CHAPTER 29
Wrexford paused under a stately oak to get his bearings. Up ahead, at the end of a wide graveled drive, was the villa’s main entrance with its flanking towers, and on either side a fanciful sprawl of exotic architecture made up the two large wings that receded into the muddled darkness. The east one, he knew, held DeVere’s laboratory, a place that had held no hint of malfeasance on his first search. He was quite sure he hadn’t missed anything.
Which meant the evil was hidden elsewhere.
“Hawk said Lady Charlotte entered the conservatory through a door facing the rear gardens,” whispered Sheffield, interrupting the earl’s thoughts.
“Lady Julianna will have taken her to a more private place,” he answered, trying not to let his imagination run wild . . . a serpentine coil of copper wire, hissing and sparking with red-gold fire . . . the bubbling of the electrolyte . . . the smell of singed flesh . . .
“I’ve an idea of where,” offered Cordelia. “DeVere’s private quarters and laboratory are in the east wing, while Lady Julianna inhabits the west wing. There’s a section at the rear that visitors are not permitted to enter. She says it’s because her experiments with plants are very sensitive to temperature and light.” A pause. “Which has always struck me as strange, as she never talks about botany and there are no books on the subject in her private library.”
An astute observation.
“It made me curious,” continued Cordelia. “So one evening, when I noticed her heading into the forbidden corridor, I decided to follow. I saw her pass through a door hidden in the wood paneling of a corridor—”
“What’s the quickest route to the spot?” demanded Wrexford.
She thought for a moment. “I would say through the door of her music room, which opens onto an Indian tea terrace. But I don’t think it’s possible to get in that way. It’s equipped with a very formidable-looking lock. I suppose we could try—”
“Show me to the terrace,” he ordered.
Cordelia didn’t waste any time with words. She simply turned and moved off through the trees.
* * *
Charlotte winced as the muddled shadows gave way to a bright, blinding burst of flames.
“‘Let there be light,’” said Julianna, extinguishing the taper she had used to ignite the three oversized Argand lamps.
A quick look around the room they had just entered showed it was a well-equipped laboratory fashioned from polished steel, white tile, and varnished wood. Gleaming brass instruments sat on the spotless counters, reflecting an abstract beauty . . .
If only it hadn’t been twisted by an unstable mind.
“Isn’t it divine?” said Julianna.
Charlotte turned. “You think yourself the Almighty?”
A shrug. “An archaic concept. There are powerful forces beyond the understanding of ordinary minds—and ordinary mortals. When I prove that death can be transcended, all the old beliefs will give way to a new world.”
“So have thought countless charlatans and lunatics in the past”—she was growing heartily sick of her captor’s cat-in-the-cream-pot smile—“until their quackeries crumbled into dust.”
Anger flared in Julianna’s eyes, but it was chased away by a nasty laugh as she gave an airy wave at the far corner of the laboratory. “We shall soon see who is right and who is wrong.”
On spotting the massive, coffin-like wooden box, bristling with the assembly of metal plates and copper wires, Charlotte felt her innards give a sickening lurch. It was a trough battery—the most powerful type of voltaic pile. Placing the metal disks and pads side by side within a waterproofed box, rather than stacking them upright, where the weight would squeeze the electrolyte solution out of the assembly, allowed it to generate a frighteningly strong current of electricity.
Adding to the horror, it was sitting on a table next to a padded table with leather restraining straps.
“Strip off your shirt and breeches, and put this on.” Julianna held out a simple knee-length linen chemise, with a row of buttons that allowed it to open in the front.
“M-May I keep on my boots?”
“If you like.”
Steady, steady—she must find a way to keep her captor talking. Like Raven and Hawk, Charlotte carried a knife in her boot. A moment of distraction was all that was needed. But she wouldn’t get a second chance.
“If I’m to be sacrificed to your unique genius,” said Charlotte as she began to change her clothing, “might I at least hear how you figured out your momentous discovery?” In her experience, hubris loved an audience. “After all, Galvani and Aldini, the leading scientific minds in the field of electricity, came to the conclusion that reanimation of the dead was not possible.”
