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.”“Five of you cannot fight one?” Kitty asked.“I don’t know,” George said.“A stretch of her hand could send one of us sprawling, groveling for breath and life.”Lillian shook her head.“It matters not, at least to me.I will not sit by another day.At any moment her heinous experiment on my son could end and she might do the unthinkable.”George stared out the window.“I do wonder if she would accept a bargain.It’s all about me.Surely we all know that.”Lillian sighed.“It will not end until she destroys all of us, George.Don’t you see? She doesn’t want to kill you.She wants to hurt you.”“I would have abandoned you all.Still could.Or I could go to her and offer myself—”“Not a bad idea,” Kitty joked, but her face was grim.Phillip stood and pulled George upright by the arm.“Lillian is right.Self-sacrifice will serve nothing except to make those who love you miserable, George.Don’t try to be a hero.We must be free of her, and we never will be if you make a bargain.You will be gone, and the rest of us will be that much weaker without you.What will happen when she determines you are gone and she needs new targets to torture?”“You knew her best, Phillip,” George admitted.“She was your wife.So, what was her greatest weakness?”“I’m afraid that you were, brother.I imagine it’s this simple: She loved a man who cared not a bit about her, who turned her husband into a monster and then did the same to her.She wasn’t a very reasonable mortal; there’s no cause to expect logic from her now.”Lillian snapped her notebook closed, rose and paced.“She is weak by day, so that is the time to approach the castle.”“We must have cover of darkness,” Phillip argued.“We cannot go knocking on the front door with the others in tow.Not unless we want this to end a bloodbath.”“Then we will go tonight and see if Jacques is there,” Lillian vowed.George shook his head.“No.Or at least, maybe not.We have so few cards to play.Let us first find out, once and for all, what Doyle knows.Perhaps there is something we’ve overlooked that can help.Surely he would side with us against Marie if he came to know the entire story.”“Do you intend to reveal yourself to him?” Phillip asked, shocked.“We cannot afford many more humans knowing about us, George! We have been indiscreet far too long with no retribution.With Kitty and Bess knowing but remaining mortal…”George looked at Lillian but answered his brother.“We are all agreed on that point.Whether the Elders are watching or not, there are good reasons to stay hidden.Lil’s friend and your fiancée know of us.We will not add to that number.I intend for Lil to simply appeal to the man for information.”“You will send her?” Kitty asked.“He cannot harm her, and she will seem less a threat,” George replied.“And I doubt she could be kept from him.”Lillian nodded when he looked over at her for acceptance.“I will brief Chauncey, and we will assemble here tonight,” George announced.“After.Then we will make further plans.”“What of Bess and me? Is there nothing we can do to help?” Kitty asked.“You will take care of the boys—no matter what,” Lillian instructed.“There are to be no more orphans.”CHAPTER TWENTY-TWOLillian and Arthur.Arthur drained his cup of tea and threw on his overcoat, intent on learning more about the mysterious Lillian Holmes and the strange occurrences surrounding her.He’d passed the last two days alone, fretting, wishing young Mencken was around, as he wasn’t quite sure what he’d gotten himself into and wished for a compatriot or a partner in crime.But Mencken had gone off to try to interview the police and see what more he could pry from the tight-lipped Lieutenant.He’d hadn’t yet reported back, and Arthur wondered if the young man had moved on to other matters or was in some sort of trouble.He thought of going to see Officer Moran to find out.Should I have gone to Boston, left this city and its mysteries, its dangers? Will this be the death of me?Arthur stood outside his hotel, weighing his options, when the woman in question walked up the street toward him.For better or for worse, he realized, I am going to learn what is going on.He waited for her, and she stopped a few feet away.“I was coming to see you again.”“I’m pleased, Miss Holmes.”“May we speak in private? Perhaps on that park bench?”He offered his arm, and they crossed the street and sat.It was a fine day, Arthur saw, but this lady could not enjoy it.She had the weight of the world on her shoulders and looked like she hadn’t slept in a fortnight.“Miss Holmes, what is amiss? Can I help in some way?” Aside from her beauty, he found her compelling in some way he couldn’t describe.She was intelligent, certainly, but she also seemed…at once both strong and fragile.And mysterious.He realized now that he would do a great deal to help her if he could.And he hadn’t minded her beau, either, another clever chap.Although, the man had come very close to hinting that Arthur himself was involved in the murders somehow.But they’d left on good terms, Arthur allowed as he studied Lillian.“Perhaps you can,” she answered.Then, after a moment: “You may think what I am about to reveal scandalous, but I cannot change the facts.What did your Sherlock often say about strange facts?”“Your memory for the man’s ways is better than mine.”She shook away his smile and attempt at lightening the mood.“I bore a child when I was sixteen.” Then she held her hand over her mouth, as if that were not at all what she’d meant to disclose.Clearly she waited for a response, but Arthur did not trust she would continue to speak if he interjected platitudes.He stayed silent, curious as to why she would even share such a shame.Lillian turned away slightly.“He would now be seven, or perhaps just turned eight, as I do not have the date marked properly.I believe him to be alive.Two men, a Mr.Pemberton, my former lawyer, and a Dr.Schneider, had control over my life at the time.Until very recently, they ruled it completely.”Arthur tried to keep his expression calm, but her open mention of the two murder victims astounded him, and he knew she saw it on his face.“They were members of the Learned Order to which you now belong.”Arthur blanched.So, she does she think me complicit in this affair? Good God, is that fellow George about?“I am merely a guest, of course,” he said, “and have not been long in the Society’s company.”“Yes, I understand that.You heard me speak of Pemberton at the train station.I called him the Jackal, as he is the father of my child…but not by my wishes.”“My girl!” Arthur said.“I cannot believe—”“No, no one would [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.”