Viridis - A Steampunk Romance (24 page)

He could feel her soft curves through the thin silk,
the warmth of her body tempting him to forget Gavin waiting
downstairs for them.

Her head rested on his shoulder, and she clung to
him desperately. “What if they take you away from me, Seth? What
will happen if Victor does not drop the murder charges?

“We’ll figure something, aye? I do not want you
worrying yourself.” He pulled her away so he could cup her face in
his hands. He needed her to see he meant every word. “I love you,
Phoebe, and I promised I would not leave you. I’ve every intention
of making you my wife. We’re to be married, aye? Nothing short of
death will take me away from you.”

“That is exactly what I’m afraid of, Seth.”

He pulled her back to him and kissed the top of her
head, his arms tight around her. He hated to cause her this pain,
but he’d done what he thought was right; kept her safe and defended
her honor. And he would do it all again, consequences be
damned.

Victor’s charge was just a play for power by a man
who wanted to mend his pride and have his ego stroked. If he had
not the power and influence of his position and class, the charges
against Seth would never stand.

Phoebe pulled him from his thoughts. “I’m going to
speak to him. Perhaps I can get him to drop the charges.”

The thought of her going to Victor and begging had
his gut twisted in knots as his anger threatened to erupt. “You
cannot!”

“I can, and if it means it will keep you from the
gallows, then it’s a small price to pay.” A fire flared in her
eyes, her own anger and frustration breaking through. “Or is this
all about your own pride, now?”

He wanted to shake her until her teeth rattled and
she saw sense. “
Phoebe
, you are the most infuriating woman I
have ever met. The man caused you bodily harm. Have you already
forgotten? Do you not remember how close you came to having your
body violated?”

“Of course I remember!” She matched his temper. “But
I also remember what it is like to be alone— to live without you.
And my pride and honor are of little consequence if I have not the
man I love.”

A knock at the door had them pulling back from each
other, both of them still bristling. She turned away from him as
another knock sounded, louder this time, demanding someone’s
attention.

“What is it?” Phoebe called, exasperated.

The door opened and Gavin’s large frame filled the
doorway, worry etched into the lines around his mouth. “I’m sorry
to barge in, but the inspector’s here looking for ye Seth and he’s
got a constable with him. ‘Tis not looking good,
a
charaid
.”

“No. I don’t believe it is, ” Seth said with a heavy
sigh.

Chapter Thirty Six

Gabriel glanced at the address he jotted down,
making sure he had the right building before knocking on the door.
He slipped the landlady a coin and she confirmed that Anne was
indeed home and directed him up the stairs.

He tapped on the door. No response. He tapped
louder, then pounded until the door finally opened just a crack,
revealing part of a face harboring a glaring eye. “Stop that
knocking before the landlady throws me out on the street. What ye
want?”

“I’m looking for Lilly. It is terribly important,”
Gabriel pleaded.

“It always is, eh? Well, she ain’t ‘ere.”

She tried to close the door, but Gabriel shoved his
foot in the opening, using his weight to push the door open. He
stumbled into the small room and had barely a moment to register
something was wrong, just a flick of her eyes over his shoulder. A
blinding blow to his head sent him crashing to the floor, the
darkness swallowing him whole.

When he came to, Lilly was lightly slapping his face
with her small hand, her concerned face only inches above his.

“Ah. There ye are. Why didn’t ye use your name?
You’re lucky I hadn’t gotten my knife.”

He rubbed the large bump on the back of his head.
“Thank the gods for small miracles.” He had a blinding headache
that throbbed with every heartbeat. Still, it was preferable to
having a knife planted in his gut. “I need to talk to you about
Niles.”

Anne spoke up before Lilly even had a chance to open
her mouth. “She don’t know anything! Filthy bastard got himself
murdered and she ain’t nothing to do with it. What ye care ‘bout
him anyway?”

“He was my friend, but that’s not the reason I’ve
come.” He looked back at Lilly. Though he and Lilly had both been
close to Niles, they’d not had much opportunity to get to know each
other as more than just acquaintances, the club taking up far too
much of his time. He could only hope she’d still be willing to help
him. “I need to find out what Niles was doing with Phoebe’s formula
and how he managed to get it.”

