Steamed (33 page)

 

“
S
o there’s nothing you can do to help us?” “I wish I could, Jack, but my hands are tied.” Alan cast me a forlorn gaze. “As it is, I’m juggling the emperor’s demand that all diplomats be present at the wedding, and Etienne’s plan to have me single-handedly knock out a troop of guards and open up one of the sealed entrances so the Black Hand can infiltrate the reception. I really only came to warn Octavia about the Moghul attack that is evidently imminent.”

I searched his face, but didn’t find any answers there. “You’re sure that it’s the same ship that attacked us?”

“The report Etienne slipped me was that a black Moghul warship was seen crossing the channel this morning. It had a complement of twenty-four cannons, and was heading for London,” he said, his voice neutral.

“That sounds like the one that destroyed Tavy’s ship,” Jack said, momentarily distracted.

“I’d give a lot to know why they did that,” I said, picking a piece of lint off my sleeve. “The
Tesla
posed no direct threat to them.”

“Perhaps it was just an inexperienced captain,” Alan said, shrugging. “Or someone who didn’t know what he was doing. I am surprised they attacked the
Tesla
, too, when just two hours behind you was the ambassador’s ship with several officials from the Italian court, along with myself, naturally.”

“You wouldn’t think the Moghuls would allow their warships to run amok in the hands of inexperienced crews.”

“They seem a rather brutal lot,” Jack said. “Perhaps they just attack anything that isn’t part of their empire.”

“Perhaps,” I said, reaching for the teapot to refresh both men’s cups.

Jack accepted his tea with a little frown. “What I find amazing is that both the Moghuls and the revolutionaries are going to attack at the same time. It’s going to be a madhouse out there. Although, you know, we might be able to use that to our benefit.”

“That’s a thought,” Alan said, trying to look cheerful and failing miserably. He glanced at the clock and sighed heavily. “I must go. The emperor asked specifically to see me before the ceremony, and if I am to have time to deal with Etienne’s request, I must see William first. My dear, you will both be in my thoughts.”

I rose with him, allowing him to take my hand and press a kiss to the back of it. “Thank you for warning us about the Moghul attack, Alan. I know you’re pressed for time, too.”

“I wanted to make sure that you would be well out of it,” he said simply, his dark eyes warm with affection and regret. “I only wish I could help you free Jack’s sister.”

My gaze dropped, my fingers growing cold, a polite murmur all I could utter. There were things I had not told anyone, not even Alan. Now was not the time to unburden myself.

“I’m going to reconnoiter the prison where they’re taking Hallie,” Jack said, pulling on his jacket. “If we can find a weakness there, we can exploit it. You coming with me?”

I shot him an outraged look. “Jack, you know full well that I am wholly devoted to the idea of freeing your sister. I would not now change my intention of doing so.”

He pulled me into a gentle embrace. “I didn’t mean to ruffle your feathers, sweetheart. I just didn’t know if there was someone you could see about getting her released.”

My gaze fell to his neck. I said nothing.

Jack’s hands tightened on my arms. “Octavia? Is there someone?”

I bit my bottom lip, my stomach in turmoil. “Yes.”

“Really?” Relief and hope filled his voice. “Then for God’s sake, woman, let’s go see him. We have only a little over two hours left.”

“It’s not that easy, Jack,” I said slowly, wanting nothing more than to fold myself in his arms and hide from the world. I looked at his face, infinitely dear to me now, and didn’t want to acknowledge the truth.

“Why not?”

“I love your eyes,” I said. “Have I mentioned that? I love that they don’t match. I love how they sparkle when you tease me, and how they seem to radiate heat when you make love to me.”

He searched my face for a moment, his thumb brushing along my cheekbone. “What is it you don’t want to tell me?”

Pain and regret and despair roiled within me. I closed my eyes for a moment so he wouldn’t see it. “I can save your sister’s life.”

Silence filled the small front sitting room of the red-brick house that had been my home for most of my life.

“But?” Jack asked.

I opened my eyes again. “But it will cost me mine.”

