Viridis - A Steampunk Romance

by Calista Taylor

  The look of concern in his eyes finally weakened her resolve, and she could not help but step into his arms. “I know you meant no wrong, but I’m used to taking care of myself. It’s been that way most of my life, so you’ll need to forgive me if I have not quite adjusted to taking your concerns under consideration.” She pulled away, managing a bit of a smile and nodded toward the office. “Shall we, then?” She linked her arm in his.

  Her office, afforded her some quiet for conducting business, though the area certainly did see its fair share of use by club patrons. Even as they wandered down the wide corridor, they observed a couple stopping to steal an amorous embrace before slipping off towards one of the more private areas.

  Her office was a large and comfortable room with a sofa and a couple of chairs located near the fire and a desk by the window. Small touches of elegant simplicity lent the room a lived-in warmth, though it had none of the elaborate styling of the public rooms.

  They hadn’t even a chance to sit when a quick knocked sounded at the door and Molly escorted a tall and lanky individual into the room. “Mum, Inspector William Thomas.” Molly stepped aside, allowing the gentleman to pass. “I’ll bring the tea.”

  “Thank you, Molly.”

  Chapter Seven

  William walked into the room, quickly taking in those assembled before him. It was easy enough to spot Lady Phoebe Hughes, as she was the only woman present. The man standing to her right was likely her brother, as their coloring and the shape of their eyes and mouth were too similar for there not to be a relation. Then there was the gentleman that stood just behind her. Though William doubted any relation, it was clear by his protective and proprietary stance, they were close.

  “Inspector Thomas; I’m Lady Phoebe Hughes, my brother, Lord Gabriel Hughes, and my friend, Mr. Seth Elliott. Please, have a seat, although I’m not quite sure how I may be of help.” Phoebe gestured to a seat by the fire, an offer of hospitality he did not see often in his line of work. He was surprised by her kindness, yet even more taken aback by the quick intelligence in her eyes. Lady Phoebe Hughes did not fit the image of the bawdy club proprietress his mind had conjured.

  She was petite in both stature and frame, with mahogany curls that fell against porcelain skin, and eyes of a most striking green, her gaze gentle yet direct. There was something in her gaze that told him she had a passionate and independent spirit that would not easily be reined in.

  Lady Hughes sat across from him on the sofa, with Mr. Elliot by her side, her brother occupying the remaining chair at William’s right.

  He suddenly recalled the name of the man she’d introduced. “Mr. Seth Elliot? The brilliant tinkerer?” William had not expected to meet a man of such repute. Seth Elliot’s designs had revolutionized the world, his geostat and airships only a few of his accomplishments.

  “Seth Elliott, the tinkerer, at any rate. I’m not so sure about brilliant.” Seth reached out and shook his hand. “And an inspector yourself at such a young age? Surely that’s an accomplishment of no little feat.”

  William nodded his thanks at the compliment. “I’ve had luck on my side with several cases, and you are far too humble.” Being the son of a clerk, letters and numbers had always been important, but William’s father saw tinkering as a waste of time and something better left to those who had it to spare. In many ways, William had been lucky to receive any education at all. Few children not of birth or money ever got the opportunity to be schooled, but his father’s father had been a clergyman, and had thus educated his children, his own father following suit.

  He knew Mr. Elliot had also come from meager beginnings. His father, an Englishman of modest wealth, had died when he was a young lad, leaving his Scottish mother to take a position as governess. As a youth, his time had been divided between London and his mother’s clan in the Highlands. Beyond Seth’s basic education, it was said he had devoured every book he could gain access to, and already tinkering by the time he had turned ten.

  This was turning into quite the interesting evening, and not one he could have ever imagined. William pulled a notebook pencil from his pocket and then turned his attention back to Phoebe and his investigation.

  “I’m terribly sorry to have to bother you with this, but I need to ask you some questions regarding one of your patrons. I do believe he was one of your regular customers. Lord Niles Hawthorne?”

