Her Majesty's Necromancer (The Ministry of Curiosities #2)(76)

She straightened her shoulders and her chin rose. I'd begun to feel sorry for her, so I was pleased to see her strength of character return. I did not want to sympathize with Lady Harcourt. "I came to see Charlie too. She's had quite an ordeal, and I want to see if she needs anything. Is she in her rooms?"

I shook my head at him, but he didn't lift his eyes and couldn't have seen. Even so, he told her I was not up to receiving callers. "As you said, she's had an ordeal. She needs rest."

"Very well. Tell her I'm thinking of her."

"I will."

She brushed past him and he shut the door before her carriage rolled away. He came over to me in the library doorway. "Apparently Lady Harcourt is thinking of you."

"You didn't tell her that you know she blackmailed me into summoning Gurry?"

He shook his head. "I can if you like."

"No. There's no need. I don't want things to be even more awkward between her and me."

"She's not your enemy, Charlie. She's…unhappy."

"I know. I don't think of her as an enemy, but I'm not sure we can be friends." I laughed at my own ridiculous statement. I was a maid and she a lady. There was no chance of friendship between us anyway. "Do you think there's any cause to worry about her stepson?"

"Possibly. I'll have to investigate now, anyway. She'll present it to the ministry in such a way that they'll feel compelled to find out where he went."

"It's not like we have anything better to do."

"We?"

I smiled. "Yes, we. Now, do you think luncheon will be far away? I'm starving."

***

We resumed training after lunch. All of us. Seth arranged a series of firearms on the kitchen table and he and Lincoln went through the particulars of each one while Cook and Gus set up targets outside and a chair for me to sit in. I'd only fired off three bullets, missing all of the tins each time, when a man approached from the side of the house. He wore checked trousers and a brown coat over a black waistcoat. He was a middle aged fellow with brown hair and a graying beard. A uniformed policeman trailed after him.

"Is one of you gentlemen Mr. Lincoln Fitzroy?" the man asked.

Lincoln stepped forward. "I am."

The newcomer introduced himself as Detective Inspector Darby. He didn't introduce his spotty faced constable. "Is this Miss Holloway?"

"Yes," I said with a smile. "You have some questions for me about the abduction?"

"I do, miss, but first, I must inform you that the fellow known as Captain Jasper is dead."

I gasped. Oh God. Had I killed him? "How…?"

"Throat was cut while he was in the cell."

Not me, thank God. Still, what an awful outcome.

"Blimey," Gus muttered. "A cove ain't safe anywhere these days."

"Sometimes those holding cells can get quite full," I said. "And when you put a group of criminals together…" I knew from experience how violent the holding cells could get.

"He was alone, miss," the inspector said.

"Then who killed him?"

"We don't know. It happened in the night. Whoever did it got in and out without anyone seeing him." The inspector shook his head. "It's a mystery."

Seth shifted his weight and I glanced up at him. But he wasn't looking at me. He was staring at Lincoln. Lincoln, however, wasn't looking at anyone. His gaze was fixed on a point on the horizon. His expression was unreadable, his body still.

"What of the two men who worked for him?" I asked. "Did you catch them?"

The inspector shook his head. "They disappeared. I had men stationed at places they frequented, but there'd been no sign of them until this morning. They turned up dead in the river."

"Both of them?" At his nod, I swallowed heavily. "Were their throats cut too?"

"They were. We have no reason to think their deaths are linked to your abduction, miss, but if you have any information that can help us, we'd be most grateful."

I shook my head. "No, nothing. I'm sorry."

"Mind if I ask you some questions about that night?"

"Of course."

They stayed for a mere fifteen minutes then went on their way. The inspector's questions were exactly the ones I expected; he didn't seem to think the deaths of Jasper, Jimmy and Pete had anything to do with us.

He was the only one who thought that.

Lincoln remained at my side while the inspector was there, but left to see him off and didn't return. I continued my target practice, but only for a few more minutes. It had been a lark before, but a dark cloud had descended over our little group and changed the mood.

I got up, and Gus offered to help me inside but I wanted to do it myself. Going up the staircase wasn't easy, and I dispensed with the crutches and hobbled the rest of the way to Lincoln's rooms. I knocked. He opened the door and didn't look at all surprised to see me there.

"You should use the crutches."

"May I come in?"

He hesitated and, if I wasn't mistaken, he was biting on the inside of his lip.

"Lincoln?" If he'd noticed that I'd dispensed with calling him Mr. Fitzroy lately, he didn't point it out.