“Gavin! Put me down. I’m fully capable of walking.”
He actually blushed, but continued to carry her to the chaise by the fireplace, still holding her in his arms as he sat them down side by side, Phoebe tucked up against him. “Well I wouldn’t want ye twisting yer ankle on top of catching yer death, aye? As is, Seth’s going to have my hide for letting ye get chilled.”
With teeth chattering, she managed, “Yes. It’s all your fault, isn’t it?”
“Och, love…” He looked at her pained, as if she were speaking about more than just her chill.
She managed a laugh. “Please don’t look so serious. I was only teasing you.”
“Hmpf. Well, I don’t reckon sitting ye in front of a fire when ye’re so feverish is the right thing to do, but I’ll be damned if I ken what else to do with ye.” He ran his hands up and down her back trying to warm her.
A quick knock, and the door opened to admit Martha pushing a teacart laden with goods. She couldn’t help but notice Martha’s eyes dart uneasily between herself and Gavin, what with him sitting on the chaise right next to her. She could only imagine what must be going through her head, as if her unorthodox relations with Seth hadn’t been enough.
“Are ye unwell, Mum?”
“A little. I’m sure it’ll pass.” Phoebe managed a smile. “We can serve ourselves, Martha. Thank you for bringing it up.”
“Shall I call y’ a physician? You shouldn’t let things like this go without being seen to. Ye don’t want the chill getting into yer bones. Brought ye up what I could find in the medicine chest labeled for fever.”
“I don’t think a physician is necessary just yet. I’ll give the herbals a try first. Thank you.”
Martha gave a quick nod, and let herself out.
Phoebe went to get up, but Gavin stopped her. “I’ll get the tea and the herbals. Ye’re to stay put.”
“I hope the herbal is strong enough to shake this chill. I need to go to the police station to try and get them to release Seth.” With her nightmare still fresh on her mind, she was worried and fearing the worst.
Gavin poured the tea, his voice strained as he tried to keep it calm. “My love, the fever has truly gone to yer head and rendered ye delirious, if ye think I’m letting ye leave the house whilst ill. I’ll send the wee laddie to find out what’s happening, and if need be, I’ll go myself, but you, my dear, are going nowhere.”
Phoebe glared at him. The thought of being trapped in her room unable to help Seth had her cheeks flushed-- and not from fever alone. “Gavin MacKay, I swear to you, I’ll cut your heart out if you don’t let me out of here. You have no say over what I choose to do and no hold on me.”
He spun and closed the distance between them in two steps, his anger flaring. “Let me make myself clear, lassie. Yer betrothed has left ye in my care, and if that means I need to tie to ye to yer bed to make sure ye come to no harm, ‘tis exactly what I’ll do, aye?”
“Aye!”
Chapter Forty Two
Seth sat on the edge of his seat as the coach approached Phoebe’s home, Samuel sitting at his side. Just that morning, William had gone before the judge and explained the lack of evidence for the charge of attempted murder on Lord Victor Fenwick, also explaining that Lady Phoebe Hughes had filed a formal charge of assault against Lord Fenwick. William had then asked to speak to the judge in private.
Seth wasn’t sure what had transpired behind closed doors, but the judge was not looking terribly happy after the discussion. When Seth’s lawyer then explained that Seth only acted in retaliation for what was done to his betrothed, the judge seemed willing enough to release Seth on his own recognizance, though not willing to drop the charges quite yet.
“You said she’s not well?” Seth opened the door and let Samuel get out.
“Aye, sir. A bit of a fever. She’d have come to the station herself if it weren’t for that.”
Seth paid the coachman, let himself into Phoebe’s home and took the stairs to her room, two at a time. Only to find the door locked.
“Phoebe?” He knocked and tried the handle again, when he heard the bolt turn over and the door opened.
“Ye’re back? That’s great news, mo charaid.” Gavin pulled him into a hearty embrace and then stepped aside to let him in.
Seth couldn’t help but wonder why Gavin and Phoebe had the door locked, but when he saw Phoebe lying there in bed, all suspicious thoughts fled his mind.
