The chairman cleared his throat. “As mentioned in our invitation, we believe that you are ideally suited to the task we have in mind.”
“I am flattered by your praise,” she said. None of the masked members moved. It was most disconcerting.
“It is correct that you are familiar with spark monasteries?”
“Yes, I briefly lived in one as a foundling many years ago.” Clothilde kept her face impassive. She was far older than any of the men she faced. Older even than their grandfathers, for she had lived with the electromancers in the days before the men of the Realm of Light had found ways to use spark to power their machines. It was a fact she would keep to herself. Instead, she smiled sweetly. “The electromancers found me and I stayed with them until they sent me to the convent. I think they always sensed that my talents lay in the workings of the human body, so they sent me to the sisters at a convent that specializes in the healing arts when I was old enough. I worked as a healer in the hospice until the world had changed enough for me to enroll here at the university to study.”
“Splendid.”
“I live to serve,” Clothilde murmured the mantra of the electromancers and inclined her head. “But tell me, what would you have me do?”
“Well, we are most interested in the experiments you have been conducting in the field of galvanism. Most scientists had dismissed the theories long before, but you have persevered.”
“I am not most scientists,” she said with a little smile. “I have always been most interested in the application of spark electricity to flesh and the reanimation it brings.”
“Well, yes, and so we believe that your findings have been most extraordinary.” One of the masked men motioned to a leather knapsack that lay on the table before them. “Your instructions are contained therein. You are to burn the papers once you have read and memorized them.
“I understand,” she said.
“Inside you will find a folder with the necessary letters of introduction. You are to show these to the abbots on the list who are designated to assist you. And most important, you will contact us with news, by means of the method described in the instructions once each stage of the process is completed.”
“I understand,” she said again.
“And you are to follow these instructions to the letter. No exceptions, is that clear?”
“Clear, sir.”
“And Miss de Blanc, we are well aware of your … weaknesses. If the electromancers did anything noteworthy in this regard, it would be that they taught you temperance and control. We do expect that you exercise this at all times. The weather, well, there is not much one can do about that, but we absolutely forbid the seduction of any men for the duration of this contract. Have we made ourselves clear?”
“Yes. No sorcery apart from that needed to complete the task.”
One of the Consortium motioned to the young man who had been waiting discreetly in an inconspicuous corner. He stepped forward with a writing tray complete with pen and ink.
“Then sign the contract please.”
Clothilde picked up the pen. A thick contract lay before her on the tray.
The young man flicked the pages over and showed her where to sign.
She scribbled her name without even looking at the document. There was no point, for there would be no negotiation with the Consortium and besides, she would be long gone before any of them would ever be able to do anything. But if it made them happy, then she would oblige.
She inclined her head in a gesture of subservience when she put the pen down, but inside she felt her emotions roil at their arrogance. In answer, the windows lit up with a flash of lightning and outside thunder rolled as rain lashed against the roof.
“Very good,” the man said. “You are to leave for London without delay. We have booked you a first-class passage on an airship that leaves tonight. We are told that the factory is installed and ready to start up.”
The young man stepped forward and handed her a wallet that was thick with bills.
“You should find enough in there to cover all expenses,” the member of the Consortium said.
“Thank you,” Clothilde said.
“The war between Russia and Japan has created an opportunity for us to move our plans forward sooner than we had envisioned. This venture is therefore an imperative. The emperor is awaiting his first consignment as per the specifications in the papers.”
“War with Russia and Japan?” Clothilde said.
Someone laughed. “Yes, we expect war to be declared at any moment. And we look forward to it with great anticipation. The dawning of a new era.”
“I am honored by the faith you have placed in me,” she said.
“It has nothing to do with faith, Miss de Blanc. We will be watching your every move. There is no room for error. Do you understand?”
“Yes, perfectly,” she said sweetly.
One of the masked men leaned over and whispered something. The one he had spoken to inclined his head.
“Furthermore, we have an additional task for you.”
The man who had whispered nodded and stood up from the table. He walked up to Clothilde and presented her with a wooden case. As she took it from him, she thought she could hear a faint ticking from within.
“We want you to find suitable candidates for these. They need to be strong, as we will be testing this new invention for future use. One of our members known only as the Clockmaker will send you all the additional equipment you will require for this experiment. It must be conducted with the utmost secrecy.”
“I will do my best,” said Clothilde.
The men at the table grew silent. “We do not want your best, Miss de Blanc. We demand your complete and utter compliance with our every request. Any questions?”
“No. I understand completely,” she said. Outside more lightning flashed, filling the room with white light, followed by another rumble of thunder.
The masked man reached into his pocket and pulled out a brass key on a piece of string. He presented it to her with an air of reverence. “The master key for the hearts,” he whispered. “Take care of it.”
As she touched the key to put it round her neck, she felt a tremor of thaumaturgy pass through her. This was very strange magic indeed.
“Very well then, you may go,” one of the men said.
Clothilde gathered up the satchel and case, carefully tucking the wallet inside the folds of her robes.
