Avalon Revamped (16 page)

CONSTANCE

The crowd gathered inside the ballroom

Waiting until the hallway was clear, I dug through my reticule, ensuring I had all the tools I’d need for the Willie’s sentence. Once all were gone and I was alone, I knocked on Willie’s door, and he answered, peeking through the door first, then looking both ways down the hall, before he opened it for me to come in.

“Hurry,” he said. “We don’t want to be seen.”

“Am I early?” I asked, commenting on the lack of Mr. Chenery’s presence.

“No, my darling, you are right on time. Excellent! We have a full hour now.”

“Where is Mr. Chenery?”

“Um. Running late. Yes. He said it wouldn’t be until closer to nine, likely. But it’s fine. Don’t worry.”

Flustered, I turned to leave.

“Wait. Don’t panic. It will be fine. He just wants to meet you, after all. He’s already been told all about you. He’s already read your article and adored it, by the way. You’re welcome. Meeting you won’t take long. Besides.” He said the word in a long, drawn out way, emphasizing his deep-south accent, not to mention his underlying intentions. “This will give us some time to ourselves. For practice, of course. You want to make a good impression, right? After all, you’d be the first woman writer at
The Times
, and that’s a great achievement! Milestone, some would say. Tragedy, others.”

“And which do you think, Mr. McFerret?” My behavior was properly miffed at being trapped in a small cabin with a man. I stood with my hands pulled in tight, but I stood proud, too.

“What? A milestone, of course. Why do you think I’m helping you, Charlotte? And what’s with all this Mr. McFerret. Come on, we’re colleagues. Call me Willie. You know better than that.” He handed me a glass of Gin as a smile crawled across his face. “Bottoms up!”

He threw his back and I sipped mine.

“You’re amazing,” he said to me, eyes sparkling, then leaned in, putting his hand against the door, blocking me. “I’m going to be able to say I knew her when she was just a simple girl from the country. Now look at her, London’s first woman journalist.”

“How you flatter,” I said, blushing, and I pushed him away. Gentle, so as not to cause offense. No, Charlotte wouldn’t jeopardize her budding career. After all, she’d be telling herself everything was fine. I, however, knew better.

“See there. That’s it. Smile! Drink up! Drink up!”

I polished off my Gin, and he promptly poured me and himself another, then sat down. “Sit. Come sit next to me. After all, we’re not going to have the meeting standing up. Get comfortable. You’ll do much better if you’re not nervous. Drink up. It’ll take the edge off, relax you. That’s it.”

I sat next to him on the bottom bunk, as there was no where else to sit in the room. Their travel trunk was, no doubt, intentionally on the desk chair which had been pushed under the porthole. He scooted closer to me, and I had flashes of the assault last night by the revolting Nimrod Nesbitt.

I looked forward to Boxing Day to take care of him.

Next thing I knew, Willie had poured me another drink, clinked my glass, and slid his arm around me.

“Willie, business, remember?”

“Just relax, please. You’re so uptight! Drink.” Clink. “Cheers.” He downed the next, but I didn’t even sip mine. Still my vision started to get rather blurred.

“Oh my,” I said, reaching out to steady myself. “Something isn’t right. I’m not feeling at all well.”

“Oh, my. That’s not good. Here, lay back. There you go. Just rest for now. It will be all right.”

“But, Mr. Chenery,” I slurred.

“We’ve got time, yet. Just take care of yourself. That’s all that’s important now. I’ll wake you when Chenery gets here. Just rest.”

Then, blackness.

I awoke to find Willie buttoning up his trousers and smoothing his hair back. A sharp pain along with a deeper ache below told me what had happened. “What did you do to me?”

My bloomers were in a heap of fabric in front of the desk, and my skirt was still above my knees.

“What did I do to you?” he laughed. “What did you do to me? You’re amazing, Charlotte! You had me fooled with all that talk of business only, which would’ve been fine, of course, since this is what it’s about. Writing. That’s all that matters, after all, but then you wanted me to lick Gin off your thighs. It came out of nowhere, but I was already under your spell.”

“I what?! No, I didn’t! What did you do?”

“My darling, you seduced me.” His face twisted in anger at the implied accusation. “I was completely at your mercy. I thought you were a maid.”