Julianna made a rude sound. “That’s because their ideas on the subject were flawed. They failed to understand the missing element.”
“Oh?” Charlotte was aware of needing to choose her words with care. She must dance along the razor’s edge between needling and flattering, provoking just enough emotion . . . “You mean to say you are smarter than they are?”
“Precisely. You see, I understood that the secret to reanimation was that mere metal and chemicals weren’t enough to raise the dead. The surge of electricity also needed to be powered by some essence of Life.”
Charlotte’s blood turned cold. “You mean you had to add some sort of human fluid to the electrolyte?”
A beatific smile. “Yes.”
“And so began the Bloody Butcher murders?” she said.
“Tsk, tsk, such a hysterical moniker,” responded Julianna. “It’s quite simple when you think about it. I realized that one had to use like-to-like—a dead body needs a human essence, along with the electrical stimulus, in order to bring it back to life.”
Perhaps there was a mad sort of logic to the idea. But no abstract concept could change the fact that her captor’s experiments were nothing more than cold-blooded murder.
“And thus you began killing random victims?”
“I merely chose the victims and watched as Sir Kelvin did the actual blade work,” said Julianna. “Until he lost his nerve.”
“Is that why you killed him?”
“As you saw, he had become a liability. He was too weak, and prone to panic.” A frown momentarily pinched between Julianna’s brows. “And he nearly ruined things by being too loose-lipped around one of his friends.”
“You mean Westmorly?” Charlotte sought to fit in another piece of the puzzle. “Was he, too, part of your secret cabal?”
“That sneak and cheat? No, I knew from the start he could never be trusted. But Sir Kelvin was careless and let slip some comments that gave his friend the opportunity for blackmail.”
“So you killed him, too?”
“Like most men, Westmorly was susceptible to feminine wiles. I sent a note asking for a late-night meeting, saying I would do anything to ensure his silence. He was more than happy to agree.”
“But you didn’t take a body part because that would have given away that it wasn’t self-murder.” Charlotte took grim satisfaction in adding, “Bow Street knows it wasn’t. You weren’t as clever as you thought.”
Julianna looked unconcerned. “It hardly matters now. And as for body parts, I didn’t need any more. Through trial and error, I came to realize that your cousins must hold the ultimate solution. But, alas, Sir Kelvin became too squeamish when confronted with the need to sacrifice Cedric for the Higher Good. So I had to do it myself.”
Charlotte fisted her hands to quell the urge to throttle the sickening smile from Julianna’s face.
“Dear me, I see I’ve upset you. Like dear Cedric, you appear to possess a too-tender conscience.” Julianna brushed a lock of loosened hair from her cheek. “I expect that from females, but he disappointed me. His passion for science should have allowed him to see beyond the silly strictures of conventional morality. But, no, he balked at taking a few lives for the good of humanity.” A shadow seemed to darken her gaze, but it passed in an instant. “In life, he refused to cross over to a higher plane of intelligence. In death, however, he’ll have the chance to be part of mankind’s greatest miracle.”
Much as Charlotte dreaded hearing the answer, she made herself ask the question. She must gather all the facts, in order to make sure Nicholas was exonerated of his brother’s murder.
For I will survive, she vowed. And see that justice prevails.
“So it was you who killed Cedric. But . . .” Charlotte drew a shaky breath. “But why the terrible mutilation?”
“Oh, come—surely, the answer is obvious. The body part I chose contains the very essence of life. Added to the new electrolyte I’ve formulated, it will create a supremely powerful conductor.” Julianna punctuated her words with a tiny wave of the pistol.
Charlotte caught the note of rising excitement in her voice.
“But the transcendent moment in all this came when I realized that using blood relatives would supply the last missing piece to the puzzle. And with Cedric and Nicholas, I had the special gift of twins!” her captor went on. “With all due modesty, my plan for how to arrange it all was quite ingenious. Sir Kelvin planted the evidence to make sure Nicholas was arrested for the crime. A death sentence would have been certain, and steps were already being taken to bribe the executioner to turn over the still-warm body.”
“Ghoul,” rasped Charlotte, unable to contain her disgust.
