asked, a crease forming between his brows. “Seeing your aunt and father again?”
For a near genius, he could be quite obtuse. “Oh, I’m not sure. How about that small task of asking my father for my hand in marriage?”
“Why should I worry over that?” Thomas helped me to my feet, his smile returning in full force. “I’ve been waiting for this day like a child counting down the moments until Father Christmas arrives. If it were humanly possible, I would’ve swam to England and flew your father here on da Vinci’s ornithopter the second you told me your wishes.”
“You’re—”
“Impossibly handsome and utterly charming and yes, yes, you’d love to ravish me right this moment. Let’s hurry, now, shall we?”
My cousin snorted from her position by the window. “Now I understand why Audrey Rose calls you insufferably charming, with much emphasis on insufferable.”
Thomas tossed an arm around Liza and steered us both through the doorway and into the corridor. “If you find me intolerable now, just wait until we’re cousins, too. I have a special talent for annoying family members most. Just ask my father.”
At this my cousin seemed to shed her nerves. Thomas didn’t speak often of his family and it was cause for great intrigue. “When will we be meeting your father?”
Liza didn’t seem to notice the moment of hesitation, or the quick tightening of his jaw, but I’d been carefully watching. It was there and gone within the same breath. I didn’t know much of his father’s side of the family, but I’d gathered enough from Thomas’s stories to know theirs was a relationship with much strain.
“Whenever he feels the need to show up and woo us with his charm,” Thomas said. “If you think I’m extraordinary, wait until you have the luxury of meeting Lord Richard Abbott Cresswell. He puts me to shame. Which he will remind you of. Often.”
Liza abruptly halted, her mouth dropping open. Worries of her mother’s scorn were now the furthest thing from her mind. “The Duke of Portland is your father?” She flashed an accusatory glare at me. “You knew his father is a duke?”
I slowly shook my head. Thomas’s mother had a distant claim to the Romanian throne, and I imagined his father—who he’d said married for business, not love—would have chosen his bride carefully. Lord Cresswell was not the type of man who’d marry below his station. Though I’d never asked outright, I’d assumed he was either an earl or possibly a duke.
There were a few Cresswells in the aristocracy; I just didn’t know Thomas’s father was the highest ranking of them. A twinge of worry crept under my skin. Society would whisper about me even more once they found out. I’d be called all sorts of unpleasant names.
As if she were privy to my thoughts, Liza exclaimed, “If you and Thomas marry, you’ll be deemed an upstart!”
At that very moment, the front door opened. The smile that had been on my father’s face faltered. “Who will dare to call my daughter that?”
NINE
A DESPERATE REQUEST
GRANDMAMA’S GRAND FOYER
FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK CITY
22 JANUARY 1889
Aunt Amelia stood behind my father’s formidable form, likely crossing herself against the thought of societal condemnation. It hadn’t taken but thirty seconds for me to draw her singular focus. I glanced at the ceiling rose, wishing it would magic me out of this situation. Liza shot me an apologetic look but bit her tongue. Her mother’s attention would now be solely devoted to polishing any imperfections out of me. Aunt could never resist a charitable project.
“After I soak in a warm bath and remove the stain of transatlantic travel, we ought to spend time practicing your stitching,” Aunt said by way of greeting. “Volunteering for the less fortunate will also help mend any rumors. Perhaps you may put
your medical interests to use. You might aspire to be the next Clara Barton.”
Uncle, who’d been patiently silent while everyone crowded into the foyer, rolled his eyes. “Yes, dear sister, that’s a wise suggestion indeed. If Audrey Rose were at all versed in the field of nursing, it might be an even wiser idea. Since she tends to the dead, we’ll have to search for other charitable means for her. Corpses aren’t in need of medical supplies or darned stockings.”
Aunt sniffed indignantly, turning her nose up. “Your grandmother’s home is lovely. Will Lady Everleigh be joining us this evening?”