“I am a maid.”

Laughing, he said, “Well, you’re not anymore. Quite a wild thing, too. Unlike anything I’ve ever had.”

I pushed my skirts down past my knees and wept.

“Now don’t be like that. It was fun. That’s all, but, you know, no one can know about this. In fact, if anyone ever finds out about this, you won’t ever see me again. I mean it. Then you can kiss that job goodbye, too. I have a reputation to uphold, and it won’t be said I was consorting with a whore like yourself, now. I won’t have it. Besides, no one would believe you. But,”—again with the long, drawn-out drawl—“as long as you want to fuck me in private like this. I’m game, darlin’. Anytime you want. A firecracker like you. Anytime you like.”

He patted his walrus belly and stretched his braces out and back with his thumbs a few times, looking very pleased with himself.

“Yes. That was great, my darling, but you have to go now. It’s nearly nine, and my wife might come straight back from her blasted games. Regardless, I’m supposed to meet her at the ball. Remember, if I see you out tonight, I’m going to make as if I don’t know you, and you’d be wise to do the same. No one can know. But I’ll meet you in some dark corner somewhere after midnight for round two.” He leaned down and licked up the side of my face as I cringed, then nibbled on my ear. “Come on, then. Grab your knickers. You’ve got to go.”

“What about Mr. Chenery?”

“Looks like we’ll have to postpone that meeting until back in London. Busy man, Thomas.”

“He never was coming, was he? Does he even know who I am? Has he even read my work?”

“Oh, he’s read it all right. That last article you gave me, well, it’s set to be published after Christmas.”

“It is!”

“With my byline, of course. Do you really think the world is ready for a female journalist? If you do, you’re even more foolish than you look. Harlot.”

Now. Enough.

I flicked my eyes from him to the bed. His body flew onto the bottom bunk and landed about the way a wet walrus would. Each hand fought as I raised them above his head with nothing but my will.

My will. Always.

Then Charlotte melted away, revealing Constance before him. Calm, determined Constance. His fear was palatable, and I licked my lips this time, ready for my meal. A warmth spread.

No. That was just the bed sheets after he had lost control of certain functions.

Fear had the strangest effects sometimes.

“I—I’ll do anything you want,” he pleaded, eyes wide.

“That’s true.”

I picked up my reticule and removed my tools, laying them out one by one, reveling in his fear.

“My wife! She’ll be back any minute now. I know she’ll come back here first. Before she goes to the dance. I know my wife. She’ll be here any minute!” Sweat dripped down his face, and the front of his shirt was now as wet as his trousers.

“That’s all right. This won’t take long.”

“You’ll get caught. They’ll put you away, you manipulative bitch.”

Back to aggression and intimidation. Nice.

“Seeing as how no one knows I’m here. No one even knows you know me, isn’t that right? Even if they did, you knew Charlotte, but she’s now served her purpose. No one will ever see her again.” I leaned over him, putting my nose right up to his and looked into those dead blue eyes. “Don’t worry, our secret is safe with me,
my darling
. No one will ever know about this, not to protect you, of course, and I can happily say I shall still never see you again.”

He struggled against my restraints, trying to reach me, face twisted in an infernal scowl. “You’ll be sorry! You cunt. How dare you? Do you know who I am?”

“Enough.” With a twirling of my fingers, motioning around and around, I sewed his lips shut without ever touching him. His eyes widened even more, as if they’d pop out of his head at first, then turned into angry little slits. His nostrils flared in his indignation, but the fear returned as I raised the straight razor and flicked it open. Shaking his head side to side, willing this to stop, he shut his eyes tight.

“No. You’ll watch this.” Throwing my hand up inches from his sizable jaw, I made his head freeze in place and his eyes pop open. He wouldn’t be able to close them again. Leaning forward, I steadied the blade and sawed off a lock of his hair, then stuffed it in the poppet’s neck, cinching it shut.

Tears filled his eyes in his terror.

“Seems you don’t like someone else controlling your body, Willie. Funny, really. As it’s all right when you do it, isn’t it? You think you have the right to control others, to use their body for your pleasure whether or not they agree? They don’t get a say in the matter, do they? You drug them. Coerce them. Threaten them into doing what you want. Isn’t that right, Willie? Well,
my darling
, it’s time to pay for all that forced privilege.”

