The Cogspeare Conspiracy (The Cogspeare Chronicles Book 1) (15 page)

“And it’s lined with cubes of iron. She said that it always seemed to help her get her point across.”

“I shudder to think.”

Chapter 25:

Easily identified as a student-priest by his long black gown and starched white collar, the young man raced frantically down the streets of Oxford, shoving other students and townies alike out of his way. From the way he pumped his arms and stretched his legs, it would have been evident to any onlooker that he was a runner, an athlete for the university, had they not been too pissed off by his conduct to care. As it was, he flew past the porters at Steele College, his gown flapping behind him like a manic crow.

              He raced across the verdant quadrant and vaulted over the ornamental, and rather hideous, New Brass sculptural wall, pounded up three flights of stairs, and began hammering on the door of one of the rooms.

              “Alright, alright!” yelled a muffled voice from within, and suddenly the door flew open. Two redheaded Cogspeares on either side of the threshold glared at each other.

              “What the hell is wrong, Amadeus?”

              “Declan, we’ve got to go London.” Amadeus was one half of the middle Cogspeare twins. His elder brother looked up at him worriedly and gripped his arm.

              “Why? Is everything alright? Mother, Father..?”

              “As far as I know, they’re fine.”

              “That’s not exactly comforting, Amadeus.” He folded his arms, but still listened. Though the most mechanically minded of all the Cogspeares, evidenced by his being the youngest fellow in the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Declan had enormous faith in his brother’s intuitive feelings. They had saved his life on more than one occasion. 

              “I just know that we should get there as soon as possible. They’re going to need us.”

              Declan sighed. “Alright. What about Quintus; have you been to his rooms yet?” Amadeus shook his head.

              “He left me a note a few days ago saying that he chose to leave rather than be sent down for insubordination, so he’s already home.”

              “Why does he always tell you things? I’m at the same college as the two of you, and I never hear about anything,” he crossed his arms petulantly. “Does he see you as his confessor?” he finished sarcastically. The Cogspeare boys had been raised in an entirely secular household, devoid of any religion whatsoever, and with a particular aversion to Catholicism. It was curious story about how Amadeus found religion, and one that he hadn’t gotten around to telling his parents yet. They had no idea that he was studying to be a priest.

              Amadeus rolled his eyes. He then poked his head around the doorjamb

“Hello, there,” he said to a very young man sprawled out on the carpet, barely dressed and wearing a shit-eating grin. “Another conquest?” he asked of his brother. He reached into a pile of mail for a note written on black paper with the Cogspeare seal and ‘Q’ on it. He handed it to Declan.

              “He’s a first-year over at Pronoviate, studies poetry,” Declan said absently as he read the black note.

“See, he did tell you. I’m leaving on the next train. Be on it.” As he turned and began to jump down the stairs, Declan called out,

              “What about Erasmus?” he asked of Amadeus’s twin, currently studying medicine at the University of Edinburgh.

              “Already on his way down. I can feel it!” he replied, not even bothering to look back as he ran to pack an overnight bag, robes flapping behind him.

Chapter 26:

Magnus and Minerva were silent most of the STEAMer ride back into the city. As she lightly dozed off the effects of the wine, sun and food, Magnus studied her. Her curly black hair, tangled from the day at the seaside, was barely contained under her white hat. He noted then that she always wore the same combination of colours, green, white and violet. The colours that stood for, ‘Give Women the Vote”.

At least she’s obvious about her passion, he thought morosely. What am I passionate about? Is it the law? Or am I looking at it?
The latter thought completely terrified him, and his mind sprinted from it.

As the carriage began to slow down, entering the outer environs of the city, Minerva awoke and finally said,

              “After what we saw today, are you still going to defend SWSMC?” Magnus nodded, almost sadly.

              “Miss McFlynt, I have no choice. And making sure that both sides have access to a fair trial is part of it.” She leaned forward.

              “Do you know who the prosecuting firm is?”

              “Gray, Grey and Black.”

              “Magnus!” she gasped, horrified.

Gray, Grey and Black were unarguably the worst firm of inept barristers in the city, if not in the world. It was a standing and hilarious bafflement how the firm continued to exist, full of five or six junior barristers who were guided by men from the grave, since all three founding members were dead, and no one was officially the boss. It was every young barrister’s nightmare that, once they had been called to the bar (in essence, qualifying as a barrister) that they would be forced to take an everlasting position with Gray, Grey and Black. Because, once taken, that position would blacken their reputation forever with the dirty soot of legal refuse.

“Gray, Grey and Black haven’t won a case in over thirty-two years, and that one was because the judge fell asleep during their prosecution. The miners won’t have a chance!”

              “Miss McFlynt, I can’t do anything about who the miners have hired-”

              “-were forced to hire-”

              “-as their legal counsel and representatives. All I can do is see that the law is upheld.”

              “And let the miners be destroyed in the process,” she spat.

              “Isn’t that a bit dramatic?” As any lawyer worth her salt does when cornered, Minerva tossed her head and, just as the train happened to be arriving at the station, rose regally to exit the carriage. Magnus grabbed his things in an untidy heap and loped after her.

