After Mrs. Hart left, the guard around the house was doubled. Tony feared Mrs. Hart’s appearance was a distraction sent by the Hart Inventor. That some attack, some new treachery might appear.
When I woke the third day of Josie’s capture, Amelia sat at my bedside. I said, “Why are you sitting there?”
She gave me a soft smile. “We’re to guard you, mum. Mr. Anthony fears you might be seized. Although I don’t know how someone might take you from up here.” She rose and went to my bell-cords, pulling the blue one.
I felt perplexed. “Who-ever are you ringing for?”
“Miss Shanna. Now that you’re awake, I’ll get her up here so I can run your bath and prepare your clothes for today.”
“But you’ll just be in the other room!”
“It’s what Mr. Anthony wants, mum. You’re to be guarded, night and day, until either Miss Josephine’s found or the baby’s born.”
I leaned back upon my pillows, dumbfounded. I didn’t see how anyone might make it up here either, or how unarmed maids might prevent a sincere attack.
No one interfered with what I wished to do. Honor brought up my tray, like he did every morning. I went about my day like always.
I didn’t like being watched all the time. But I did feel gratified at Tony’s care for me.
The day came and went, yet I felt so anxious I didn’t much enjoy it. Where was Josie? Would they find her in time? Was she even alive?
I could barely eat. As the hours ticked away, I lay unable to sleep.
Midnight struck. The third day had passed. What would her kidnappers do?
The clock chimed one, then two. I think then I drifted. There came a loud banging upon the front door that startled me. I turned to Tony. “Wake up.”
“Huh?”
The banging resumed. Mutters came from downstairs, and after a full minute of this, Pearson’s heavy tread moved to the front door.
Tony sat up sleepily. “What’s going on?” He peered around in the darkness. “What time is it?”
“Someone’s at the front door.”
Tony collapsed into the pillows. “They’ll fetch us if it’s important.”
Etienne Hart shouted from downstairs, “I must see them at once!”
Our night footman Alan — Mary’s older brother and Pearson’s son — came in, candle in hand. “I’m sure you can hear what’s happened.”
The candle’s glow illuminated the clock: it was close to three. Tony swung his feet over the side of the bed. “Good gods. What does that madman want now?”
I snorted softly. Etienne Hart was, as an esteemed scientist, quite unlikely to be mad.
I rose to fetch my robe, but Tony stopped me. “I’ll see what he wants and send him away.”
But once Tony left, I put my robe on just the same, returned to bed, and drew the covers up tight around me.
Etienne Hart roared, “I’ll show her myself!”
Footsteps came stomping up the stair. A scuffle, then Etienne Hart burst in carrying a small box. “This is what you’ve done!”
He came to my bed — Tony, Alan, and Pearson hot behind — and opened the lid.
A finger, severed at the base, lay inside. With Josie’s engagement ring upon it.