Rebel Magisters (Rebel Mechanics #2)(81)

Tears stinging my eyes, I nodded.

“I’ll try to send word to you through the Mechanics,” he continued.

“Maybe we’ll even be able to arrange a meeting,” I said, my voice rough with the tears that threatened to spill at any second.

“Wait until things die down.”

“Of course,” I agreed.

“Well, then, I suppose this is good-bye for now. Thank you again.” He turned to board the ship, then turned back, dropped his bag, pulled me into his arms and kissed me. His mouth against mine was hungry, desperate, saying without words all those things that it was too late to say. When at last both of us needed to come up for air, he held me a bit longer, cradling my head against his shoulder. “I will see you again, Verity. Count on it,” he whispered.

I was so stunned I couldn’t speak or move as he picked up his bag and jumped on board. Flora joined me, hooking her arm through mine and leaning against me while we watched the crew release the mooring lines. Henry leaned over the side of the gondola, waving to us, as the ship lifted off the ground and sailed away. When it was out of sight, the carriage driver called out, “Come on, ladies, we need to get you back into the city.”

Henry was safe, but our night wasn’t over yet. We climbed into the carriage, and it started off down the bumpy country road. Soon after we turned onto the main road, we stopped. I heard a harsh voice asking, “What are you doing out here?”

“Coming back from a hunting trip,” was the reply.

“We need to check inside.”

“Be my guest.”

Flora was still in her boy’s clothes, and I was wearing the oversized coat and hat, but I didn’t think either of us would pass as boys under close inspection. However, I didn’t know if they cared about anything odd, so long as they didn’t find their fugitive. The carriage door opened, and a uniformed man held a lantern up as he peered inside. Apparently satisfied that we weren’t harboring an escaped prisoner, he shut the door, and soon the carriage resumed its journey.

We weren’t stopped again on our way back into the city. I had the driver drop Flora and me off at the northernmost subway station, as that seemed the safest way to get around while the police and soldiers were on high alert. “What is this place?” she asked, gazing around the station with awe.

“It’s a small railroad that runs underground. There’s a station near the house.”

“We can’t go back there.”

“What do you mean?”

“I got an emergency message in the night from you that your sick friend was dying, and I went out to sit with you. At least, that’s what the staff knows. If the authorities are searching for Henry, they’ll wonder where we’ve been, so we should be seen leaving wherever your friend is and coming home from there.”

That made sense, so I had the subway operator take us all the way down to the station nearest the boardinghouse. While we were still in the station, I took off the overcoat I was still wearing and had Flora put it on over her boy’s clothes. Underneath, I still had on my working attire. Flora carried a bag she’d brought with her from the carriage that I presumed contained her usual clothes.

Once we emerged on the street, we trudged as though coming home from a long night of work, making our way to the boardinghouse. Lizzie opened the door for us. “I assume he made it,” she said.

“Yes, he’s away,” I replied. “But I’m afraid my sick friend didn’t make it. Lady Flora was kind enough to come sit with me through the night and comfort me in my friend’s passing.”

Lizzie raised an eyebrow at that. “Then it sounds like we’ll be having a funeral this week.”

Flora raised her bag. “Is there somewhere I can change?”

Lizzie sent her to the bathroom while we went to Lizzie’s room. I peeled off my working clothes. While I adjusted my dress and tidied my hair, Lizzie gestured down the hall where Flora had gone. “So, that’s the girl my brother’s been swooning over.”

“You met her in the park.”

“Only briefly. This seems to be an entirely different side of her.”

“One I only just discovered, myself.”

Flora joined us, looking more like her normal self. She paused, staring at me. “Well, you do look like you’ve had a sleepless night,” she said with a satisfied nod. “And your eyes are even red and puffy. I think you’ll be very convincing.”

I put on my coat and hat, feeling myself transform back into a governess as I did so. As we stepped out the front door, Flora hooked her arm through mine and whispered, “Lean on me.”

The events of the night were catching up with me, and the relief of having made it through made me weak, so I didn’t have to act like I needed to lean on her. I was grateful for her support as we made it to a busy street where she could hail a cab.

The city was waking up as we journeyed uptown, and the morning traffic made our journey slower. I wasn’t at all surprised when we reached the Lyndon mansion and saw a police carriage parked in front. Henry would have had to be stupid or crazy to go home after escaping, but I supposed the authorities had to look there.

At least, I hoped they were only looking for him. Might they be looking for me? I must have tensed because Flora said, “Relax, Miss Newton, and leave the talking to me.” We waited for Mr. Chastain to come out and pay the driver and open the cab door for us. Flora lent me her arm again as we made it up the front steps.