Viridis - A Steampunk Romance (8 page)

Just ahead, he could see the faint glow of light
through the steamed and sooty windows of the tavern. He stepped in
out of the cold, his skin prickling with burning warmth. It was
late, well after midnight, but The Stag offered its patrons warmth
and company they may not get at home, evident by the still healthy
trade.

“A pint and an eel pie, if you would.” Gabriel said,
taking a seat and sliding his coin down the bar towards the
publican, a gruff and hefty man who looked like he’d been serving
ale all his life and wouldn’t stop until he’d taken his last
breath.

The ale was cold and bitter, quenching his thirst.
Gabriel glanced around for Moore, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Still, the man had a way of ferreting about unnoticed. It was
almost certainly the reason Moore had managed to escape death’s icy
grip and the hangman’s noose for this long a time
.

The publican slid the steaming pie in front of him,
and Gabriel’s stomach rumbled in response. He’d been so busy at
Viridis, he hadn’t had a chance to eat. The pies here were always
delicious and remarkably fresh, and he felt some of his tension
dissipating with each bite. He had nearly finished when he heard a
familiar voice at his side.

“What are ye doing here? Long way from home, aren’t
ye, lad?”

Gabriel turned to find the chair to his right
occupied by none other than Cullen Moore. His dark hair was
streaked with grey, his skin weathered and wrinkled with a long
scar running along his jaw line, half hidden by stubble. Though he
knew Moore to be no older than forty, the man had led a harsh
life—really no different than that led by the tens of thousands of
poor living in London.

“Have you heard? Niles was found dead two nights
ago.” Gabriel tried to judge Moore’s reaction to the news, but the
man’s face stayed frozen in its gruff and weathered
countenance.

Moore gave his head a shake. “That’s a shame now,
isn’t it? Makes one wonder what sort of trouble he’d managed to get
himself in.” Getting the publican’s attention, he ordered himself a
pint and pie, and then motioned to Gabriel’s empty pie plate. “The
pies here are awful good, aren’t they?”

“Damn it, Moore. What the hell happened? This is not
what I signed on for and I guarantee you it wasn’t what Niles had
in mind either.”

Moore’s eyes danced in the dim light, as he
absent-mindedly played with his fork “Now, how would I know what
happened to his Lordship?”

Gabriel’s temper flared. He’d be damned if he was
going to get dragged into this mess any further than he already
was. Things were hard enough without being suspected for murder.
“There was an inspector sniffing around Viridis. Don’t be surprised
if he starts digging around here, dredging up secrets you would
rather keep buried.”

With a shrug, Moore said, “I’ve nothing to hide,
lad. He can dig all he wants.”

Gabriel looked over his shoulder to make sure no one
else was in earshot before turning back to Moore and lowering his
voice. “Lilly’s also gone missing. I don’t suppose you know where
she’s gone to?”

“Nah, couldn’t say I do. But that girl’s a bit like
your sister; too much independence and attitude to be entirely
healthy. You’d be wise to talk to some sense into her Ladyship
before she finds herself in an ugly situation and gets herself
hurt.”

At the mention of Phoebe and his perceived threat,
Gabriel felt his temper boil, Moore’s shirt in his fist. “You leave
Phoebe out of this, you hear? You even look at her the wrong way,
and Lilly won’t be the only one gone missing.” Then before he
completely lost control, he got up and walked out the door into the
stinging cold.

Chapter Ten

It was late, the snow already falling as Phoebe
climbed the steps to Seth’s home, his arm around her waist, should
she fall. Her stomach clenched with eager anticipation, her mind
having run through all the possibilities. Even Seth was looking
excited, the smile on his face carrying all the way to his
eyes.

They sat in his office, his designs and papers
covering nearly every horizontal and vertical surface, as she
looked over the plans he had wanted to show her. She could feel his
stare as she went through his work, taking in all the nuances of
the tinkering he had drafted while in the Outlands. Though she
wasn’t much of a tinkerer in the traditional sense, she was honored
that he thought highly enough of her to show her his designs,
trusting she’d be able to understand the important parts of the
diagram.

