Viridis - A Steampunk Romance (7 page)

“Did you notice whether he was with anyone that
night?”

“Not when he first arrived. There was another
gentleman who did eventually turn up. Hadn’t seen him before, at
least not that I can remember. They then took their business to one
of the private rooms. I’m afraid I lost track of him from
there.”

“Do you remember what time it was or what the other
man looked like? Anything you remember, no matter how small the
detail, could be of use.” William pivoted in his seat, to face
Gabriel more easily. There was something William was missing, some
detail just beyond his reach, something Gabriel was holding
back.

“It couldn’t have been too much past eleven o’clock.
As for the other man, I can’t say I noticed anything that made him
stand out. I’d say he couldn’t have been much over thirty-five. I
don’t remember him being all that tall, and he had brown hair worn
just long enough to brush his collar, thinning just a little on
top. Actually, now that I think of it, he did wear wire eye specs,
and though I only saw him close up for a moment, I’d say they were
thick enough to distort the appearance of his eyes. He wasn’t a
terribly handsome fellow, I’m afraid to admit.”

William jotted down the information in his notebook,
giving it some thought. “How about the clothes he was wearing? The
quality of the fabric, the cut?”

“I’m afraid there was not anything out of the
ordinary. The quality of the cloth was good but not the best and
the same could be said for the cut. Fairly conservative in its
styling rather than anything of the latest fashions.”

“I thank you. The information could prove to be
quite useful.”

There was a knock at the door just before it opened,
and Molly came in pushing a teacart laden with drink and food.

“Would you like some tea Inspector?” Phoebe got up
to pour the tea herself, dismissing Molly. “The pasties and
sandwiches are also quite good.”

“Yes. Thank you.” Though William did not want to
linger, he found no harm in accepting Phoebe’s generous offer and
it would allow him the opportunity to observe the group a while
longer.

He had learned long ago, that it never hurt to be on
friendly terms with potential witnesses, since they would be more
apt to call you if they remembered anything pertinent. It also did
not help that he would be heading to an empty house when he left
here.

He took the cup and plate Phoebe offered, with his
thanks. She really was quite stunning, her almond shaped eyes doing
nothing to mask the intelligence and kindness behind their emerald
glow.

“I’ll have the girls questioned. They may remember
having seen the man you’re looking for.” Phoebe suddenly
remembered. “Oh. Poor Lilly. I may be mistaken, but I believe that
she and Lord Hawthorne had struck up a bit of a friendship and had
grown rather fond of each other.”

“I’d like to speak with her if that’s possible.”

“I’ll see if she’s here. Excuse me.” He watched
Phoebe step out of the room and it was a fair amount of time before
she finally returned. “I’m afraid, she’s not here,” she said,
biting her lip, a look of worry on her face.

William thought her concern to be genuine. From all
he had observed, her face had a tendency to show every thought and
emotion, and he did not think her capable of telling a lie without
it being quite obvious.

“Was she supposed to be?” William already knew the
answer. She wouldn’t be looking so worried, otherwise.

“She was supposed to have worked the last couple of
nights. The last time anyone saw her was the night Lord Hawthorne
was murdered. I do hope she wasn’t also harmed.”

William was touched by her genuine concern, and
tried to reassure her. “We only found Lord Hawthorne’s body, but
I’ll look into any reports that may have been filed. Could you
describe her for me? Her full name and an address would also be
helpful, if you have it.” William made a note to check the morgue,
but there was a good chance Lilly was somehow involved in the
murder or may have seen who committed the act. It could turn out to
be a decent lead.

“You’d know Lilly if you saw her. Flame red hair, as
if the devil himself had set it on fire, and blue eyes. Not too
tall, but really quite pretty.” Phoebe got up, went to her desk and
after a bit of a search, pulled out a file. After flipping through
several pages, she jotted something down on a piece of paper.

Phoebe handed him the note. “Her name is Lilly
Turner. She had been staying at a shelter called Genie’s Place when
she first started working here. That’s the address, however I
couldn’t tell you if it’s current or if she’s since found new
lodgings. She has a sister, Anne, who works there and may be able
to help. You will let me know if you find her?”

