Phantoms In Philadelphia (14 page)

21 May

Elizabeth,

This letter is to be delivered into your hands when
I am gone. I have known what was ahead and what I had to face. It
was my destiny, as my beautiful is yours. You must finish your
journey. For your father.

Before he died, I was working with him against the
devil. Your brother was not the only one with faith. For two years,
I have been carrying on in his name. Now it is your time. You must
possess the knowledge which others seek for if they become
knowledgeable, they will wield it against you. Many people very
dear to you will suffer from their chatter. My beautiful, your key
is restoration.

Regretfully, P. Travoy

The letter was written on the day
that Pierre was captured; the day that I had met with him. I
contemplated the meaning.
They
could only mean Levitas, as Pierre would never put
their name to paper. One of the members worked at the post office.
I had recognized him. My beautiful, of course, was Ma belle.
The knowledge which others seek.
Levitas was seeking Ma belle and the
artifacts.

Jack would know. He was good with translations. I
rose from the table and took the letter with me into the library to
wait for Jack.

When he finally put in an appearance, it was mid
morning, and his gait was slow. I surveyed him critically. He had
gone out last night with a group of his friends.

“Is Dudley in any better shape?” I asked.

Jack chuckled. “I assume that Dudley is his usual
robust self.”

I handed him the letter to read.
When he had read over it twice, he stood and went to the fireplace.
He placed the letter before the flames, and I moved to his side.
When words appeared, I dropped to my knees to read over his
shoulder. Invisible ink. A mixture of iron sulfate and water, or
the juice from a lemon, would create what was known as invisible
ink. It had been George’s primary way of writing. It was a risk,
for anyone could hold the letter up to a candle and see what was
truly written between the lines, but George would say that if it
worked for the
Great Man,
then it worked for him. George was named for
President George Washington as his father had been a spy under
General Washington's command during the Revolution, though he never
met the man personally. When George joined my father to form the
Phantoms, he prided himself that
his
ring of spies would be further
advanced than those whom his father had served. Instead of numbers
for deputy names, each deputy was called a word that could be
written into any letter without the least suspicion of underlying
meaning. Junto was the name of the club which my father had been a
member. Fenrir was a Norse mythology about a great wolf beast.
Loutaire was a combination of my grandfather’s name and his
favorite word, silence.

Words appeared on the letter where
there had been none.
The leader of Levitas
is Richard Hamilton.

“I wish that he would have told me when we met.”

“That would have made our search simpler,” Jack’s
expression turned grim, “but when has our job ever been
uncomplicated.”

Ma belle. A woman of means, powerful, hiding between
Boston and Savannah.

I read the last description, but then had to read it
again. It said powerful sorceress with a past of darkness. One name
came to mind, but I shoved it away. It could not be that
simple.

Jack tossed the letter into the flames, and we
watched it until it was ash. At least we knew Pierre was alive,
somewhere, and when I found him I would ask him about the contents
of the letter. Until then, I would work on finding George and the
remaining artifacts.

We spoke about George and where he could be. Jack
said that since it was Leo’s day of leisure, he was scouring the
countryside around Stark Manor for any place that they could be
keeping George.

“What if we are wrong and the black carriage has
nothing to do with Levitas?”

“Then we have one more riddle to solve, but do not
worry,” Jack laid his hand on my shoulder, “we will find
George.”

***

It was half past noon, and I was coming down the
stairs from having changed my frock into an afternoon gown when I
saw Richard. I stopped and turned, fleeing up the stairs, out of
view before he noticed me. Peeking around the wall as he was let
into Jack’s library, my curiosity got the best of me, and when
Arnaud left the foyer I went down the stairs to the library door.
It had not been shut completely, so I was able to hear what was
being said.

“Please be seated.” Jack sounded calm. “There is
something I wish to discuss with you.” What could Jack possibly
want to discuss with Richard? “At my sister’s party I met a vision
and I understand that she is your ward.”

Richard barked out a laugh. “My boy, it will take a
strong man to tame that filly. A firebrand is what she is.”

“Sir, I will have you know that poetry is considered
a powerful weapon upon the senses.”

Richard laughed again, but Jack interrupted him.
“Could you tell me about her? Who were her family? From where does
she hail?”

It was silent for a moment before Richard said, “She
is seventeen and her family is all gone. She hails from Boston, and
she has recently become betrothed. So as you can see, she is not
for you.”

“To what was once my only dream, a storm has come to
break the sheen,” Jack replied reverently.

“Yes, yes,” Richard mumbled, and I
nearly laughed. Relief was thrumming through me. If Miss Clark were
betrothed, then Jack was
safe.

“I hear that it is to you that a man must come when
seeking your sister’s hand in marriage. Surely your father, a
worthy man I am sure, must have named someone older to have the
final say in such a delicate decision.”

I was startled. Why would Richard be speaking about
me?

“My father was not so gothic in his views. He knew
that I would choose such a man for my sister that he would approve
of.”

“I believe I know of such a man.” Richard’s voice
sounded much too cheerful. “Nicholas Mansfield. You met him at the
party. He would be most suitable, and he has the means to keep her
in the comfort to which she is accustomed.”

The fiery lakes of Hell will freeze over first!

“You may have something there.”

My jaw slackened. Indignation coupled with outrage
as I clenched my teeth. I looked through the crack in the door.

Richard was positively gleeful as he slapped his
knee and sat back. “She is not growing any younger and we must work
together, as the two men in her life who have her best interests in
mind, to choose wisely for her.”

“May I ask what makes Nicholas Mansfield believe he
would be a good match for my sister?”

“He assures me that your sister was taken with him
at the ball; enough to cast herself against him in the pretense of
stumbling so she could garner an introduction.”