Her focus was complete as it all fell into place;
his notes, his drawings and his calculations pulled together to
form a complete image in her mind. He hovered just over her
shoulder, his body thrumming in anticipation of her response.

“Well? What do you—”

“Shhh!” Phoebe put a hand up to quiet him, her brow
furrowing at his interruption, though her eyes had yet to leave the
papers he had pinned to his work-board.

After double and triple checking the work before her
and referencing the numerous calculations Seth had scrawled in the
margins, she could scarcely believe what she was seeing. Seth’s
intricate drawings detailed the inner workings of the most
ambitious tinkering he had ever attempted. The main section
consisted of a large sectioned dome made of metal panels riveted
together, while a series of coils wrapped around the base and top.
It then attached to a smaller nearly identical dome via a series of
pipes and a single tunnel.

She turned to face him, her eyes pinning him to the
spot like a butterfly under glass. “Seth.” She took a deep breath,
as it all sank in, her heart pounding a rapid drumbeat. “Is it
really what I think it is?”

He nodded in response, but Phoebe could see
anticipation and doubt had every one of his muscles in knots. She
reached out and took his hand, giving him the reassurance he
needed.

“If it works, I think it’ll be my greatest
accomplishment. It’s a cellular multiplier of sorts, capable of
making copies of any plant or vegetable using cellular building
blocks. It’ll be a huge undertaking, but if it works, it would
change everything. Would it not?”

She was stunned. “It would. I still don’t quite
understand the details of the molecular extraction and the cellular
reformation, but it would be amazing if you could get it put
together and running properly.” A smile slowly spread across her
face, her excitement barely contained. “You could feed the hungry,
Seth.” Letting out a whoop of joy, she leapt towards him, wrapping
her arms around his neck, kissing him, as her feet dangled off the
ground while he supported her weight.

He let her slide back down to the floor, his arms
still wrapped around her. “It may not work, Phoebe. It’s still in
the early stages; just lines on paper.” She could feel his heart
thundering away in their excitement.

“If anyone can make it work, it’s you.” She cupped
his face in her hand, overwhelmed by her feelings for him.

“Phoebe, it means I could help the Cause— here in
London.

Phoebe froze, letting his words sink in, feeling
both joy and dread wash over her. He meant what he said about
staying in London. The designs before them were as much a promise
to Phoebe as they were for the Cause. She lowered her head,
avoiding his gaze, for she now knew she would need to tell him
everything, though how she would manage to get the words out, she
did not know.

“Phoebe…”

There were so many things she needed to tell him, so
many things she was not sure she could. But the worry in his voice
kept her from delaying any longer. “There are a few things you need
to know. I don’t suppose we could go sit by the fire? Maybe have a
drink? I’m feeling a bit chilled.”

Phoebe could see he was worried, though he did not
lead on. “Of course. The fire in the sitting room has been dampened
for the night, but if you don’t mind, the fire in my sleeping
quarters should still be lit.”

She nodded her agreement, and let him steer her out
of his workroom and up the stairs to his room. Phoebe sat down in
the chaise by the fire. It had been such a long time since she’d
last been to his home, yet the memories, of this room in
particular, were ones she would never forget. Seth handed her a
glass of brandy and took a seat by her side. “What is it, my love?
Does this have to do with where ye were earlier this evening?” She
could see him wrestle to keep his emotions hidden, his eyes filled
with worry, and his accent slipping into its familiar lilt. “I know
I’ve been gone a long time, and I have no claim on ye, aye? But I
swear Phoebe, the thought of ye with another man…” Anger and
jealousy tainted his voice.

She reached out and took his hand in hers. “Soon
after it became clear that Viridis would continue to do well and
was financially stable, I took a large portion of the money and set
up a shelter for those in need. Food, a warm place to sleep,
medical care and an education. When you saw me earlier this
evening, I was just returning from there. I had gone to make sure
they weren’t in need of anything additional, fearing the cold spell
might have depleted their resources.”

Seth let out a deep breath, then leaned in and
kissed her, his lips sweet and tender. “You’re an amazing woman,
Phoebe.” He brushed a stray lock of hair from her eyes before
continuing. “I was so worried you had found another, that last
night had meant nothing.”