William doubted there was any more information to be
had this evening, but would pay Lord Gabriel Hughes another visit
in the near future. Though the man seemed an affable sort, there
was something he was hiding. However, for now, he would try and
track down the girl and hope it would lead to more answers.

He got up to go with a final look at all assembled
before settling his gaze on Phoebe. Digging into his pocket he
pulled out a calling card and gave it to her. “I’ll notify you if I
come across any information regarding Lilly. You’ve been a great
help. If you think of anything else, I’d appreciate it if you
contacted me.”

Chapter Eight

“I’m worried about Lilly.” Phoebe paced the floor of
her sitting room. They had immediately left Viridis upon the
inspector’s departure to try and get a bit of food and rest. Yet,
she had barely touched her meal, and she knew sleep would not come
easily tonight.

Seth stood and came to her side, running his hands
down her arms and effectively putting a stop to her endless circuit
of the room. “The Inspector seemed like an intelligent and
competent individual, but if it’ll make you feel better, we can go
and look for her ourselves.”

“Finding her would help put me at ease.” Phoebe felt
partially responsible since she’d been the one to hire Lilly. The
girl would never have had any involvement with Lord Hawthorne
otherwise, and if she was now in danger, it would weigh heavily on
Phoebe’s conscience.

She looked up into Seth’s eyes, so filled with
concern, and was helpless to stop the emotions he stirred in her.
She desperately wanted to give in and let herself be swept away in
the safety and strength of his arms—and yet she could not, knowing
their circumstances had not changed.

Seth ran a hand down her arm, twining his fingers
with hers, and then, as if reading her mind, said, “I spoke with
Moore and Clarke. Told them the geostat was my last mission
away.”

She shook her head no, while at the same time her
heart skipped with joy. “Seth, you can’t—”

“I can, and I did. I’m not abandoning the Cause, but
you’re right, there are other ways to help. I’ve already spoken to
them about a few things we could attempt here in London.”

He tilted her chin up towards him and lowered his
lips to hers. She let herself indulge in the kiss for only a moment
before she took a step back. If she didn’t put some space between
them, she’d be in danger of losing herself in the moment, in the
promise of a future together.

She turned towards the fire, running her hands up
and down her arms to try and get warm. “You spent the day with
Moore and Clarke? What did they have to say for themselves? I
cannot imagine they were very happy.”

“No, they weren’t, but I made it clear that the
choice was not theirs to make and if they pushed me on the subject,
then I’d quit all together and go my own way. I can still help
those in need without playing into their plans.” Seth came up
behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her to
him. His solid warmth was comforting, and yet it sent a pulse of
panic rushing through her veins. “I won’t leave you again, Phoebe.
At the very least, it’s the one thing I can promise you.”

“Can you truly promise that, Seth? Because I don’t
know if I can believe it.” She spun in his arms to face him, to
look into his eyes and find the truth. “I know Clark and Moore.
They’re ruthless in getting what they want if they feel they can
justify it for the Cause. Things have gotten worse since you’ve
been gone, and if revolution breaks out, I worry what they’ll ask
of you.”

With her hands in his, he brought each to his lips.
“Phoebe, I never should have left. I know that now. But I need you
to trust me. A year without you made one thing clear. You’re the
most important thing in my life and I’ll not make the same
mistakes. Not even a revolution can make me break my promise to
you.”

She started to look away, but he cupped her face
gently in his hands, holding her gaze with his. “Seth…”

“I’m sorry I hurt you, Phoebe, but I need you to
believe me. Can you do that?”

Taking a deep breath, she tried to ignore the
quickening of her heart and the twisting in her gut. “I don’t know.
This is all happening so fast. It’s as if we’re back to where we
were before you left, and I cannot do that. I need more time.”

“If time is what you need, my love, then I’ll be
here waiting for you. I have every intention of staying in London.”
His face then lit up with a smile. “And I think I have a way to
prove it to you. Would you mind accompanying me to my home?”

