Heart of Brass (20 page)

He hoped when he woke up he’d remember her.

“Damn it, Dhanya! He’s jumped through all your hoops. I want my husband back!” Two days of seeing him as a prisoner had made Arden realize she trusted him more than she thought. And nights of wishing he was there to make good on his promise to give her “something to moan about” only added to her frustration. Perhaps it was incredibly slatternly of her, but she wanted her husband at home, in her bed, and bugger the rest.

Her friend and superior drew her spine straight, her face an imperious mask. “You would do well to remember just who it is you’re talking to.”

Arden’s own shoulders snapped back. “In this place your word may be law, but don’t think I won’t petition the Queen herself. My husband is a Peer of the Realm.”

“And a traitor.”

If anyone else had called Luke that, she would have jabbed them with the pronged end of her discombobulator.

“Not a willing one.” Arden met the other woman’s amber gaze and held it. She was nothing if not willful. Her stubbornness was legendary; without it she would have given up hope for Luke’s return years ago. She’d be illegally married to Alastair right now, or at least be his lover. It was only sheer determination that kept her pious, and it had worked out in her favor.

Dhanya folded her arms over her chest. She wore black trousers with a shirt of violet silk and a black waistcoat embroidered in gold. Her long black hair hung down her back in a loose braid. She looked beautiful and impenetrable. Two minutes ago, Arden had found a piece of copper wire in her own hair—left over from a glove-warmer she’d been working on for a client earlier that morning. It wasn’t as though she needed the funds such work brought in, but it kept her mind sharp and occupied, and it also gave her access to ladies who knew all the latest gossip. It was in her best interest to know what was going on—especially with a poor girl murdered. There were still no leads, but Arden shamefully had to admit that since finding Luke in her bedroom she hadn’t given the murder her full attention. “He’s not going anywhere until I am satisfied that you and the rest of Britain is safe from him.”

Arden picked up the notepad from the desk and held it up. The pages were covered with writing in her husband’s hand. “He’s given you pages of information already. Surely that gives you some degree of confidence.”

Elegant shoulders shrugged. “I’ve yet to confirm any of that. And you shouldn’t be reading it.”

Arden tossed it back on the desk. “I don’t want to read it.” She didn’t want to know the things he’d done for those monsters. “I want my life back. I want my husband.”

Dhanya appeared unmoved, but then she had never been married. She had no idea how it felt to have Luke returned just to lose him again. “I am sorry, Arden, but I will not sanction his release one second before I am ready.”

Arden’s temper flared into hot pettiness. “Then I’m afraid I won’t have that device for you until I’m ready.”

The Director flushed. “You said we wouldn’t speak of it. And you’re being a child.”

Her first came down on the desk. “I want my husband!”

A moment passed as silence settled between them, neither prepared to look away first, or even blink. Then Dhanya began to chuckle. Arden followed, much to her own chagrin. Oh, but it felt good to laugh. She sank into one of the chairs in front of the desk and the other woman did the same. Their chuckles faded, leaving both of them wiping at their eyes in silence.

Having regained her composure at last, Arden said, “I need him, Dhanya. I need to have him at home with me. I’ve waited so long I fear I may go mad if I have to wait much longer.”

Resting her elbow on the desk, the Director regarded her with a sympathetic gaze. “You know he’s not the man he once was.”

Arden nodded, her fingers toying with the bit of wire that had fallen from her hair. “I’m not the same woman. I’m not sure that’s entirely a bad thing.” Though that was a lie. If they weren’t the same people, would they still love each other? She had been shocked when Luke said there was little difference between the Wardens and the Company. Why, he’d been all about his duty before he disappeared. He believed the W.O.R. to be an instrument of good against Company corruption.

She’d also been surprised at the way he looked at her when she lied to him. She was a very good liar, but she was certain he could sense her deceit. He had never caught her in a lie before—not that she knew of. Of course, she’d never really had anything to lie to him about before.

“A few more days,” Dhanya assured her. “Let us monitor his recovery from the procedure, see what he might remember about his last assignment and how he was taken. Then you can take him home—with some provisos, of course. You never know, returning to his home and to you just might trigger memories.”