She gave the Consortium another low curtsey, pausing for an alluring moment before rising and leaving. But as she turned to leave the she kept her face turned to the floor in order to hide the slow smile that spread across her face.
These men had no idea who they were dealing with. And enlightening them was going to be such fun.
CHAPTER 3
LONDON
Elle was still smiling when Neville drew the car up alongside the house in Grosvenor Square. The townhouse was an imposing Georgian building with carved sandstone pillars on the façade. A row of camellia trees grew near the black railings outside the front steps. At the moment they looked dark and bare, but Elle knew they would be glorious in the summer when they bloomed. This was where she lived.
Marsh was waiting for her at the front door when she reached it from the street.
“I’m home!” Elle kissed her husband as he helped her out of her coat.
“Did you have a good flight, my darling?” he said.
“Oh Hugh, it was simply wonderful. And I have such exciting news!” she said over her shoulder as she went into the house.
Elle flung herself into the leather Chesterfield in the library with a sigh. “Oh, it’s nice to be home. I could murder a nice cup of tea right now. Ring the bell, would you?”
“Well, what is it?” Marsh said as he rang the bell-pull and sank into one of the wingback chairs opposite her.
The fire had burned down in the fireplace, but the room was lovely and warm after the crisp cold of the February afternoon. The libr
ary was one of Elle’s favorite rooms in the house, mainly because it was so utterly dominated by Marsh.
She smiled at him with glee. “I got a new ship.”
Marsh frowned. “How on earth did you do that?”
Elle sat forward in her seat. “I won her in a card game. The same game we played with Loisa when we visited on the way back from the honeymoon.”
“You gambled?” She watched her husband’s expression darken. “I knew I should have come with you. What if you had lost?”
“I wouldn’t have. The captain of the ship was cheating. He had an amulet around his neck, which made him able to see what cards the other players held. But I stopped him from seeing my cards. When I had a good enough hand, I made him think I had worse cards than I really had and so I won. Serves him right for trying to cheat,” she said in one excited breath.
Marsh’s frown deepened. “Shadow magic,” he said. “What if you had been discovered?”
“Oh, don’t be such a worry ninny. I was very careful and the captain of the ship didn’t guess who—or should I say what?—I am. Besides, I bumped into Ducky in Amsterdam and after I won the ship, I hired him to pilot her home. He’s busy berthing the Iron Phoenix in Croydon as we speak. We need to book her into Farnborough for an overhaul though. She’s a bit rickety.”
“Eleanor!” Marsh thundered.
Elle jumped. Marsh only called her Eleanor like that when he was angry with her and they were about to have an argument.
“What?” she said, squaring her shoulders.
“I will not have my wife gambling with ruffians. Do you not understand how dangerous that is? You promised you wouldn’t take any unnecessary risks.”
“They were not ruffians. Well, not terribly bad ones, if you have to be completely precise. But it was only an innocent card game in the pilots’ mess. I told you I wouldn’t leave the airfield, and I didn’t.”
Marsh ran his hand though his dark hair, worn slightly too long for society. “Innocent card games do not end up with people losing their ships to one another.”
“Don’t you think you are overreacting ever so slightly?” she said sweetly.
He strode up to his desk and grabbed the newspaper that lay neatly folded on its broad leather-topped surface. “Look!” he thrust the newspaper at Elle.
She took the paper and opened it.
“There.” He jabbed at the news report in the right hand corner of the page, right underneath the headline that spoke of the trouble between Russia and Japan.
The heading read: SKY PIRATES SPOTTED OVER THE ENGLISH CHANNEL.
“I have been pacing up and down all day worrying and waiting for you to come home safely.”
“Oh,” said Elle. “But we saw no pirates.”
“There could very well have been. I can manage the thought of you flying the Water Lily because she is small and not worth bothering with. But with two ships you are a—a fleet!” he spluttered
“Oh Hugh, you are being ever so slightly ridiculous.” Elle said.
Marsh sighed. “I love the fact that you are so utterly bold and fearless, my darling, but you really do need to be more careful.”
“But I was careful,” she said. “Hugh, you can’t wrap me in cotton wool. I need to take risks if I am to turn this charter company into a success.”
Marsh closed his eyes in exasperation. “And how do you suppose I do that?”
Elle felt herself grow angry. She hated it when he condescended to her. She rose to her feet. “Hugh, flying and airships are my business and I was flying for years before you came along, so please stop interfering.”
This was not a new argument. It had taken all her powers of persuasion to stop him from coming along to watch over her.
“Elle, you can’t keep the ship. You have to return it to the airfield in Amsterdam. Surely you of all people must know that.”
She didn’t want to admit it to Marsh, but Captain Dashwood looked awfully angry the last time she had seen him. And yet, despite her rather rickety shortcomings, the Iron Phoenix was a beauty. She was a big freighter, almost a hundred feet long. With it, Elle would be able to take in bigger, longer charters for larger fees. And with larger fees she would be able to pay back the money Marsh had lent her to start the company.
His money, the voices suddenly whispered out of nowhere. That was enough to make her decide.