“No, Aunt. She was in India according to her last letter, but insisted we stay here while I…” I glanced at my cane. I hadn’t mentioned my injury to my father in any letters, and he’d been too quiet since entering the home. Seeing his attention directed at my leg with a furrow in his brow, I knew why he’d been silent. I had much to explain. “I—”
“It’s so good to see you both,” Liza said, snapping into action. She rushed forward to kiss her mother’s cheek, fussing like a hen when she stood back. “It feels like ages have passed! How was your voyage? The weather has been a fright! All the snow and sleet has been miserable. The hems of my dresses have seen better days.”
For a moment that stretched uncomfortably into the next, my aunt didn’t deign to respond. She scrutinized her daughter as if she were a stranger offering her a bouquet of dog poo. Liza had never openly disobeyed her mother before; she rebelled in her own subtle ways. I was the one Aunt Amelia had to save, what with my corpse fascination and poor judgment in young suitors. When Liza abandoned London to sail across the Atlantic with Harry Houdini without so much as a word, I can’t imagine my aunt ever saw that betrayal coming.
Before she could comment, Liza called for the butler. “Have someone draw a bath for Mama immediately. I’ve also got dried lavender and rose oil in the washing room.” She turned a radiant smile on her mother. “Lavender is so soothing, wouldn’t you agree? I’ve been reading up on herbal blends. Who knew there were so many uses for petals?”
As slick as anything, my cousin looped her arm through Aunt’s, steering her up the stairs and away from me. Thomas stepped forward and dipped his head politely at my father. “It’s wonderful to see you again, Lord Wadsworth. I trust you journeyed well?”
Uncle sidestepped our little trio and shook his head as he disappeared down the corridor. He muttered something that sounded an awful lot like “good luck to you both” followed immediately by “pompous ass.” I glared after him. I’d thought he and Father had put their feud aside when they’d worked together to get me into forensic school in Romania. Apparently there was still much work to be done on their relationship as well.
Thomas feigned ignorance over my father’s belated response. I, however, was ready to toss myself out of the nearest window; my nerves were near bursting. Father inspected Thomas for another heart-stoppingly long moment before nodding. It wasn’t quite the warm welcome I’d hoped for, but it certainly wasn’t the worst given the circumstances. He’d entrusted Thomas with watching over me—no matter that my broken leg was a result of my choice and there wasn’t a thing Thomas could’ve done about it. On the contrary, sometimes I’d catch him watching me limp and wondered if he wished he’d taken the knife and possibly died instead.
“We journeyed well indeed. Though I cannot say the same for my daughter.” He pointedly glanced at my cane. “I imagine there’s quite a story behind this.” He met my gaze, his expression softening. “If you don’t mind, I’d like a few moments to speak with Audrey Rose. Alone.”
“Of course.” Thomas offered another polite bow, then straightened. He winked at me and hummed his way along the corridor Uncle had disappeared down, leaving me alone to deal with the many questions and worries I saw flashing in my father’s eyes.
I drew in a deep breath. It was time to plead my case about a possible betrothal. “Shall we move to the sitting room?”
It was hard to fathom that nearly two months had passed since I’d last seen my father. He was more robust than I remembered—his face had more color and his eyes were bright. Gone was the ashy pallor that clung to him like a second skin. I exhaled slowly. I hadn’t realized how worried I’d been that he’d fall back into his addictions in my absence. Sadness still crept in around the edges, but he seemed in command of it now instead of the reverse.
He sat at an oversize writing desk, fingers steepled as he took in this new version of his daughter. I stood as still as I could manage. “You didn’t mention the cane in any of your letters.”
I swallowed hard, focus fixed on the dragon’s-head knob. A thought struck as I pulled strength from this symbol of Thomas’s house—he’d found a way to be with me, to ease my nerves while I spoke with my father. He truly thought of everything.
“I apologize, sir. I didn’t want you to be upset unnecessarily. I—”
“Sweet girl.” My father shook his head. “It was not an admonishment. I’m worried. When you left, you were whole, and now…”
“Make no mistake, Father. I am still whole. Neither a limp nor a cane will slow me down.”
“I did not mean to offend.” He smiled gently. “I can see you’re adapting well. Give me time to do the same. You know I can be a bit—”
“Overbearing?” I asked, not unkindly. “All I require is love and acceptance.”
