by C. J. Archer
I choked on a crumb. "No, of course not. Matt is just concerned about him. He hasn't been back in London long and he may get lost."
"Why? Because he's old and we old folk can't remember where we live?"
In her case, sometimes she could not, but I didn't say as much, just gave her a reassuring smile which seemed to satisfy her.
The clock on the mantel chimed gently, drawing Catherine's attention. "Goodness, I have to go. Goodbye, Miss Glass."
"Goodbye, dear. Do come back. I'll be sure to tell Cyclops that you're breathless with anticipation at seeing him again."
Catherine's eyes rounded and her pale skin turned spectacularly pink. I ushered her out before she recovered her wits. I liked that Miss Glass had something to keep her mind busy, and matchmaking was an innocent enough endeavor when it didn't involve Matt or me. Besides, I agreed with her and thought Cyclops and Catherine would be a good match. He was the perfect man to show her the world while bringing her home again when she needed to see her family.
"Please tell Nate I'm sorry," she said to me in the entrance hall. "I do hope he doesn't get into too much trouble."
"I'll see that Matt keeps his head. So did you enjoy yourself until that point?"
She smiled. "I did." She leaned closer. "He's very charming, in his own way. It's sort of an innocent way, like he doesn't know he's being charming. I suppose that's what makes him…well, charming."
I laughed and was glad to see her laugh too. "He enjoys your company, Catherine. He told me so after your last visit."
"Oh?" She bit her lip but couldn't stop her smile.
"Perhaps he can take you to the theater or out for an ice now that the weather is warming up."
"That would be lovely, but…" She sighed. "I dropped enough hints about wanting to see this show or that and going for walks, but he didn't take any of them. I think he likes me." She toyed with her gloves, smoothing the wrinkles out of the leather and tugging on the cuff. "So why doesn't he want to see me outside this house?"
I'd already discussed the matter with Cyclops, but I wasn't sure it was my place to tell her everything he'd said. She was right, however, and Cyclops did like her. But he was worried about what her family would say if she, a respectable middle class English girl, went out with a dark skinned man with a price on his head in his own country. While he was no longer in trouble with the law, he had angered a powerful man who would pay good money to see him hanged. Cyclops wouldn't drag Catherine into that.
"I know we'll get stared at, India," she went on. "I'm not so naive to think everyone will accept us. I know my parents will lecture me at first, and try to persuade me not to associate with him, but I also know that's because they're worried about the effect the stares and whispers will have on me. But I don't care about that, and I don't want them to care either. I just want to find out if I like Nate enough to allow him to court me."
"It will probably be more than stares and whispers, Catherine." As much as I wanted to tell her about Cyclops's past, I would not. He had to do that himself to gain her trust.
She kissed my cheek and I let her out. I watched her walk up the street, and searched both directions after she disappeared. There was no sign of Chronos or any of his pursuers.
It wasn't the fact that they hadn't found Chronos that worried me. It was the fact Matt would desperately need to use his watch now, and with him sitting conspicuously on the driver's seat, he would not get the opportunity.
I returned to the drawing room and Miss Glass. We chatted about her friends, shopping and Patience's wedding. She dozed off after a while, but woke up when Bristow entered and I greeted him enthusiastically.
"You're back!" I straightened his tie, allowing myself to get close enough to whisper, "Did you find him?"
"He returned of his own accord," he said. "He's been eating bread and honey in the kitchen these last fifteen minutes."
"And no one thought to tell me?"
"I chastised Mrs. Bristow for her oversight. But she did say that you did not seem worried about his absence."
I couldn't admonish her for thinking that since it was true. "And Matt? Cyclops?"
"I don't know. I only just learned they'd gone out looking for Chronos too."
"What are you two conspiring about?" Miss Glass called out. "Bristow, send in some tea please. I'm parched. India, will you join me?"
"In a moment. I'll see if Chronos would like to join us."
I found Chronos in the kitchen, mopping up honey on a plate with a piece of bread. "India," he declared, waving the bread at me. "Glad to see you."
