The Earl of Brass (The Ingenious Mechanical Devices Book 1) (27 page)

An Insurrection

Eilian tried to formulate a question to catch Joshua off guard while several gentlemen voiced their concerns about money, but nothing came. The man had an answer for everything. The other adventurers asked how soon they could depart while the scientists questioned if they could publish the papers under their own names without giving Sir Joshua credit. No opening was coming, and the urge to speak grew as Hadley’s eyes bored into his skull, waiting for him to say something.

“You say you are the only one left from the original expedition,” Hogarth began from the front of the assembly. “What happened to the others? Were they attacked by natives?”

Sir Joshua’s face darkened. His eyes exaggeratedly drooped at the corners. “No, they were tragically—”

“Betrayed and left in the desert to rot,” Eilian called from the last row, his voice echoing in the massive chamber.

His head whipped toward the audience, his eyes wide with rage. “Who said that?”

Eilian Sorrell stood up, rising to his full height as every head swiveled over the backs of their chairs. “I did.”

The archaeologist shook his head, a cocky smile playing on his lips. “Lord Sorrell, how nice of you to invite yourself to my little gathering. I am sure you are unhappy with me for not giving you first crack at joining
my
expedition, but that is no reason to resort to slander.”

“I’m not upset. After all, you knew better than to try to swindle me again, but I thought I should come and warn these nice gentlemen not to give their money to a charlatan.” Eilian chuckled grimly as he stepped into the aisle. “Why tell them we are dead, Joshua? I’m sure you didn’t want them asking about our first trip to Palestine, but your lie was worse than I anticipated.”

“You don’t even know what you are talking about,” Joshua sneered as his eyes trailed back to the podium. “No one is left from the expedition except me.”

“Oh, really? Who do you think had you removed from the airship in Jerusalem after you stole
our
tickets to make your getaway?”

He glared up at him, grinding his jaw in agitation. “Prove it!” he spat, the words echoing as the men in the audience looked between both archaeologists uncertainly. “Go ahead, Eilian. If you’re going to smear my name, then back it up with proof. It’s you against me.”

“What happened in Palestine, Lord Sorrell?” Hogarth asked, turning his back on Sir Joshua to lock eyes with his contemporary.

“We had been there for several months and found nothing of monetary value. Spurred by his new investor, Edmund Barrister, he turned to theft to escape the humiliation of returning to England empty-handed. He and Mr. Barrister raided my desk in the middle of the night, stealing the airship tickets I bought for myself and my companion as well as the notebooks we kept during our time there. They are the same notebooks he presented to you today. In the end, even his own cohort abandoned him.”

“This is all hearsay. Gentlemen, why are you listening to him? He’s only saying this because that dig did not make his father any money. How do we know this so-called companion even exists?”

“Because I’m right here,” Hadley replied as she popped up from her seat to stand beside Eilian. “I accompanied Lord Sorrell to Palestine.”

“There were no women in the camp! Would you be kind enough to leave before you make fools of yourselves? I have never seen this woman before.”

“That’s because I was dressed as a man.”

A murmur passed through the crowd as Hadley stepped forward, quietly making her way to the front of the assembly with her carpet bag slung dutifully over her arm. Joshua Peregrine seethed as she brushed past him and picked up the books from the podium and flipped to an early entry in the journal.

“I came to Palestine masquerading as Henry Fox to experience life at an archaeological dig as any man would. I am the author of this journal,” she explained as she tapped the cover, “as well as this sketch book. Lord Sorrell knew I was interested in archaeology, so he invited me to accompany him as his guest. I didn’t want to be handled with kid gloves or given a cleaned up version of camp life, and to do that, I became Mr. Fox.” She reached up and pulled the postiche from her hair, letting her short, henna locks fall around her face. “As you can see, my hair has not yet grown back. I know you won’t believe me without additional proof, Sir Joshua, but I will give it to you in due time.”

Eilian smiled proudly as Hadley pulled a piece of paper from her carpet bag and held it beside the open journal. She brought them to an older gentleman in the front row, which Lord Sorrell recognized as one of the museum’s curators.

“Sir, in your opinion, does the handwriting in this book match the letter?”

He placed a pair of pince-nez on his nose before nodding.

“Can you tell them what name is signed at the bottom of the letter?”

“Hadley Fenice.”

“And what name is written in the cover of the journal?”

“Henry Fox,” he murmured, sweat glistening on his high forehead as she then showed the papers to Sir Joshua.