My heart was beating wildly, my
palms sweaty and aching as I dug my nails into my skin. So I had
been right; he did not believe I had tripped. He thought I was
after him. I shuddered.
Disgusting!

“You should bring him by one day
soon.” Jack was grinning.
Grinning!

Richard laughed and said he would do that. Richard
winked at Jack, “Best not to tell the ladies of our plans.”

“I concur wholeheartedly,” Jack replied with
conviction.

Richard rose, and I leapt away from
the door
and ran to the dining parlor. I
waited until I heard Richard leave the house before going back to
the library.

Jack was leaning his head against the sofa with his
eyes focused on the ceiling. “Father forgive me for what I have
done that I should strike a deal with the devil’s own son.”

I shoved the door open, and it
struck the wall. “You will have to do more than that to acquit you
of such a sin, John
Traitor
Martin!” His head shot up.

Every thought was black as I stood inside the
doorway with my hands on my hips, seething with anger. My chest was
rising and falling as I huffed in and blew out short breaths
through my nose.

Jack’s startled face and conscience-stricken eyes
barely alleviated my anger. He slowly arose, his eyes never moving
from my face.

“Now, Bess, it was not at all like
that. You
know
me.
Would I honestly make a deal with the son of the devil if I did not
have a good reason?”

“I do not care what your reason,” I
lied. “You betrayed me to
him
.”

Jack sighed and came toward me. I stepped away from
his outstretched hand, but he was reaching for the door, not for
me. He closed the door, then walked back to the sofa, but he did
not sit.

“Listen, Bess, I had no intention of betraying you,
but I saw an opportunity and I took it.”

“An opportunity? Is that what I am to you? I suggest
you explain.” I crossed my arms over my chest and waited.

“You know that our father told us
that chances present themselves every day if we only have ears to
hear. Nicholas has
knowledge
hidden in his house, and I needed an opportunity
to search for it. You are to be that opportunity.”

I bit my bottom lip as I thought that over. It did
sound logical, and it sounded like something I would have done, as
would our father. Uncrossing my arms, and moving to sit on the
sofa, Jack sat beside me.

“I am listening,” I said.

“Richard will bring Nicholas to call on you, and you
will keep both men entertained for at least an hour. Giving me
enough time to ride to his house and search for the black box.”

“An hour? That is not possible.”

“Three quarters of an hour then. I need as long as
you can give me. His house is only two roads from here, but I will
need time to get inside and search.” Jack waited silently even
though he knew I would never give up such an opportunity.

“I will try to keep them here as long as I can, but
you must be swift. Half an hour is the correct time for a call, and
I am not sure I could keep them here longer.”

Jack smiled and squeezed my shoulder with that
brotherly affection that said he appreciated me.

My mother came in a few minutes later, and by the
look on Jack’s face; I could tell that he wanted to speak to her
about Richard.

Rising, Jack told her that he was glad to see her as
there was something rather important that we needed to tell
her.

“This sounds intriguing,” Mother said with a
smile.

“It is about Richard.”

Her smile wilted as she looked from Jack to me.

Jack and I exchanged a glance, and I nodded.

“We went to observe a secret society in connection
with one of our cases, and discovered that Richard is the leader of
that society.”

“You mean Levitas, yes I know that he is the leader.
It is a great honor for him to be chosen.”

She could not know all if she were still willing to
marry him. “He has spoken to you of Levitas?” I asked
cautiously.

“Richard has no secrets from me.” Her back went
straighter; her chin angled a touch higher in the air. “He told me
that it is a society that strives to better this country, and he is
leading the way. He is truly honorable.”

She believed that rubbish. Anger
was filling my chest as I gripped my knees and leaned forward.
“Mama, it is not—” he cut in, “I appreciate your concern. I know
that my marrying is difficult for you to accept, but I love
Richard, I trust him, and I need you to trust me. I know what I am
doing.”

I opened my mouth to speak again, but Jack caught my
attention and shook his head. I snapped my mouth closed as my
mother stood.

When the knocker on the front door sounded, Mother
gave me a look that said she expected me in the drawing room to
greet callers, immediately.

After she went out Jack said, “So it begins.”

I cast him a scathing glance as I went out, shutting
the door behind me.

Edith was in the drawing room with my mother.
Breathing a relieved breath, I went to greet her. I had only just
seated myself beside Edith when Miss Clark came in. As she sat, she
told me she was returning the kindness since my brother and I had
called upon her.

Another caller arrived, one of my mother’s friends,
so Edith, Miss Clark, and I settled upon a sofa together.

“Are you excited about your party?” I asked
Edith.

Her face perked up, and her blue eyes grew round
with excitement. “Yes, I love any opportunity to dance.”

She was such a lively dancer, the only time she ever
showed that vivacious side of herself in society.

She turned until our knees were touching, and she
leaned near me whispering, “My uncle says that Mr. Monroe has
promised to make an appearance since he will be in
Philadelphia.”

Miss Clark’s head snapped up from staring at her
hands. She gazed at Edith through narrowed eyes.

“That is wonderful,” I said, truly pleased but
curious about Miss Clark’s expression. James Monroe was a kind man
and a friend of our family whom I had not seen him since my
father’s funeral.

“Uncle Harvey says that Mr. Monroe is bringing a
young man with him,” she swallowed hard, a look of fear shadowing
her face, “to meet me.”

“Well, you may be sure that if it is so, he will be
a nice man. Your uncle would not allow any knaves or pirates into
his house.”

Edith laughed, her soft voice happy again. “Oh Bess,
you and your pirates.”

When Edith was younger she would beg me to tell her
stories, and it was my pirate stories that she enjoyed the most.
What she did not know was that the story about the maiden dressing
as a boy and sneaking aboard the ship then being forced to leap
over the side into the icy water had all happened to me. Though
those had been smugglers.