“Call me names now, but the world will soon recognize my brilliance. I regret that Cedric had to die, but sacrifices must be made to achieve greatness.” Julianna’s expression looked very faraway, as if she were in a trance. “When Wrexford and you started asking unwelcome questions, I feared you might ruin my plans. But then, I realized that you were the ultimate gift from the cosmos. A woman relative was even better than a fraternal twin. Think on it—an electrical current carrying the male essence of life to a fecund female . . .”
Charlotte saw her captor dart a glance at the padded table and the full force of what Julianna intended struck home.
“This time, it cannot fail.”
Oh, yes, it can. And will.
A smile once again curled on her captor’s lips. “Did you not decipher the puzzle I created for you? In it, I revealed that the cards had predicted this was your destiny.”
“I didn’t bother reading past the first few pages of your habble-gabble book and scribbled numbers,” she answered. “I don’t believe we’re in thrall to some mystical force. I think we have the power to create our own destiny.”
“Enough talking.” Eyes narrowing in irritation, Julianna gestured with the pistol. “Move to the other side of the room and let us begin.”
Though her heart was thumping against her ribs, Charlotte felt a strange calm come over her.
Love. Love for those she held dear was more than a match for madness, she told herself.
“I assure you, I’ll make the process of death painless,” continued her captor. “I’ve prepared a potion that will simply put you to sleep. But don’t worry, you’ll soon come back to life.”
And pigs will sprout spun-sugar wings and fly to the moon.
Allowing her shoulders to slump, Charlotte turned and slowly crossed the tiles. She needed to get a little closer . . .
“Stop here.”
A surreptitious glance around showed that Julianna had paused to adjust the workings of the trough battery with one hand, the aim of her weapon angling askew as her attention momentarily shifted to releasing a lever—
Charlotte spun around and smacked the pistol from her captor’s hand.
With an angry hiss, Julianna grabbed up a long metal conducting rod attached to a length of copper wire and gave a menacing swing, trying to force Charlotte back against the padded table.
Sparks flew from its tip as she danced back. The air crackled as one of the tiny embers caused a flame to lick up from the linen of her chemise. Ducking low, Charlotte managed to bat out the fire and draw her knife just as Julianna came at her again.
* * *
Cordelia came to a halt. “Up ahead, we must pass through an archway and into a small picture gallery. At the other end is an opening, which leads into a wood-paneled corridor. At the first turn, there’s a door built into the decorative fluting of the wall.”
Wrexford could just make out a darker shape within the gloom. “You two wait here.”
“Wrex—” began Sheffield.
“Competent as Lady Cordelia appears, she’ll be a distraction if things turn violent. And we can’t leave her alone. This cursed place is too dangerous.”
His friend didn’t argue. “Godspeed,” he murmured.
The earl was already moving. The archway door was ajar, and he eased through the crack. A small domed skylight allowed in a glimmer of light, just enough to illuminate the figure standing still as a statue in the center of the gallery.
“I thought you might show up,” intoned Justinian DeVere. “I’m sorry it’s come to this.” He pursed his lips. “Julianna is brilliant, you know. Absolutely brilliant.”
“She’s a vicious, deranged murderess,” responded Wrexford.
“You don’t understand. The murder of her parents was a grave shock at an early age. As a result, she suffers from certain unfortunate impulses. But these things often accompany genius. The result will be worth—”
“Don’t you dare seek to justify what you’ve allowed.” The earl made to move by him. “Get out of my way.”
DeVere caught his arm. “It’s too late, I’m afraid. I regret what’s happened, but we both know that scientific discovery requires sacrifices. I will make arrangements after tonight to have Julianna confined in a private facility . . .”
Wrexford heard a tiny snick as the other man pulled his hand from his pocket. Pivoting, he smashed his elbow into DeVere’s ribs just as the scholar pulled the trigger of his pocket pistol, causing the bullet to shatter one of the priceless Oriental vases.
“Wrex!” Sheffield burst into the room, his own weapon at the ready.
“Take charge of this miscreant,” called the earl, shoving DeVere to the floor and breaking into a run.