Phoebe looked down at her hands, feeling a guilty
flush rise to her cheeks.

“What is it, my love?” Hurt clouded his eyes and his
brow furrowed with worry. “Is that not all?”

“I’m afraid not.” She drew in a large, shaky breath.
“It’s Victor, the man I introduced you to your first night back.”
She watched a wave of emotions— anger, jealousy, hurt— cross his
face and forced herself to continue. “Nothing happened between us,
Seth. I do not think I encouraged him in any way, but was shocked
to find he had gone to Gabriel to ask for my hand in marriage.
Gabriel told Victor the decision was mine to make, and I’ve tried
to make it clear that I have no interest in marrying him, but he’s
rather persistent. I’m sure he’ll not be happy of our relationship,
and I worry about what he may do. He’s not a man used to being
denied what he wants.”

His fists clenched. “Are ye saying ye think he’ll
hurt you? Cause if he even so much as breathes in your direction,
I’ll kill him.”

She cupped his face in her hand, feeling the
roughness of the day’s growth of beard against her palm. It was
comforting to know he was once again, just an arm’s length away.
“No. I do not think he would wish me harm, however I do fear he’ll
try and cause you problems. I would not have mentioned it
otherwise. His proposal is not one of importance to me.”

“Is there anything else, Phoebe? Anything at all
that I should know of? I realize that I only just returned, but I
need to know that you trust me— not only to stay in London, but
enough to be honest with me.”

There was. Yet she could not bring herself to tell
him. It was a small matter, and though she felt it to be
insignificant and inconsequential, mentioning it would cause an
immense amount of problems. She pushed it out of her head before
she could worry too much, and hoped she made the right decision.
“There is nothing else. As for my trust, I know you are trying, but
I still cannot say. My heart is aching to say yes, however the last
year was difficult and still fresh in my mind. I want to be able to
trust you, but I’m not sure I’m ready yet. You’ve only just
returned and it is still too early for me to make such a
decision.”

He nodded, and she could see his disappointment
though he tried his best to keep it from her. “You’ve already given
me more than I deserve.” Standing, he turned to her and said, “I
should get you home. It is late, and you’ve had a long day.”

She felt her stomach sink at his words. The last
thing she wanted was to go home to a deafeningly quiet house and
sleep alone in a cold and empty bed, just as she had the last
fifteen months. Not wanting to be alone, she said, “Seth, please.”
She stood, her body pressed against his as she leaned towards him,
looking up into eyes she could drown in. “Let me stay.”

Her hand reached up around his neck as she kissed
him, his lips sweet and just a little rough, tasting of brandy.

“Phoebe.” She could hear hesitation in his voice

“I don’t want to be alone. Not tonight.” She just
wanted to sleep with his arms around her.

“Come then.” As if understanding her every need, he
removed only the binding and voluminous outer layers of her
clothing, then laid her on his bed, curled her up against him, and
sent her off to sleep wrapped in his embrace.

***

Phoebe awoke in Seth’s house, in Seth’s bed and in
Seth’s arms. She was furious with herself for once again giving in
to her weaknesses, giving into the fear of being alone, instead of
gathering her resolve and independence and going home.

Despite the fact that Seth had done nothing but hold
her in his arms, she still shouldn’t have spent the night, if for
no other reason than to establish some boundaries and set a pace to
their relationship. It felt too much like they were picking up
where they had left off, his year’s absence erased in a kiss and
warm embrace. She cursed herself in frustration, and while she was
at it, cursed him too, for he was the only man she had never been
able to resist.

Needing some distance, Phoebe began gathering her
clothing. “I should be going. I want to go to the shelter to see if
they know of Lily’s whereabouts before heading to Viridis. I’m sure
you have business that needs tending to, having only just got
back.”

“I have nothing that cannot wait. Let me escort you
to the shelter, Phoebe. It’s a dangerous neighborhood even for
those that live there and have nothing but the clothes on their
back.” He came towards her, frowning and finishing the buttons on
his shirt.