“I’d read that,” Seb said. “Go on.” Minerva’s expression was blank, and Seb resisted the urge to reach over and hold her hand.
“Well, I studied the black particles.” Wink fairly quivered with excitement at the discovery, and Liam gazed at her with so much pride and love it nearly hurt to witness. “Each one seems to be completely encased in some sort of tiny jellyfish-like bacterium. The organism itself is dead, and I haven’t yet been able to separate one from around the carbon particle in the center. From what I’ve seen so far, it’s as if the bacteria took particles of soot out of your daughter’s body and actually pulled them out through the sweat glands in her skin. I’m going to bring in a physician to help me with the research.”
“Use Dr. Grant, next door.” Seb pointed over his shoulder toward the doctor’s house. “He’s been treating Ivy and he’s familiar with things that are...out of the ordinary.”
“True. He’s done some work with my father,” Wink agreed. “If I’m correct, this is a man-made bacterium. Which makes it definitely of interest to the police and...other organizations.”
“Of course.” Seb knew the Order of the Round Table would be more than a little interested. In charge of policing paranormal and advanced scientific criminals in the Empire, the Order liked to always know about anything going on. Seb had planned to call his cousin but would be just as glad for Liam to inform his father-in-law instead. Merrick Hadrian was far more pleasant to deal with than Sir Algernon Brown. Seb’s cousin had always resented the fact that Seb’s father had been a Knight. In Algernon’s world, there could only be one Knight to a family. Even Seb’s gifts, minor though they were, irritated his younger cousin.
“Minnie, would it be possible for you to introduce me to Ivy? I hate to wake her up, but it would really help me understand what’s going on. It’s quite possible that if someone engineered this disease, he’s also the one who tried to kidnap your daughter.” Wink gave Minerva a winning smile. “I’ve eight younger brothers and sisters, so I assure you, I’m quite competent with small children.”
“Eight?” Seb started counting Hadrians on his fingers. “Did your mother just have another?”
Wink chuckled. “No. I’m counting Tommy. He’s a few months younger and I never let him forget it.” She turned to Minerva. “He’s actually my foster brother, which is why Seb was confused. Most people think he’s older too, but he’s not. So my younger siblings range from Tommy at twenty-four down to one-year-old Vivienne. I won’t do anything to frighten your daughter.”
“Nine children? Your parents must be brave. Being responsible for one terrifies me half the time.” Minerva stood. “Gentlemen, if you’ll excuse us?”
* * *
This tall, confident woman with the glorious copper hair was only twenty-four? And married to a superintendent of police who’d already been knighted? Minnie felt even more like a drab little mouse as she led Wink up the stairs. No, make that a drab little middle-aged mouse. She was a full decade older than Wink. She was probably also older than Liam. Based on the few strands of silver at his temples, at least Sebastian didn’t make her feel ancient.
Wink caught Minnie’s eye and smiled. “Know that Seb and all of us will do everything we can—and we can do quite a bit.” Her features hardened for just a moment, and Minnie saw something she’d missed before—this woman had seen something of the darkness in the world and she’d worked to come out on top.
When Minnie eased open the door, Ivy was sitting up in bed, quietly playing with her new paper dolls. “Well, I see we don’t need to worry about waking you. Ivy, this is Lady McCullough, a friend of Mr. Brown’s. She wanted to meet you.”
“Hullo, Ivy. I hear you’re feeling much better today.” Wink stepped up to the bed. Her tone was kind, but not at all condescending like most adults addressing a young child. “Do you mind telling me a little bit about being sick?”
Ivy looked up to Minnie, who nodded. “I didn’t like it. It hurt. I felt hot and then cold and wet and icky all the time.”
“Icky?” Wink grinned. “I’ll bet. I hate being sick too. But what was icky?”
“The black stuff. All over me.” Ivy shuddered. “Even in my piddle.”
Wink arched a brow at Minnie, who nodded. “In her urine.”
“Is the black stuff gone now?”
Ivy nodded. “From my skin. I still piddle gray.” She looked up at Minnie. “I don’t like being sick, Mama. Don’t want to anymore.”