“Allow
me
, to quote an entry, ‘On the thirtieth of September, Eilian and I were sent on the task of finding a new prospective site to dig as Joshua has found nothing in nearly a month. We came across pieces of a medieval manuscript in the middle of the desert. I chased the pieces until we came to a cave filled with a cache of antique books. A child appeared, and I pursued her through the cave system, thinking she was lost. Upon rounding a blind corner, I collided with the bedrock and awoke to the most miraculous of sights.’” She thumbed a few pages forward. “Ah, here it is. ‘For trying to act in a motherly fashion, I’m now left with a lovely knick in my forehead, half an inch above my left eyebrow.’” She lifted up the swath of red hair draped over her forehead to reveal a small scar, no larger than a pockmark. “Here is the physical proof of our trip to Palestine.”

Sir Joshua crossed his arms as he tried to break her hold on the audience by stepping between his investors and the lectern. “All this proves is you and Lord Sorrell have questionable morals. Despite what these
people
have to say, an expedition to Billawra will be worth the expense. Your money will come back to you ten-fold, and your name will be in every history book.”

“What proof has he shown that Billawra exists?” Eilian called as he joined his fiancée. “He would have us prove we were with him the first time, yet he offers you no proof of the Billawrati’s existence.”

The archaeologist roughly snatched the books from Hadley’s hands. “
Here
is the proof. It’s all in here.”

“The only thing these books prove is how good of a writer I am.” She turned back to the rows of gentlemen with soft eyes and an earnest smile. “The reason I wanted to research archaeological excavations is because I wanted to write a book. My moment of inspiration struck when I hit my head in the cave. I had mistakenly chased a young Bedouin who had lost one of her sheep in the cave. In the dream-like state my concussion caused, I pictured a world under the desert plateaus, and the Billawrati were born. The excavation site was so fruitless that I spent most of my time writing and drawing, which is how I filled up my books with ideas for my novel.”

“So they don’t exist?” Hogarth asked with his arms tightly folded across his chest.

“Sir, I think Joshua Peregrine’s ruse has been an insult to your intelligence. How could a society so advanced exist without currency or trade? Electricity coming from water and knowledge stored in gems are devices constructed within my imagination. Sir Joshua has simply taken my plot and twisted it in order to swindle you out of your fortunes. I’m sorry to say that if you follow him to the desert, you will only find a collapsed cave and nothing more.”

A hush fell over the room as gentlemen’s’ eyes darted, silently asking the others in the herd what they should do. David Hogarth, the young archaeologist who had addressed Eilian earlier, was the first to glare at Sir Joshua Peregrine before storming out the doors of the Reading Room. By the time the great door shut, a dozen other men were already grabbing their hats and coats. Joshua’s brown eyes widened, wordlessly pleading with them as they sauntered out without giving the baron a second glance.

“You— you are leaving?” he stammered as he got in front of them but was promptly yet politely pushed aside. “Can’t you see they are lying?”

The moment the archaeologist stepped away from the podium, Hadley shoved the journal and pad into her carpet bag, causing it to balloon like a gluttonous tapestried tick. When the last man slipped from the nobleman’s grasp and out into the Grand Hall, he turned to them, fists balled at his sides and the vein on his neck throbbing. He drew in a tremulous breath and stepped toward Hadley, but Eilian positioned himself between them with his prosthetic arm lightly pushing his fiancée further back.

“It’s over, Joshua,” he whispered.

“How dare you humiliate me! You don’t know what you have done, Eilian. I will never—”

“Never what? Forgive me? Let me live it down? Work for me again? As I’m now the major shareholder and owner of the Falcon Shipping Company, I hereby terminate your contract.” Eilian took Hadley’s hand and resolutely strode toward the door. “Consider yourself blacklisted, Joshua. I will be sending David Hogarth a letter this afternoon offering him your spot as liaison to the East.” He paused at the threshold and looked back at his defeated old friend with a pang of guilt. “I’m sorry it had to end this way, Joshua.”

A smile spread across Hadley’s face as they pushed through the crowds in the marble halls. Adrenaline was still pumping through her veins, making her want to tear through the halls, sing an aria, and play in the snow all at the same time. Eilian laughed softly as he watched Hadley stroll beside him, holding onto his arm with a new swing in her step. She was proud of their actions, but he still wasn’t sure if he had done the right thing. In saving the Billawrati, he had destroyed the reputation of an old friend, and even if that friend did steal from him, he knew it was done in desperation. Despite the anger that hardened his heart and still lingered as a tightness in his chest, a part of him couldn’t forget the good years that preceded the mutiny. Idling near the corner of the British Museum was the cherry steamer with the white-haired butler refilling its water tank.

