too many new and intriguing wonders of
the natural world waiting to be explored.
Let us see what my aunt is up to this
evening."
Rathbone watched a footman open the
door of the library, his expression making
it clear he was prepared for virtually any
sight which might await.
But as it happened, there was nothing
at all to be seen immediately. The library
was in utter darkness. Even the fire on
the hearth had been extinguished. Victoria
stepped cautiously inside, trying in vain to
peer through the deep gloom. From the
depths of the room she heard the sound
of a handle being cranked.
Aunt Cleo?"
The response was a brilliant arc of
dazzling white light. It blazed forth from
the center of the darkness, casting the
group of people gathered into a small
circle inside the room into stark relief
for one flaring instant. The small crowd
gasped in amazement.
A second later the giant spark vanished
and a resounding cheer went up.
Victoria smiled toward the open door
where Rathbone and the footman stood.
Nothing to worry about tonight," she
assured them. The members of the society
are merely playing with Lord Potbury's
new electricity machine."
Vastly reassuring. Miss Huntington."
Rathbone answered dryly.
Oh, Vicky, dear, you're home," a voice
sang out of the gloom. Did you enjoy
yourself at the Athertons" rout? Do come
in. We're right in the middle of the most
fascinating series of demonstrations."
So it would seem. I regret I missed
some of them. You know how much I
enjoy electricity experiments."
Yes, I know, dear." The shaft of light
from the open door revealed Victoria's
aunt Cleo as she came forward to greet her
niece. Lady Nettleship was almost as tall
as Victoria. She was in her early fifties and
her tawny hair was elegantly streaked with
silver. She had lively eyes and the same
vivid, animated quality in her features
which had historically characterized the
women in Victoria's family.
That quality lent an impression of
beauty, even to a woman of Aunt Cleo's
years, where an objective eye could discover
little true perfection. Cleo was dressed in
the height of fashion, as always. Her gown
of ripe peach was styled to reveal her still
slender figure.
Rathbone, do close the door," Lady
Nettleship said briskly. The effect of
the machine is far more impressive in
darkness."
With pleasure, madam." Rathbone
nodded to the footman, who shut the
door in obvious relief, and the library was
once more plunged into thick darkness.
Come in, come in," Cleo said, taking
her niece's arm and guiding her through
the gloom to where the small group still
clustered around the electricity machine.
You know everyone, here, do you not?"
I believe so," Victoria said, relying on
her memory of the brief glimpse of faces
she'd had a moment earlier. A murmur
of greetings rumbled from the shadows.
Visitors to Lady Nettleship's house were
accustomed to such inconveniences as
being introduced in the middle of a
Stygian darkness.
Evening, Miss Huntington."
Your servant, Miss Huntington. Looking
lovely tonight. Quite lovely."
Pleasure, Miss Huntington. You're just
in time for the next experiment."
Victoria recognized these three masculine
voices at once. Lords Potbury, Grimshaw,
and Tottingham comprised her aunt's
faithful circle of admirers. They varied
in age from fifty in Lord Potbury's case
to Lord Tottingham's nearly seventy years.
Grimshaw, Victoria knew, was somewhere
in his early sixties.
The three had danced attendance on
her aunt for longer than Victoria could
remember. She did not know if they had
initially been as interested in scientific
explorations as their lady was, but over
the years they had certainly developed a
similar passion for experimentation and
collection.
Please, do carry on with your demonstrations,"
Victoria urged. I can only stay
for one or two and then I must be off to
bed. Lady Atherton's rout was really quite
exhausting."
Of course, of course," Cleo said, patting
her arm. Potbury, why don't you let
Grimshaw work the crank this time?"
Don't mind if I do," Potbury said. Bit
tiring, I must say. Here you go, Grimshaw.
Put some push into it."
Grimshaw muttered a response and a
moment later the sound of the hand crank
rumbled forth once more. Cloth rubbed
rapidly against a long glass cylinder until
a sizable charge built up. Everyone waited
expectantly, and in due course another
searing flash of light crackled and danced
in the shadows. Gasps of satisfaction and
delight again filled the room.
Heard there's been some efforts to
reanimate a couple of corpses with electricity,"
Potbury announced to the small group.
How fascinating," Cleo said, clearly
enchanted with the notion. What was
the outcome?"