“Me either, poppet.” Minnie turned to Wink. “She’d never been ill before a day in her life. It was as if she had a lucky charm or something.”
“Hmmm.” Wink sat down beside Ivy on the bed. “Ivy, can I take a look at your ears?”
Ivy shrugged, so Minnie brushed back a loose strand of hair. “The boys at school say they’re pointy, but they’re just being mean.”
“Well, they do almost come to a point, don’t they?” Wink tweaked one of the almost-points. “I think they’re very nice.”
“You do?” Ivy looked wide-eyed. “Are you a real Lady?”
Wink laughed. “Sort of. My husband is a knight, so I get to be called Lady. But you want to know a secret?”
Ivy nodded.
“I’m not a very good one.” The redhead winked at Ivy. “Most of the time I’m not all dressed up. I like to build things and sometimes I even wear trousers.”
Ivy’s jaw dropped into a wide O.
“Now your mama and I are going back downstairs. Maybe I’ll see you again, all right?”
“All right.”
“Go to sleep, poppet.” Minnie kissed Ivy on the head. “You still need to get plenty of rest to finish getting better.” She turned Ivy’s gas lamp down to a muted glow and collected the dolls from the bed before following Wink down the stairs.
“She’s adorable,” Wink said. “We shall have to introduce her to Will and Rose. She’s right between them in age.”
“That would be lovely,” Minnie said. It would never happen. Imagine the child of an East End seamstress playing with those of a titled lady. Poor Ivy wouldn’t even have anything appropriate to wear.
They rejoined the men and Wink immediately went to her husband. “I think Ivy needs to meet Mum and Papa.”
Minnie gaped. Even Sebastian lifted his eyebrows.
Liam said, “Oh?”
Wink nodded. “It’s something Minnie said. Ivy’s never been ill before. And of all the children with this artificial disease, she’s the only survivor. Plus, she has pointed ears. I think she’s like Mum.”
Sebastian frowned and then shrugged. “It’s possible. I’m not good at that sort of detection, not like Merrick would be, but I can see the logic. It does seem like there’s...something about her.”
“What on earth are you all talking about?” Minnie crossed her arms and glared at Sebastian. “Explain, if you please.”
“We’ll take our leave now.” Liam caught his wife by the arm.
Wink started to follow him, but just as she reached the door, she turned back to Minnie and beamed. “Why don’t the three of you come over for dinner tomorrow? Mum and Papa are in town with the children, so if Ivy’s feeling well, she can play with them.”
“We’ll be there, if Ivy’s up to it.” Sebastian spoke before Minnie could form a polite refusal. “I’d like to see Merrick and Caroline again.” He turned to Minnie. “Wink’s parents are Lord and Lady Northland. I think you’ll enjoy them.”
The McCulloughs departed. Minnie waited until after the door closed to whirl on Sebastian. She’d had all of his high-handedness she could stand. “How dare you? I can’t go to a dinner party—even a children’s party—at the home of a knight of the realm. Let alone meet a lord and a lady. This is my very best dress.” She gestured down at her plain navy woolen gown with white collar and cuffs. “What on earth do you think I could wear? And what about Ivy? Do you want the children to laugh at the poor urchin in their midst? She barely has shoes, she’s been growing so fast.”
Sebastian, a patient smile on his face, held up a hand. “Believe me, the Hadrians aren’t your typical nobles. Caroline was the governess before she married. Wink and the other older children were street urchins they adopted. They understand poverty, far more, I think, than even you do. For all your troubles, you’ve never been homeless, have you?”
“Only for a little while, when I first came to London. And now.” Still. Minnie shook her head. Winifred McCullough a street urchin? It was almost beyond belief, and yet there’d been something in her eyes—Minnie recognized a fellow survivor when she saw one. “All right. We’ll go. Just know how miserable I’m going to be.”
“Actually, I have an idea. Come with me.” He caught her hand and pulled her toward the stairs.
“I’m getting a little tired of being ordered about.” Minnie resisted his tug.