“Where to, sir?” Patrick asked as he opened the door for the couple.

He looked to Hadley, who still wore a cheeky grin. “Take us home. I think a victory feast is in order.”

***

She contently watched the Greenwich hills roll by as they left London far behind them. “Your mother and uncle still need to meet my family. Do you think they would mind going to my uncle’s house in Oxford for dinner? Eliza’s father has been a surrogate parent to me, so I don’t think he would say no to being our host. The thing is, he can be a little… eccentric, but he has a lovely home that isn’t covered in wood-shavings or dust. He even has a few servants. Do you think Lady Dorset would be willing to travel that far?”

“I think my mother would like that very much. She won’t admit it, but she loves a ride in the country.” Eilian reached up to brush the melting flakes of snow from his jacket when he felt the lump of the ring box in his pocket. “I— I keep forgetting about this part,” he replied nervously as he held it out for her. “It isn’t the prettiest thing, but I— I do hope you like it.”

Hadley looked into his grey eyes with a pang of anxiety creeping through her stomach as she held the little velvet box. She cautiously opened it as if the ring would leap out at her. Sitting amongst the crush blue fabric was a Flanders cut quartz crystal entrapped in a gold setting with a little sapphire at each corner. Eilian took it from the box and placed it on her finger, holding his breath as he waited for her reaction. As she held the ring up in the light, she noticed tiny, black tendrils reaching up from its apex. A bright smile finally crossed his countenance as she raised her hand to her temple.

She relaxed her mind and heard it whisper to her in his warm, sweet voice,
I love you, Hadley
.

Adventures to Come

Hadley Fenice smiled contently as she watched Lady Dorset converse effortlessly with her uncle. Much like his daughter, Elijah Martin knew a little bit about everything, including affairs concerning weddings. The grey-haired professor with frizzled muttonchops and a naked crown was no stranger to speaking with the aristocracy. After all, his comparative anatomy research was one of the most funded projects at Oxford, and over the years, he had made speaking with those who held the purse strings a fine art. She had worried Professor Martin’s extensive collection of specimens and taxidermy creatures would scare the countess away, but Eilian’s mother didn’t seem to notice the octopus above the door of the parlor, who glared down at visitors, or the fox sitting like a dutiful pet near his favorite wingback chair. Lady Dorset had even eyed a few of the more colorful stuffed birds with interest rather than disgust.

Her concern then turned to the size of his flat since they were a party of seven in a house where normally he was the sole inhabitant save for his housekeeper and valet. Despite his dining room being significantly smaller than the one at Grosvenor Square, somehow Lady Dorset, Lord Newcastle, Professor Martin, the Hawthornes, Eilian, and Hadley were all able to fit comfortably around the sturdy oak table without bumping elbows. As she watched Eilian take a portion of chicken and potatoes, her eyes couldn’t help but fall on the eighth chair, which stood empty near the hearth. It had been over a week since she dared to question Adam about his preferences, but his avoidance tactics were becoming the norm for her. She missed him and wanted him back in her life even if he was being unduly churlish. Before he left to go out for the day, she awoke early just to scrawl out an invitation to dinner in Oxford and stick it under his door. All day she foolishly hoped he would be in that seat to support her. Warm fingers squeezing her hand brought her back as Eilian gave her a sympathetic smile.

“I thought I was seeing double,” Elijah Martin began in his gravelly voice as his spectacled eyes ran from Eilian Sorrell to Malcolm Holland. “There is an uncanny likeness, isn’t there, Lady Dorset? At least Hadley will know what her future husband will look like in twenty years.”

“Yes, my son and my brother are remarkably similar and not just in looks,” Millicent Sorrell replied as she turned to both men, who looked up in unison from devouring their dinners. “Professor Martin, I have been meaning to ask, what do you teach at Oxford?”

He took a sip of wine, remembering how his daughter insisted he not get into an argument about evolution’s validity. “I’m an anatomist. I’m currently researching comparative anatomy and, based on Darwin’s theories, determining how species are morphologically similar and dissimilar.”

“Papa, how
is
your research coming along? Do you have any promising students this year?” Eliza asked from the other end of the table.

“Not nearly as promising as you and James were. Most are sent to Oxford by their parents and have absolutely no interest in anything except carousing and playing sports. I had one very promising young man helping me.” He sighed, his shoulders sagging as he shook his balding head. “He came from Germany to study here, and he was my best assistant. One night he was helping me finish articulating a skeleton for the museum, and the next day, he was gone without a trace, left everything behind too.”