  A look of surprise crossed Lady Hughes’s face. “Lord Hawthorne? Yes, of course, he comes here fairly often. If you’re looking to find him, I can have one of the girls check to see if he’s here tonight.”

  Seth put a hand over hers. “Phoebe. I don’t believe Inspector Thomas is looking for Lord Hawthorne.” His gaze turned to William. “Am I correct?”

  “I’m afraid so.” Despite his admiration for Mr. Elliot, he couldn’t help but wonder if it was a detail he’d noticed or information he already had. “Lord Hawthorne was found dead not far from here, two nights ago. Do you by chance remember if he had been here?”

  Lady Hughes paled considerably at the news but her composure did not waver. “He was a sweet and kind man. He’ll be sorely missed, to be sure.” Phoebe took some time to think about it, finally saying, “I’m sorry to say that I don’t remember when he was last here. He could have very easily gone unnoticed if he sat in the theater area. With so many customers, and the fact that I’m here most nights, the faces and days tend to blur into one. I do know I had seen him quite recently, but whether it was two, three or even four days ago, I cannot be sure. I can have the supervisors ask the girls— see if any of them remembers when he was last here.”

  “That won’t be necessary.” Gabriel fixed William with his gaze. “He was indeed here two nights ago. I remember serving him at the bar.”

  A curious look of emotion crossed Gabriel’s face momentarily, leaving William to wonder if he had imagined it. It could have been just the shock of finding that an acquaintance had been murdered, but perhaps there was more. “Was he a friend of yours?”

  “He was.” Gabriel cleared his throat and sat forward a bit, his eyes flicking momentarily to his sister’s as she returned a look of sympathy. “You get to know the customers who come in on a regular basis.”

  “Did you notice whether he was with anyone that night?”

  “Not when he first arrived. There was another gentleman who did eventually turn up. Hadn’t seen him before, at least not that I can remember. They then took their business to one of the private rooms. I’m afraid I lost track of him from there.”

  “Do you remember what time it was or what the other man looked like? Anything you remember, no matter how small the detail, could be of use.” William pivoted in his seat, to face Gabriel more easily. There was something William was missing, some detail just beyond his reach, something Gabriel was holding back.

  “It couldn’t have been too much past eleven o’clock. As for the other man, I can’t say I noticed anything that made him stand out. I’d say he couldn’t have been much over thirty-five. I don’t remember him being all that tall, and he had brown hair worn just long enough to brush his collar, thinning just a little on top. Actually, now that I think of it, he did wear wire eye specs, and though I only saw him close up for a moment, I’d say they were thick enough to distort the appearance of his eyes. He wasn’t a terribly handsome fellow, I’m afraid to admit.”

  William jotted down the information in his notebook, giving it some thought. “How about the clothes he was wearing? The quality of the fabric, the cut?”

  “I’m afraid there was not anything out of the ordinary. The quality of the cloth was good but not the best and the same could be said for the cut. Fairly conservative in its styling rather than anything of the latest fashions.”

  “I thank you. The information could prove to be quite useful.”

  There was a knock at the door just before it opened, and Molly came in pushing a teacart laden with drink and food.

  “Would you like some tea Inspector?” Phoebe got
up to pour the tea herself, dismissing Molly. “The pasties and sandwiches are also quite good.”

  “Yes. Thank you.” Though William did not want to linger, he found no harm in accepting Phoebe’s generous offer and it would allow him the opportunity to observe the group a while longer.

  He had learned long ago, that it never hurt to be on friendly terms with potential witnesses, since they would be more apt to call you if they remembered anything pertinent. It also did not help that he would be heading to an empty house when he left here.

  He took the cup and plate Phoebe offered, with his thanks. She really was quite stunning, her almond shaped eyes doing nothing to mask the intelligence and kindness behind their emerald glow.