Her mind raced through the possibilities. What could
possibly offer such proof? With her curiosity piqued, she nodded.
“Very well, then. Let’s go.”

Chapter Nine

The second show of the night had just gotten
underway, but Gabriel was anxious for things to wind down. Each
night was busier than the one before. However, even with the
constant bustle, his mind was not with the customers present here
this night, but rather on the one they would not see again.
Niles.

Gabriel knew Niles had been involved in things
better left alone, but he had never thought him to be in such grave
danger. Though they were both involved in the Cause, Gabriel could
not help but wonder whether it contributed to his death or if it
was a matter of Niles’s other involvements. His guilt weighed
heavily as his mind questioned what he could have possibly done
different to stop Niles’s death. Gabriel knew he’d not be able to
rest until he found out what happened.

“Lord Hughes.��

Gabriel turned to find Lord Victor Hawthorne
approaching. “Lord Hawthorne. How may I be of assistance?”

“I was wondering if I could have a word with you in
private.” Victor, always quite serious, looked even more so this
evening with his brow furrowed and his mouth downturned. With such
a grimace, Gabriel had a good idea as to the subject of the
conversation.

“Yes, of course.” Gabriel led the way to his office,
and once seated, Victor wasted no time getting to the heart of the
matter.

“It is regarding your sister. Being the eldest male
in your family it is your responsibility to see she finds suitable
prospects of marriage, and I guarantee you will not find a better
offer, especially when you take into consideration her conduct has
at times been less than ladylike. I personally like the challenge
of dealing with a headstrong woman, but there aren’t many who would
bother. Have you not spoken to her about my offer of marriage?”

Gabriel took a deep breath to get his anger under
control, since he knew no good would come of physically or verbally
assaulting the bastard standing before him. “I have spoken to her,
and I’m afraid she is not interested in marriage, not to you or
anyone else, for that matter. It is no reflection on you, I assure
you. As you pointed out, you have plenty to offer. However, my
sister makes her own decisions, regardless of what society has
deemed proper, and cares not if all others consider it a good
catch. That being the case, I cannot imagine why you would even be
interested, for surely there must be plenty of ladies willing to
marry you, and proper ones at that.” Gabriel stood, putting an end
to the conversation. “I am sorry I cannot be of further assistance,
but I have other business to attend to. I’m sure you
understand.”

Gabriel ignored Victor’s stammerings as he escorted
him out of his office. Though he did truly believe Phoebe should be
allowed to marry whom she wanted, the truth of the matter was he
would be furious with her if she chose to marry Victor. He had
never liked the man and he could not imagine a more mismatched
pair. But there was more—Gabriel knew something of Victor’s various
dealings around town, and worried that, at his core, Victor was a
cruel and merciless man, though he’d always been careful enough to
keep his true nature hidden from London society.

The encounter with Victor left him feeling
irritable, so Gabriel found one of the other bar keeps to cover the
rest of his shift. He ran through the figures he had for the night
thus far and then took his leave. He had not been able to shake
Niles from his thoughts. With his mind racing, he took a coach to
The Stag and Hound.

Chances were good he’d find Moore holed up in there,
and after dealing with Victor, Gabriel was in a foul enough mood to
take him on. He wanted answers. If Niles was dead, then there was a
good chance his involvement with the Cause had something to do with
it. And if it involved the Cause then it involved Moore and
Clarke.

He paid the driver, taking the remaining distance on
foot. A brisk wind carried with it the first flakes of snow,
dizzily dancing in their fall. There would be several inches on the
ground come morning, and one look at the sky told him it wouldn’t
be letting up anytime soon.

Each footfall echoed eerily as the sound seemed to
bounce off the thick air itself. The roads were empty. Most had
taken themselves indoors, either for sleep or drink, with the hopes
of an escape from the relentless cold that had fallen upon the city
these last few weeks. Gabriel wondered just how long it would last,
cursing under his breath as he pulled the collar of his coat up
around his ears.