“Do you suspect foul play?” Eilian blurted through a mouthful of food as his mother shot him a look.

“It has crossed my mind, but there was never enough evidence either way. Maybe he was called home to Germany due to a family matter or because he was homesick. It has been months, but he is still on my mind. It’s quite disconcerting to be bantering with a promising young mind over a walrus skeleton one day and reporting him missing to the constabulary the next. I only wish he said something before he left.” He shook his head and turned to his son-in-law. “James, I’m so sorry to hear about your sister and niece.”

“What happened?” Hadley asked as she noticed the doctor’s brows sag.

He swallowed hard, but his voice didn’t waver. “They perished in a fire last month a few miles from here.”

“I’m so sorry. Why did you not tell me?”

“I didn’t want to overshadow the happy occasion.”

The table lapsed back into silence as the additional servants Elijah Martin borrowed from his fellow professors to take the burden off his small staff swept away the empty plates and brought out the desserts. Upon seeing the puddings and cakes being doled out, Eilian finally relaxed. They had made it all the way through dinner without his mother scowling in disapproval. Lady Dorset hadn’t even noticed when Hadley’s uncle slipped and mentioned his only daughter was a doctor.
Maybe she is just happy to see me settled
, he thought with a smile as the old professor inquired about Grosvenor Square and the happenings of London.

“Do you have an ancestral home in your earldom, Lord— Eilian?” the scientist asked when they retired to the parlor for tea and coffee, hoping to move away from death and intrigue.

The archaeologist looked from his uncle to his mother. He had lived in London and Greenwich his whole life. “Do we? I have never been to Dorset.”

“You have never been to Dorset?” Professor Martin sputtered in disbelief. “You have been everywhere but your earldom?”

“I guess.” His cheeks burned red as he took a seat beside Hadley on the sofa. “I did not know we had a house there.”

“We have a manor there called Brasshurst Hall,” his mother explained to Eliza’s father as Mrs. Green, the housekeeper, carefully poured her a cup of steaming tea. “It has been uninhabited for a number of years. My late husband was never fond of the place, but Eilian may find it more to his liking. I have never been there myself. Harland never wanted to travel by the sea.”

“I don’t know… I like my home.”

“Eilian, we don’t have to move there, but since you are the earl now, it may be prudent to introduce yourself to your tenants and at least see your family’s home,” Hadley replied as she met Lady Dorset’s gaze only to receive an approving nod.

“Miss Fenice has a point, but will you go before or after your wedding?”

Elijah grinned as he cleaned his oblong spectacles with his handkerchief. “Ah, yes, when is the fateful day?”

Eilian and Hadley locked eyes for a moment, hoping the other knew the answer, before turning to James and Eliza, who simply shrugged. “We haven’t really talked about it.”

“What about the honeymoon?”

“We haven’t discussed that either.” Out of the corner of his eye, Eilian caught Eliza mouthing an answer. “Maybe Egypt or someplace historical.”

“Well, you must discuss it soon. Miss Fenice and I must start planning as soon as possible.” His mother’s voice, while still controlled, raised an octave at the thought of planning an extravaganza to rival the wedding of her dearest friends’ children. “We have to arrange dinners and guest lists. I will have to throw a party soon in honor of your engagement. Will I need to hire a dance instructor, Miss Fenice?”

Beads of perspiration rapidly collected under her gown, trickling down the back of her neck and the small of her back as the activities she abhorred hurtled toward her. She had only glanced at the entries in her etiquette books about engagement and wedding procedures, but somehow they hadn’t seemed nearly so complicated.
Eliza’s engagement wasn’t like this
, Hadley thought as she shifted uncomfortably and looked to Eilian, who was equally pale.
Then again, Eliza wasn’t marrying into the aristocracy
. Her face blanched at the countess’ gaze, which refused to leave her until she received an answer. Reluctantly, she opened her mouth to stammer a half-hearted reply when the trilling buzz of the doorbell offered a refuge. The housekeeper with her pot of tea moved toward the doorway when Hadley leapt from her seat.

“Mrs. Green, tend to the guests. I will get the door. I insist,” she commanded as she nimbly backed out of the room despite the elderly housekeeper’s befuddled frown.