  “I’ll have the girls questioned. They may remember having seen the man you’re looking for.” Phoebe suddenly remembered. “Oh. Poor Lilly. I may be mistaken, but I believe that she and Lord Hawthorne had struck up a bit of a friendship and had grown rather fond of each other.”

  “I’d like to speak with her if that’s possible.”

  “I’ll see if she’s here. Excuse me.” He watched Phoebe step out of the room and it was a fair amount of time before she finally returned. “I’m afraid, she’s not here,” she said, biting her lip, a look of worry on her face.

  William thought her concern to be genuine. From all he had observed, her face had a tendency to show every thought and emotion, and he did not think her capable of telling a lie without it being quite obvious.

  “Was she supposed to be?” William already knew the answer. She wouldn’t be looking so worried, otherwise.

  “She was supposed to have worked the last couple of nights. The last time anyone saw her was the night Lord Hawthorne was murdered. I do hope she wasn’t also harmed.”

  William was touched by her genuine concern, and tried to reassure her. “We only found Lord Hawthorne’s body, but I’ll look into any reports that may have been filed. Could you describe her for me? Her full name and an address would also be helpful, if you have it.” William made a note to check the morgue, but there was a good chance Lilly was somehow involved in the murder or may have seen who committed the act. It could turn out to be a decent lead.

  “You’d know Lilly if you saw her. Flame red hair, as if the devil himself had set it on fire, and blue eyes. Not too tall, but really quite pretty.” Phoebe got up, went to her desk and after a bit of a search, pulled out a file. After flipping through several pages, she jotted something down on a piece of paper.

  Phoebe handed him the note. “Her name is Lilly Turner. She had been staying at a shelter called Genie’s Place when she first started working here. That’s the address, however I couldn’t tell you if it’s current or if she’s since found new lodgings. She has a sister, Anne, who works there and may be able to help. You will let me know if you find her?”

  William doubted there was any more information to be had this evening, but would pay Lord Gabriel Hughes another visit in the near future. Though the man seemed an affable sort, there was something he was hiding. However, for now, he would try and track down the girl and hope it would lead to more answers.

  He got up to go with a final look at all assembled before settling his gaze on Phoebe. Digging into his pocket he pulled out a calling card and gave it to her. “I’ll notify you if I come across any information regarding Lilly. You’ve been a great help. If you think of anything else, I’d appreciate it if you contacted me.”

  Chapter Eight

  “I’m worried about Lilly.” Phoebe paced the floor of her sitting room. They had immediately left Viridis upon the inspector’s departure to try and get a bit of food and rest. Yet, she had barely touched her meal, and she knew sleep would not come easily tonight.

  Seth stood and came to her side, running his hands down her arms and effectively putting a stop to her endless circuit of the room. “The Inspector seemed like an intelligent and competent individual, but if it’ll make you feel better, we can go and look for her ourselves.”

  “Finding her would help put me at ease.” Phoebe felt partially responsible since she’d been the one to hire Lilly. The girl would never have had any involvement with Lord Hawthorne otherwise, and if she was now in danger, it would weigh heavily on Phoebe’s conscience.

  She looked up into Seth’s eyes, so filled with concern, and was helpless to stop the emotions he stirred in her. She desperately wanted to give in and let herself be swept away in the safety and strength of his arms—and yet she could not, knowing their circumstances had not changed.

  Seth ran a hand down her arm, twining his fingers with hers, and then, as if reading her mind, said, “I spoke with Moore and Clarke. Told them the geostat was my last mission away.”

  She shook her head no, while at the same time her heart skipped with joy. “Seth, you can’t—”

  “I can, and I did. I’m not abandoning the Cause, but you’re right, there are other ways to help. I’ve already spoken to them about a few things we could attempt here in London.”

  He tilted her chin up towards him and lowered his lips to hers. She let herself indulge in the kiss for only a moment before she took a step back. If she didn’t put some space between them, she’d be in danger of losing herself in the moment, in the promise of a future together.

