“Gerard?”
“Carrick’s brother.”
“You’re certain they won’t mind us dropping in unannounced?”
“Quite.”
Trixie maneuvered the ship around so it faced the direction she preferred for takeoff. As they made the final descent, she tasked Nathaniel with manning the lines and watching the tail.
Taking off and landing in the country was far more pleasant than the city. The air was clear and fresh unlike the sooty, grimy fog that hovered over most large cities. Most people living and working in the city didn’t notice what they were forced to breathe, but once you rose above the dinginess of it all the difference was remarkable.
They had just set the ship down on firm ground when one of her pets scurried up her arm and clamored for her attention. Wings flapped about and drew her attention to the group of armed men who had spread out between them and the direction of the manor.
“Nathaniel, I do hope those are friends of yours,” she said with a tip of her head toward the men.
“Ah, yes. The one in the middle is Carrick.” He waved to the men. “Ho, Carrick!”
Two of the men held back while the one he had indicated as Carrick continued toward them along with two other men.
“Nathan.” Carrick called out. “What the devil are you doing this way? We thought we were being invaded by a foreign entity.”
Nathaniel laughed, then asked Trixie, “Are you situated enough for me to head off Carrick?”
“Yes, go ahead.”
He went to greet his friends then led them closer to the ship.
Her shyer pets scattered into the closest hiding hole.
“Beatrix, allow me to present Lord Carrick Malcom Jamison, the third. Carrick, this is Miss Beatrix Wadeworth.”
“Pleased to make your acquaintance,” Carrick said with a beaming grin. “You must tell us all about this wonderful ship that I understand belongs to you.”
Carrick was about the same height as Nathaniel, perhaps a bit taller, but broader through the shoulders. He had light brown hair but the copper strands that caught the sunlight hinted his family might have a few Scottish connections.
She tipped her head to him. “It’s lovely to meet you as well. I apologize for dropping in on you like this, Lord Jamison. I hope we haven’t damaged anything in your field.”
“Oh, absolutely not. Nothing here to worry over. Nathan knows these lands well enough. He directed you to the best spot, I’m sure. And do call me Carrick. All that Lordship nonsense is far too stuffy for me.” He gestured to the ship. “Is there anything you need a hand with?”
“If someone could grab each of these ropes—” She pointed to the four ropes attached to each of the corners. “They need to be secured to something sturdy or tethered to the ground with a spike.”
Carrick motioned for the two men who had accompanied him to help while he and Nathan took the remaining lines.
“What the devil?” one of the men bellowed.
Trixie head swiveled to see what had startled the man. Wings had flown over to greet the man and currently circled above him.
The other man dropped his rope and pulled his pistol out.
“Wait! Don’t hurt her,” Trixie yelled. “She just wants to greet you to make sure you aren’t a threat.”
“What kind of bird is that?” Carrick asked.
“It’s a mechanical bird that her father made,” Nathaniel told Carrick. “It’s quite impressive.”
“Wings! Come here at once. You’re scaring the poor man,” Trixie yelled from the deck.
Wings changed directions and flew to Trixie’s outstretched hand.
“That was very naughty,” she scolded the bird. “You know you must allow me to introduce you to new people.”
The bird hung its head.
Trixie ran her finger across Wings back to let her know she wasn’t angry. “Now, let’s do this properly.” Wings hopped onto the side of Trixie’s hand where she could perch prettily. Then Trixie held her hand out toward the men. “Gentlemen, this is Wings. She is one of my mechanical pets. She alerts me when strangers are nearby and has been known to chase off more than one pick pocket.”
“You said that is just one of your pets?” one men asked.
“Yes. I also brought along Nid, my spider, and Squeaks, the mouse. I also have a mechanical rabbit, squirrel, and scorpion at home.”
“Amazing,” Carrick said. To Nathaniel he added, “Gerard will love those.”
“I don’t care for real spiders. Not sure a mechanical would be any better,” one of the men said and gave an exaggerated shudder.
