Her Majesty's Necromancer (The Ministry of Curiosities #2)(15)

"Of course not! I treat women like delicate flowers."

"Ripe for the pluckin'," Cook added with a chuckle.

Seth glared at him.

"Poor Lady H, being saddled with Andrew," I said. "Can she throw him out?"

"He can't afford to live elsewhere. Besides, I'd say Andrew is a small price to pay for what she gained through the marriage."

Lady Harcourt had been a common schoolmaster's daughter before she'd married Lord Harcourt. It was odd to think the beautiful, refined woman had begun life no better off than me. What different paths we'd taken. Mine had led me to the lowest rungs of society, while hers had raised her to the upper echelons. Yet I didn't envy her. Not anymore.

"I'm going to change," I told them. "I'll be back for soup."

I didn't get to my room, however. I knocked on Lincoln's door, and when he opened it, fixed him with a glare. He eyed me up and down, and I suddenly felt like a bedraggled rat that had crawled out of the sewers.

"Why didn't you tell me you learned where Jimmy and Pete lived?" I asked with more vehemence than I would have if I hadn't felt embarrassed by my appearance.

One of his severe black brows lifted. "How do you know the second man is named Pete?"

"Does that matter?"

"Yes."

"Perhaps Seth told me."

"He didn't know it."

I crossed my arms. "Gus?"

"He's not here." His eyes narrowed but that didn't stop me from receiving the full force of his icy glare. "You went to The Red Lion, didn't you?"

I swallowed. This wasn't how the conversation was meant to go. I wondered if it would be wise to try to run to the safety of my room or if I should battle it out. He would probably catch me before I reached the door, so I chose the latter. But I ought to have known better than try and win against Lincoln.





CHAPTER 4


"I did go to The Red Lion," I said, with as much defiance as I could muster in the face of his frostiness. "I was in the vicinity and thought I might be able to find out more information than you did. It seems you discovered more than you let on, however. I would have saved myself the bother if I'd known."

He grunted. "You're cold and wet. You should change before you catch a chill."

"I'm in more danger of catching a chill from your glare than I am from being wet."

His eyes narrowed. "I don't understand."

"Never mind. You're changing the subject. May I come in?"

"No."

I sighed. "The tavern keeper at The Red Lion told me you got into a fight with Jimmy and Pete, last night, over a game of dice. Did you follow them home after that?"

"I did. Questioning them proved futile. They refused to tell me what they were doing, why, or who they worked for."

"Are you sure they're working for someone?"

"They don't seem intelligent enough to know what to do with the bodies, so I think they are. Whoever it is must be paying them very well, because they told me nothing of use. That's why I followed them. Keeping watch will eventually give me the information I need to determine if their master is guilty of something supernatural or not."

"So why didn't you tell me this when you returned last night?"

"I didn't think I had to keep my maid informed of ministry business, since it doesn't concern her."

"Of course it does. If it concerns you—and Seth and Gus—then it concerns me. Besides, I want to help in any way I can."

"You have enough to do here, Charlie. There's no need for you to do more."

I wasn't sure whether I ought to be offended or pleased. Was he trying to protect me or shut me out? "Being your maid is all well and good, but I'd like to do more, on occasion. If Seth and Gus can, then why not me?"

He backed away, but I moved into the open doorway so he couldn't close the door. "You're not ready to do more, Charlie."

"I disagree," I said tightly. "I am ready. I can defend myself, if necessary, and an extra set of eyes might be handy from time to time. Not to mention my necromancy would be useful."

"You wish to use it," he said flatly. "In public view."

"In private, and only when other avenues are closed to us."

He seemed to consider this for a moment, then he said, "I thought you didn't like your power."

"It's not something I wish to advertise, but I've had time to accept it now. I'm not as horrified at myself as I used to be. My father—Anselm Holloway—made me feel little better than a creature from the marshes, but you…you and the others here at Lichfield helped me to see that I'm not something to be abhorred."

"You are certainly not that," he said quietly.

"Then you will let me help?"

"Unlikely."

"Lincoln!"

"That's enough, Charlie," he growled. "Go and change out of your wet clothes. I'll see you later for training."

"Very well, but I would like to point out that it's unfair that you are allowed to be involved in my affairs and I can't be involved in yours."