* * *
Backing away, Julianna set aside the rod and snatched up a deadly-looking scalpel from the table of tools beside the trough battery. “You wish to cross blades with me? So be it—you need to die one way or another. I became quite skilled with a knife in India, as I studied anatomy as part of my scientific training.” She glided forward. “So I’ll take pleasure in sliding my sharpened steel into your heart for trying to stand in the way of Progress.”
The silvery point flicked back and forth, like the forked tongue of a serpent seeking to scent its prey.
“You are welcome to try.” Charlotte dropped to a wary crouch and shifted her grip on the hilt. She was no stranger to wielding a knife in self-defense. There had been occasions when she had been forced to ward off footpads. Once or twice, she had even drawn blood.
But never had the clashes been a fight to the death.
“I suggest you surrender,” counseled Julianna. “Poison will be far more pleasant.”
Charlotte slid a step to her left so as not to be trapped against a metal cabinet.
Flick-flick. The scalpel continued its sinuous probing.
“Because I will kill you. I must.” Her rising voice had a manic trill. “You see, the cards have predicted that I possess special powers and am destined for greatness.”
Julianna was beyond madness, thought Charlotte, keeping her feet moving. Beyond humanity. She must find a way to use that to her advantage. In a battle of steel against steel, her adversary held the edge.
Think! What would Wrexford—the master of dispassionate logic—counsel?
Charlotte glanced around the laboratory. The earl would tell her to use her strengths—see all the little details, and then use her imagination to do the unexpected.
A faint hissing from the trough battery drew her attention . . .
And all at once, an idea came to mind.
Edging back, she wove a careful retreat through the worktables and storage carts.
Julianna seemed in no hurry to end the cat-and-mouse pursuit. She came on slowly, with a predator’s stalking step. “Surrender to Fate. It’s no use trying to evade your destiny.”
In answer, Charlotte slid through a gap between tables and grabbed up a large beaker filled with the electrolyte solution used to power the trough battery. A snap of her wrist sent its contents flying through the air.
Julianna let out a grunt as the liquid hit her in the face, splashing over her hair and the bodice of her gown. And then she laughed. “That’s merely the excess fluid. It does nothing to stop my plan.”
At the same moment, Charlotte spotted what she was looking for—a cut-crystal bottle capped with a silver stopper, sitting on a stone slab next to the voltaic pile.
Dear Cedric. She darted forward. I won’t allow you to be desecrated yet again.
“No!” A cart toppled in a cacophony of shattering glass and thumping metal as Julianna realized what Charlotte intended to do and began a mad dash toward the trough battery. “No!”
But Charlotte was quicker. Dropping her knife, she snatched up the bottle and hurled it to the tiled floor. It exploded into a spray of shards and silvery droplets.
“You’ll not use Cedric or me for your vile experiments!” she called. “His essence is gone and your devil-cursed dream is dead, as well it should be.” Beside her, the metal conducting rod was vibrating against the stone slab, a gentle humming at odds with the terrible power coursing through it. “It’s over. Now is the time to surrender to reason.”
Her face contorting in fury, Julianna let out a wordless snarl. Her scalpel shot up, a lethal flash cutting through the lamplight as she suddenly threw herself forward.
In the same instant, Charlotte grabbed the rod’s leather grip and raised it as a defensive shield.
Metal clashed against metal.
As if punched by an unseen hand, Julianna was flung back. Her body hung suspended in midair for an instant, steam spiraling up from her burnt hand. And then, hair dancing on end, she crumpled to the floor.
Hands shaking, Charlotte dropped the smoking rod. The reek of singed flesh clogged her nostrils as a deathly silence settled over the room.
Is it really over?
Swallowing against the burn of bile rising in her throat, she managed to shuffle over to where Julianna lay spread-eagle on her back, eyes wide open, mouth frozen in an O of shock.
“May God have mercy on you—for you’ll get none from me.” Indeed, Charlotte found that she felt nothing. No relief, no sense of triumph, just an overpowering numbness in every fiber of her being.
Suddenly too spent to remain on her feet, she took a seat on the overturned cart. The lamplight seemed to fade in and out, as if struggling to keep darkness at bay. Hugging her arms to her chest, Charlotte closed her eyes and allowed the swirling shadows to wrap her in oblivion.