"Where have you been?" I snapped.
He shoved the bread into his mouth and offered a shrug. That answer would not suffice. I grasped him by the arm and marched him out of the kitchen. I pushed him into Bristow's office and slammed the door.
"Where have you been?" I said again.
He rolled his eyes. "I've had enough of this from the bloody butler."
"The entire household has been looking for you."
"Don't exaggerate, India."
"Matt is still looking for you, and he ought to be using his watch. He's going to be in a terrible state when he gets back." I poked my finger into his shoulder. "Not only that, but he'll berate Cyclops for not watching you, and that's not fair."
"It is somewhat fair. He was too busy flirting with that pretty girl to notice me."
I smacked his arm. "That girl is Catherine Mason."
"Mason has a daughter? Well, isn't she a sweet little thing. Does Mason know she's having a liaison with a pirate?"
"He's not a pirate, and they're not having a liaison. Where did you go, anyway?"
"For a walk. I was tired of being cooped up inside all day. Wish I hadn't come back now, if this is the way my own granddaughter is going to treat me. What did you think would happen? That I'd run away? Why would I? I'm being fed for free and the roof over my head is very nice. A man could do a lot worse. So could you, India. You need to set aside your notions of independence and open your eyes to what you have in your grasp."
"Me leaving here has nothing to do with my independence. And do not change the subject. The fact is, you deliberately ran away while Cyclops was distracted without telling anyone where you were going."
"What does it matter? You have my spells. Why do you even need me?"
"That's a good question. I'm not sure we do. Perhaps I'll write to Mr. Abercrombie directly and tell him we have you. Or, better yet, I'll notify the police. They might be interested in what you can tell them about both Dr. Millroy's murder and the untimely death of a homeless man in sixty-three."
He put his finger to his lips and hushed me. "The servants might hear you."
I threw my hands in the air. I gave up. There wasn't a shred of remorse in his tone. I opened the door and ran smack into Matt about to enter.
He caught me by the shoulders as he'd done with Catherine on the porch and held me in a grip so hard his fingers dug into my flesh. He glared at Chronos over my head, his eyes flashing with anger, the muscles in his jaw bunching. The signs of exhaustion were there in the lines and pallor of his skin, but the signs of fury overshadowed them. I could feel him shaking.
"I've been looking for you," he said in a low, ominous tone. He ushered me inside and shut the door with the heel of his shoe.
I heard Chronos gulp behind me. "I went for a walk. Now I'm back. No cause for alarm. I was quite safe."
"It's not your damned safety I'm worried about."
"Then what?"
I glanced at Chronos over my shoulder. He looked pale but some of the color was returning to his face. He shook his head, confused as to why Matt was angry. As was I.
"You're India's grandfather, and you promised to stay and help her," Matt snarled.
"I have helped her. She knows my spells. There are only two. Ask her if you don't believe me."
"Teaching her a few spells is not the only way you should be helping her. You are the last member of her family. She though
t she was alone after her father died, even more so when her fiancé betrayed her. When she needed a guiding hand the most, you weren't there. When she needed someone to stand with her, you weren't there. You chose not to be there twenty-seven years ago. You ran away from your family once, Chronos. You're not running away again. I won't let you."
I stood there, utterly stunned, unable to move my feet. I felt as if I'd sprouted roots into the flagstones. Was Matt truly so upset and angry on my behalf? He wouldn't look at me yet he still gripped my shoulders. We stood so close that his breath ruffled my hair and I could feel the blood thrumming through him.
"She doesn't need me," Chronos said. "Not when she has you."
Matt suddenly let me go and placed his hands behind his back. I missed his strength and stumbled a little when Chronos pushed past us. He opened the door and almost ran into a scowling Cyclops.
Cyclops grabbed his arms, pulling the older man up onto his toes. He shook him.
"I've been looking everywhere for you." Cyclops may be a gentle giant, but he was capable of putting a great deal of menace into his voice. "I thought I'd have to return and tell Matt you'd disappeared. Believe me, I was not looking forward to it."
