Viridis - A Steampunk Romance (19 page)

***

William gave the coach driver the address and then
settled in his seat for the ride, taking the time to review the
notes the constable had given him. He shook his head and cursed for
the umpteenth time in the last few hours.

A man of great importance had been assaulted, and
Chief Inspector Murdock, who would never trust a mere constable to
deal with nobility, had immediately summoned William to handle the
case. It would also give Murdock an excuse to pull William from his
current investigation, since Niles’s family wanted the matter
closed so as not to further tarnish their reputation. Society did
not look kindly upon one getting themselves murdered.

Though William’s dealings with nobility were
frequent enough, he was at a complete loss as to how to approach
the case if indeed the notes he’d been given were correct. He
cursed under his breath again. There was little to be done about
the situation until he got the facts first hand. He only hoped the
reality of the matter would not be as dire as the constable made it
seem, though based on all what he already knew, he did not doubt
the accusations being made.

Paying the driver, he climbed the wide marble steps
to the ornate entrance. William took a deep breath and steeled
himself for the job, setting aside his own emotions regarding the
situation. The footman answered the door, William’s presence
already expected.

William was escorted immediately into the sitting
room, so he had only a moment to notice the grandeur of the
place.

William was introduced with a stiff formality.
“Inspector William Thomas, m’ lord.” With a curt dismissal from his
employer, the footman bowed and left the room, leaving William with
Lord Victor Fenwick.

His Lordship was a tall fellow, well built and would
be handsome enough if it were not for the violent bruising that
extended its way from a crooked and swollen nose, across his upper
cheeks, and up to bloodshot eyes. Victor paced the room in
agitation, but with his movement awkward and painful, he stopped
instead in front of the mantel to pick up a porcelain figurine
before turning to acknowledge William’s presence.

It was only upon seeing Seth’s handiwork, that
William’s own anger regarding Phoebe’s attack, came under control
with the retaliation taken in her honor. He would still need to
approach this case like any other, and only hoped Seth had not dug
himself into a hole he would not be able to climb out of.

Victor had brought the attack upon himself, and it
took every ounce of will and composure for William to keep his
smile of satisfaction stifled. “Sir, my constable says you were
attacked upon leaving your gentlemen’s club?”

“Well, I certainly did not do this to myself!”
Victor flung the figurine into the fireplace, sending the pieces
smashing into the fire, sparks bursting into the air. He spun on
William with a scowl. “Are you some sort of incompetent imbecile?
He broke my nose, for fuck’s sake.”

Meeting Victor’s gaze with a cool calm, William
ignored his comment, and continued his questioning, flipping
through his notes. “This took place at Browning’s?”

“Yes. At my club. Did we not just cover that
detail?” Something clicked in William’s memory, and he made a
mental note to look into it. “The constable mentioned you knew your
attacker.”

“It was that bastard, Seth Elliott. I want him
charged. Do you hear me?” Victor’s face had gone red with rage.

“You’re familiar with your attacker?” He knew he was
baiting the man, but it was a question he would ask anyone under
the circumstances. “May I ask what caused the man to attack
you?”

William had the pleasure of seeing Victor’s face go
from red to purple as he stammered for an answer, finally managing
to get out the words. “The man is deranged! How should I know why
he attacked me? He wasn’t alone either; had another man with him.
They bound my coachman, and then after assaulting my person, left
me in Devil’s Acre of all places. I’m lucky I made it out of there
alive!”

“It seems like an extreme reaction, which makes me
think there was indeed a reason behind the attack. You’re sure you
do not know why the man would be upset with you?”

“Did I not just tell you that? Murdock assured me
you were the best, and if that is the case, the London police are
in dire need of help. I do not understand why you are still here
rather than arresting the man that tried to kill me.”

William was caught off guard by Victor’s accusation.
Victor was a man of power and influence, and Seth could be in
serious trouble if he chose to pursue a charge of attempted murder.
“Kill you? It appears to be a simple case of assault. Did he harm
you other than the blow to the face?”