“Seth!” Phoebe sat up and he took her in his arms, holding her tight, her arms wrapped around his neck. “I was so worried you wouldn’t ever come back. I would have been there this morning if it hadn’t been for…” her gaze flicked to Gavin, before continuing, “falling ill.”
“No worries, my love. They didn’t have enough to hold me, and I was barely gone the night.” He kissed her lips, but they were dry and cracked, blazing hot. “Och, love. You’re burning up.” He pressed his hand to her forehead.
“It’s just a bit of a chill. Not terribly surprising when you consider how cold it has been.” Phoebe smiled at him, but it was clear she was far from well. She laid back onto her pillow, the blanket falling away from her chest to reveal a diaphanous shirt unbuttoned far past decency, little left to one’s imagination through the thin cloth.
Seth felt himself flush with anger. All too aware of Gavin standing just behind him, he picked up the blanket and covered her. “Let me get you a cup of tea, aye?” He looked over his shoulder at his friend, and made the conscious effort to unclench his jaw before speaking. “Gavin, would you give me a hand?”
Gavin’s face was grim. “Of course.”
Seth found Sarah and asked her to get some tea for Phoebe, then continued on to the sitting room with Gavin, making sure to close the door behind them. The tension in the air was palpable, but Seth forced himself to not leap to conclusions. Seth poured them each a whisky and they sat before the fire.
Gavin broke the silence. “’Tis not what ye’re thinking.”
“And what would I be thinking, dear friend?” Seth was exhausted. He’d barely slept a wink, the damp cold of the cell making sleep impossible. Coming home to Phoebe— it had been his only thought the whole night through. But this was not what he’d been expecting.
“I know how it looks, aye? Truth of the matter is I had not wanted to let her out of my sight. She’d been terribly upset about ye getting hauled in, and eventually she did sleep, but with all that had happened, I was scared she’d try and speak to Victor about dropping the charges.” Gavin paused to take a drink. “I spent the night sleeping in the chair by her bedside, but took the precaution of locking the door. And a good thing too. Caught her in the process of getting dressed, which would be why she weren’t exactly decent like. And well, with things transpiring the way they did, I’m afraid she never finished getting dressed properly.”
Seth shook his head, all too able to imagine the scene unfolding. “Did she make it to the door?”
“Aye, she did.” A smile tugged at the corner of Gavin’s mouth, the tension between them starting to ease.
Seth couldn’t help but laugh out loud, knowing, all too well, the wrath his friend in all likelihood had to endure. “And you came through it without a mark on you? You truly are one lucky bastard, aren’t ye? Time and again, I do not know how you manage it.”
“Lucky, am I? Did ye know I had to threaten to tie her to the bed?” Gavin shook his head, mindlessly brushing away the black locks that had fallen into his eyes.
Seth just shook his head and smiled, feeling guilty for doubting his friend. He ran his finger along the rim of the glass, thinking. Finally, he said, “I appreciate you taking care of her. I’m sorry if I came to unwarranted conclusions. Seems I’ve been doing a lot of that with you as of late, and I’ve no right.”
Gavin shrugged. “Apology accepted, but I dinna blame ye, ye ken. She’s enough to drive any man to jealousy, and I cannot say yer reaction is completely unjustified after my recent confessions.” He took a long drink and th
en looked up at Seth. “The only conclusion that is not warranted, is that ye’d think Phoebe capable of not being faithful to ye. If ye owe anyone an apology, it’d be her.”
“Aye. You’d be right on that account.” Seth took a deep breath to try and steady his tumultuous emotions. “It seems I cannot think straight when it comes to her. I know I should not want or need her as desperately as I do, but the matter cannot be helped, hard as I try.”
Gavin looked up at his friend, the truth of that last statement hanging between them, not only for Seth, but Gavin as well. It all became quite clear to Seth that if Gavin did indeed love Phoebe as he himself did, then he could not blame the man for his feelings, since they could not be helped. However, he also realized that Gavin’s feelings, if truly like his own, would likely never change. It was quite the predicament, and a conclusion Gavin seemed to have come to a long time since if the grim look on his friend’s face were anything to go by.