She referred to his spy work. Personally Dhanya would want Arden to be happy, but what mattered to the other woman was uncovering what had happened to Luke, whether or not he had been betrayed. What really gave her pause was Dhanya’s mention of his last assignment. No one seemed to know what it was. If Dhanya didn’t know, then the former director had taken it to his grave. That meant it involved something extremely sensitive. But what? It had been so secretive that her father had been forbidden to discuss what devices he supplied for the operation. And when Luke disappeared, he’d been taken into headquarters for a private meeting with the former director—a meeting he refused to speak of, but Arden had seen the sadness, and fear in his eyes. He refused to tell her anything, even when she begged him on her knees, sobbing for her husband.

Her heart broke a little at the thought of Papa. Luke had yet to inquire after him, but he would eventually, and she would have to tell him that Papa was gone, and that Mama had fallen to decline.

As soon as her mind turned to her mother she shut it down. That was more heartbreak than she could take at the moment.

“Thank you,” she said. “I know you have the Empire to worry about, so I apologize if my wants seem petty in comparison.”

Dhanya’s full lips curved. “I cannot imagine what you must be going through, so I will apologize if I seem cold in my motives. But threaten me with Her Majesty in the future and you’ll never taste Mama’s sweets again.”

That was a threat that hit home. “I would rather die.” It was said with humor, but when Dhanya fixed them tea on the little burner she had in the corner of her office, and brought out a plate of her mother’s delicious concoctions, Arden thought perhaps she should keep such threats to herself in the future.

She was on her second cup of tea and fourth sweet when Evelyn arrived. It had only been a little more than two hours since she put Luke under. The sight of the darker woman launched Arden to her feet, dread heavy in her chest, food and tea revolting in her churning stomach. “Is he…?”

Evelyn looked horrified. “Oh, luvvy, no! He’s fine. Brilliant, actually. Sleeping now, but you’ll be able to see him in a bit.”

Choking back a sob, Arden sank into her chair before her knees could give out. “Oh, thank God.” When she reached for her empty teacup, Dhanya splashed some whiskey in it from the bottle she kept in her desk drawer. It was the bottle she kept for special or dire occasions. Which of those she considered this, Arden had no idea.

“Evelyn?” Dhanya held up the bottle. When the doctor nodded, she poured some whiskey in a cup for her as well. “Tell us everything.”

Evelyn took the whiskey with a tired and grateful smile. Arden couldn’t remember ever seeing the woman when she looked as though she was rested. “I made a small incision on Lord Huntley’s forehead above the small section of bare bone in his skull. When I inspected the opening I found a small mechanism inside, which I managed to extract intact.” She took a sip from her cup.

Arden exchanged glances with Dhanya. “What sort of mechanism?”

“The sort normally used in asylums to release medication into patients in regular intervals.”

Dear God. “Did you find anything inside it?” Arden asked, swallowing hard against the horror and disgust twisting inside her.

Evelyn took another drink. “Yes. I need to run a few more tests because I wanted to talk to the both of you first, but I think a chemical compound was being used to inhibit Lord Huntley’s long-term memory. Just having the device implanted in his brain would be damaging enough.”

The thought turned Arden’s stomach. She took another drink regardless. “Will he recover his memory now that it’s been removed?” Did she want him to recover?

Her friend shot her a sympathetic look. “I’m not certain, luv. With the gregorite in the way, it’s difficult to see just how much damage has been done. Plus, there’s so much we don’t know about the brain. Add to that the damage that the chemicals have done over years of continued use….I think you should prepare yourself for the possibility that he will never fully regain his memory.”

Arden caught her top lip between her teeth. So much of his life—of their life together—lost forever. How could they ever hope to regain what they once had? “Thank you, Evie.”

“I wish I could have brought you better news.”

She cleared her throat. Sympathy was well and good, but it could quickly become pity, and she would rather hack off her own hands than be pitied. “Is his mind otherwise sound?”

Evelyn rolled the cup between her palms. “The procedure was completely without incident, so I’ve no reason to suspect otherwise.”

“That’s all I can ask. The rest will be what it will be.”

Arched brows from both women met her statement. “That’s very…calm of you,” Evelyn allowed.

