I called on Sir Charles at dusk and was pleased to see he was at his Hammersmith lodgings. Since I didn’t know where his office was located, or if he even had one, I was never quite sure whether he’d be at home. He received Duke, Willie and me in the parlor, located on the first floor of the building where he rented rooms. He asked the landlady to bring tea and cake. As she closed the door, he eyed Willie carefully.
“Are you carrying a gun, Miss Johnson?”
She pulled her jacket aside to show him the revolver tucked into the waistband of her buckskin trousers. “I’m as good a shot as Annie Oakley, and just as quick, so don’t do anything stupid.”
His eyes widened. “What do you think I’m going to do?”
“Willie is just being cautious,” I said. “Don’t mind her.”
“Unless you do something stupid,” she chimed in. “Then you should mind me.”
Duke cracked his knuckles.
Sir Charles fidgeted with his tie and stretched his neck out of his collar. It was the most ruffled I’d ever seen him. “This isn’t a social call, is it?”
“No.” I sat on the sofa. “I have some information for you that I’d like you to pass on to your superiors.”
“My superiors?”
“Don’t be coy, Sir Charles.”
While he had not admitted that he was a spy for the government, he ceased denying it last time we confronted him. He didn’t deny it this time, either, and simply sat and flicked imaginary lint off his trousers as he waited for me to continue.
“We established that you are attempting to gather as much information about magicians as you possibly can. To what end, we can only guess since you won’t tell us.”
“I don’t have the authority to tell you.”
“Then perhaps it’s time you introduce us to someone who does.” It wasn’t an idea Matt and I had discussed but I liked it, nevertheless.
“That won’t be possible,” Sir Charles said with a condescending tone. “Men like him don’t talk to just anyone.”
“I’m the most powerful magician in England, and I have some information for him. I think he’ll want to meet me.”
“What information?”
“I’ve made a list of known magicians. Known to me, that is. The list can be consulted by either me or Matt when there is a disturbance of the public order created by a magician’s magic, such as we experienced with both Amelia Moreton and Mrs. Trentham.”
The landlady entered carrying a tray which she set on the table before backing out of the room again. She shut the door and Sir Charles poured the tea.
“Mr. Duke, if you’d be so kind as to wait outside on the landing. My landlady has a tendency to dawdle.”
Duke opened the door to see the landlady bent in half, her ear approximately where the keyhole would be when the door was closed. She blushed scarlet and scurried away. Duke exited the room, closing the door behind him.
“Who does she work for?” I asked.
“The government, the same as me,” Sir Charles said. “My superior doesn’t trust anyone. She tells him who comes and goes from here and listens in when she can.” He handed me a cup of tea with a smile. “She knows that I know.”
Willie approached the table and helped herself to a slice of fruit cake. “He’s right not to trust you, considering you got history with Coyle.”
Sir Charles bristled. “I don’t work for Coyle.”
“We saw you talking to him,” I said. “You passed information about me to him.”
“Once, India. Just the once.”
“Once is enough for me to distrust you when it comes to Coyle.”
He handed me a plate with a slice of cake. “Will you never forgive me for that?”
“Let’s return to the topic of my list.”
He settled back in the chair with his cup of tea, the saucer balancing on his knee. “We’re not interested in your list. We have our own.”
“Which I doubt is complete and, let’s be honest, I’m in a position to add more names at a much more rapid rate than you.”
“Aren’t you afraid of breaking the trust of your fellow magicians?”
“I am not handing the list over, Sir Charles. Let’s be clear about that. The list and all the information contained on it will be for my eyes only. If I deem it necessary for the information to be shared with the police or any other authority, I will pass on only what is relevant, not the entire list.”
“I’m not sure that will be acceptable to my superiors.”
“It’s a non-negotiable condition. I won’t have magicians spied upon just because the government deems all of them are a potential threat. Innocent people shouldn’t be subjected to invasive scrutiny. Only the details of those who wield magic as a weapon will be shared.”
He sipped thoughtfully.
“We know you have been trying to find out who the magicians are,” I went on. He didn’t deny it, so I continued. “To do that thoroughly, you need my help.”
He set the teacup on the saucer and placed them both on the table beside him. “The release of Barratt’s book has expedited the issue somewhat. Now that the general public are aware of magicians, and considering they know that Mrs. Trentham used magic to kill her husband, there is growing support to keep them under control.”
“Tosh. For starters, they know no such thing. The official stance was that she murdered him of her own accord. Officially, there was no mention of magic.”
“If you think the public believe the official stance, then you are naïve, India.”