Breaking the silence, Gavin said, “Well, I’m glad to see they didna keep ye long. Cursed cells make for a mighty uncomfortable night’s sleep.” Gavin stood. “Listen, I’ve some things to attend to. Shall I stop by the apothecary and pick ye up a few things for her fever? I dinna think the herbals she’s taken have much improved her condition. I can come back in the evening. Give ye a chance to get some rest. I’ll also leave word for Gabriel regarding all that’s happened.”
“Aye. That would be grand and much appreciated. Tonight then.”
Chapter Forty Three
William was surprised to find Lord Gabriel Hughes waiting for him at his office and even more surprised to see Lilly was with him. “I hope you were not kept waiting long.” William took a seat behind his desk, quickly taking in his guests, noting an undercurrent of excitement between them.
“Not at all, Inspector. Lilly and I were discussing Niles and the circumstances surrounding his death, and came across some information you may find interesting.” Gabriel gestured encouragingly toward the girl. “ Lilly?”
“Well, ye know how I told ye ‘bout Niles working for the SS and trying to get information on the Cause?” Lilly blushed just a little, crinkling her nose as if in apology. “It seems I forgot to mention that Niles, once he’d decided to help the Cause, scheduled to meet up with Moore and Clarke. Ye know them, aye? And I can tell ye, he had that tinkering with him when he went to see them— the one with the brass case. I think he may have betrayed SS secrets.”
He’d be hard pressed to find anyone in all of London who had not heard of Moore and Clarke. If Niles were indeed passing on SS information, it would explain the list of agents he’d found on the module, and could very well be a reason for his murder. He did not think the SS took very kindly to betrayal. “Is that all?”
“No. There’s more, ye see. Gabriel here mentioned the man that’d been seen with poor Niles the night he was done for, and it turns out I too had seen the man once or twice before.”
William sat forward in his chair, leaning his elbows on his desk. “Would you mind describing him for me?”
Though William had Gabriel’s description of the man in question, he wanted to see if Lilly’s portrayal would differ much. William worried that her account may very well be tainted after speaking with Gabriel, but it was still worth listening to.
“Sure, best as I remember from the little I’d seen, though I got a decent ‘nough look at him. He weren’t a whole lot taller than meself, though he did ‘ave on a hat when I saw him, making it a bit harder to judge, aye? And he had on eye specs, real thick like. But the one thing that stood out was a red mark that crept up just past the collar of his coat, though I couldn’t be sure of which side it was on.”
William felt a glimmer of hope alight within him. “Well now, that may indeed make it easier to identify the man. Is there anything else?”
Gabriel cleared his throat, and William thought he was looking rather grim. “There is just one more thing I thought you should know. Phoebe mentioned to you that I was the only other person with the code to her laboratory.”
William nodded, wondering where this was going. “She did say the two of you were the only ones with a key and knowledge of the code.”
“Niles was a good friend, and with my quarters being conveniently located over Viridis, he had on more than a few occasions paid me a visit. I’m terribly sorry to say, but I did not keep Phoebe’s code or key locked away as I should have, but rather left it in my desk drawer. It got me thinking, you see.”
“Yes. I’m afraid I do. Is your sister aware of this fact?”
His shoulders slumped as he gave his head a shake. “No, she isn’t.”
Chapter Forty Four
“Come on. Wake up, love. ‘Tis only a dream.”
Phoebe heard his familiar voice pulling her from another nightmare, and opened her eyes to find Seth, lying next to her, running his hand across her forehead to smooth out the lines of worry.
“You are back. I was thinking I had imagined it all.” She must have drifted off to sleep while Seth was speaking to Gavin. She shifted towards his naked body, seeking out the familiarity and comfort of his strong arms, in a desperate attempt to erase all traces of the last twenty-four hours. She had thought she would never see him again.
“No worries, love. I’m back.” He kissed the tip of her nose and smiled. “Your fever seems to have broken. You’ve still a bit of a temperature, but you’re not burning up like you were before. You had us all terribly worried.”