My fingers traced along the top of his trousers, pulled halfway up his walrus belly, until they reached the button. Undoing it, then the next and next, Willie’s gaping eyes turned upward.

“No,” I said with a flip of my fingers, and his eyes were forced down where I would work. “Watch.” Pulling his pants down below his hips, I exposed his weapon.

“This thing that you make more important than women’s will, this has to go. I think you know that, don’t you, Willie?” I twirled the straight razor around in circles, extending the delectable moment. “You know you can’t continue hurting others, right? Manipulating, violating, sexually exploiting, using emotional and psychological blackmail. It stops here, Willie. Right here,” I positioned the razor over his shrunken weapon.

“Bon appetit, pour moi.”

ARTHUR

I never felt so proud as I did walking into the dining room with Chastity on my arm. Such a delight, so full of life. She made me feel alive again. Free! Through her, I could live again. Love again. Truly love once again, after so long.

We sat near the Starboard side, enabling us to look out the portholes as we pulled into London on this beautiful Christmas Morning. We had a delightful time in Paris, and I had had a delightful time in her. Over and over again. In Paris. Down an alley. In a church. Then, after a short reprieve—she wanted to play charades, but I couldn’t be bothered—all night long. I was rather famished and looking quite forward to breakfast.

“Look, my love. The Thames. It will be good to get home, don’t you think?”

“Yes, but remember, I’m only here for the holidays. Paris is my home.”

“We shall see about that.” Chastity’s face went from prettily pink to white in an instant. She swallowed hard and looked down at her hands in her lap.

I turned to see Avalon standing behind me, her cheeks rosy from what I could only assume was another blood meal. “Ava, my love! What a pleasant surprise.”

“Have you heard? Mr. McFerret has gone missing, just like Nicholas.”

“Oh, my! No, I hadn’t heard.”

“I thought you would be interested to know. Also, if you would be so kind as to allow Thomas to bring me my things over in Baker Street later today. I shall be heading straight there. I don’t have much, but if you wouldn’t mind instructing him what should return with me, I would appreciate it.”

Always the lady, my Avalon. I missed her already, and she looked so sweet this morning. That tiny “o” in the center of her lips beckoned me. As if she could read my mind, she pursed her lips tight, making my “o” disappear. Oh well, sometimes things just didn’t work out. Such were the ways of life and love. Plenty of other women to be had, no doubt. I reached over and took Chastity’s hand in mine, and giving it a little squeeze said, “Is that all, my dear?”

“Yes. That is all.” Her chin started to quiver when I had reached for Chastity, but I couldn’t understand why. Always with the tears, as if she didn’t know Chastity and I were together now. She saw it for herself, obviously. What was there to be so upset about? Too emotional, that woman. Indeed.

“Well, then.” Tilting my head, I locked Ava’s eyes with mine, questioning why she was still here.

Blood rimmed her eyes as the tears welled up. She turned and was gone. Good girl. Best not make a scene, especially with bloody tears. Yes. That would certainly be difficult to explain.

“That was rather awkward,” Chastity said.

“Was it? I didn’t find it so. Where on earth is our bloody tea?” Searching the dining room, all the waiters were busy with other guests.

“What do you think of that? Another disappearance. I wonder what we can discover about that.”

“Oh! My little cherry, do you have a mind for mystery?”

“I must admit, I do find it all rather fascinating. You knew Lord Stanton, did you not?”

“I did. Still not convinced of foul play, though. Well, not someone else’s anyway. It’s only been a week, hasn’t it?”

“True, but the blood. I heard there was blood at the scene.”

“Not much at all. No, I’m sure he’s fine. Good ol’ Nick.”

“So what about Mr. McFerret? He was a writer, wasn’t he?”

“One of the up-and-comers over at
The Times
, I understand. Strange for him to disappear while aloft, don’t you find? I wonder if they’ve searched the entire ship for a body. I suppose he could’ve fallen overboard.”

“I’d more expect that buffoon Doctor Nesbitt to fall overboard. Usually when I see him he can barely stand, let alone walk properly. Such a Lushington, that one.”

“In my time, I don’t think I’ve seen his equal in that regard, my love.”