He turned to stone in my arms, his muscles tightening, as did his expression, his eyes going flinty. “No.”

“It’s the only way,” I said, wanting to cry. “We cannot breach the prison on our own. There will be nothing to exploit.”

“You don’t know that until we go and check it out,” Jack said, pulling me to the door. “Let’s go and look.”

“I do know,” I said, my voice thick with tears. I pulled to a stop, not wanting to bare my secrets, but knowing I had no other option.

“How?” he asked.

“Do you remember what Etienne said about it being foolish to attack the prison?”

“Yes, damn him.”

“My guardian, Robert Anstruther, was arrested for treason. He and his wife were taken to the prison. I convinced Etienne to help me free them.” Pain at the memory lashed me with freshly honed barbs. “Seven people died in the attempt, Jack. Seven people died because of my insistence that we try to free my guardians. We were not successful. I thought perhaps this time it would be different, but I fear Etienne is right. It would end in disaster just as the last attempt did.”

“We have to try,” Jack said, and the agony in his voice almost brought me to my knees.

I swallowed back my misery, and nodded. “There is no other decision to be made. I will go and see to your sister’s freedom.”

“No.” Jack grabbed me as I marched resolutely past him. “I’m not going to let you sacrifice yourself.”

“There is no other way,” I said, warmed despite the chilly knowledge of what would transpire.

“I love you, Tavy,” he said, his forehead against mine as his arms wrapped around me in a steely embrace. “I love you with all my heart.”

“You love your sister, too.”

“I love you both. I want you both in my life.”

Tears pricked at my eyes. “You don’t know me, Jack. There are things about me that would change your mind. I’m not who I seem to be. You must believe me that it’s best this way.”

His arms loosened, his voice oddly without emotion. “You’d rather die than spend your life with me?”

“No, oh no,” I wailed, flinging myself onto his chest, kissing his neck. “But there are things I’ve kept from you—secrets, things you don’t know about me—”

“Stop it,” he said, shaking me. “Do you think I’ve told you every little thing there is to know about me? Learning about each other is going to be one of the delights to come, Tavy. And I fully intend for us to have that.”

His jaw set, he pulled me down the stairs to the front door.

“There’s no time,” I protested.

“Yes, there is.” He searched the street for a cab, didn’t see one, and, with my hand firmly in his, proceeded down the street to a busy intersection. Five minutes later we were in yet another of the steam carriages that jetted about London at the legal limit of two miles per hour. “Now, tell me about this person who we’re going to see, and why you think the only way you can save Hallie is to sacrifice yourself.”

I fought my inner demons for a second, then turned around in my seat and yelled a new direction to the driver. I had to yell it twice, since the sibilant hiss of the steam coming from beneath the carriage was enough to mask our conversation.

“Did I hear you right?” Jack asked as I sat back in my seat. “You want to go to a palace?”

“There is only one person who can save your sister now—the emperor. It is to him we must plead our case.”

“But . . .” Jack’s brow furrowed. “Didn’t you say that you and he used to be together? Why would you think he’d want to kill you?”

“We were together.” I smoothed my gray leather gloves over my fingers. “We were until he discovered something about me, something that changed our relationship.”

“What was that?” Jack asked.

I shook my head. “I will tell you that later. For now, you must simply know that our parting was not . . .”

“Amicable?” he suggested.

“That would be an understatement. William allowed me to leave and, for the sake of what we once had, appeared to forget about my existence. But it was made very clear to me that should I push myself upon his notice again, I would pay for what he viewed as the gravest of crimes.”

Jack fought with his curiosity for a few seconds before nodding. “All right. You may think I don’t know you, Octavia, but I have faith in your character enough to let you tell me whatever it is you have to tell me in your own time.”

I was touched, very touched, warmth swelling over me at the gesture of belief. “Thank you,” I managed to say.

“So you think that if you go to the emperor and ask for Hallie’s life, he’ll release her, but what—put you in prison in her place?”

“Quite likely.” Or worse.