“It is
not
a case of simple assault. He
pulled a knife and threatened to kill me, and if you must know, he
did draw blood. I’m sure he would have killed me if I hadn’t scared
him off with the consequences of his actions. I’ll be damned if I’m
going to let him get away with this.”

William pinned Victor with a long icy stare. “This
would have nothing to do with the bodily assault upon Lady
Hughes?”

Victor’s composure cracked for only a moment before
returning to a look of arrogance. “You cannot believe anything that
trollop would have to say on the matter. She’s had physical
relations with the man in question. She would say anything he told
her to. If that bastard is capable of nearly killing me, than it’s
not difficult to imagine he’s capable of assaulting her as well. I
expect you to move quickly on this and if you’re not capable of so
simple a task, I’m sure Murdock can manage to find someone else
capable of handling the situation.”

Victor’s threat was clear, and William clenched his
fists at his side, resisting the urge to punch the man in the face.
He took a deep breath to steady his voice, and then said, “I will
need to interview the parties involved, of course, but will contact
you with an update as soon as I have one. Good day.” And without
waiting to be dismissed, he turned around and walked out of the
room.

Chapter Twenty Seven

“I want nothing to do with that thing.” Phoebe waved
Seth away, and turned to her desk to fidget with the orders for the
club and her other paperwork.

Seth reached out and took her hand. “In light of the
morning’s findings, I do not feel I’m being unreasonable. It’s just
a fuse gun, and with someone after your formula, I want to make
sure you have protection if you need it.”

She shook her head no. “The only thing I’ll manage
to do with that thing is shoot myself in the foot. I do not want
it, Seth. Please, take it away.”

He pulled her close and nuzzled her ear, her
defenses weakening, his words but a whisper. “A compromise then.
Will you at least keep it at home, tucked away in a drawer
somewhere? I’ll get a second one for your office here at
Viridis.”

Exasperated, Phoebe gave in. “Fine, but I have no
intention of using it.”

He smiled, and pulled her to him for a kiss. “I’ll
need to make sure you know how to handle it properly, of
course.”

“Of course.” She rolled her eyes and his grin
widened. Changing the subject, she said, “Where did Gavin get off
to?”

“He’s keeping Gabriel company while he tends to the
bar. How did the fitting go with your seamstress?”

The sooner her dress was made, the sooner they could
get married, and with his arms still wrapped around her, her
imagination turned to the life they would soon lead.

“I did stress to her the importance of having it
done as soon as possible, but it is quite the undertaking. She has
promised me five days time, barring she does not run into any
problems.”

“Shall we plan for next Sunday? I do not want to put
it off any longer than necessary. Gavin also has cargo he needs to
get to Austria, and I’d rather not delay him.” He leaned in and
gave her a quick kiss. “I hope you do not mind, but I stopped by
the locksmith’s and purchased a small safe for your research
journal. They’ll be delivering it to your home tomorrow.”

She looked away, not wanting to admit the facts. “I
still cannot believe it’s Martha or Sarah.”

“Did they not come with references? Perhaps you can
contact their previous employers. It may help put your mind at
ease.”

She’d been shocked and upset by the situation,
always trying to see the good in people. Such a betrayal was
difficult for her to accept, but perhaps Seth was right. If she
could put to rest some of her doubts, it may help matters.

“It could not hurt, in any case. I think I have
their references filed away here with the other employee files.”
She stepped out of Seth’s arms and moved to her desk, sitting down
to locate what she was looking for.

There was a knock, and a moment later, the door
opened and Gavin peeked his head inside. “I do hope I wasna
interrupting anything.”

“Not at all. Come in.” Phoebe smiled at him, setting
the files down with her things.

“Are we all set then?” Seth looked at Gavin and
Phoebe could tell by the glint in their eyes and their shifty
smiles that they were up to no good.

“Aye, we are. Gabriel’s fine here on his own.”
Gavin’s crooked grin was filled with mischief.

