Rebel Magisters (27 page)

All of us whirled when Mr. Chastain appeared in the doorway. “Miss Newton, there is someone who wishes to speak with you privately,” he said, then hurried to add when he must have noticed the dismay on my face, “It is a friend of Lord Henry’s.”

I put down my teacup and told Olive, “I’ll be back in just a moment.” I knew how dire the situation was for the children when Rollo moved to sit by his little sister so she could cling to him in my absence.

I found Geoffrey waiting in the downstairs parlor. “I’m sorry if I put you in an awkward position by asking to meet with you alone,” he said. “But I didn’t think you’d want to discuss this in front of the children. Someone passing by saw Henry being hauled out of the house by police. What happened?”

“He was arrested for conspiracy to commit treason. I’m assuming they don’t know much if you’re still free.”

“They didn’t get you, either. I wonder what they know, or how they know it. Obviously, there’s a traitor in our midst. Whoever it is, we’ll find him and deal with him.” His eyes were hard and his jaw set.

“I don’t know that it will help. The damage has been done.”

“It will keep the traitor from reporting on more of us. And I’d feel a lot better. Do you have a way to get word to the Mechanics?”

“I’m fairly certain they’ll know soon enough, if they don’t already. They may be the ones giving me information.”

“Can you keep me posted? As well as you’re able. Though I don’t know how you’ll manage that. There’s not a good reason for a governess to send me messages.”

“I may be able to persuade Flora to call on your sister.”

“That might suffice. Otherwise, I believe I’m considered a close enough friend that it wouldn’t seem amiss for me to check on Henry’s family.”

“The rest of you must be careful now until you know who the traitor is.”

I went back upstairs, feeling somewhat better. At least Henry’s magister friends would be sure to get the warning. Just outside the parlor, I noticed a bit of blue on the floor. I bent to find a key on a blue ribbon. Henry must have managed to drop it as he was being hauled away so the symbol would remain a secret. I picked it up and put it in my pocket, vowing to myself that I’d find a way to give it back to him.

I was rather surprised that we hadn’t yet heard from the governor. I would have expected him to rush in to take control of the children as soon as he heard what had happened. He had to have heard by now. Even if he hadn’t been informed through official channels, he would have received Flora’s message. If he hadn’t responded, did that mean he really was behind it? Was he even now interrogating Henry?

The governor finally arrived when we were at dinner. Mr. Chastain ushered him into the dining room and ordered a footman to set another place. “There’s no need,” the governor said brusquely. “I won’t be staying to eat. But I thought I ought to see to the children.”

Olive jumped out of her chair to go greet him. “Oh, Grandfather, please, won’t you help Uncle Henry?”

“I’m afraid I can’t show favoritism. He has to be treated just the same as anyone else.”

Flora surprised me—and probably everyone else present—by giving an unladylike snort. “Come now, Grandfather,” she said. “You can’t pretend that to be the case. People are treated differently based on their rank all the time. I’m sure he’s not being given the same treatment as one of the Rebel Mechanics might be.”

“He is being treated with all fairness, but I can’t use my power to free him. The charges against him are very serious.”

“What did he do?” Rollo asked eagerly.

“That’s nothing to be discussed here. Now, I suppose it would be too much trouble to expect all of you to come to my house tonight, but Miss Newton, perhaps you could supervise the packing tomorrow.”

“Packing for what?” Rollo asked.

“With your guardian in jail, you should come live with me.”

Flora surprised us again. “No, we won’t,” she said firmly. “I think it best for Olive and Rollo that their lives are disrupted as little as possible. They need to be in their own home, with their own belongings, following their usual routine. The staff here can look after us, and Miss Newton can supervise the children. It will be no different than if Henry were away on business.”

“This may not be resolved quickly. Your uncle may never come home.”

“When it is resolved, we can make decisions.”

I thought for a moment that the governor would argue with her, but he nodded and said, “You have a very good point. Miss Newton, I will leave them in your capable hands, but I will check in on the children frequently.”

When he was gone, Olive said, “I don’t want to go live with Grandfather. I want to live here, with Uncle.” Tears trickled down her cheeks.

