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Ruth fidgeted with one of her favourite dresses. It had just the barest ornamentation, and she thought that it helped to sharpen her features, making her seem more formidable.
Thomas had arranged another meeting with James to talk over the terms of Ruth’s contract with the Crown. Ruth hoped to add clauses to stipulate that none of her inventions would be used by the military, but Thomas had warned her that it would be unlikely. He thought it more likely that there would be conditions put in place to outline exactly which circumstances her inventions could be used in, many of which would favour the Crown over Ruth. But she was determined to get as much as she could.
She took Michel’s arm and headed downstairs as she heard a knock on the door. She had talked over most of her ideas for what she wanted with Michel, but also knew that he would back her up with whatever she said in the meeting.
“Ruth, Michel,” James greeted coldly as he entered.
“If you’ll follow me,” Ivy said, leading them through to the room Thomas usually used for his business meetings.
“Is it really necessary for your fiance to sit in on this meeting?” James asked.
Michel, thankfully, repeated back the words Ruth had taught him. “Ruth is my muse. It would be bad luck not to have her with me.”
Ruth was pretty sure she heard James mutter “French men,” under his breath like a swear. Or maybe it had actually been a swear. She was too far away to tell for certain.
They sat down around the table as they entered the room, but James didn’t follow them.
“It’s time to stop playing games,” James said as he loomed over the others before dropping a bolt onto the table.
The bolt that had fallen from Michel back at the palace. Ruth had forgotten to pick it back up.
“It’s a spare bolt,” she noted, hoping that her tone was level. “Why are you dropping it on our table?”
“It wasn’t difficult to figure out your little ruse, especially after I saw the designs for a mechanical man.” He moved over to Michel before ripping off his wig and mask, showing the metal skull beneath.
“The Owl isn’t real. He never was.” James turned to Ruth. “It was you all along, wasn’t it? There is no reason for Thomas to hide behind the persona, and you only brought Ivy onto your staff when you arrived in London, long after The Owl had started working.”
“James, that’s enough,” Thomas said. “What do you want?”
“I want The Owl,” he glared at Ruth, “to sign the contract to work with the Crown, as it is, and to abide by it.”
“And if I don’t?” Ruth asked, folding her arms.
“If you don’t, I will make your ruse public. Lying to a representative of the Crown in such a way could be enough for prosecution, not to mention the hit your reputation would take. Not only have you made a persona so that you could pursue activities unbefitting a woman of your station, but you have built yourself a metal husband. What scandalous tastes you must have to find him a suitable bedmate.”
Ruth turned bright red as she stood up. “That is enough! I built Michel so that I would not have to marry a brute like you.”
“But that’s not what people will say,” James said, smirking, and she had to admit that he was right.
“The contract is for me to build weapons, correct?”
“Indeed.”
Ruth sighed. She didn’t want to sign it, but she truly had no choice.
“Ruth, you don’t have to,” Thomas said.
She shook her head. “I will not ruin the family over this. My tendencies towards Icarus-like behaviour got me into this situation. It’s only fair that I am the one to pay for it.”
She leaned down to sign the contract that James placed in front of her. The pen felt heavy in her hand and her signature was shakier than usual. She signed as The Owl, since she doubted James would be the only one to see the document. She trusted him to keep her secret, otherwise he would lose his leverage over her, but she didn’t trust anyone else.
“There you go. You have your damn contract. I hope you’re happy with yourself.”
“I have done my duty to the country,” James said simply. “I just wish you understood that.”
“I understand just fine. I just don’t like seeing my designs perverted.”
“If you never thought that was a possibility then it is time for you to grow up.” James took the contract at that and headed to the door.
As soon as it shut behind him, Ruth slumped back down into her chair, feeling utterly defeated.
“What now?” Ivy asked her, finally stepping forward from the corner where she had been lurking.
“Now I do as he says,” Ruth said with a sigh. “He’s right. If he outs me, it will shame the whole family. That’s not something we can risk.”
Ivy sighed. “So you’re really going to do it? Build weapons?”
“I’m going to keep building what I’ve always built. If someone finds a way to use them as weapons... I suppose it’s out of my hands.”
“They’re still your inventions,” Ivy protested, though her voice was weak. It was obvious that she understood that fighting was futile.
“I know,” Ruth said. “But there’s nothing I can do, and I would very much like to try to sleep at night.”