He was probably right about the public’s suspicions. “And secondly, I haven’t seen a growing support to control magicians. The public seems quite enthused about magic. It’s the artless members of guilds who are rioting, afraid of losing custom.”
“Can you blame them?”
“No,” I said heavily. “Believe me, if a happy middle ground could be found, I’d prefer it. If only the guilds would allow magicians to belong so they could continue to trade. Magic doesn’t last, and once the public know that, they’ll show no preference for magical wares over artless ones.”
He tilted his head to the side. “It may not last, but they are naturally of superior quality. India, the guilds won’t give up without a fight.”
“Then perhaps it’s time the guilds were dissolved. The system is an archaic one, anyway.”
He picked up his teacup and sipped as he thought. When he set it down again, his gaze was distant, his voice soft. “I feel as though the city is balanced on a knife’s edge.”
“As do I.”
I stood and signaled to Willie it was time to go. She drained her teacup and stood too. “Good day, Sir Charles,” I said. “Please speak to your superior about the list at your earliest convenience, and don’t forget my condition.” I headed for the door but paused. “And do not inform Lord Coyle.”
His nostrils flared. “I don’t work for him.”
“And yet I feel the need to say it anyway.”
He looked away.
I opened the door and strode off, Willie and Duke at my heels.
Matt had chosen an elegant outfit in cream silk that seemed to shimmer in the light, with embroidered black ribbon detail around the hem and clusters of small rosettes. Knowing I preferred a simple style, he’d also chosen a pearl pendant and matching pearl drop earrings. Polly Pickett, the lady’s maid I shared with Aunt Letitia, put my hair up in an elegant arrangement with a string of seed pearls twined through it.
I felt elegant and sophisticated as I entered the Rycrofts’ drawing room. But my mood quickly sank at the sight of the ladies dressed in bold colors and elaborate jewelry. I suddenly wished I’d pretended to be sick as well. I felt quite out of place. I hardly knew a soul, but thankfully Aunt Letitia remained at my side and introduced me to several people. She was in her element, chatting breezily with no sign of her frailty.
“Ah, there you are, India,” Lady Rycroft said as she glided toward me. “Lord Farnsworth isn’t here yet, but never mind. We’ll do our best to entertain ourselves without him.” Even as she said it, she glanced at the doorway, no doubt hoping he’d walk through so she could begin her matrimonial machinations.
“Perhaps he’s not coming,” Aunt Letitia said with a wicked gleam in her eyes.
“Of course he is. He’s very much looking forward to talking to Charity tonight. He made it quite clear yesterday that he found her charming.”
I spotted Charity near the potted palm, a brooding scowl on her face. She wore a black dress with a lot of black lace trim, even though she wasn’t in mourning, and black jet jewels to match. While she stood with two other people, she didn’t appear to be joining in with their conversation. Instead, she glared at the doorway.
Aunt Letitia followed my gaze to her niece. “She looks as cheerful as always.”
Lady Rycroft cleared her throat and seemed to become aware that our conversation was being overheard by two other women. “Have you met my nephew’s wife?” She all but pushed me toward them. “She’s a magician, you know.”
I swallowed my gasp before it escaped, but Aunt Letitia did not.
“Beatrice,” she scolded.
“Well, it’s true.” Lady Rycroft beamed at her friends as they regarded me with smiles. “India makes the most marvelous watches and clocks.”
“No, I don’t,” I told them. “Not anymore.”
It was quite an odd situation. Lady Rycroft had been such a snob toward me when I’d first entered their lives. She considered Matt far above me. Yet now that magic had become popular among her set, she was happy to parade me before them.
One of the ladies leaned forward and whispered, “But surely you still do commissions for select clients.”
I gave her my sweetest smile. “I’m afraid not.”
The woman’s lips pursed. “But—"
“Lord Farnsworth is here!”
His lordship paused in the doorway until as many people as possible had seen him. His timing was immaculate, as was his evening attire of white tie, waistcoat and black tailcoat. He wore his hair in the usual style, parted down the middle and flat to his head. It gleamed with Macassar Oil.
Lady Rycroft swept across the room to collect him. Being a very eligible bachelor, he was immediately swamped by three young women who’d been pushed in his direction by their mothers. Lady Rycroft glared at Charity and jerked her head toward his lordship in a signal to hurry.
Lord Farnsworth relished the attention. He looked like a king surrounded by sycophantic courtiers. I wasn’t sure if Charity would continue to be as appealing as she had been. I also doubted that boredom would be a problem this evening.
