by C. J. Archer
A vein in his throat throbbed above his collar. "You won't need to protect yourself," he said quietly. "That's for me to do—if you agree to live here."
"I don't want to rely on you, or anyone else. What if you're not home and there is an attack? It happened with Holloway. Or what if you die and I find myself alone in the world again? In your line of work, all manner of unfortunate things could befall you."
His eyebrow quirked. "You think me incapable of protecting you?"
"I think you're human." I closed the gap between us and clasped his arms. He jerked at my touch, perhaps taken by surprise, but I didn't let go. "Please, Lincoln. Please teach me. You can have Seth and Gus oversee my training."
"No," he growled. "I'll do it."
I squeezed his arms. His muscles tensed. "Is that an agreement?"
He nodded then moved away. "Maids don't address their masters by their first names," he tossed over his shoulder. "You will address me as Mr. Fitzroy or sir only."
I saluted the back of his head. "Is that another rule?"
"Yes."
"So no fraternizing, and no first names. Anything else?"
"I'll let you know as I make them up." His voice sounded amused, as if he were laughing at me, but when he turned to face me, he wasn't smiling. I wasn't sure why I expected him to be. I'd not yet seen him smile, and I wasn't sure what it would take to produce one.
"Good. Then I'll start tomorrow. Sir." I gave him a little curtsy that almost unbalanced me.
"You'll do your chores in the mornings, and in the afternoons I will train you. Is that clear?"
"Yes." I beamed. I couldn't help it. This was what I wanted. Being able to fight off an attack was the ultimate form of liberation. I might be about to enter servitude, but I felt freer than I had in years. "Oh, I'll have to take some time off to visit the police. Or perhaps you can do it." I bit my lip and cringed. Speaking to the police went against every grain of my being. What if they recognized me as Fleet-foot Charlie the thief?
"Is this to do with Holloway's attack?"
I shook my head. "I went to the cemetery this afternoon and saw some grave robbers stealing a body."
He stalked across the room to me. "Was the grave fresh?"
"Only a day or two old."
His lips flattened. "This may not be a matter for the police."
"You're just going to let them get away with it? What if they come back?"
"I'm going to investigate myself. There are two motives for removing a body. The first is medical, to provide doctors with cadavers to use in their research. That's harmless."
"I'm sure the body's spirit would disagree, and the family members."
"The second is supernatural."
I gasped. "To create super humans like Frankenstein wanted to do?"
"Among other reasons."
I pulled a face. "I wish I'd followed them now and seen where they'd gone."
"You did the right thing. Following them would have been dangerous."
"All the more reason to begin my training immediately. Tomorrow afternoon," I said as I headed to the door. "Do not forget. You promised."
The frown he gave me as I shut the door was one that I had no trouble deciphering—resignation. It was the closest thing to an expression he'd ever shown. It would seem he didn't always wear the mask after all. That glimpse into his thoughts made me more determined than ever to see him shed the mask again, perhaps altogether.
Now that I was living at Lichfield, I could plan how to draw out more of his expressions and the emotions that underpinned them. It was fortunate that I had nothing else to do, and nowhere else to go, because I had a feeling it would take some time.
THE END
A NOTE ON TIMELINES
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus was first published in 1818, over 70 years before the events in THE LAST NECROMANCER take place. Since I haven't written Victor Frankenstein as a 90 year-old, this discrepancy may bother some readers. I hope most of you will forgive my use of artistic license in bringing him into 1889, and enjoy the story anyway.
Pre-order now:
Her Majesty's Necromancer
The 2nd book in the Ministry Of Curiosities series by C.J. Archer.
Somebody is stealing bodies from the cemetery, and it's up to Lincoln and Charlie to find out who and why. But when their investigation leads them into the bowels of Victorian London, Lincoln's protective nature brings him into conflict with the independent Charlie.
Pre-order HER MAJESTY'S NECROMANCER now. It will be released on August 24th 2015. To be notified of its release, sign up to C.J.'s newsletter via her website: http://cjarcher.com/contact-cj/newsletter/
A MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR
I hope you enjoyed reading THE LAST NECROMANCER as much as I enjoyed writing it. As an independent author, getting the word out about my book is vital to its success, so if you liked this book please consider telling your friends and writing a review at the store where you purchased it. If you would like to be contacted when I release a new book, subscribe to my newsletter at http://cjarcher.com/contact-cj/newsletter/. You will only be contacted when I have a new book out.
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I wrote a short story featuring Lincoln Fitzroy that is set before THE LAST NECROMANCER. Titled STRANGE HORIZONS, it reveals how he learned where to look for Charlie during a visit to Paris. While the story can be read as a standalone, it contains spoilers from The 1st Freak House Trilogy, so I advise you to read that series first. The best part is, the short story is FREE, but only to my newsletter subscribers. So subscribe now via my website if you haven't already.
BOOKS BY C.J. ARCHER
The Medium (Emily Chambers Spirit Medium #1)
Possession (Emily Chambers Spirit Medium #2)
Evermore (Emily Chambers Spirit Medium #3)
The Wrong Girl (1st Freak House #1)
Playing With Fire (1st Freak House #2)
Heart Burn (1st Freak House #3)
The Memory Keeper (2nd Freak House #1)
Seared With Scars (2nd Freak House #2)
Edge Of Darkness (2nd Freak House #3)
Ghost Girl (3rd Freak House #1)
Banished (3rd Freak House #2)
My Soul To Take (3rd Freak House #3)
The Charmer (Assassins Guild #1)
The Rebel (Assassins Guild #2)
The Saint (Assassins Guild #3)
The Sinner (Assassins Guild #4)
Her Secret Desire (Lord Hawkesbury's Players #1)
Scandal's Mistress (Lord Hawkesbury's Players #2)
To Tempt The Devil (Lord Hawkesbury's Players #3)
Honor Bound (The Witchblade Chronicles Book #1)
Kiss Of Ash (The Witchblade Chronicles #2)
Courting His Countess
Surrender
Redemption
The Mercenary's Price
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
C.J. Archer has loved history and books for as long as she can remember. She worked as a librarian and technical writer until she was able to channel her twin loves by writing historical fiction. She has won and placed in numerous romance writing contests, including taking home RWAustralia’s Emerald Award in 2008 for the manuscript that would become her novel Honor Bound. Under the name Carolyn Scott, she has published contemporary romantic mysteries, including Finders Keepers Losers Die, and The Diamond Affair. After spending her childhood surrounded by the dramatic beauty of outback Queensland, she lives today in suburban Melbourne, Australia, with her husband and their two children.
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Website: http://cjarcher.com
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