“We’re not going anywhere,” Flora assured her. “This home belongs to Rollo, and he has every right to stay here. The management of the estate may go to someone else if Henry is convicted, but there’s no reason we should have to move. I won’t go.”

As I’d anticipated, Olive didn’t want to sleep alone that night, so I stayed in her room with her. It was a sleepless night for me. The presence of that letter in my desk drawer seemed to call out, like a telltale heart beating its presence from its hiding place. I also found myself imagining Henry’s plight, in varying degrees of horror. As relieved as I was not to have been arrested, I felt guilty for being free while he suffered when I’d committed nearly as many crimes as he had. Morning came as a great relief, for I no longer had to pretend to be asleep. I could get up and do something.

“Do you think we could visit Uncle in jail?” Olive asked as I helped her dress.

“I don’t know. We’ll have to see if his attorney has any news. I’m not sure Lord Henry would want you in the jail.”

“But I want to see him.”

“I do, too. But a jail isn’t the sort of place little girls or young ladies should visit.”

I tried to go about my normal routine, eating breakfast, getting Rollo to school. The news about Henry hadn’t been in the newspaper, so I noticed no scandalized glances at our appearance there. Olive had no enthusiasm for her schoolwork, and I didn’t push her. Flora joined us at lunch, though none of us were very hungry. We merely pushed food around on our plates. “I believe we could all use a turn in the park,” Flora said as the plates were cleared. “It’s a pleasant enough day, if we dress warmly.”

I wanted to ask who this imposter was who was impersonating Lady Flora, but I’d always known that she was merely playing at being a brainless flibbertigibbet. That was why her uncle despaired of her. She was capable of being so much more than she allowed herself to be. Now she was rising to the occasion.

We put on coats, hats, and gloves and set out into the park. It was a crisp, cold day, and the wind was relatively gentle. Olive clung desperately to my hand, like she was afraid someone would take her away from me. Flora appeared to be on high alert, and I wondered if she was wary of the authorities or possibly hoping to encounter Colin. She hadn’t said anything about him since we’d returned from our trip, but I didn’t know if that meant she’d given up or if she was strategizing and hoping to lower my guard. All three of us flinched when we passed a policeman, but he merely nodded in passing.

A voice called out, “Why, it’s Miss Newton!” and I turned to see a man and a woman sitting on a nearby bench. It was Lizzie and Colin, but their clothing was much more respectable than their usual Mechanics attire. No one would have thought twice about their presence in this part of town. Colin smiled at the sight of Flora, but his eyes were more serious than I’d ever seen them, and Lizzie’s face was unusually grave. I got the distinct impression that they knew what had happened and had come looking for me.

Colin rose from the bench, doffed his hat, and bowed. “Lady Flora, Miss Newton. And who is this delightful young lady?”

“This is my sister, Lady Olive,” Flora said. Seeing Colin must have done her a world of good, for the color had returned to her cheeks, and she had a sparkle in her eye. “Olive, this is Mr. Flynn. He’s a friend of Miss Newton’s.”

“And of yours, I would hope,” he said. “May I present my sister, Lizzie?” Lizzie gave a slight curtsy.

Colin gestured to his left. “We just passed a cart selling roasted nuts that smelled absolutely delightful. Might I escort you two ladies over there to purchase some for you?”

“May we, Miss Newton?” Olive asked.

“Of course you may,” I said. Under other circumstances, I wouldn’t have left Flora alone with Colin, but I suspected he was arranging the situation so I could talk with Lizzie, and Olive probably made a better chaperone than anyone because she wouldn’t hesitate to tell everything that happened. Olive released my hand and took Flora’s, and Colin held his arm out gallantly to Flora.

When they were out of earshot, I said to Lizzie, “Obviously, you’ve heard.”

“Yes. And I’m afraid I have even worse news. We’ve just had word from one of our people who’s a clerk at the courthouse that they’re going to transport him to England by the end of the week.”

In Which

I Must Draw Upon

All My Resources

“They’re what?” I blurted, stammering in my shock. “But why? There hasn’t been time for a trial. They only arrested him yesterday.”