Chronos jerked out of Cyclops's grip and rearranged his jacket. "You're safe. He took all his frustrations out on me."
"Not all," Matt growled.
Cyclops swallowed heavily.
Chronos rushed off, and Cyclops was about to follow when Matt swayed. I caught him by the arms and tried to steady him. Fortunately he didn't collapse entirely and Cyclops was quick, because I wouldn't have been able to hold him up on my own. We directed him to a chair and I helped him remove his watch from his inside waistcoat pocket.
I tugged off his glove and opened the watch case. His fingers folded around it and magic immediately flowed into his body. He closed his eyes until the colorful glow crept up to his hairline, then he snapped the case shut.
"You were supposed to be watching him," he said to Cyclops.
"It won't happen again, Matt," Cyclops said to his boots.
"Be sure it doesn't."
"It's not Cyclops's fault," I said. "Chronos would have got away at some point if he truly wanted to."
Matt merely grunted, but I wasn't sure if he agreed with me or not. "It's not like you to let someone out of your sight, Cyclops," he said. "What happened?"
Cyclops cleared his throat. He suddenly looked young and innocent, and it was easy to ignore his size and the fierce scar. "Miss Mason came, but with India out, I took it upon myself to keep her company."
"Where was my aunt?"
"She joined us after a while, and that's when I noticed Chronos gone. I raised the alarm and sent Peter and Bristow out searching for him, then I went too."
"Catherine is blaming herself," I told him.
Cyclops winced. "That ain't fair. It wasn't her fault."
Matt narrowed his gaze at his friend but his anger seemed to have dissolved. "You should tell her that to her face."
"Next time she comes here, I will."
"Why not visit her? You could go this afternoon since Chronos has proven that he'll return if he goes out."
"Don't, Matt. You know why I can't do that." Cyclops turned and strode out of the office.
"I know why you think you can't," Matt called after him. "But your reasoning is thin, Cyclops. So thin that I can see right through it."
"And yours has got a large gaping hole in it, Matt, but I ain't calling you out."
He disappeared from sight and Matt expelled a breath. He lowered his head, and I was tempted to place my hand on the back of his neck. He muttered something I couldn't quite make out then, with a deep sigh, pushed himself out of the chair. I half expected him to stagger again and I prepared to steady him. He caught a hold of the desk, however, and took a moment to compose himself.
"Will you be all right getting up the stairs or should I get Peter?" I asked.
He glared at me but said nothing.
I met his glare with my own. "I asked you a question."
"I have a slight headache, that's all. I can walk on my own."
"Good, because your mood is far too ferocious for me. I'd rather be talking to Miss Glass than seeing if you made it to your room in one piece." I left before he saw that every word was a lie.
By the time Matt woke up, it was too late to call on Mrs. Millroy. He seemed better, not only in terms of the rejuvenation that a nap after using his watch provides, but also in his general mood. He entered the sitting room where we played cards and apologized to Cyclops for berating him over Chronos's disappearance.
"Where's Willie?" he finished, taking up a position by the fireplace.
"She came home about an hour ago," I said, studying my cards. "She changed and went out again."
"Where to?"
"She wouldn't say."
Duke tapped the top of his cards with his fingertip. "She's too secretive for my liking. Whenever she's secretive it means she's up to no good, and Willie up to no good is dangerous."
Cyclops nodded solemnly. "She'll either come back having lost her gun at cards or with gold cufflinks she won't even want but is over the moon to have won off a poor milksop."
"That's our Willie for you, Chronos," Miss Glass said from the sofa where she was reading a book by the lamplight. "She's either ecstatic or miserable. There is no in between." She lowered the book to her lap. "Although I'm not so certain that she's gone to play cards. She left smelling like rosewater."
That got everyone's attention, except for Chronos, who didn't look up from his poker hand. "If your friend wants to attract a gentleman, she should wear a dress and comb her hair," he said. "A sprinkle of rosewater won't be enough. It's like adding a vase of flowers to a pig sty."