“Nid isn’t scary.” Trixie encouraged Wings to light upon her shoulder then pulled Nid from her pocket. She held him out on her open palm for the men to see. “He’s quite calm and he responds well to commands.”
“Can he spin webs?” the other man asked as he tentatively touched Nid.
She smiled. “No, thankfully not. I cannot imagine what kind of messes he would make if he could.”
“You said you brought a mouse also?” the first man asked.
“Yes. She’s hiding somewhere in the cabin.” Trixie gestured to the enclosed space. “Actually, I should go and locate her before we go.”
“Go ahead, Miss. We’ll secure these ropes.”
“Thank you.” She slipped Nid back into her pocket. As she passed Nathaniel, she paused and quietly asked, “Will we be staying long?”
“Only long enough to get a sense of what we know and to plan our next steps. Perhaps a day or two.”
“In that case, I’ll close off the burner. No sense in leaving it open if there is no one to watch it.”
“Do you need someone to watch over your ship?” Carrick asked.
“Not necessarily. As long as you think no one will venture close enough to take the lines or parts off the burner. So few know how to fly one that I’m not worried about it being taken away.”
“I can have the stable boys take turns watching it. They’re likely to get a kick out of it anyway.”
“That would be wonderful. Thank you,” she said.
Once she had done what she could to secure the ship for any weather that might roll in she grabbed the bag she had brought with her personal items. She encouraged both Squeaks and Wings to hide inside the bag so neither of them would be lost on the way to the house.
Nathaniel raised a brow at her bag. “Did you know that we would be gone longer than expected?”
“I always expect the unexpected. I’ve traveled enough to know it never hurts to have a spare change of clothing and the bare necessities stashed somewhere.”
He patted his own satchel. “Agreed.”
Carrick ordered one of the men to stay behind with the ship. The others fanned out around them as they set out for the castle.
“So what brings you to my door, Nathan?” Carrick asked. “You’re not hiding from your mother again, are you?”
Nathaniel chuckled. “Nothing nearly as sinister as that. We were being followed in Edinburgh while investigating something. I needed someplace safe for Trixie where we could take a moment and review what we know about this case and maybe figure out who is so interested in us.”
“Which of you is being followed?” Carrick asked.
“In truth,” Nathaniel glanced her way. “I’m not certain.”
Trixie stumbled. Peter disappeared. Her father and mother disappeared and were presumed dead. Could it all be related? When Nathaniel had told her they were being followed, she assumed it had something to do with him being in the RIO. It hadn’t occurred to her that she might be the reason.
Nathaniel reached for her hand. “We’ll figure it out.”
“I hope we aren’t bringing trouble to your door,” she told Carrick.
“I, for one, hope you do,” Carrick said. “It’s been dreadfully dull around here.”
The other two men murmured their agreement. Nathaniel chuckled.
She blinked in surprise. Did all men crav
e action and adventure, even at the risk of injury or death, or was it only the ones she came in contact with?
When they broke free of the dense cluster of trees she got her first glimpse of the manor from the ground. The flat walls of the towers were as grand as they were intimidating. She could well imagine the building surviving decades of weather and local squirmishes.
They had just set foot on the gravel path when a shot rang out.
Nathaniel knocked her to the ground and used his body to cover her.
“Over there!” one of Carrick’s men shouted.
Every time she tried to lift her head to see what was happening Nathaniel stopped her. “Stay down,” he whispered in her ear. Her heart pounded against her chest and every instinct she had demanded she run.
Another shot rang out. Based on the proximity of the sound, she guessed that Carrick or one of his men had returned fire. There was yet another gunshot, then footsteps and shouting.
“Move to the hedges,” Carrick told them. “We’ll cover you.”
Nathaniel rolled off her then pulled her to her feet. “Stay low,” he ordered as he tugged her toward the row of bushes running along the road. As soon as they reached the greenery he pushed her to the ground. “Don’t move unless I or Carrick tell you otherwise.”
