Viridis - A Steampunk Romance by Calista Taylor Page A

the same without you, my
dear. I insist upon your presence and will not take no for an
answer. It promises to be a truly splendid affair.”
    Seth did not give her the opportunity to answer
Victor. “I believe the lady said she will not be attending and is
previously engaged. I did not think it a difficult thing to
understand. If you’ll excuse us.”
    Victor stammered, his face going crimson. But before
he could put together a coherent sentence, Seth led Phoebe away
towards her office.
    With the door securely locked, Phoebe tried to
contain the seed of dread that was rapidly growing into something
that threatened to consume her. “It was truly unwise to make him
look the fool. I fear you do not know what the man is capable
of.”
    “Nor do I care. I will not have that brute
intimidating ye into relations, just as I’ll certainly not have ye
fearing him or what he may do if he’s angered or annoyed. Do ye
hear me, Phoebe? Whatever delusions Victor harbors about you, end
now.”
    She shook her head in worry. “Though I appreciate
your concern, I would have handled matters myself. I’ve managed
just fine in the past and am not in need of constant rescue.”
    Seth gave his head a shake. “Though I’d be tempted
to break every bone in the man’s hand for touching ye like he did,
this is not a case of simple jealousy, nor a case for whether or
not you can care for yourself— for ye certainly are capable. But
I’m a good judge of character, aye? And I’m telling ye, the man is
an evil bastard. I want him nowhere near ye.”
    Taking her by the hand, he pulled her to him, and
she stepped into his embrace, not wanting to argue. She rested her
cheek over his heart, the tension she felt slowly melting as she
relaxed in his arms. She pulled away just enough to look up at him,
trying to set aside her worries. “Inspector Thomas is here and
would like to speak with you, if you have a moment. He’s waiting
for you in the theatre.”
    “Is there no news of Lilly?”
    She shook her head. “I’m afraid not. Although he did
think she had left of her own accord.”
    “I’ll go speak with him, though I cannot imagine how
I might be of help. Will you join me for dinner afterwards?”
    She gave him a knowing smile. They had been apart
too long, and both wanted to make up for time lost now that they
had mended their relationship. “I have some business to attend to,
but will meet up with you when I have the chance.” He leaned in for
a final kiss before turning to go.
    Phoebe pulled out her ledgers and sat down at her
desk. Her reading glasses—which she abhorred— sat at the end of her
nose, as she ran through last night’s sales figures.
    She had not been more than twenty minutes into her
work when there was a knock at the door. She looked up to find Seth
had popped his head into the room. “I hope you do not mind, my
love, but Inspector Thomas has something he wants me to look at,
and he thought it best to do so in private. I thought it unwise to
disturb your customers by occupying a private room.”
    She waved Seth and William in, standing to greet
them. Seth’s attention was already focused on William and the
leather case he held, her own curiosity now piqued.
    Seth turned to William now that they were behind
closed doors. “I must say I was a bit surprised to hear you were
looking for me.”
    “To be honest, you were the first person I thought
of. You see, I’ve come across a unique tinkering, but I’m not
terribly familiar with its workings and have had a hard time
garnering help from the appropriate sources. I’m afraid it could be
key to my investigation.”
    “I would be happy to aid your investigation in any
way I can. May I see the item?”
    Phoebe went to her desk and quickly closed her books
and ledgers, clearing a spot for the tinkering. “You may work here
at my desk, if you like.” She watched in anticipation as William
reached into his case, and pulled out a fair sized