Arden shrugged, careful to keep her inner turmoil to herself. “It’s why God made whiskey.” She forced a chuckle when her friend looked even more shocked. “I’m just happy he’s remembered who I am and stopped trying to kill me. Honestly, you two. Right now it’s enough just to know I was right.”

To her great relief, both of her companions believed her lies and laughed. Dhanya raised her cup. “To husbands not trying to kill their wives.”

“I’ll drink to that,” Evelyn agreed, lifting her cup in toast as well. Arden followed suit. She suddenly felt lighter—a combination of the whiskey and the good news about Luke. She still had hope. After clinging to it for the past seven years, she would not abandon it now. After all, it had served her well.

She sat with the women for a little while longer—enough to enjoy a second cup of Dhanya’s whiskey and make use of the loo. She was just about to take her leave when Mr. Chiler’s voice came through the orophone on the desk. “Pardon me, Director?”

Dhanya moved the device—which looked like a miniature gramophone horn—toward her so she could speak into the flared mouth. She removed a piece of cork from it. “Yes, Chiler?”

“I have Chief Inspector Grant on the telephone. He’s looking for Lady Huntley. Would she like to speak to him?”

Dhanya looked to Arden for consent. Arden nodded. “It must be important for him to call me here.”

“Ring him through to this station. Thank you, Chiler.” A second later the telephone in the office began to ring. Dhanya put the piece of cork back into the orophone before answering the other device. “Certainly, Inspector. Lady Huntley is right here.” Dhanya passed the telephone to Arden.

“Inspector Grant?” Arden said into the mouthpiece, holding the listening part to her ear. “What is it?”

“Sorry to trouble you, my lady, but I was of the hope that you might have the time to call upon me at Scotland Yard today.”

Arden hesitated. She wanted to see Luke before she left. “Is it important?”

There was a pause on the other end. “My lady, would I call you at this location if it wasn’t?”

Whatever it was, Grant obviously didn’t want to discuss it over the telephone. No matter that it was a marvel of modern innovation, it was all too easy for operators to listen in on otherwise private conversations—a favorite pastime of many, despite one of W.O.R’s telephone exchange operators having been charged with treason for sharing something she’d overheard. “I’ll be there as soon as I can, Inspector.” She didn’t add that it had better be worth forcing her to leave her husband.

He thanked her and she disconnected the conversation by placing the earpiece in its “switch.”

“Has there been a break in the investigation of the baron’s daughter?” Dhanya asked.

“He didn’t say,” Arden replied, rising from her chair. “Ladies, I’m afraid I must take my leave of you. Evie, may I check upon Lord Huntley before I depart?”

“Of course.” The darker woman made a face that said she hadn’t needed to ask. “He’s in the infirmary. The nurse will let you in.”

She hugged both of the women before leaving, and carried her hat in her hand. She had to ask Mr. Chiler for directions to the infirmary, but found it easily enough. The ward was closed off by a metal door with a slider that opened a few seconds after she knocked. The nurse let her in as soon as she identified herself. Dr. Stone had left her name as a temporary visitor to the locked facility.

Luke was at the far end of the short row of beds, the majority of which were empty. His color was good, and aside from the snowy bandages wrapped around his head, he looked perfectly normal. Peaceful. She couldn’t help but smile at the sight of him. Hopefully Evelyn’s procedure had severed the last of his ties with the Company.

The armed guard watching over him nodded at her as she approached, and moved a discreet distance away to give her a little privacy, but remained close enough should anyone—herself included—make trouble.

Arden lowered herself to the edge of the narrow cot, sitting on her hip so as not to disturb Luke’s slumber.

She reached down and smoothed back the hair that stuck up above the top of the bandage wrapped around his head. It was soft and silky, and brought a lump to her throat. If she had a pound for every time she’d come close to, or had cried since his return, she’d be an extremely wealthy woman. God, someone ought to horsewhip her for this sentimentality.

Dark lashes twitched, then slowly opened. Glassy pale eyes stared up at her as his lips curved into a lazy smile. “I know you. You’re my wife.”

Arden grinned like an idiot. It felt as though a huge mass had been lifted from her back. How could she not have been consciously aware of just how afraid she’d been that he would wake up with his memory gone once more? “Yes, I am.”