“All right.” Blood pounded in her ears making it hard to hear much over the sound.
Nathaniel sat with his back to the hedges and pulled his pistol from his jacket. He checked the bullets then looked in Carrick’s direction.
Carrick had also moved against the hedge but was several carriage lengths away. He peered through the foliage, signaled something to Nathaniel, and then crept forward.
Two more shots rang out then someone shouted, “Clear.”
Trixie looked to Nathaniel expectantly. He held up one finger telling her to wait.
Another man yelled, “All clear.” Finally a third man repeated the message.
The tension in Nathaniel’s frame eased. “I think we’re fine, but stay put until Carrick returns.”
She nodded her understanding. She was still too shaken to stand anyway. As they waited, she took a few deep breaths to calm herself. She and Nathaniel were fine. She said a quick prayer that none of Carrick’s men had been hurt either.
Someone seemed determined to catch them. She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. Or kill them.
The crunching of a twig on the other side of the shrub sent Nathaniel on alert. He aimed his pistol down the line of shrubs. “Ho, Nathaniel. It’s just us,” Carrick called out.
Nathaniel relaxed his stance and got to his feet.
“I assume your men caught whoever fired that shot?” Nathaniel ask as he reached to help Trixie stand.
“They did. Unfortunately, the poor bloke they found won’t be answering any questions.”
“Damn,” Nathaniel muttered.
“Any idea who it is?” Trixie asked as she brushed the grass and leaves from her clothes.
“No one any of us knows,” Carrick told them. “We’ll send for the constable. Perhaps it’s someone he’s had a run in with.”
She nodded.
“Smith and Willis will take care of the man. We’ll go on to the manor so we can get the two of you under shelter.”
“Thank you,” Trixie gave him a weak smile.
“Are you all right?” Nathaniel asked. “I hope I didn’t bruise you when I pushed you to the ground.”
“I’m fine. Any cuts or bruises I might have received are far better than the alternative,” she reminded him.
The muscle in his cheek jumped. “Indeed.” He offered her his arm. “Still, I feel bad for the rough handling.”
“No need.” She gratefully took his arm for support. Her knees were more wobbly than she cared to admit. “A little soap and water for my hands and hot tea for my nerves and I’ll be right as rain.”
“Tea?” Carrick scoffed. “Brandy is what you need to settle the nerves.”
She crinkled her nose. “Never developed a taste for brandy so I’ll just stick with tea.”
Carrick chuckled. “Your loss, my dear.”
14
“Have we been invaded, sir?” Carrick’s butler, held open the door when they arrived.
“No, Edgar, I’m afraid not. Just the one bugger. Andrew managed to get him right off.” He handed his rifle to the elderly man and shed his coat.
“How disappointing for you. Shall I tell the boys to stand down?”
“I suppose so.” Carrick’s tone held genuine disappointment. He handed Edgar his coat in exchange for his gun. “Then again…” Carrick paused. “It might not be a bad idea to keep a look out posted through the night. Tell the boys to arrange it.”
“Very good sir.” Edgar’s gaze finally settled upon Nathaniel. “Master Dennison. It’s good to see you again. I hope you have been well.”
“I have, Edgar. Thank you. You’re looking well.”
“I am, sir.”
“Edgar, this is Miss Wadeworth.” Carrick made the introductions. “Would you have Mrs. Jones prepare one of the guest rooms for her? I’m sure Nathaniel will be happy with his usual room.”
“Of course, sir. And how long will they be staying?”
Carrick looked to Nathaniel.
“Probably just a day or two.”
“Very good, sir.” Edgar tipped his head. “Miss Wadeworth, Master Dennison, would either of you like to freshen up after your journey?”
“That would be lovely, thank you.” Trixie smiled gratefully.
“This way Miss. I’ll ring for Mrs. Jones.”
“We’ll be in the library,” Carrick told Edgar. “Oh, and would you send someone up for Gerard? I’m surprised he didn’t come down when the shots were fired.”
