Viridis - A Steampunk Romance (16 page)

From what he could figure, Lilly had been truthful
about Niles working as a spy. There was information regarding the
Cause, names, places, dates, probably gathered and turned over to
the Secret Service. If there was a revolution brewing, the SS would
do everything in their power to put an end to it.

It had come as no surprise to find both Phoebe and
Seth’s name on the list of those supporting the Cause. He already
knew of their involvement, but thought their contributions to be
more humanitarian than revolutionary, though he’d not want to wager
a guess on which side of the line they’d fall if a revolution
occurred. Hanging for treason tended to be a good enough deterrent
for most.

The book of information labeled Secret Service
contained more names, places and dates, however this time the list
appeared to be the names of those working as spies for the SS.
Although it’d certainly be useful information for Niles to have, he
doubted this list was for the SS. Niles must have done some digging
around, and compiled the list on his own. But why? Perhaps Lilly
was indeed correct about Niles sympathizing with the Cause once
he’d learned more about it.

The part he understood the least, though, was the
third book labeled with Phoebe’s name. It held multiple formulas
and calculations for Viridis, and then more information regarding
her other experiments.

He had not a clue what the SS would want with
Viridis or Phoebe for that matter, and he also could not imagine
she would allow anyone access to her research.

It was becoming all too clear that someone close to
Phoebe had betrayed her.

Chapter Twenty Two

Phoebe arrived at Viridis in a flutter of nerves.
Though she could not be happier about her engagement to Seth, she
dreaded seeing Gabriel. The cuts and bruises from her altercation
with Victor were still obvious, despite her best efforts to mask
them with cream and powder.

As always, Gabriel was behind the bar at the
Sanctorum, but his smile faded when he saw her. “Phoebe, what
happened? Your lip.” He immediately came from around the bar to her
side.

“It’s nothing.” She took the arm he offered and gave
him a small smile. “May I speak to you in private for a moment? I
have other matters I wish to discuss.” Unlocking her office door,
they went in, closing the door behind them.

“Phoebe, what’s happened?” Gabriel reached out and
took her hand. “You know you can talk to me about anything.”

She reached up and cupped his face. He had certainly
grown into a fine young man, but when she looked into his eyes she
still saw the young lad she helped raise. “I know, love, but it’s
not a matter I wish to discuss when I have happy news I’d rather
share. I wanted you to be the first to know. I’ve agreed to marry
Seth.”

Smiling, he pulled her off her feet and swung her
around in an embrace, before setting her down, a huge grin on his
face. “I’m truly happy for you. And if you don’t mind my saying,
you took your sweet time about it.”

She laughed, the clenching in her gut now gone. “I
do believe Seth may hold that very same opinion.”

“A toast then.”

Gabriel was pouring them each a whisky to celebrate
when there was a knock at the door. Opening the door, she was
surprised to find herself suddenly swept off the floor in a hearty
embrace.

“Phoebe, love. How I’ve missed ye.” Caught
completely off guard, Phoebe couldn’t help but laugh, resting her
hand on Gavin’s cheek and kissing him on the forehead, her feet
dangling a good foot off the ground.

“It’s been too long.” When she spoke, she couldn’t
keep the catch from her voice. It had been eight months since she’d
seen him last, and she’d missed him terribly.

Seth cleared his throat, eyeballing the two of them.
“Not that I want to interrupt the happy reunion, but would you mind
putting my betrothed back on the ground?”

Phoebe blushed, suddenly conscious of Seth and how
it must look to him. But Gavin was still holding onto her as if she
weighed nothing more than a feather.

“Congratulations, lass.” His voice was tender when
he spoke and she could not help but look into his eyes as he held
onto her gaze. He then gave her a kiss, just a brush of the lips,
before landing her on her feet.

***

Phoebe handed Seth the glass of Viridis, letting him
pull her close for a quick kiss. It had turned into a late night,
the combination of their engagement and Gavin’s presence fueling
the revelries. Gavin had accompanied them to her home, accepting
her invitation to spend the night in the guest room, since his own
sleeping quarters were on the other side of the city.

Phoebe’s house servants, Sarah and Martha, busied
themselves around the house, obviously excited to have guests. They
brought numerous plates and platters up from the kitchen, each
piled high with finger sandwiches and other delectables. How they
had managed so much in so little time and with no notice was beyond
her, but she made sure to lavish them with praise and thanks before
dismissing them for the night with assurances they could manage on
their own.

“What happened to your hand?” She asked, taking
notice of Seth’s scraped and swollen knuckles as he raised his
glass to drink. “I hope you boys weren’t getting yourselves into
trouble.”

Seth momentarily glanced at Gavin, who returned his
look with raised eyebrows, sending a shard of panic through her. “I
was going to tell you, but wanted to wait for a more appropriate
time.” He steered her towards a chair, crouching before her so she
could easily look into his eyes. “There’s nothing to trouble
yourself over. I just need you to know you’re now safe. Victor will
not bother you again.”

Phoebe inhaled sharply at the sound of Victor’s
name. “What did you do, Seth?” She felt all the blood drain from
her body, and thought she might faint for the second time in as
many days.