              As it happened to be the height of traffic hour, it took them a considerable time to arrive back at the Cogspeare mansion. Magnus, now suffering the silent treatment (which was an improvement to what he imagined would come fuming out of her mouth had she still been speaking to him) felt himself begin to unwind just slightly when the dome that topped the house came into view.

              But his comfort was short-lived. Just as they stepped in the door, before Steamins could even warn him, the raucous laughter of five male voices came lurching out of the drawing room.

              “Oh, no,” Magnus groaned.

              “What is it?” Minerva asked, already halfway to the room.

              “My brothers.”

Chapter 27:

“Why are you here?” Magnus growled from across the room where he was practically hiding in the drapery. Introductions had been quickly and enthusiastically made, since young female visitors were practically unheard of in the eccentric household.

              “Charming, isn’t he?” Amadeus smiled at Minerva. Unlike all of the brothers she had met so far, he was lean and lithe, and had an almost pixie-like face that wasn’t unattractive. He also had inherited the gift of smooth talking from his maternal Irish ancestors.

              “How could you go all the way to Cornwall with him?” wondered Declan. This brother, closest to Magnus in age, was of middling height and would, in a few years and many faculty dinners, later tend towards portliness. Meanwhile, he was a burly physicist with chalk dusting his jacket and grease embedded in his fingertips.

              “Oh, I don’t know,” replied Minerva, smiling, “It wasn’t too bad. And it was terribly productive. First we stopped at the local pub for directions, where Magnus was intimidated by the miners.” Everyone began laughing. Magnus crossed his arms. “Then we finally found Mr. Craggs, the foreman, and he-”

              “Gave us some confidential information,” Magnus smoothly added. Minerva shot him a questioning glance, but nodded in silent agreement.

              Everyone else was astonished at their rapport, but Cornelius found his tongue first.

              “Well, then it was a nice day out for you both. Now, who’s hungry? I’ve heard from Mrs. Bunsen that we should expect good things from Bongout tonight. Miss McFlynt?” he held out his arm, and they proceeded into the dining room, followed by Edwina and Magnus, and the four remaining brothers. Once seated, Edwina asked,

              “Amadeus, when do you think Erasmus will arrive? I want to be able to give Mrs. Bunsen enough time to order more food- you know he eats enough for two of you!” And that was certainly saying something, as all the Cogspeare men had prodigious appetites.

              “He should be arriving any minute mother,” he said around a piece of Beef Tesla. “I got
it
from him, not the other way around. He must have taken the STEAMing Scotsman down, which should have arrived hours ago.”

              “
It
?” whispered Minerva to Sebastian, seated next to her. He had been grazing on some steamed vegetables and quickly blushed when she addressed him.

              “My twin brothers, Miss McFlynt, seem to have a unique connection. They always know where the other is and how they’re doing. They can even sometimes send each other feelings or messages,” he replied with the innocent guile of a youngest sibling.

              “And all this without a Pulse?” she replied facetiously.

              “Indeed,” Magnus nodded to her.

              “Halloo!” came a great shout from the foyer, followed by the front doors slamming shut, and the footsteps of the servants running.

              “And ain’t she a pretty one!” the loud voice shouted again, this time closer. There was a slap, followed by a giggle. 

              “And I should mention, Miss McFlynt,” Declan said on her other side, “Erasmus is a bit of a
bon vivant
.”

              “I beg to differ, brother,” interjected Quintus. “
I
am a
bon vivant
, while our dear Erasmus is-”             

The doors to the dining flew open, and there stood the dashing, dishevelled and frankly sexy, twin. He and Amadeus were undoubtedly twins, but while the latter could have been a Roman noble, Erasmus would have been a gladiator. He lurched over and gave his mother a peck on the cheek, and proceeded to shake his father’s hand with a bit too much vigour.

“-a drunkard” Quintus finally finished.

              “And who is this lovely young lady?” Erasmus ignored Quintus’s observation and instead bowed low to Minerva. She noted that his unfocused eyes were a bright, glazed blue.

              “This is Miss Minerva McFlynt, and she is staying with us until other arrangements can be made,” explained Edwina.

              “She’s a barrister,” added Sebastian.

              “Is she now?” Erasmus replied, pulling out a chair next to Magnus, making him bristle. “Shame we don’t have ladies in my medical classes. Would make them a damn sight more fun!”

              “The classes or the girls?” Quintus asked, as Amadeus tossed Erasmus a bread roll down the length of the table.

              “Both. And you really want to join the ranks of this old stiff here,” he elbowed Magnus hard, splattering sauce on the latter’s pristine white shirt. Magnus sighed, taking a firmer grip on his temper. He really wished he had had a few hours- or weeks- to prepare for an interlude with his drunken brother.

              “Yes, I do,” she said as Lily came in to remove the plates.

              Through all this, Cornelius and Edwina had simply sat and watched their children and guest, happy to see that all was going, relatively, well.

              “And how’s the ear treating you? Still working away?” Magnus reflexively touched the silver gears that covered his ear.