  She turned towards the fire, running her hands up and down her arms to try and get warm. “You spent the day with Moore and Clarke? What did they have to say for themselves? I cannot imagine they were very happy.”

  “No, they weren’t, but I made it clear that the choice was not theirs to make and if they pushed me on the subject, then I’d quit all together and go my own way. I can still help those in need without playing into their plans.” Seth came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her to him. His solid warmth was comforting, and yet it sent a pulse of panic rushing through her veins. “I won’t leave you again, Phoebe. At the very least, it’s the one thing I can promise you.”

  “Can you truly promise that, Seth? Because I don’t know if I can believe it.” She spun in his arms to face him, to look into his eyes and find the truth. “I know Clark and Moore. They’re ruthless in getting what they want if they feel they can justify it for the Cause. Things have gotten worse since you’ve been gone, and if revolution breaks out, I worry what they’ll ask of you.”

  With her hands in his, he brought each to his lips. “Phoebe, I never should have left. I know that now. But I need you to trust me. A year without you made one thing clear. You’re the most important thing in my life and I’ll not make the same mistakes. Not even a revolution can make me break my promise to you.”

  She started to look away, but he cupped her face gently in his hands, holding her gaze with his. “Seth…”

  “I’m sorry I hurt you, Phoebe, but I need you to believe me. Can you do that?”

  Taking a deep breath, she tried to ignore the quickening of her heart and the twisting in her gut. “I don’t know. This is all happening so fast. It’s as if we’re back to where we were before you left, and I cannot do that. I need more time.”

  “If time is what you need, my love, then I’ll be here waiting for you. I have every intention of staying in London.” His face then lit up with a smile. “And I think I have a way to prove it to you. Would you mind accompanying me to my home?”

  Her mind raced through the possibilities. What could possibly offer such proof? With her curiosity piqued, she nodded. “Very well, then. Let’s go.”

  Chapter Nine

  The second show of the night had just gotten underway, but Gabriel was anxious for things to wind down. Each night was busier than the one before. However, even with the constant bustle, his mind was not with the customers present here this night, but rather on the one they would not see again. Niles.

  Gabriel knew Niles had been involved in things better left alone, but he had never thought him to be in such grave danger. Though they were both involved in the Cause, Gabriel could not help but wonder whether it c
ontributed to his death or if it was a matter of Niles’s other involvements. His guilt weighed heavily as his mind questioned what he could have possibly done different to stop Niles’s death. Gabriel knew he’d not be able to rest until he found out what happened.

  “Lord Hughes.��

  Gabriel turned to find Lord Victor Hawthorne approaching. “Lord Hawthorne. How may I be of assistance?”

  “I was wondering if I could have a word with you in private.” Victor, always quite serious, looked even more so this evening with his brow furrowed and his mouth downturned. With such a grimace, Gabriel had a good idea as to the subject of the conversation.

  “Yes, of course.” Gabriel led the way to his office, and once seated, Victor wasted no time getting to the heart of the matter.

  “It is regarding your sister. Being the eldest male in your family it is your responsibility to see she finds suitable prospects of marriage, and I guarantee you will not find a better offer, especially when you take into consideration her conduct has at times been less than ladylike. I personally like the challenge of dealing with a headstrong woman, but there aren’t many who would bother. Have you not spoken to her about my offer of marriage?”

  Gabriel took a deep breath to get his anger under control, since he knew no good would come of physically or verbally assaulting the bastard standing before him. “I have spoken to her, and I’m afraid she is not interested in marriage, not to you or anyone else, for that matter. It is no reflection on you, I assure you. As you pointed out, you have plenty to offer. However, my sister makes her own decisions, regardless of what society has deemed proper, and cares not if all others consider it a good catch. That being the case, I cannot imagine why you would even be interested, for surely there must be plenty of ladies willing to marry you, and proper ones at that.” Gabriel stood, putting an end to the conversation. “I am sorry I cannot be of further assistance, but I have other business to attend to. I’m sure you understand.”