There was no opportunity to speak to him before the musicians started. I sat with Aunt Letitia on one side of me and a gentleman on the other. I’d been introduced to him earlier in the evening, and immediately liked him when he’d diverted the conversation away from magic. Ever since Lady Rycroft had announced that I was a magician, I’d found myself even more popular than Lord Farnsworth. I did not enjoy my popularity, however, and was grateful when the gentleman urged the other guests not to annoy me as I clearly wasn’t interested in using my magic on anyone’s watch that night.
During a bold rendition of Home Sweet Home, he leaned toward me and whispered, “Mrs. Glass, I have a proposition for you.”
My heart sank. So much for my savior.
“My wife is very keen for me to secure you for our magical evening, to be held at the end of the month.”
“As I said earlier, I am not selling anything. I no longer make watches.”
He flicked his hand, dismissing my objection as if it were nothing. “We don’t want to buy anything from you, just have a demonstration of your magic. It’ll be an evening with a few of our intimate friends who will bring along their watches or clocks for your performance.”
I very much wanted to round on him and talk loudly to embarrass him, but in deference to the musicians, I kept my voice as low as his. “My response to your offer is no different to the others I received tonight: no.”
“But it will be an exclusive, tasteful affair, nothing vulgar.”
I nodded at the musicians. “Do allow me to listen in peace.”
“Well!” he huffed. “An attitude like that won’t see magicians accepted into society.”
I pressed my lips together and kept my gaze firmly focused forward, but I could not enjoy the rest of the evening. When the musicians finished, refreshments were served and guests were free to mingle. I searched for Lord Farnsworth in the hope of finding a friendly face before I was asked yet again to use my magic on someone’s watch.
It took me a moment, but I eventually spotted him by the large potted palm positioned near the door that led to a small room. Charity was with him, standing very close. She stood on her toes and whispered in his ear. Lord Farnsworth’s eyes widened and his cheeks flushed.
He glanced around to see if anyone was watching and his gaze settled on me. As Charity leaned in again, he mouthed “Help” at me. Then he suddenly stiffened and blushed scarlet.
I hurried toward them, but Charity hustled him into the anteroom and quickly shut the door. Good lord! If they were discovered and publicly exposed, she would be considered compromised. As I hurried toward the door, I spotted Lady Rycroft out of the corner of my eye. She’d noticed the exchange—and she was smiling.
She wanted this to happen. She wanted them to be discovered alone in a room and have her daughter’s reputation ruined. How could a mother desire such a thing?
The answer was simple—to force Lord Farnsworth to do the honorable thing and say they were secretly engaged. It would make their behavior acceptable in the eyes of her friends. It would also secure a wealthy and titled husband for a difficult daughter.
She saw me weaving my way across the floor and realized that I was about to rescue Lord Farnsworth. She gathered up her skirts and strode across the room in the hope of intercepting me. She would do it, too. She would reach me before I reached the door, and there was no way around. Then it was just a matter of drawing the guests’ attention to the anteroom. It was so elegantly simple and I could see no way of stopping her scheme.
Poor Lord Farnsworth. He was going to find himself trapped with Charity for the rest of his life.
But I had not anticipated Aunt Letitia. Whether she was driven by her motivation to see him end up with Willie or whether she just wanted to thwart her sister-in-law’s plans, it didn’t matter. She peeled away from a cluster of guests and forged a path to Lady Rycroft like a bullet. She grabbed her arm, halting her. Despite Lady Rycroft’s attempts to shake her off, Aunt Letitia clung on.
Lady Rycroft watched me pass just out of reach, her face twitching with fury and frustration.
I quickly glanced around and, seeing no one else watching, slipped into the anteroom. Lord Farnsworth was backed up against a wingback armchair, his eyes wide. When he saw me, he let out a small yelp.
“Thank God it’s you.”
Charity swung around and must have loosened the grip she had on his arms because he managed to jerk free and step to the side. Her brow crashed into a frown as dark as her mother’s. “What are you doing in here?”
“I could ask you the same question,” I said.
“We want to be alone.”
“No, we don’t!” Lord Farnsworth gave her a wide berth and joined me. “I think it’s time for me to leave.”
Charity watched him from beneath half-closed lids. “But you said we were going to have a lark tonight.”
“I meant out there, making fun of the outfits and watching everyone get drunk. This is not my idea of a lark. Not with—” He snapped his mouth shut with an audible click of back teeth. I suspected he was going to say, “Not with you.”
If Charity suspected that too, she didn’t care. She tossed her head, marched past us, and out the door. She left it wide open.