“I think that’s the point. The governor is already facing scandal. It would be even worse if someone associated with his family were to be tried for treason. If they send him to England, it keeps things quieter here, and it doesn’t make as much of a martyr out of Lord Henry. They’re probably hoping the whole affair will be forgotten here.”

“If they take him away, we’ll never see him again,” I said. My whole body suddenly felt heavy with despair.

“Probably not. Even if he’s not executed, it would be nearly impossible for him to get back to the colonies.”

“Executed?” I yelped.

“That is the standard penalty for treason.”

“We can’t let that happen! We have to save him.”

“I’m not sure there’s much we can do. They’re holding him at the fort. That’s not the sort of place where we can easily stage a jailbreak.”

“But we have people on the inside who could help.”

“And risk their positions? We need those resources.”

“And we need Henry. Without him, we’ll have a much harder time getting magister support.”

“Even if you get him out, he won’t be able to keep playing his regular role. You and the children won’t be able to live with him. He’ll be a fugitive.”

“Just like the Rebel Mechanics he helped escape from the city,” I reminded her. “You owe him. You’d all be in prison and your machines would be scrap metal if he hadn’t helped you.”

She sighed and glanced over to where Colin and the girls were returning with paper cones of roasted nuts. “I’ll see what we can do. If you can find a way to get him out of the fort, we may be able get him out of the city and to safety. How likely is it that you’ll be able to move freely?”

“For now, we’re staying at the house. I only have to worry about the servants or the children noticing my movements.”

“Then see what you can do and let me know. You’ll have to act quickly. There’s a government ship sailing for England on Friday, and odds are, he’ll be on it.”

Colin and the girls reached us, and we said our farewells to Lizzie and Colin before heading back toward home. Flora was starry-eyed, and Olive was excited about the roasted nuts coated in cinnamon and sugar. “Colin is really nice, and he’s funny,” Olive said.

“He is nice, isn’t he, Miss Newton?” Flora said. “I don’t think he’s the least bit insincere.”

“He told me to get the cinnamon nuts because they’re better,” Olive added.

“Don’t eat them all at once. You’ll spoil your dinner,” I said as I escorted them across the street.

My mind was already scrambling to create a plan. I knew so many people who had contacts or who were strategically placed. Surely I could use those contacts now. The difficult part would be finding a way to get Henry out of the fort. After that, I was certain the Mechanics could get him to safety, if they were willing to help.

When the music master arrived, I left the girls with their piano lessons and claimed Lizzie had informed me during our meeting in the park that one of our mutual friends was ill, so I needed to go look in on her. Mrs. Talbot offered to retrieve Rollo from school for me.

Lizzie hadn’t wanted to risk any of our highly placed operatives, but what I had in mind was lower down the scale. The people no one ever noticed might be just the group to pull off something like this. I didn’t personally know any of the laundresses or scullery maids at the fort, but I was sure that some of my shopgirls and laundresses would know someone.

The “sick friend” gave me the ideal excuse to visit the florist shop, where I put out the word of who I needed to find. From there, I caught a ride on the secret subway heading downtown. I checked in at my usual shops, but I didn’t have much luck in anyone knowing the sort of people I needed. My last stop was the laundry, where I was relieved to find my contact at the counter and no other customers.

I quickly explained my situation, and she smiled. “I have friends who work there. We may be able to get in and out, but not to the cells.”

“Could they tell me more about how things work, who might be able to get to the cells?”

“They might. I will have to ask. I will see them tonight. Can you come back tomorrow?” Just then, the door opened and a customer entered. The counter girl wrote out a ticket, handed it to me, and said, “Ready tomorrow.”

I wasn’t sure how I would manage to get away again, but right now, I didn’t care. Even if I had to vanish along with Henry, I had to get him to safety. I wasn’t sure how long I’d manage to keep my position, anyway. The governor seemed pleased with my work, but I knew he wanted to send Flora and Rollo to England—her to find a husband, him to boarding school. Even if I risked it all, I wasn’t really risking much.

Back home, I claimed that my friend was very ill and would surely need me to look in on her again the next day. I felt guilty for the sympathy the children and Mrs. Talbot expressed, but I knew my lies were for a good cause. And I did truly have a friend in distress who needed my help.