Got a few twitches and such from the
arms and legs but nothing permanent.
Tried it myself with a frog. Easy enough
to get a few jerks out of the limbs but still
stone dead when all was said and done.
Don't think there'll be much gained from
that line of inquiry."
Where did the experimenters obtain the
corpses?" Victoria asked, unable to stifle
her morbid curiosity.
From the hangman's noose," Grimshaw
said. Where else? A respectable experimenter
can't exactly go about robbing
graves, y'know."
If the corpses were those of villains,
then it's just as well they stayed dead,
I suppose," Lady Nettleship stated. No
point spending all that time and energy
hanging thieves and cutthroats only to have
them spring up again good as new a day
or two later because someone wanted to
experiment with electricity."
No." Victoria felt a little queasy at the
thought of such a possibility. Such things
were disturbingly close to the contents
of her dreams lately. I quite agree with
you, Aunt Cleo. No point getting rid
of villains if one cannot count on them
staying dead."
Speaking of the difficulty of obtaining
corpses for experimentation, I must say
some people are certainly making a nice
livelihood robbing graves." The darkened
room did not conceal the shudder in Lady
Finch's words. I heard the resurrectionists
struck again the other night at a little
churchyard on the outskirts of town. Took
two bodies that had just been buried that
morning."
Well? What do you expect?" Potbury
asked in prosaic tones. Doctors at Edin
burgh and Glasgow Schools of Surgery
have got to have something to cut up.
Can't expect to train good surgeons
without something to practice on. The
resurrectionists may be illegal but they are
filling a need."
Excuse me," Victoria whispered to her
aunt as the conversation about the traffic in
dead bodies threatened to grab everyone's
attention. I believe I will go on to bed."
Sleep well, my dear." Cleo patted her
hand affectionately. Remind me in the
morning to show you the wonderful
collection of beetles Lady Woodbury
brought by. Found them all on her last
trip to Sussex. She's very kindly agreed to
let us study them for a few days."
I shall look forward to seeing them,"
Victoria said, not without genuine enthusiasm.
An interesting collection of insects was
almost as intriguing as a new exotic
plant from China or America. But now,
I really must be off to bed."
Good night, dear. Mustn't exhaust
yourself, you know. Perhaps you've been
going it a bit strong lately. Just as well
you're in before dawn for once."
Yes. Perhaps it is." Victoria let herself
out of the darkened library, blinking a
few times in the glare of the brightly lit
hall before she started up the red-carpeted
stairs. As she reached the landing, her
gathering sense of excitement was almost
overpowering.
You may go, Nan," she informed her
young maid as she entered her airy, yellow,
gold, and white bedroom.
But your lovely gown, ma'am. You'll
need help getting it off."
Victoria smiled in resignation, knowing
she would only create questions where
there were none if she refused assistance.
But she dismissed the abigail as soon as
possible and then turned back to the
depths of her wardrobe.
From beneath a pile of shawls she pulled
a pair of men's breeches and from under a
stack of blankets she removed some boots.
She found the jacket where she had stored
it inside her large, wooden chest and set
to work.
Within a short while Victoria was
standing in front of her dressing glass
examining her appearance with a critical
eye. She had been quietly gathering the
masculine clothing for weeks, and this was
the first time she had tried on the entire
outfit.
The breeches fit a bit too snugly, tending
to outline the flare of her hips and the
feminine shape of her calves, but there
was no help for it. With any luck the
tails of her dark blue coat and the night
itself would hide the most obvious hints of
femininity. At least her breasts, being rather
on the small side, were easily concealed
beneath the finely pleated shirt and yellow
waistcoat.
When Victoria set the beaver hat at
a rakish angle on her short hair, she
was pleased with the overall effect. She
was certain that, at least at night, she
could safely pass as a young dandy. After
all, people saw only what they expected
to see.
Anticipation welled up deep inside her
and she realized she wasn't as excited about
the fortheoming expedition to the fair as
she was anxious about seeing stone vale
again.
It was true, as Annabella had said,
stone vale must be a gentleman or Lady
Atherton and Bertie Lyndwood would not
count him among their acquaintances. But
a woman, especially an heiress, could
not depend upon any man's sense of
gentlemanly honor. She had learned that
lesson well from her stepfather. Still,
Victoria knew she would be safe enough
tonight so long as she stayed in control of
the situation.