“He’s quite crass, as well, don’t you find? Rather rude with the ladies.”

“Oh, my dear, rather rude all around, when he’s knackered. When he’s sober, though, he can be quite charming. That’s what’s important, isn’t it? Ah! Finally.”

“Sorry to have kept you waiting, M’Lord,” he said. “What would you like this morning, sir? Madam?”

“Tea all ‘round, I think, and some pastries as well. Pain au chocolate for the lady and a croissant for me. If you would, also bring some fruit and sausage.”

“None for me, but I wouldn’t say no to some eggs and tomatoes.”

“Yes. Sounds lovely. Make it a whole plate. There’s a good man. Sausage, eggs, baked beans, and tomatoes. Yes. Extra sausage for me as well. I’ll have the lady’s sausage for a change,” I said, winking at my love. Certainly she had enough of my sausage last night.

“Very good, sir. Right away.”

“The tea straight away,” I said as he turned away, making him spin back around to face us.

“Yes, M’Lord. Of course, M’Lord.”

Chastity savored every bite of the chocolate pastry, and I did love to watch her eat it. Every last morsel. Oh, this would be a fine New Year. Yes, indeed.

Just as we finished breakfast, Captain Blackwolf approached me.

“Excuse me,” he said, looking rather disappointed when he saw Chastity sitting next to me, but, no mind.

“Yes! Captain. Lovely cruise. Truly, sir. You are to be commended.”

“Thank you, Lord York, but I don’t think Mrs. McFerret would agree with you. You see, her husband is missing.”

“Yes. I heard. How very unfortunate.”

“Don’t you find it rather strange, just like Lord Stanton? There’s something you have to see, Arthur. Would you mind accompanying me to his cabin?”

“Ohh! Can I come, too?” Chastity sang. “I do love a good mystery.”

“Well, all right,” I said, patting her hand. “Lead the way, sir. We shall follow.”

Upon arriving in Mr. McFerret’s cabin, the first thing I noticed was the smell of blood. Much fresher than at Nicholas’s place, of course, as it had just happened. But there was something else, too.

“Ugh. That smell.” Chastity covered her nose and moved closer to the door.

“Yes. Blood,” I said, “and plenty of it, it would seem.”

“More than at Stanton’s,” the Captain said. “Considerably more.” He pulled the sheet off the bed, and the entire center of it was pooled with blood and a black sticky substance

“No body?” I thought of Avalon. Could he have been her meal last night? Her cheeks did look rather rosy this morning. Perhaps that was why she told me of the disappearance, as a sort of confession.

“We’ve searched the whole ship, and we ain’t found nothin’. Nothin’ at all. But there is that,” he said pointing to a grotesque statue on the floor next to the bed.

I had been so captivated by the scent of blood, I hadn’t even noticed it. It was as hideous as the bizarre one at Nick’s, and it, too, was missing its johnson. “Blood there as well, I see,” I said, noticing a thin line around the edge of its base.

“Yes. If you pick it up, it’s sitting in a pool of blood along with some black substance. In fact, when I found it, it was here,” he said, indicating the bed again. “Right smack in the center of that stain. Strange thing, I wiped off the bottom before placing it down there. Now, there’s more blood. Fresh blood and ooze.”

“Like it’s bleeding? Why, that’s impossible.”

“I think I might be ill,” Chastity said, swooning. I made it to her in time to catch her before she hit the floor.

“Let me just get her out of here, all right?”

“Of course.”

I carried Chastity in my arms up to the top deck for some fresh air. Avalon was at the top of the stairs. “Ava.” She frowned at the unconscious Chastity. “Fainted,” I explained. “Sight of blood, I suppose. We just visited Mr. McFerret’s chamber. You should see it.”

“I’ve already seen it. Examined it with the captain this morning. Excuse me,” she said as she tried to push past us.

“The statue is still bleeding.”

“What?”

That got her attention.

“The statue. Still bleeding and seeping something else, too. This is supernatural, Ava. Like us. We’re the best team to solve this, and I think you were right, Nicholas is gone, too. He’s not just off on holiday.”

“No, Lord York. I cannot work with you on this case.”

“Why not?”

Her eyes widened and eyebrows went up. The tiny “o” in the center of her mouth got much larger as she gaped at me. “Honestly, Arthur!” she said with incredulity and stormed past me.