“No. I am keeping the Iron Phoenix. My mind is quite made up. The captain knows he lost the bet fair and square. And I am hiring Ducky to pilot her for me. I could use the help, to be honest.”
“I think that is a tremendously bad idea,” Marsh said.
“Well, I don’t.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “The situation would have been very different if you had been the one doing the winning. You are only saying this because I am a woman.”
“I am not going to change your mind, am I?” Marsh rubbed his face in resignation.
She smiled and put her arms around his neck. “No, you are not. I want my charter business to grow and be successful and an extra ship is precisely what I need.”
“You know I would have bought you another ship. All you had to do is ask,” he said.
“But that wouldn’t be the same,” she said.
Marsh put up a hand in defeat. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to stay here and wait for you to come home every time you take the air on some adventure?” His dark eyes pleaded with her in a way that told her he was serious.
Elle felt a rush of affection for him and kissed his cheek. “Marsh, we have spoken about this at length. You know you can’t come with me on flights, because flying is something I must do on my own. We are both strong-willed people. And if we impose on one another, we shall end up despising each other over time. You have to leave me be on this topic.”
“I don’t like it. Sometimes I think shall go out of my mind with worry,” he grumbled.
“Well, now you know how the wives of soldiers and sailors have felt for centuries,” she said.
Just then, Edie the maid rolled in the tea trolley.
Elle clapped her hands in delight. “Ah, just what I need. And with strawberry tarts as well!” The little tarts filled with jam were Elle’s favorite.
“I think I need something stronger than tea.” Marsh walked over to his drinks cabinet. He selected one of the decanters. It was filled with bright green liquid that could only be absinthe.
“Speaking of which, where is Adele?”
“Oh, she’s in the greenhouse. No one is allowed in there. She is driving the staff to distraction with her demands. Who knew that one so little could make so much trouble.”
Elle laughed. “Well, she is an absinthe fairy.”
Marsh turned and smiled at her. “So, could I perhaps persuade you to forego your tea and join me in a drink?” he said.
Elle gave him her most alluring smile. “You might. And if you’ll bring mine to me upstairs in a little while, who knows? I might even invite you to join me.”
Marsh gave her a wicked grin. “Invitation accepted, but don’t blame me if Mrs. Hinges is annoyed because we’re late for dinner.”
CHAPTER 4
An almighty crash followed by a high-pitched scream greeted Elle as she came downstairs one morning, a week after her flight to Amsterdam. Edie, one of the maids, came tearing up the stairs. Elle caught her by the upper arms and brought her to an abrupt halt that almost made them both tumble back the way the poor girl had come.
“Edie, what on earth is wrong?” Elle said.
“Begging your pardon, my lady but it’s the fairy. She’s absolutely impossible!” Edie rubbed her tear-streaked face. “I cannot attend her anymore. I simply cannot.”
“What happened?”
Edie started sobbing into her apron. “His lordship is downstairs,” she said between sobs. “I think you had better ask him, my lady.”
Elle drew the girl’s face out of her apron. “Why don’t you take a few moments to calm yourself? And once you’ve washe
d your face, go and ask Mrs. Hinges for a sweet cup of tea. It is the best remedy after an upset. I know this from personal experience.”
“Yes, my lady.” Edie bobbed a quick curtsey and wiped her nose with the side of her hand. “Thank you, my lady.”
Elle watched the maid hurry downstairs before continuing on her way.
She stopped at the door to the breakfast room. The place was in a complete uproar. Chairs lay overturned. The tablecloth had been dragged off the table and lay in a heap on the floor amidst the broken breakfast crockery.
In the conservatory the stacked terra cotta pots had toppled over. Shards of pot and soil were spilled all over the floor. Someone had treaded mud all over the black-and-white checkered marble floor of the breakfast room and the Turkish rug.
On the table in the midst of all the chaos, stood Hugh, holding what looked like the extended ribs of an umbrella stripped of its canvas. The ribs were attached to a cascade of copper wires, which snaked all the way to the floor where they fed into what looked like a very poorly sealed tank of spark. Globs of the bright blue liquid had sloshed onto the carpet and were creating alarming sparks and acrid puffs of smoke.
Adele hovered at the entrance of the conservatory with her arms crossed, blocking the way of anyone who dared enter her domain.
And, if that wasn’t enough, someone had strewn enough sugar on the floor to sweeten the waters of the Thames.
“Hugh, what on earth is going on in here?” Elle said, surveying the whole muddy, sticky smoldering mess.
“Elle!” Hugh turned and smiled at her. “I think I’ve devised a machine that will allow humans to converse with fairies. Adele has been helping me. Look.”
He put the umbrella down and dusted some sugar off a set of rough-drawn plans. A few scrunched-up balls of paper interspersed with the sugar rolled off the table and landed on the floor.
“I see you have been busy,” she said drily. “You do know that Mrs. Hinges is going to have an apoplexy when she sees this.”
The copper wires started buzzing from lying too near the spark and they set a bit of the tablecloth on fire.
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