Jack made a face and held my hand. “I won’t let that happen.”

“You can’t go against William, Jack—he’s the emperor,” I said, unable to keep from laughing at the obstinate expression on his face.

“Says who? There’s more than one way to skin an emperor, Octavia, and I mean to show you just that.”

I eyed him. He spoke with determination, his jaw set, his gaze resolute. All warning signs that he had some plan in mind, a plan that would quite likely spell his own doom unless I did something to avert that. “I hope you don’t intend on doing anything foolish, Jack. As I said,

I am not in favor, and I would have absolutely no influence on anyone should you run afoul of William.”

“You just get us in to see him, and leave the rest to me.”

“Yes, well, getting in to see him isn’t the problem.” I glanced out of the window. The crowds had been building on the sidewalks, several people deep by now—citizens of the empire who clutched little flags bearing pictures of the emperor and the duchess, and who were willing to endure a long wait just to glimpse the emperor and his bride as they passed on the way to the cathedral.

“I take it you have a way for us to get in?”

“More or less. There is a well- hidden secret gate to the gardens. Only the imperial family and one or two trusted retainers know of it. I gather it was put in place in order to provide an exit should an emergency occur. William showed it to me when I was a very small child. We will hope the way to it is clear.”

“You know, in my world, the queen lives in Buckingham Palace,” Jack said as we drove slowly toward Kew Gardens. We passed a bystreet that I recognized, and prayed Jack wouldn’t.

“Really? How very odd. I don’t believe William has ever even been in Buckingham House,” I said, patting his knee so he’d stop looking out the window. He obliged me by waggling his eyebrows. I smiled at him, catching the sight of the freshly erected gallows in my peripheral vision. “Emperors have always lived in Kew Palace. It’s actually a very nice palace as a grand house goes. Not too large, but warm.”

“If I ask you how you met the emperor, will you be able to tell me?” he asked, the smile still in his eyes.

I let my gaze drop. “I was lost. I ended up in the garden. William heard me crying, and came to investigate. He was only a few years older than me, and had escaped his tutor for a little illicit tree climbing in the back garden.”

“And your parents never came forward to claim you?” Jack asked, his face now full of sympathy.

“No. The emperor, William’s father, tried to locate them, but was not successful. We’ll get out here, I think. We have to go to the very far end of Kew Gardens. I’ll tell the driver to stop.”

The gardens were thankfully not very occupied since most people were on the streets, so it didn’t take us long at all to get to the distant corner that touched on the high brick wall marking the boundary between the palace gardens and the public garden. I stopped at a distinctive yew bush, once cut in the shape of a topiary, but now sadly grown out so its former shape was almost unrecognizable, and counted out seven paces. After a quick check to make sure we were unobserved, I pressed the twelfth brick from the bottom, and was rewarded with a dull grinding noise.

“Push,” I told Jack, putting both hands on the wall and heaving.

Jack did likewise, and the wall sagged inward a few inches.

“I’ll be damned. There is a secret gate.”

“It’s more of an opening than a gate, and it feels like no one has used it since I was a child. We’ll have to widen it more.”

Five minutes’ work gave us a gap that was big enough to allow us to slip through. We put the wall back into place before hurrying along the tall yew hedge.

“Jack, I should warn you—”

“I know, I know. Let you do the talking.” He sighed. “Some day we’re going to go back to my world, and then I’ll get to boss you around.”

“I’m not bossing you. I’m simply requesting that you let me handle the situation with the palace, since I am more familiar with it. And as for returning to your world—”

Jack’s hand clamped over my mouth as he pulled me more or less into the yew hedge. Just as he did so, I heard feminine voices. On the other side of a short brick wall that designated what was referred to as the children’s garden, a small gaggle of women strolled. We could just see their heads and shoulders as they perambulated the pathways. The woman in front was familiar to anyone who had read recent newspapers, or attempted to purchase a tea towel.

I turned my head and put my mouth next to Jack’s ear. “That’s the duchess.”

“I gathered as much. What are they doing out here?”