“Five of you cannot fight one?” Kitty asked.“I don’t know,” George said.“A stretch of her hand could send one of us sprawling, groveling for breath and life.”Lillian shook her head.“It matters not, at least to me.I will not sit by another day.At any moment her heinous experiment on my son could end and she might do the unthinkable.”George stared out the window.“I do wonder if she would accept a bargain.It’s all about me.Surely we all know that.”Lillian sighed.“It will not end until she destroys all of us, George.Don’t you see? She doesn’t want to kill you.She wants to hurt you.”“I would have abandoned you all.Still could.Or I could go to her and offer myself—”“Not a bad idea,” Kitty joked, but her face was grim.Phillip stood and pulled George upright by the arm.“Lillian is right.Self-sacrifice will serve nothing except to make those who love you miserable, George.Don’t try to be a hero.We must be free of her, and we never will be if you make a bargain.You will be gone, and the rest of us will be that much weaker without you.What will happen when she determines you are gone and she needs new targets to torture?”“You knew her best, Phillip,” George admitted.“She was your wife.So, what was her greatest weakness?”“I’m afraid that you were, brother.I imagine it’s this simple: She loved a man who cared not a bit about her, who turned her husband into a monster and then did the same to her.She wasn’t a very reasonable mortal; there’s no cause to expect logic from her now.”Lillian snapped her notebook closed, rose and paced.“She is weak by day, so that is the time to approach the castle.”“We must have cover of darkness,” Phillip argued.“We cannot go knocking on the front door with the others in tow.Not unless we want this to end a bloodbath.”“Then we will go tonight and see if Jacques is there,” Lillian vowed.George shook his head.“No.Or at least, maybe not.We have so few cards to play.Let us first find out, once and for all, what Doyle knows.Perhaps there is something we’ve overlooked that can help.Surely he would side with us against Marie if he came to know the entire story.”“Do you intend to reveal yourself to him?” Phillip asked, shocked.“We cannot afford many more humans knowing about us, George! We have been indiscreet far too long with no retribution.With Kitty and Bess knowing but remaining mortal…”George looked at Lillian but answered his brother.“We are all agreed on that point.Whether the Elders are watching or not, there are good reasons to stay hidden.Lil’s friend and your fiancée know of us.We will not add to that number.I intend for Lil to simply appeal to the man for information.”“You will send her?” Kitty asked.“He cannot harm her, and she will seem less a threat,” George replied.“And I doubt she could be kept from him.”Lillian nodded when he looked over at her for acceptance.“I will brief Chauncey, and we will assemble here tonight,” George announced.“After.Then we will make further plans.”“What of Bess and me? Is there nothing we can do to help?” Kitty asked.“You will take care of the boys—no matter what,” Lillian instructed.“There are to be no more orphans.”CHAPTER TWENTY-TWOLillian and Arthur.Arthur drained his cup of tea and threw on his overcoat, intent on learning more about the mysterious Lillian Holmes and the strange occurrences surrounding her.He’d passed the last two days alone, fretting, wishing young Mencken was around, as he wasn’t quite sure what he’d gotten himself into and wished for a compatriot or a partner in crime.But Mencken had gone off to try to interview the police and see what more he could pry from the tight-lipped Lieutenant.He’d hadn’t yet reported back, and Arthur wondered if the young man had moved on to other matters or was in some sort of trouble.He thought of going to see Officer Moran to find out.Should I have gone to Boston, left this city and its mysteries, its dangers? Will this be the death of me?Arthur stood outside his hotel, weighing his options, when the woman in question walked up the street toward him.For better or for worse, he realized, I am going to learn what is going on.He waited for her, and she stopped a few feet away.“I was coming to see you again.”“I’m pleased, Miss Holmes.”“May we speak in private? Perhaps on that park bench?”He offered his arm, and they crossed the street and sat.It was a fine day, Arthur saw, but this lady could not enjoy it.She had the weight of the world on her shoulders and looked like she hadn’t slept in a fortnight.“Miss Holmes, what is amiss? Can I help in some way?” Aside from her beauty, he found her compelling in some way he couldn’t describe.She was intelligent, certainly, but she also seemed…at once both strong and fragile.And mysterious.He realized now that he would do a great deal to help her if he could.And he hadn’t minded her beau, either, another clever chap.Although, the man had come very close to hinting that Arthur himself was involved in the murders somehow.But they’d left on good terms, Arthur allowed as he studied Lillian.“Perhaps you can,” she answered.Then, after a moment: “You may think what I am about to reveal scandalous, but I cannot change the facts.What did your Sherlock often say about strange facts?”“Your memory for the man’s ways is better than mine.”She shook away his smile and attempt at lightening the mood.“I bore a child when I was sixteen.” Then she held her hand over her mouth, as if that were not at all what she’d meant to disclose.Clearly she waited for a response, but Arthur did not trust she would continue to speak if he interjected platitudes.He stayed silent, curious as to why she would even share such a shame.Lillian turned away slightly.“He would now be seven, or perhaps just turned eight, as I do not have the date marked properly.I believe him to be alive.Two men, a Mr.Pemberton, my former lawyer, and a Dr.Schneider, had control over my life at the time.Until very recently, they ruled it completely.”Arthur tried to keep his expression calm, but her open mention of the two murder victims astounded him, and he knew she saw it on his face.“They were members of the Learned Order to which you now belong.”Arthur blanched.So, she does she think me complicit in this affair? Good God, is that fellow George about?“I am merely a guest, of course,” he said, “and have not been long in the Society’s company.”“Yes, I understand that.You heard me speak of Pemberton at the train station.I called him the Jackal, as he is the father of my child…but not by my wishes.”“My girl!” Arthur said.“I cannot believe—”“No, no one would [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]