Lord Farnsworth blew out a long breath. “Thank you, India, you saved my life. Imagine if someone else had walked in here? Someone less likely to turn a blind eye.”
I smiled. “You looked terrified.”
“I was. She is surprisingly strong for such a little chit, and some of the things she said and did were…unexpected from a young lady. She made me blush and that’s not easy to do. I’ve had a French mistress, you know.”
“I do know.”
He lowered his voice as we headed back to the drawing room. “I don’t think Charity is as innocent as she pretends.”
I nodded thanks at Aunt Letitia and she smiled back. Lady Rycroft was chatting to friends, no evidence of her disappointment on her face. Charity resumed her place by the potted palm, her arms crossed over her chest. She no longer tried to mingle with the other guests.
The gentleman I’d been seated next to during the performance approached me, a lady dressed in dark blue velvet on his arm. They were all smiles.
“I think it’s time I left,” I said loudly to Lord Farnsworth.
“Indeed. I have to meet up with Willie soon. God, how she’ll laugh when I tell her what Charity said. It might even make her blush too.”
“I doubt that.” I accepted his arm and smiled at the lady and gentleman as I passed them.
We collected Aunt Letitia then sought out our hostess to thank her for the evening. She regarded me coolly but kept up a polite façade with her friends so near. She wouldn’t say anything about what went on in the anteroom. Doing so would be an admission that she had a hand in it.
“I do hope you enjoyed your evening, India,” she cooed. “My friends have been thrilled to meet you. I’ll be sure to give everyone your address so they can come and discuss magic with you. So many are interested.”
As much as I wanted to snap back, I gritted my teeth. “Do send them to my house, although I can’t be sure Matt will welcome them. You know how protective he can be. I’m afraid if your friends come and ask me to perform magic on their timepieces, he’ll know you sent them.”
I didn’t elaborate on what Matt might do about it. In truth, I didn’t know. But the unspoken threat behind the words was enough for the fake smile to freeze on her face.
Aunt Letitia kissed her sister-in-law’s cheek. “An interesting evening, as always, Beatrice. But do keep a tighter leash on that daughter of yours. If you’re not careful, she’s going to find herself married to a very unsuitable man. And no one would wish that on a poor fellow.”
She took my arm and steered me away. Lord Farnsworth hastily said his goodbyes and exited the drawing room with us.
“Good show, Letty! You were marvelous.” He took her elbow firmly and helped steady her as she walked down the stairs. “You too, India. Thank you again for saving me from your husband’s cousin. I am sorry she’s as batty as she is, or I might consider her a viable prospect. But I’m afraid I can’t.” He sighed. “Could you imagine if her blood got mixed with mine? Disaster!”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Charity is as wild as a jungle cat, and my mother thinks fairies live in the garden. I shudder to think how our children would turn out.”
I pressed my lips together to suppress my smile. I couldn’t wait to tell Matt how the evening had transpired. He was going to have a good chuckle.
I relayed the events of the night before over breakfast, delighting everyone except Aunt Letitia. Willie thought it particularly amusing, since Lord Farnsworth hadn’t told her how he’d been trapped in the anteroom by Charity. Willie said he’d simply claimed the party had been a pleasant but dull experience.
After she finished choking on her laughter and a slice of bacon, she pointed her knife at me. “Are you telling me she cornered him? I know he ain’t the strongest man, but she’s been brought up to be delicate.”
“She ain’t delicate,” Cyclops muttered. “I reckon if she caught him by surprise, she’d have the upper hand.”
“He was certainly surprised,” I said.
Aunt Letitia asked Duke to pour her another cup of coffee from the pot as he passed her chair. “India and I thwarted Beatrice’s plans. We make a very good team, don’t we, India?”
“We certainly do,” I said.
“But I’m glad we left when we did.”
Matt frowned at her. “Was it tiring for you?”
“Oh no, it’s not for my own sake that I was glad we left. It’s for India’s.”
Matt’s gaze narrowed. “Why? What happened?”
“Beatrice told everyone India is a magician. She was bombarded with requests to use her magic.”
“That would have been unpleasant,” he said quietly.
“Not to mention vulgar.”
Matt tapped his finger on the table, a habit that he’d picked up since becoming confined to the house for his own safety. He usually wasn’t aware when he did it, but this time I glared at him then turned that glare onto his finger. He got the message and stopped, tucking his hand into a fist.
“I think I’ll go out today,” he announced.
Duke, Willie, Cyclops and I stopped what we were doing and stared at him.
Aunt Letitia continued to read her magazine. “Marvelous idea. It’ll do you good, although your sore throat seems to have gone away.”