The moment she was out of sight, she let her head fall back against the damask wallpaper with a sigh as her pulse quickened through the arteries of her temples. As the bell let out another metallic warble, she grudgingly pulled herself away from the calm of the plaster and opened the coffered door. The snow spiraled into the hall in frosty arabesques as she stared up into a pair of matching blue eyes and henna brows. The wind swept over her neck, tousling the curls at her ears before embracing her hands and fluttering the hem of her skirts. She couldn’t help but linger on the features she had known her entire existence yet nearly forgot in the space of a two short weeks. Adam examined her face, unsure of her reaction as her hand rested on the doorknob until finally a broad grin enlivened her features. Hadley pounced on him as he groped behind his back to close the door before the snow coated the rug. The glacial slivers moistened her cheeks and dotted her blue velvet dress as she crushed him close.

“I can’t believe you came.”

“I could not let you face your in-laws all alone,” Adam replied with a smile as she pulled back to take his hat and scarf. “I would have been here sooner, but the steamer cab couldn’t maintain a boil in this weather. Everyone may be staying the night if the snow doesn’t stop soon.”

“Luckily, only Lady Dorset and Lord Newcastle are planning on heading back to London tonight. We are staying, so Uncle Elijah can get to know Eilian better and show him around Oxford.” She caught his hand as he reached for the buttons of his coat. “Does this mean you are speaking to me now?”

“Did you tell Lord Sorrell about me?”

“No.”

“Then, yes, we are speaking.” Adam’s eyes travelled to his feet as he shifted his coat off his shoulders and onto the coat rack. “Did— did you mean what you said that day? That you don’t hate me for it.”

“Of course I meant it,” she whispered. “You’re my brother, my twin, and I love you. I thought telling you that I accepted you would bring us closer, not pull us apart.”

“I know, I know. That was my fault. I was scared because you made me wonder how many others knew. If you could see through me, others probably figured it out, too.”

She dusted the ice from his hair and straightened his tie, which had rumpled during the ride up to Oxford. “Well, no one knows you as well as I do, so I’m pretty sure your secret is safe. Let me introduce you to Eilian’s mother and uncle.”

He flashed a charismatic smile as he entered the parlor at his sister’s side. Lady Dorset seemed pleased by his dapper appearance as he was introduced to the two aristocrats and took a seat by his uncle. She interrogated Adam Fenice as she did the others, but he happily told her about his job and the well-to-do banker he worked for. For the rest of the evening, Adam gave the countess his full attention, listening earnestly to her discourse on the books she recently read and even giving a well thought out opinion on several of the titles, which she didn’t scowl at or ignore. Hadley wondered if she and Eilian were the only ones who found talking to his mother daunting.

“How were the roads, Mr. Fenice?” Malcolm Holland asked as his eyes ran over the narrow space between the drapes on the far wall.

“The snow was just starting to stick when I arrived.”

“Well, we had best be off if we want to make it back to town before it gets too difficult to see.”

As everyone said their good-byes to the lord and lady, the countess pulled Hadley aside. “During your stay here, I hope you and Eilian can iron out some details because as soon as you are settled back in town, I’m going to call upon you to figure some of this wedding business out. You don’t have a mother to help you plan this and I don’t have a daughter whom I can throw a wedding for, so I hope you will allow me to fill that role for you.”

“Of course,” she smiled, though she worried it more closely resembled a grimace, “I would greatly appreciate your help, Lady Dorset.”

With a nod, Eilian’s mother disappeared into the night only to be replaced by Lord Newcastle, who took Hadley’s hand and bowed. “Don’t look too worried, Miss Fenice.” He dropped his voice to just above a whisper, “She may be a bit overbearing, but my sister throws a wonderful party.”

***

In what felt like only minutes, the clock struck twelve, signaling to the party of adventurers and scientists that they should head up to bed. As they climbed the stairs and reached the hall, the group paused. There were only three bedrooms.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I took the liberty of pairing you. The girls will have one room, James will take the cot in my room, so Lord Sorrell and Adam will share the last one. I hope you don’t mind having to share.”

Adam’s face paled as his cheeks burned. “I will take the cot, Uncle Elijah. Lord Sorrell and James are friends, and I’m sure they would rather be roommates.”

Before Eilian could tell him not to worry about it, Adam darted into the master bedroom and brought James’s bag to him. His future brother-in-law gave them a nervous grin before slipping behind closed doors. The Hawthornes embraced quickly in the corridor, giving each other a good-night kiss that was little more than a cool peck without seeming to care about the separation. Eilian stood in the empty hall as Hadley watched the door close behind her cousin. After a moment of quiet to confirm everyone was tucked away, she drew near and let her body be enveloped in his arms. He ran his fingers through her hair, knocking the pins loose with each slow stroke while holding her close with his prosthetic arm. Sighing against him, Hadley listened to the faithful beating of his heart through his jacket and refused to let him go.