Lilly gasped. “Lady Hughes? And ye’re meaning the
formula for Viridis?” She shook her head, the blood draining from
her face. “Honestly, this is the first I’ve heard of it. Do ye
think it was the SS?”

Gabriel wished he knew. “I now know Niles was
involved with the SS, but I think there was something else. Did he
speak to you of any troubles or difficulties?”

“He never really said, though there were times I
thought there was something— or someone giving him difficulties.
After all, he never struck me as the type to be SS or for that
matter to be stealing formulas, if ye know what I mean.”

He nodded. “I think I do.”

Anne did not invite him to sit down, and had yet to
do anything but glare at him while cursing under her breath as she
paced the room. He was not sure if she was just leery of strangers
or if it was the difference in their class, but it was clear
Gabriel was not welcome there. “I do not suppose we could go
somewhere to finish talking and perhaps get a bite to eat?” He gave
a quick glance over his shoulder at Anne, garnering him a smile
from Lilly.

“Aye. Might as well.”

A short time later, Gabriel sat across from Lilly in
the dark corner of the smoky tavern, cautiously watching the crowd
around him. He was surprised he’d convinced her to join him out in
public, though she could see why she might want to escape for a
short while. She was still worried about being followed, though she
said she hadn’t noticed anything amiss in the last few days.

They ordered the roast mutton and a couple pints of
ale, not saying much. Gabriel decided to wait until they had a bit
of hot food in their bellies to question Lilly further, since the
cold of night was made all the more brutal by the brisk wind coming
off the Thames.

The mutton was delivered steaming and fragrant, the
pints cold. After a few bites, Gabriel said, “I really appreciate
you coming out and agreeing to help me. I know your sister is none
too pleased about it.”

Lilly waved his concerns away. “We’ve only each
other, ye see, an’ she tends to be a bit protective, aye? And Anne,
well she’s still young and a bit suspicious like ‘bout people she
don’t know. It ain’t been an easy life for her, though I did try to
care for us. Best I could, at any rate.”

He thought about everything Phoebe had done for him
and Imogene, despite the fact she was still so young when their
mother died. She had sacrificed her childhood so they could have as
much of one as she could manage to give them. It was exactly the
reason why he needed to find out if Niles was responsible for the
theft of her formulas. If that were indeed the case, then surely it
could be no one’s fault but his own.

He knew Niles and Lilly had been remarkably close
for the short amount of time they had known each other. If anyone
might know, it would be she. “Did Niles ever mention to you
anything about Phoebe or Viridis? Is there anything at all you can
think of, perhaps looking back on it now?”

“I surely didn’t realize anything amiss at the time,
or I’d ‘ve said something. Lady Phoebe has been real good to me and
mine, and I couldn’t stand by and let her be robbed, had I
known.”

“No, of course not, but any information you can
think of may be of help. I do not believe he was stealing the
formula for his own purposes, but rather someone else’s. I need to
find out who put him up to it, for they may still try to take her
remaining research or worse, do her harm.”

She thought about it some, between bites of food.
“Well, I don’t know that there’s any truth to it, seeing that it’s
just my opinion, like. So I’ll tell ye what I know and what I
think, and hopefully it’ll be of help to you and yer sister.”

“It’s much appreciated.” Not wanting to be
interrupted once Lilly got started, Gabriel waved them over a
couple more pints.

“Ye see, the way I see it, Niles didn’t seem the
type to be SS. Not to me at any rate. And well, ye knew ‘im too, so
ye’ll understand what I’m telling ye. He was a terribly kind and
gentle man, so I canna think him the type for thieving. But the man
had secrets, no doubt, and I can only think the people wanting yer
sister’s formula had found something out he’d rather have kept
private.”

Gabriel felt his stomach sink, his appetite gone.
“And you think it’s the SS that were using him to get the
formula?”

“I don’t know, love, but I canna imagine him working
for the SS otherwise. I dinna think it was for the money. He seemed
to have enough of his own, and didn’t throw his money away on
anything else like gambling or whoring, though he had mentioned
being the second son would mean most of his family’s monies would
be going to his older brother.”