“Fine. Do what you want.” He threw up his hands. “But I’ve something you might like to see. Will you please come with me?”
“Very well.” She allowed him to take her arm and lead her up the stairs.
Minnie blinked when they bypassed the second-floor bedrooms and the third floor with the nursery and two smaller chambers. At the very top of the house was an attic, stuffed with dust-covered furniture and stacks of trunks. Here were the paintings and knickknacks she’d have expected in such a house. All of them were ornate and feminine, which she could see wouldn’t be to Sebastian’s taste.
“Over here.” He moved to a wardrobe trunk stacked with two others that matched. “When my mother moved to Italy, she bought a whole new wardrobe and left her old things here. They’re about two years out of date, but you’re a dressmaker. You can do something to fix that.”
“You want me to make over your mother’s clothing?” Minnie watched as he opened the first trunk to reveal a riot of colors of silk, velvet and satin. Her fingers itched to touch the fine fabrics. That was the part of her work she loved—taking luxurious material and turning into a gown meant to showcase a woman’s individual beauty.
“Well, not all of them, of course. But one for tomorrow. Perhaps a few others, just so you have what you need. Mother won’t ever wear them again. I just hadn’t gotten around to giving them to charity.”
Minnie narrowed her eyes and glared up at him. “I am not charity.” She poked him in the chest with one index finger. Although she was, really, wasn’t she? Staying here like this with no payment was exactly that. After all, a woman had her pride.
“Did I say you were?” Sebastian ran his hand through his hair. “I just thought this would be faster than ordering something new. If you don’t care for any of it, there are two more trunks.”
He didn’t have the faintest notion of what was bothering her. Minnie wasn’t sure if she wanted to smack him on the head or kiss him. It occurred to her that he might not be as autocratic as he appeared. It might just be that he wasn’t any good at communication. Instead of treating her like a beggar, once again, he simply offered what he saw as a practical solution. A little bit of Minnie’s resistance to him melted away.
She turned to the trunk and pulled out the least vibrant color she saw—a brown and terra-cotta tweed dress designed for walking out of doors, probably in the country. It was too long, and big in the bust, but the waist was about right. Sebastian’s mother was tall and slender.
“Not that one.” Sebastian wrinkled his nose and plucked a different gown from the rack. “How about this?” He held up a vivid cornflower-blue gown, suitable for an informal dinner. With a wide skirt and moderate neckline with puffed sleeves, it would be fairly simple to alter. At least it wasn’t full of ruffles or ruching.
“I don’t have hoops,” was the first thing that came out of her mouth.
Sebastian rolled his eyes. “We’ll check the other trunk. When Mother gets a new wardrobe, she doesn’t stop with her outer garments. There will be nightgowns, stockings, shoes, you name it. Help yourself. Maybe you can find something to turn into a dress for Ivy. A pelisse or some such thing with lots of fabric.”
Minnie just nodded. There was no point arguing when he was right. She could easily turn the green evening cloak hanging in front of her into a simple smocked dress. She selected that, then plucked a selection of undergarments from the next trunk. Those would require alteration too, but would go more quickly as appearance wouldn’t matter. “In one day,” she muttered. “I’d better get to work.”
He held out his arms and accepted the garments she’d picked out. “Mrs. Claypoole will have thread and such. I think she even has a mechanical sewing engine, if you’ve ever used one of those.”
“I have. That will make things go more quickly.”
Minnie followed him back down the stairs. He entered the third bedroom, between his and the one she shared with Ivy. “You can sew in in here. I’ll bring up the machine. Don’t stay up all night.” He dropped the clothes on the bed and turned to leave.
“Wait.” Minnie reached out and caught his arm. “What did Wink—Lady McCullough—mean when she said she thought Ivy was like her mother? What did that have to do with Ivy having never been ill?”
Sebastian sighed. “That’s a very, very long story. I’d rather sit down for it, if you don’t mind. Will you join me in my study?” They made their way back downstairs. Once in his study, Sebastian poured himself a brandy, then offered a second glass to Minnie. She nodded. Whatever he was about to tell her, it seemed as if she’d need some fortification. She took a seat at one of two leather club chairs on either side of the hearth. He handed her a glass before taking his own seat.