Phoebe looked at the two of them, and crossed her
arms in front of her chest. “Set for what, pray tell?” But Seth was
bustling her towards the door before she could protest further.

“A surprise.” He pulled her cloak out of the armoire
and wrapped it around her shoulders, before shrugging himself into
his own coat and grabbing her things, files included.

Phoebe frowned and crossed her arms in front of her
chest. “What is this about, Seth? You do know how I hate
surprises.”

“I know love, and you’ll find out soon enough.”

Phoebe sat nestled between Seth and Gavin and they
rode in relative silence, the engine of the steam coach making
conversation difficult. Her mind kept running through the
possibilities of where they were going. As they made their way to
the outskirts of London, Phoebe looked around at the thinning city
congestion, and couldn’t contain herself any longer. “Where are we
going?” she demanded. I’ll have you know I’m not liking this one
bit.”

Seth laughed, patting her knee. “I love that you
hate giving up any control. We’re nearly there. Just another ten
minutes or so.”

“Hmph,” she said, but her voice was drowned out in
the noise of the steam coach.

At Gavin’s instruction, Seth pulled the vehicle off
the main thoroughfare and onto a wide dirt road. With the aerodock
just ahead, things started to become clear. Gavin’s airship loomed
above the field, ghostly white and luminous in the moonlight.

“’Tis the perfect evening for a little adventure,
don’t you think?” Seth helped her out of the steam coach, linking
her arm with his.

Phoebe picked up her pace and lengthened her stride,
her heart racing with excitement. “I had not realized this airship
was so large. I’ve never seen one this size before.” Gripping
Seth’s arm, she looked up at him and smiled, amazed yet again at
his brilliance. His tinkerings always left her stunned, and this
one was breathtaking. “Can we go on? I cannot believe you designed
this.” Phoebe had, in the past, been on Gavin’s original airship,
but she had yet to board this latest design, commissioned only
months before Seth left for the Outlands.

He leaned in and kissed her. “Yes, of course.”

Gavin led the way. “She’s a beauty, aye? Come, I’ll
show ye onboard.”

Having seen the original designs, Phoebe knew the
ship, a horizontal oblong, was made of oiled fabric draped around a
light metal frame, and used a combination of heat along with
lighter-than-air gasses for its lift. Below it sat a windowed
cabin, housing the steam engine, cargo and passenger areas.
Designed to carry twice the amount of cargo than most airships, it
gave Gavin a huge advantage in the trading business. That along
with Gavin’s fearlessness had made him the most sought-after
captain for hauling precious cargo or difficult flights, and the
first choice amongst most merchants. Though most other airships
carried passengers in addition to cargo, Gavin seldom bothered,
other than on rare occasions— delivering Seth to and from the
Outlands being one of those instances.

Leaving them momentarily standing by the gates,
Gavin went to speak to the guards at the control house. It wasn’t
long before he returned.

“Everything’s in order, if you’d like to continue.”
Gavin threw open the gates and led them up a series of ramps
leading to the passenger cabin. He unlocked the door, then stepped
inside to run the illuminators before turning back to Phoebe with a
slight bow over his leg, his kilt swaying with the movement.
“Welcome, m’lady.”

Phoebe stepped forward, trailing away from Seth’s
arm. “It’s magnificent, Gavin.” She turned back to Seth and gave
him a smile.

The airships really were something quite
extraordinary, and a lot had gone into making them a reality.
Though this ship was Seth’s design, she knew none of it would have
been possible without the work of Captain Gunther von Adler, who
was able to find a method of creating and stabilizing the gasses
needed to make the ships airborne and safe. Far too many of the
gasses had been dangerous, leading to more than a few
disasters.

The interior of the ship was open and spacious.
Walls only added additional weight, so the interior was designed so
that each room flowed into the next, illuminators running along the
bottom of each wall to lend a soft glow. They moved forward into a
luxurious sitting area, and Phoebe ran a hand over the back of a
velvet chaise the color of well-aged port. “Gavin, I’m impressed.”
Her gaze settled on the far end of the room
.
“Are those the
controls?”