Emma Holloway - A Study in Ashes

Mycroft’s eyes brightened. “Because if he’s used to the idea of her getting out and about …”

Holmes raised his glass to Mycroft, for once in perfect accord with his brother. “When the moment is right, it will be a thousand times easier to set her free.”

London, September 24, 1889

CAVENDISH SQUARE

7:45 p.m. Tuesday

TOBIAS ARRIVED AT HIS TOWN HOUSE IN CAVENDISH SQUARE just before the supper hour. His ears still rang with the din of the Gold King’s workshop, and his mind felt like something dropped from the top of Nelson’s Column. As he stepped out of the cab, all he wanted was a drink, a meal, and a good night’s sleep. He’d spent the day dissecting the great brass bug—an activity that produced more questions than answers. Exhaustion battled irritation for possession of his soul.

As the cab pulled away, the horse’s hooves clip-clop ping into the darkness, Tobias loitered in the street, taking deep breaths of the cool air. The park at the center of the square was quiet. All around, the glow of gaslights softly brushed the pillars and pediments of the Georgian town houses. Above, the sky was a deep indigo fading to black. It was one of London’s rare peaceful moments.

Somewhat refreshed, he mounted the front steps of his house, the granite stairs lit by the fan light above the door. A twinge of pride buoyed his mood. This was his place, not his father’s. It wasn’t nearly as grand as Hilliard House, but it was more than enough for any reasonable man. And it had all the modern conveniences—hot water, indoor plumbing, steam heat, and gas lighting on every floor. The endless renovations had been worth the time and cost.

The door opened before he’d mounted the last step. He stepped into the pool of warmth and the butler took his hat and coat. Whitford had come with Tobias from Lord Bancroft’s residence, glad of a chance to be the head of a new establishment.

“Please let Mrs. Roth know that I have gone upstairs to dress for dinner,” Tobias said. “I’ll be down as soon as I can.”

“Very good, sir,” Whitford intoned.

All butlers intoned, Tobias decided as he mounted the stairs. It must be part of their training, right along with the supercilious eyebrows. Amused, he started down the hallway to his bedroom.

But he hadn’t gone far when his feet took a turn toward the nursery, the way they did every night. If there was someone inside with the baby, he would pass by, a busy man with places to go. If no one was there to see, he would enter. He stopped to listen, his hand on the painted china doorknob. There were no voices, no lullabies haunting the air. A sliver of light crept from beneath the wet nurse’s door at the end of the hall, so he turned the knob quietly, hoping to steal in without attracting notice.

The door drifted open on silent hinges. A lamp was turned low, shedding just enough light to make out the cradle and its tiny occupant. Tobias crept closer, feeling gigantic and awkward in the pastel sea of tiny blankets and knitted toys. Savoring the private moment, he peered into the cradle at the chubby, perfect face of his son. As always, a wash of confused, almost painful amazement flooded over him. He had done nothing to deserve a blessing like this—rather the reverse—but he would damned well make himself worthy of the innocent child who’d been entrusted to his care.

Jeremy had his amazingly small fingers dug into the knitted coverlet, as if determined to keep what was his. Tobias rather liked that sign of tenacity. In this world, and with Keating and Bancroft for grandfathers, he would need all the stubborn spirit he could muster if he was to find his own way. But he has one thing I never did. He has a father who will fight for him .

Tobias reached down, his fingertips just brushing the baby’s blanket. Jeremy scrunched his eyes tight, a tiny frown making him look alarmingly like Lord Bancroft. But Tobias let his hand linger there, needing to feel the warmth of the little body. Perhaps it was to remind himself that good things could still happen—ones that he could see and touch. Someday he would teach Jeremy all the necessary skills men required, like how to skip stones and swing a cricket bat, and especially how to find his way around a toolbox. One of the few good memories Tobias had of his own father was repairing an old steam-driven water pump together. It was hard to connect that memory of his sire with the Lord Bancroft he knew now, but at least he had it.

A soft footfall made him look up. Alice was on the other side of the cradle, the lamplight turning her fox-red hair into a burning halo. She was lovely, with a heart-shaped face and wide blue eyes, but there was a peppery streak to her character that could surprise the unwary. None of that showed now, though, as she looked down at her child.

“Enjoying a private moment?” She said it with a touch of amusement.

“Just some man-to-man time.”

“Too bad he’s asleep,” she murmured, adjusting one corner of the blanket. “His Royal Stickiness loves to see you.”

Tobias gave a rueful smile, though he was still in mourning for his favorite waistcoat. “How was he today?”

“I think he’s over his sniffles.”

Tobias nodded, more relieved than he cared to show. He could see it in Alice as well, a softening in the angle of her mouth. The year since their marriage had been a process of discovering such signs. He’d learned her limits and boundaries, what she liked in her tea and the fact that she saved the gossip page of the newspaper until last.

He’d known none of that beforehand. For him, the union had been an act of duty, and at first he hadn’t always been kind. They were still more strangers than not, but things had become much better. They’d both made an effort to forge something worthwhile, and he was more than grateful for her willingness to try—especially at moments like this, with the lamplight gilding the graceful lines of her profile.

He leaned across the cradle, catching her hand and pulling her closer. Alice was small and as dainty as a sprite, but she rose up on her toes to lean forward. His height made up the distance, and he brushed his lips against hers. Beneath the bridge of their bodies, Jeremy slept the profound sleep of infants.

She was warm and delicious, tasting of sherry and possibilities. He kissed her again for good measure, and she caught his lip with her teeth, nipping lightly. A rush of interest blew away the last of his fatigue. As she heated beneath his touch, her scent grew stronger—a perfume of sandalwood and jasmine and the softness of female skin. He began to calculate how long it would take to get her out of all those elaborate clothes.

“Alice,” he said softly. He finally released her.

“Papa has arrived.”

Damnation . He had entirely forgotten that the Gold King would be there tonight.

She lifted her gaze. There was an element of apology there, and not a little worry. She loved her father, but she knew him far too well. He was only a comfortable guest when it suited him.

Seeing that apprehension, Tobias’s first instinct was to reach across and smooth away her frown. But Keating’s presence seeped through the floor, souring his stomach. He dropped his hand with a silent oath and went to make himself ready. A man was lord of his castle until his father-in-law and employer came to dine.

When Tobias finally went downstairs, the Gold King was in the drawing room, a glass of whisky in one hand and a silver-framed photograph of Alice and Jeremy in the other. He set it down on the mantelpiece as Tobias entered.

“How went the work today?” Keating asked. A speculative glint passed through his golden eyes as he took a sip of the whisky. He might have been there on a social visit, but he was no doubt far more interested in whatever Tobias had learned about the brass bug.