He did not seem to notice the heavy silence that followed, too intent on his cards was he.
Duke fidgeted with his collar and loosened his neckerchief. He concentrated on his hand for a long time then threw the cards on the table. "I'm out." He crouched in front of the fireplace and stabbed at the coals with the fire iron.
Matt and I exchanged glances. Cyclops half rose from his chair then sat again at my signal. It was probably wise not to talk to Duke about his feelings for Willie in front of the rest of us. Besides, Miss Glass might be wrong and Willie hadn't smelled of rosewater when she left. Even if she did, it could have been for a number of reasons. I just couldn't think of them at that moment.
"Someone remind me," Chronos said. "What's it called when you have five cards all of the same suit?"
Cyclops and I threw in our cards. Chronos smiled and raked in his winnings.
Matt looked at the discarded cards and chuckled. "He was bluffing."
"He's a fast learner," Cyclops said, gathering up the pack.
It was some time before we could speak in private. Miss Glass retired early and Chronos looked like he wouldn't be far behind her. He stifled a yawn behind his hand.
"Gallivanting around the city tiring, is it?" Cyclops asked with a wry smile. He was still bitter that Chronos had got the better of him and escaped.
"I did a lot of walking," Chronos said. "What about you two?" he asked Matt and me. "Are you any closer to finding the diary and Millroy's son?"
Matt and I told them what we'd learned at Bright Court and the homeless shelter, and finished with his plan to return tonight and search the old records.
"Blimey," Chronos muttered. "That's a risk."
"It'll be fine," Matt said. "I've done this sort of thing before."
"I'm going with him," I told them before Matt could say otherwise. He merely frowned but did not overrule me.
"No." Chronos shook his head. "No, you're not."
"Yes, I am," I said hotly.
"I'm still your grandfather and I forbid it. It's much too dangerous."
"I beg your pardon." Both Cyclops and Duke shrank back from my icy tone. "You have not been a grandfather to me my entire life, so don't presume you can waltz in one day and tel
l me what to do the next. I am going tonight, and that is the end of it. Kindly keep out of my business." There. That got my point across.
Chronos folded his arms over his chest. "I cannot believe you allow her to do this sort of thing, Glass."
"I know better than to try and stop her," Matt said. "The women in my life have always been strong willed. India is no exception."
I wasn't quite sure how to take that. Had he just counted me among his women-folk? It was both pleasing and alarming.
"She won't come to any harm," he went on. "It should be a simple enough exercise if she keeps her wits about her, and India has more than enough wits to fool the staff at the shelter."
Chronos snorted. "No gentleman wants a difficult woman, India. You ought to remember that."
I rolled my eyes and caught Matt smirking. I resisted the urge to throw a cushion at him.
"I'll come too," Duke announced.
"No." Matt gathered up the cards and shuffled them. "Just India and me."
"I can drive. You'll need to get away fast before you're seen. I'll be a better choice than Cyclops."
"I know, I know," Cyclops muttered. "I'm too conspicuous."
Duke agreed with an apologetic shrug.
"I am good for lurking in shadows," Cyclops went on, warming to the idea. "If you won't let me come inside, at least let me linger outside in case there's trouble."
"There won't be any trouble," Matt said, dealing. "Duke, are you playing?"
"Aye." Duke sat in the seat Chronos vacated.
"I'm retiring," Chronos said. "You all enjoy your nocturnal investigation. And Glass? I'm warning you. If India is harmed—"
"She won't be, and I don't appreciate the insinuation that I can't take care of her."
"You should be fine if you use your watch before you go, but if you don't, you won't be able to protect yourself let alone her."
Matt stood, rising to his full height, and glared at Chronos.
Chronos stepped back beneath the force of it. "Right. Well. I've said my piece. Goodnight, all." He hurried from the room.
"Are you finished frightening old men?" I asked Matt. "Because if you are, I'd like a stiff drink, please, and some cards. Make them good ones. I need to end my losing streak."