“Well, at least I’ll be healthy for the wedding. I should really contact the seamstress and see how the dress is coming along.” Phoebe shifted so she could sit up, and Seth leaned forward to give her a hand.
Seth cursed under his breath as he shook his head. “Phoebe, my love, about the wedding…” He took a deep breath, linking his fingers with hers. “Perhaps it’d be best if we postponed the wedding until after the charges have been dropped. They did release me, but I’m afraid the charges still stand, and they could easily haul me back in at any moment, especially if Victor manages to wield his influence. I spent most of the night giving the situation plenty of thought, and I cannot marry you with so many unknowns.”
Phoebe didn’t say anything. Wouldn’t even look at him. She just stared ahead at the flames flickering in the fireplace. What could she say? She was furious, hurt and broken, feeling a fool for letting him her into her life again. Her heart felt like it had sputtered to a stop, leaving her entire body numb.
“Will ye not say something, my love?” He ran his hand down her back and she shrugged it off.
Her voice was barely a whisper. “How can you do this, Seth?”
“Och, love. This is not a decision I make likely, and we will get married once everything has been sorted and the charges dropped. However, it makes no sense for you to marry me, only to become a widow at the ripe ole’ age of twenty-five. Or worse, to have you spend your life alone, if I get thrown into a cell for a life sentence.”
“I do not care, Seth. I said I’d marry you, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let Victor’s accusations get in the way.”
“Phoebe, please try and see reason.” Her gaze finally turned away from the fire, her eyes locking on his.
“Reason? You want me to see reason?” She flung back the covers and hopped out of bed, spinning to face him on wobbly legs. She was still wearing her breeches and the barely buttoned blouse, her hair a wild tangle of dark curls.
“Phoebe, get back into bed. You’re still not well.” He shifted to sit at the edge of the bed, looking ready to jump to her aid at any moment.
“Did I not ask you to leave Victor alone? Why could you not have listened to me? Was it too much to ask?”
“Phoebe, I’m sorry. I only did what I thought was best.” He stood up and reached out to her, but she slapped his hand away. She would not let him quell her anger or try to placate her.
“What you thought was best? And what about what I thought? Did that not matter? The only thing you could think of
was your pride.”
“Phoebe, you’re being unreasonable.”
She wanted to scream and stomp her feet, she was so furious. “Unreasonable, is it? I was willing to forgive you for attacking Victor and suffer the consequences but now— now— I’m the one being unreasonable? And you don’t want to get married?”
He grabbed both her arms, ignoring her struggles, which were weak from the fever, frustrating her further, but when he spoke, his voice was gentle. “Phoebe, I want nothing more than to marry you. You must know that. But how can I in good conscience do that, when there’s a chance I could hang or spend the rest of my days locked away?”
He pulled her into his arms and she let him hold her in a tight embrace, the reality of the matter too much to bear. He kissed the top of her head, and murmured, “I love you. More than anything in this world, more than life itself, I love you, a ghaoil.”
“Then marry me, and let Victor be damned.” She looked up at him, the tears now running down her cheeks.
“Come back to bed my love. You should be resting. I should not have mentioned the postponing the wedding when you still aren’t well”
He tried to steer her towards the bed, but she’d had enough and was not going. “Not until you say you’ll marry me.”
“I will marry you, once the charges are dismissed. Now please, Phoebe, quit being so stubborn and get back into bed. I cannot believe we’re having this argument. ‘Tis insane, aye?”
She caught his eyes drift to her half buttoned shirt, lingering on her bare skin. Ignoring it, she said through gritted teeth, “So now I’m stubborn? She planted her hands on her hips, her anger a streak of red.
“Are you denying it?”
His question caught her off guard. Giving it some thought, she said, “All right then. I’m stubborn.” The admission seemed to momentarily calm her. “It still doesn’t change anything.”
“You are right, my dear. You being the most stubborn creature to ever grace the earth’s surface changes nothing. Now could you do me the great favor of slipping into something more decent, because I’m ready to rip that shirt from your body and burn the cursed thing.”
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