He swirled the amber liquid around in his snifter. “I told you Wink grew up on the street and that she was adopted. She wasn’t small—fifteen or sixteen, I believe. Her adoptive mother is actually younger than I am. Perhaps about your age.”
“I’m thirty-four,” she answered absently, though she didn’t see the connection. “I was the ‘mum’ of our little crowd. Jane and Cathleen were both in their twenties.”
“Well, one of the reasons Merrick Hadrian, Lord Northland, found these children is that some of them have special abilities. You know, of course, that vampyres exist.”
Minnie sipped the brandy, feeling it burn as she swallowed. “Like everyone. I’m just lucky none were hunting last night.”
“Quite.” He frowned. “But that’s another discussion. Merrick belongs to a group that is tasked with hunting supernatural predators. In recent years, due to an increase in technology and the supernatural overlapping one another, their mandate has been broadened to include those using advanced science to cause harm. It’s a hereditary organization, and there are some special gifts that go along with the position. He has a knack for knowing when someone near him is also out of the ordinary.”
“Go on.” Minnie gripped the arm of her chair with the hand not holding the glass.
“He was hunting one night when he came across a group of children who also fought against the undead. They helped him, and he offered them a home. Part of the reason was that the oldest boy shared the same abilities as Merrick. Merrick did some research and discovered he was that lost son of a fellow Knight. Now Tom is a member of the organization in his own right.”
“That’s Wink’s foster brother. The one you forgot to count.” Minnie risked a little smile.
“Correct. Several of the other children had gifts as well. Wink’s talent for mechanics is nearly inhuman. A sister sees ghosts. One of the boys has visions of the future. The only one with no supernatural ability is possibly the most brilliant student Oxford has ever seen. He’s reading law at the moment.”
“That’s fascinating,” Minnie said. “But tell me more about the mother.”
“Merrick hired Caroline as governess, to help civilize the five street children.” Sebastian set down his empty glass. “They fell in love, married and adopted all but Tom. Since then, they’ve had four of their own. Those four children, like their mother, seem to have a natural immunity to most diseases—not all but most.”
&n
bsp; “How?” Minnie took another miniscule sip.
“Merrick believes that Caroline is part Fae, or Sidhe, or Fairy if you will. She also has slightly pointed ears, a feature I’ve noticed on Ivy, although not quite to the same degree.” He held her gaze intently, as if daring her to disbelieve his lunatic tale.
Minnie wanted to laugh off everything he’d said—and yet, she couldn’t. Something about his face insisted he was speaking in perfect honesty and from a place of absolute certainty. “You have personal knowledge of this organization, don’t you? Are you a part of it?”
“No.” He tapped his fingers on his chair. “But my father was. I grew up hoping, but I never quite developed the powers required. A cousin of mine is currently a member, and of course Liam and I work with them as police liaisons.”
“And Wink? Are women in this group as well?”
He shook his head. “Not yet, although I see that changing soon. There are women who work for the Order. Wink’s role is providing technology, hoping to keep the side of good ahead of the evil.”
“Order?” Minnie remembered Wink mentioning that word too.
Now Sebastian grimaced. “The Order of the Round Table. You may have heard of it.”
An incredulous laugh burst from Minnie’s throat. “You’re bamming me.”
Sebastian sighed. “No. It’s real. Most of the members are descendants of Arthur’s original circle. A few families have been added over the years.”
“And you?” She couldn’t help teasing him. “Which noble Knight are you and your cousin descended from?”
He mimed a bow. “Sir Brunor le Noir, of course. We were bound to have ended up either Brown or Black, don’t you think? Not the most elegant of the Knights, perhaps, but there you go.”
Minnie rubbed the back of her neck with a hand. “Do you really think Ivy is part...something?”
Sebastian shrugged. “It’s a real possibility. I told you I don’t have much in the way of power, but there are a few things I can sense. Lying for one. It’s useful for a soldier or policeman. And I can usually tell when someone has supernatural blood. I truly think Ivy does.”
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