“Then you shall have both in abundance.” His eyes misted. “Well, now. Since that’s settled, on to other matters. Jonathan tells me you’ve been taking to your forensic studies quite well. He believes your skill will surpass his in the near future.”
I blinked at the sudden pricking sensation. “He hadn’t mentioned that to me.”
“I daresay he won’t, either. Not until he’s sure it won’t go to your head. The fool.” Father’s eyes twinkled. “He also tells me that Thomas is a fine suitor. I must admit, when I agreed to send you to Romania, I didn’t anticipate receiving a request for an audience with him. At least not so soon. I don’t know if it’s wise to entertain thoughts of courtship or betrothal now. You are young yet.”
Here it was. I gripped the dragon a bit more tightly. “To be honest, sir, I hadn’t planned on feeling so strongly for another. I-I tried fighting it, but I truly believe I’ve found my equal. I cannot imagine a more perfect partner to walk hand in hand with through life.”
“Please. Sit.” Father indicated the tufted chair across from him. Once I perched on its edge, he continued his inspection. “You’re almost of age, but I fear there’s much you’d be giving up. Why not come back and ask me this in a year’s time? If your love is true, it won’t be hindered by another few months. If anything, it will blossom further.”
It felt as if someone had struck a blow to my chest. Each time I imagined this scenario, I didn’t see my father pushing off our betrothal. A few months ago, he’d been secretly trying to match me with a detective inspector who hailed from an impressive family. Now he wanted me to wait. Neither of those spoke of what I desired.
“With all due respect, Father, Thomas and I have withstood events most couples will never face. We’ve been tested, and each bump, twist, and crack hasn’t broken us. It’s only made our bond stronger. I could wait another year or two or ten, but it wouldn’t matter. The truth remains that I am in love with Thomas Cresswell and I choose to share my life with him.”
“What of your studies? Will you give up what you’ve fought so hard for simply to become a mistress of a house?” Father took a sip of wine from a goblet I hadn’t noticed. “Granted, Thomas hails from quite a lineage, so your home will be grand. Is that what you want from life? If you choose not to marry, you’ll be heir to our property.” He looked at me closely. Here was yet one more choice. One more bar being removed from my cage. “Once you marry, all of that will revert to your husband. And he will be fit to do with it as he pleases without your counsel. Are you certain that’s what you wish? Do you know Thomas enough to trust him with such matters?”
/> I waited for it, the tremor of fear. The familiar thrum of hysteria building in my body, urging me to flee. It didn’t come. If anything, my resolve turned molten hot before hardening into something unbreakable.
“I trust him entirely. He hasn’t simply told me things to win my affections and trust with words; he’s shown who he is through his actions. Never more so than when we traveled here last month. Thomas and I will write our own rules. I won’t stop my studies and he won’t stop his. Ours is a love built on mutual respect and admiration. I love Thomas for who he is. He doesn’t wish to change me, or cage me, or turn me into a perfect doll to tout about.” I took another deep breath. “In the event our marriage dissolved, he would never take my home or property from me. But,” I quickly added, seeing my father about to seize on that thread, “I do not believe ours will be an unhappy union. On the contrary, I believe this is the beginning of our story. We have countless adventures ahead of us.”
Father sat back, the leather of his chair creaking, and took another sip of wine. We stayed in comfortable silence, regarding each other for a few moments. It wasn’t unpleasant. A fire crackled in the corner; the scent of leather and sandalwood wafted about. It was cozy and it felt good to simply be around my father again. Finally, he took a deep breath, seeming to come to his decision. His expression was utterly unreadable.
“Please have Thomas come in.”
“Sir?” I asked, hating the edge of worry in my voice. “You will agree, won’t you?”
“I may.”
Relief sluiced through me. I practically stumbled out of my seat and threw my arms around my father’s neck. “Thank you! Thank you so much, Father!”
He held me close, chuckling. “Now, now, child. Save your thanks for a little while more. Let’s first hear what your Mr. Cresswell has to say.”
Capturing the Devil Page 7