She relaxed, allowing herself a small,
assured smile. She'd had a great deal
of experience controlling situations that
involved men.
Victoria crossed the deep blue carpet to
the yellow velvet armchair near the window
and settled in it. In a little while it would
be safe to leave the house.
Tonight there would be no time to
worry about the creeping restlessness that
frequently threatened her in the long, dark
hours of the night; no time to dwell on
that sense of something dangerous left
unfinished; no time to fret about bizarre
notions such as the possibility of bringing
the dead back to life with electricity.
Best of all, it was nearly midnight
already. With any luck she would be awake
most of the night, so there would be less
time for the nerve-shattering dreams that
increasingly invaded her nights as of late.
She had come to fear those nightmares. A
small shiver went through her even now as
she pushed the memory of the last one to
the farthest corner of her mind. She could
still see the knife in his hand.
No, there would be little opportunity for
those nightmares to strike tonight. With
any luck she would not be home before
dawn. She could deal with the daylight
hours. It was the darkness she had learned
to fear.
Victoria gazed out into the shadowed
garden and wondered what stone vale
would think when he saw her dressed
as a man.
The cheerful anticipation of his stunned
expression was enough to banish the small,
tattered remnant of horror that still hovered
at the edge of her mind.
Lucas leaned forward on the carriage
seat and scowled out into the shadows
of the dark street. He was not in a good
mood." I don't care for this nonsense. Why
are we not fetching Miss Huntington from
her front steps?"
I've told you," Annabella Lyndwood
protested." Her aunt is a very understand
ing person, but Victoria is afraid that even
she would have a few doubts about our
plans for this evening."
I'm glad somebody besides myself has
the sense to have doubts," Lucas growled.
He turned toward the other man in the
carriage." Lyndwood, I think we should
have a few contingency arrangements made
in case we become separated in the crowd
this evening."
Excellent idea," Lyndwood agreed with
alacrity. He was clearly relieved to have
Lucas along." Perhaps we ought to arrange
for the carriage to wait at a specific location
> somewhat removed from the activity?"
Lucas nodded, thinking swiftly." It will
be difficult to maneuver the carriage near
the park. At this time of night the crowds
will be large and unpredictable. Tell your
coachman that if he does not find us
waiting for him at the same place where he
sets us down, he should drive two streets
over from the grounds and wait there near
a small tavern called the Hound's Tooth."
Lyndwood nodded, his handsome, con
cerned features in deep shadow." I know the
place and so does my coachman, I'll wager.
Don't mind telling you again I appreciate
your joining us tonight, stone vale. When
the ladies take a notion to have an
adventure, ain't much a man can do to
stop them, is there?"
That remains to be seen," stone vale
said.
Annabella, dressed in a stylish blue
walking dress with a matching blue
pelisse, giggled." If you believe you can
stop Victoria from doing anything she
pleases, you have a surprise in store for
you, my lord."
Miss Huntington gets up to these tricks
frequently, I take it?"
Annabella chuckled again." Victoria is
never dull, I assure you, but this is a
first for her, I believe. She told me she
has been planning this for some time."
It would seem Miss Huntington has
gone ungoverned by a husband for far
too long," Lucas observed, and glowered
at Annabella as the giggles turned into
outright laughter." I have said something
amusing?"
Miss Huntington intends to go the
entirety of her life without such governance,"
Annabella informed him.
I understand she fears being married
for her fortune," Lucas said carefully. He
wanted information but he did not want
to raise too many questions about his
motives.
She fears marriage altogether," Anna
bella replied, her laughter fading." She has
seen nothing but very sad examples of the
wedded state in her own family. And of
course the business of being constantly
pursued for her inheritance for so many
years has only inclined her more than
ever away from any desire for matrimony.
Sometimes, I confess I wonder if she
isn't right in her thinking. What good is
marriage for a woman?"
Damme, Bella," her brother broke in
sharply." What a mutton-headed thing to
say. Don't go taking any foolish notions
into your brain about following Miss
Huntington's example in life. Mama would
have hysterics. To be perfectly trutheul, as
charming as Victoria is, if her aunt wasn't
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