“Yes, sir,” Edgar told Carrick.
Carrick handed his gun to one of the men who had accompanied him. “Thank you, Samuel. Maybe next time we’ll have better luck.”
The men mumbled something and returned to their posts.
Nathaniel followed Carrick to the library.
“So what have you gotten yourself into this time?” Carrick asked as he poured them both a brandy.
“I’m not entirely certain.” He recounted stumbling across Trixie in the London RIO, their flight to Edinburgh, as well as what little he recalled about Trixie’s parent’s disappearance. “And now her brother Peter has disappeared.”
“Do you think someone wants Trixie as well?”
“It’s possible. What I can’t figure out is why.”
“That’s what I’ve been trying to work out as well,” Trixie said when she joined them near the couch.
Both men sprang to their feet but she waved them back into their seats.
“If I may be so bold, Miss. Wadeworth, there are only three motivators behind any strategic maneuver. Power, money, and love.”
She took a seat on the sofa near Nathaniel. “I don’t know how my family could help anyone in any of those areas.”
“You’d be surprised,” Nathaniel said.
“Nathan said you were now running your father’s business?”
“That’s right,” Trixie confirmed.
“If you don’t mind me asking, how much is your company worth?” Carrick asked.
“To be honest, I couldn’t name an exact figure of the company’s worth from memory. We are largely debt free so it is a profitable business to be sure. But I can’t see that anyone would want to kidnap or kill over it.”
Nathaniel tipped his head. “Who would stand to inherit if something happened to both you and your brother?”
“Uncle George and then his eldest, Fitzgerald.”
“Any animosity there?”
She shook her head. “None at all. Uncle George has done quite well with his textile mills. He supports many of the best dress makers in London and Edinburgh.”
Both men made noises of slight interest then fell silent. Trixie poured herself a cup of tea from the tray that had been broug
ht in while they had been chatting.
“Was your father working on any new projects or inventions at the time of his disappearance?” Nathaniel asked.
“Father was always working on something.” Trixie smiled at the memory. She paused as she remembered a detail. “Now that I’m thinking about it, I do recall overhearing him and mother talking not long before they left on their journey that he had been disappointed when Lord Gathidy didn’t respond to him about something.”
“Gathidy was a former the Minister of Science, wasn’t he?” Carrick asked Nathaniel.
“I believe so,” Nathaniel confirmed.
“Any idea why Gathidy would be contacting your father?” Carrick asked.
She shook her head. “I’m afraid not.”
“Would your father have written about something like that in his journal?” Nathaniel asked.
“I suppose it is possible.” She shrugged. “But I can’t read it.”
Nathaniel raised a brow. “Couldn’t open the lock after all?”
“No, it opened once I repaired one of the cogs some fool had bent. Unfortunately he wrote everything using one of his codes. I have been unable to make any sense of it.”
“Do you mind if I take a look?”
“Not at all.” She pulled the book from the pocket of her skirts and handed it to him. “Father loved to experiment with coded languages. He used to send us secret messages just to see if we could figure out what it said.”
Nathaniel flipped through the pages. His interest peaked immediately. “This is quite good.”
“Good, as in difficult to crack?” Carrick asked.
He glanced up from the book for a moment. “Oh definitely.”
“But isn’t that bad for us?” Trixie asked.
“Perhaps.” Nathaniel grinned. “It will certainly provide a challenge for me.”
“Perhaps now would be a good time to show you about the house then?” Carrick got to his feet and offered Trixie his arm. She glanced at Nathaniel then stood and took Carrick’s offering. “And perhaps you could tell me all about your airship.”
Their voices faded as they exited the study.
Nathaniel frowned at the book in his hands. The thrill of solving a new and obviously challenging puzzle had dimmed. Normally he would have lost all sense of those around him as he began to pick apart the pieces. The thought that Trixie would be spending time with Carrick, alone, hovered on the edge of his consciousness and irritated him greatly.
London Calling Page 35