Shrugging, I continued out on the deck and set Chastity down gently, fanning her face. London lay out beneath us as we approached Hyde Park. We’d be landing soon, and I, for one, would be relieved to get home. Chastity came to after a few moments, her eyes fluttering open.

“Rest here, my love. Enjoy the view of landing. I’m heading back down to discuss this strange mystery with the Captain. I’ll be back to check on you shortly.”

“Thank you, love. So silly of me to faint.”

“Nonsense. Just rest.”

“I see ya didn’t take my advice,” Blackwolf said, when I returned to McFerret’s room.

“On the contrary, good man. I most certainly did, just with a different woman. Do you really think I could make amends with Avalon? She perceives this as such a horrible slight, and she is far too proud. No. I think my efforts would be better spent creating something new and lasting, but I shan’t take Chastity for granted. No, sir.”

“Uh-huh. He didn’t take my advice, neither,” he said, nodding to the crimson and black stain.

“You knew him? Oh! That’s right. Served together and all that. Charming. Really.” Bored.

“I hated the way he treated Gladys. All women, really, but especially her. Mostly behind her back, mind, but it made it all the worst. Him makin’ a fool of ‘er and all. Such a fine woman, too.”

“Gladys? It’s Gladys? You’re in love with Gladys, aren’t you? Now you’re blushing! How quaint,” I teased. “Oh, this just became so much more interesting!

“Enough,” he growled. “Look at that statue, Arthur. Notice anything strange about it?”

“Other than the obvious?”

“Look closely.”

“All right.” It weighed heavy in my hand, heavier than the statue at Nick’s. Quite. It was approximately the same size, perhaps a little squattier, and—“Oh! Blimey! The mutton chops. Blimey! The thing has mutton chops just like Ol’ McFerret. Rather large jaw, too, and belly, I suppose. What do you think it means?”

“Maybe the statue is made in the likeness of the victim, then used to kill them. I’m not quite sure, but that is certainly worth noting. Don’t ya think?”

“Yes, indeed.”

§

After giving Thomas instruction to gather Avalon’s things and deliver them to Baker Street, I had him drop me back off at Nick’s. I didn’t want to be there while he packed her things, not that I was sad to see her go. No. It wasn’t that. I mean, I would miss her, of course. She was a part of my life for six months, give or take. So, of course, but one must move forward. Always onward.

Nick’s was much as we left it, but I was quite curious to get a closer look at that statue. It still squatted on the desk where we left it. The dark ring beneath it had expanded and was now dried. So it had kept bleeding and oozing, too, just more slowly. Interesting. Picking it up, I studied every line of the gargoyle’s face, looking for any resemblance of Nicholas, but I found none. From the scowling grimace to the angry eyes, it looked much more like a demon than Nick. Maybe the statues were made to resemble the victims, but this one didn’t resemble Nick.

Although, artists. Their bloody license and all.

The blood, while bizarre to come from a statue, wasn’t as curious as the black sticky substance. I had never seen anything like it in all my days. Even in its dried state, there was a faint fetid stench. Not quite sure how I hadn’t picked up on anything but the blood the first time. Perhaps I had been denying myself too much the nourishment I needed to be at my best, so that was all I could smell.

In McFerret’s cabin, the stuff was almost tar-like and putrid. Sticky with long strands extending from the pooled liquid to the statue after Blackwolf picked the thing up. Now dried, it was crusty.

I examined the black ring on Nick’s desk more closely. From my vantage the last time, it looked black, but I assumed it was just dried blood. Now upon closer examination, along with what I had seen at McFerret’s, I could see there was indeed both. I picked at the black and crimson swirled stain with my fingernail. The blood had seeped into the blotter and wood. A good scrubbing would be the only thing to get that out, but the black substance had more…substance. Thicker. It chipped and flaked as I picked at it.

“How odd.” I turned to converse with Avalon, but remembered I was alone. No matter. I could figure it out myself, since I was rather clever.

Hmmmmm. Missing cock. Scowling angry or pained look. Blood on the carpet. Black sticky stuff.

Maybe…

Or, perhaps…

No. It was rubbish. I needed someone to bounce ideas off of. Someone to talk it through with.