Lilly took a long sip of her drink, then leaned
forward as if to tell him a secret. Gabriel’s heart pounded with a
combination of anticipation and fear. “See, Niles said he’d help me
an’ my sister out. Said he could do with my help and would set me
up with a monthly sum, in exchange for marrying him. Said I’d want
for nothing; just needed a wife, more for show than anything else.”
Lilly sighed and sat back in her seat with a frown. “Poor fella. It
woulda been nice, aye?”

“That it would have, though perhaps not all hope is
lost.” He managed a smile in her direction, his heart racing when
she smiled back. He could see how getting married would have its
advantages, and Lilly was a beautiful girl, kind and
understanding.

“No. Perhaps all hope is not lost.” She put her hand
on his arm, blushing with the gesture. “Thank ye kindly for the
drink and food. I must say, ‘tis nice to be out and about again. I
don’t know how much more I’d be able to handle, being cooped up
like that. I love my sister and all, but that room starts feeling
far too small after a day or two.”

“I imagine it would.” He took a long sip from his
glass, the cold and bitter ale quenching his dry throat. “Have you
gotten a good look at who’s been following you?”

“I think it’s been the same person each time, but I
canna be sure. Even then I haven’t ever gotten a very good look at
him.” Lilly took another bite, cleaning her plate. At least she was
enjoying what little time she’d get away from hiding.

“We know Niles was SS, and it appeared he had been
involved in infiltrating the Cause, but was there anything else,
Lilly?”

“I’ll tell ye, cause I don’t see that it matters
much now, with him in his grave. He’d started as SS and had tried
his best to get involved with the Cause, but truth of it is, he’d
seen the way it is for the poor of the city and did truly want to
help.”

Gabriel sat forward, waiting to hear what he now
suspected, as Lilly continued.

“I don’t know if he ever gave Moore and Clarke any
SS secrets that could be of use to them, but it wouldna surprise me
if he had.”

“You think he was working for both sides?”

“Aye, that I do.”

Chapter Thirty Seven

Phoebe ran into Seth’s arms, and held on for dear
life, feeling like she’d drown in a sea of panic. “Seth, you cannot
go!” Every horror story she’d ever heard regarding the conditions
of prisons raced through her mind to terrorize her.

“
A ghaoil
, I must. I’ll come back to you as
soon as I’m able.” He pressed his lips to hers, and then pulled
back to cup her face in his hands. “Promise me you’ll not go and
see Victor.”

“It might be our only chance—”

“
Promise me,
Phoebe!”

She struggled to get the words out, but they stuck
in her throat, and she could only nod in response, tears streaming
down her face. He kissed her again, taking the time to do a more
thorough job of it, and then pulled away.

Finding her voice, she pleaded with him. “Please,
Seth. Let me at least come with you. I’ll get dressed.”

He brushed away her tears, and kissed each cheek,
holding her to him one last time. “You cannot, my love. It’s best
if you stay here.” Seth looked over her shoulder to Gavin.

“Come now, lass.” She felt Gavin’s grip on her arms,
pulling her away from Seth as she struggled to keep her hold. She
could not—would not— let him go again.

“Seth, don’t go!” She cried out one last time before
Gavin was able to restrain her and Seth slipped out the door with a
final glance. Desperation took hold as she thought of the gallows,
now certain Seth would never come back to her.

Gavin held her as she wept, pounding futilely on his
chest as she tried to break free from his grasp. Her heart was in
pieces, her soul torn to shreds. Never had she felt so hollow, so
empty.

“Hush, love, hush.” Gavin sat down with her cradled
in his arms, trying to soothe her as she sobbed on his shoulder.
“He’ll come to no harm, I promise ye.”

She shook her head the tears still rushing down her
cheeks. “How can you say that? What if he ends up at Coldbath or
Newgate? He could be dead before this ever gets to trial.”

“He won’t. The inspector will see to it, and we’ll
get him the best solicitor available.” He brushed away her tears.
“Dinna fash yourself, love. We’ll have him back in no time,
aye?”