The Apothecary's Poison (Glass and Steele #3)(11)

"True," Duke said. "But you got to watch out for the thorns."

Duke and Cyclops laughed. Willie gestured rudely with her fingers.

"I'm retiring until luncheon," Matt announced. "India, do you have a moment?"

I walked with him up the stairs, curious as to why he needed to speak to me alone. "If this is about Hope, it's all right, Matt. I've been called worse than a lapdog."

"To be fair, she didn't call you a lapdog. She merely inferred it. And I tend to believe her when she said it wasn't intentional."

My step slowed, and he matched his pace to mine. "You like her," I said flatly.

He cocked his head to the side. "I'm not sure what you mean."

"She's pretty and clever, so it's understandable." She was young, too. The perfect age to catch a man's eye.

We stopped outside the door to his rooms and he turned to face me. "India, you've got it all wrong. I have no intention of marrying her."

"That's not what I said or meant. I know you won't marry until you're cured, but that doesn't mean you can't like her." I folded my arms to chase away the sudden chill. "I'm sorry, I've overstepped. It's none of my affair." I turned to go but he caught my arm, only to suddenly let it go again.

He folded his arms and tucked his hands away. "You're right," he said quietly. "I do like her. She doesn't enjoy the situation we've been thrust into any more than I do, yet she deflects the awkwardness with humor. But liking her company for an hour or two a week doesn't mean I want to spend my life with her. Can you not see the difference?"

"I suppose." I shook my head, wanting to shake off the conversation altogether. Hope may be able to deflect awkwardness with humor, but I couldn't. "Is that what you wanted to discuss with me?"

He laughed softly. "Hardly." He sobered and cleared his throat. "I want to apologize again for what happened in the carriage."

"You don't have to."

"I do. It's not like me to take advantage of a woman alone. I feel terrible."

"You look terrible, but that's the tiredness. Go and rest and think nothing more about what happened. Indeed, nothing happened. Besides, I'd already forgotten it." I didn't wait to see or hear his reaction. I turned and walked away so he couldn't see that I'd lied. Because I hadn't forgotten it. How could I? He'd almost kissed me.



The following morning, Matt and I prepared to visit the office of The Weekly Gazette to speak to Oscar Barratt about magic and magicians. We did not get out of the house, however. As we put on gloves and hats in the entrance hall, a firm knock rapped on the door.

Bristow opened it to Commissioner Munro from Scotland Yard. Two police constables stood either side of him. It was not a social call, then.

"Commissioner," Matt said, eyeing the constables. "To what do we owe this visit?"

Munro's moustache dipped with the flattening of his lips. "I'm afraid I've come to arrest you for the murder of Dr. Hale."





Chapter 3





"Murder!" Matt bellowed.

"Arrest him!" I blurted out, moving in front of Matt. "No, you cannot! He hasn't murdered anyone."

"India," Matt said gently. "He said he has come to arrest me, not that he will." He arched his brows at the commissioner. "Isn't that why you've come in person, Munro?"

The commissioner hesitated then nodded once. "May we come in? We don't wish to alarm your neighbors."

"My neighbors are used to me being arrested," Matt said, standing aside.

Munro's already stern countenance darkened further. "That was a misunderstanding."

"Will you come into the drawing room?" I said, leading the way before Matt said something he regretted.

"What's going on?" Willie asked from the staircase. "What's he doing here? What's happened?"

"Dr. Hale is dead," Matt told her. "Munro wants to talk to us since we saw Hale yesterday."

"Lucky you did or—" Willie sucked in her top lip then released it with a pop. "Never mind."

"Perhaps keep Miss Glass away until the commissioner has left," I told her. She nodded and hurried back up the stairs.

Munro ordered his constables to remain outside the drawing room, and Matt shut the door on them. I was itching to find out more about Dr. Hale, but politeness and concern dictated that I ask how the commissioner was coping with his son's death. It had only been two weeks since discovering his illegitimate son had been murdered by a fellow mapmaker's apprentice.

"I am well," was all he said.

"And the boy's mother?"

"I haven't seen her since the funeral." When neither I nor Matt filled the ensuing silence, he added, "She won't get over Daniel's death. I have my work, but she has nothing."

And no one, I might have added, but I did not. Munro was still married to his wife, although whether she knew about Daniel, I didn't know.

"To the matter at hand," Munro said with military abruptness. "The detective inspector in charge of the case wanted to have you arrested. I told him I would speak to you first. I owe you that, Glass, considering…our history."