“But it could come back,” I said, my tone curt. “The air is cold and cold air is not good for sore throats.”
She looked up as Duke gave her back the coffee cup and clicked her tongue. “You are much too protective of him, India. A man like Matthew won’t let a little sore throat bother him.”
“I’ve heard people get sick and die from sore throats,” Willie said.
“Aye,” both Cyclops and Duke chimed in.
Matt rose and buttoned up his jacket. “My decision is final. I’m going out.”
Willie stood too. “Then I’ll come with you.”
“Me too.” Duke wiped his mouth with his napkin before standing.
Cyclops continued eating. When Willie smacked his shoulder, he looked up, fork paused at his mouth. “Aye, and me.”
Matt shook his head. “You’re not spending your day off minding me. Call on Catherine as you planned.”
Cyclops looked caught as he weighed his options. “I reckon it’s best if I come with you. I can visit Catherine later.”
“Or Matt can stay indoors,” I said pointedly.
He glared at me and I glared back.
“Why does Matthew need escorting when he simply has a sore throat?” Aunt Letitia asked.
The others looked away, shuffling their feet or clearing their throats. She must have known I was the least likely to lie to her because her gaze settled on me.
To my relief, Bristow entered the dining room. “There’s a Mrs. Pyke here to see Mrs. Glass.”
“Show her through to the drawing room, please,” I said.
“Who is Mrs. Pyke?” Aunt Letitia asked.
“Her husband is a wool magician, but I’ve never met her.”
Matt and I entered the drawing room together and greeted Mrs. Pyke warmly. She was a small woman with a round face and rosy cheeks. She wore what I assumed to be her Sunday best, a black, maroon and white checked woolen dress with a dark blue hat. She tried to smile back, but it was unconvincing. She was on the verge of tears.
“How may I help you?” I asked, taking a seat.
She clutched her bag tightly on her lap with both hands. “You remember my husband, Mrs. Glass.”
A feeling of dread settled into my stomach. “I do. Is he well?”
“That’s the thing. He’s missing.”
“Missing?” both Matt and I said.
Her bottom lip wobbled. She bit it until she regained her composure. “He didn’t come home last night. It’s not like him. Not like him at all. He’s devoted to me, you see. We’ve never spent a night apart, not in all our twenty-two years of marriage.”
The day he’d used his spell on Fabian’s carpet, Mr. Pyke had told us that he and his wife hadn’t been blessed with children. He told me that was why he felt so proud of his magical carpets; they were his legacy. He’d then demanded I thank him for his help by using my extension spell on his magical rugs. I’d refused and he’d not asked again, but the encounter had left a sour taste.
“We are sorry,” Matt said gently, “but what do you expect my wife to do about it? You should go to the police.”
“I have.” Her face crumpled and tears filled her eyes. She pulled out a handkerchief from her knitted bag before Matt could offer his. She dabbed at her nose. “They told me he hasn’t been missing long enough to warrant an investigation. They said to come back tomorrow. But anything could happen to him by then!”
“What do you think has happened?” I asked.
“I think someone has kidnapped him or…” She let out a sob. “Or worse.”
I moved to sit beside her on the sofa and put my arm around her shoulders. I comforted her until her tears abated and she seemed able to talk again. “Why would someone want to kidnap him?”
“Because he spoke to a journalist about magic. He told the writer that magic was wonderful, that nobody should be afraid of it. He admitted he was a magician. The article was published the day before yesterday. I think someone took offence and wanted to…to silence him.”
“He gave his name?”
She nodded.
I rubbed her shoulder as she cried into her handkerchief. I appealed to Matt to help me comfort her. I was at a loss for what to say next.
He crouched in front of her. “Mrs. Pyke, several articles have been written from the view of magicians. Some have even mentioned their names, although not many. But those magicians have not gone missing. Why do you think that’s the reason behind your husband’s disappearance?”
She released a shuddery breath and her spirits seemed to rally a little. “Because yesterday someone called on him at his workshop. I saw a carriage leave as I arrived. I deliver his lunch every day, you see. I asked Mr. Pyke who it was and what they wanted, thinking it was a good commission, but he wouldn’t tell me. When I insisted, he almost bit my head off. He never speaks that way to me. Never. He was troubled.” She fixed her watery gaze on me. “I think he’s been kidnapped because of what was said in that article.”
“Did he go to the newspaper before or after his membership was revoked by the wool guild?”
She gasped. “He didn’t tell me he’d been thrown out of the guild.” She wrung the handles of her woolen bag in her hands. “Will you find him, Mrs. Glass? I have no one else to turn to.”