Seth took her hand in his. “He’s fine, my love, with
little more than a broken nose and wounded pride. I promise, he’ll
not lay a hand on you again.”

She felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment at the
mention of Victor’s assault while Gavin was still present. She
chanced a glance to see if he’d heard and then hissed at Seth
through gritted teeth, her embarrassment turning to fury. “Did I
not ask you to leave it be? Do you know what you have done?”

Seth sighed heavily. “A moment if you would, Gavin?”
Gavin gave him a nod and then got up, flicking a quick glance at
Phoebe before leaving the two of them alone.

How could such an intelligent man be so damn
stupid?
Phoebe paced the room, not saying anything, picking up
and putting down the occasional object, trying to ward off the
desire to hurl said object at his head. In the state she was in,
her aim would not fail her. “Do my requests mean nothing to you,
Seth? What were you thinking?”

“Phoebe, you could not expect me to sit idly by
after the man assaulted you.”

“I know you felt it necessary, but the man is
powerful and wounding his ego is far more dangerous than wounding
his person. I only fear what he’ll do in retaliation.”

Seth pulled her into the safety of his arms, holding
her close, some of her anger now gone. “Do not worry, my love. I
promise, he’ll not harm you again. I vow to protect you, with my
own life if necessary.”

She looked up at him, fear still gripping her as he
leaned forward and kissed her. When she spoke, cradled against his
chest, it was barely but a whisper. “It’s not myself I worry
for.”

***

Phoebe went out into the hall and found Gavin pacing
the hall, his kilt swinging with each stride. Standing well over
six feet tall, his presence overwhelmed the small space. “I’m
assuming you were with him.”

He stopped pacing and gave his head a shake, anger
sparking in his eyes. “I could not let him go alone. Truth be told,
I dinna blame him one bit for what he did, and you shouldn’t
either. He didna tell me what happened, but I can take a guess,
aye? I can also tell ye the man’s lucky I hadna seen ye before we
paid him a visit. Seth’s a far nicer man than myself, for I’d have
them fishing pieces of the bastard out of the Thames.”

“Is that so?” She repressed a shudder, knowing he
likely spoke the truth.

“Aye lass, it is.” He changed the subject. “Has he
told ye I’m to marry the two of ye?”

“Are you now?”

Gavin tilted his head to the side, answering, “Aye,
that I am, unless ye’ve reason to object.”

“Bloody hell.” She gave her head a shake, trying to
ignore the quickening of her heart. Pushing her fears aside, she
let a smile slowly creep across her face. It was good to have Seth
and Gavin back, the three of them together once again.

Gavin gave her a hint of a smile, his voice soft and
sweet. “Come on, lass. We dinna want to leave yer poor man
wondering what we’re getting up to.”

“No. We certainly wouldn’t.” She turned to go, but
he stopped her with a gentle hand on her shoulder. “What is it,
love?”

“Phoebe, about what happened.” He gave his head a
shake, making her stomach clench. She knew he was not speaking
about the incident with Victor. “I’m sorry, aye? I hadna meant
to—”

“I hope you’re not being too hard on the lad, my
love.” Seth walked into the hall, making Phoebe’s heart race.

She gave Gavin a quick glance, before walking over
to Seth, managing a bit of a smile. “No more than he deserves.”

The three of them sat by the fire, eating and
drinking, conversation slowly returning to normal. The tension
between them eased, though Phoebe could not help but notice Gavin’s
gaze drift back to her on more than one occasion. She knew what he
truly wanted to speak to her about when they were in the hallway,
but no good would come from rehashing something of so little
importance—especially not when she’d finally agreed to marry
Seth.

After several more hours of talk and drink, they
decided it’d be wise to retire for the night. “Ye’ll let us know if
ye need anything, aye? A good night to ye.” The lilt had crept back
into Seth’s voice with the help of Gavin’s company and a fair bit
of drink.

“And a good night to ye both.” As Gavin made his way
to the guest bedroom, Seth then turned his attention to her.

Phoebe got to her feet, and the world tilted around
her, leaving her to wonder exactly how much whisky and Viridis
she’d had. Sensing her state of inebriation, Seth pulled her into
his arms, holding onto her with a firm grip around her waist. Head
spinning, she melted in Seth’s arms, desperate to feel his touch.
With little effort, he scooped her up and started to carry her
towards her bedroom. “I do believe ye’re drunk, my love.”

“I do believe you’re correct.” The words felt thick
on her tongue. But nestled as she was in his arms, her lips found
their way to his neck with ease before moving on to nibble at his
ear.

“Phoebe, love, keep that up and I’m liable to drop
ye, being that I’m not exactly steady on my own feet.” His grip
tightened and he picked up his pace, fumbling with the doorknob to
her room.

Reaching down, she gave him a hand, flinging the
door open to let them through. She heard the door close behind
them, and then Seth lowered her onto the bed as her world continued
to dance around her. Rolling her onto her back, he struggled with
her gown and corset, as Phoebe managed to doze between his curses.
She then watched dreamily as he rid himself of his own kit, leaving
her to marvel drunkenly at his magnificent form.

Sliding in next to her, he said, “Ye need to sleep
or ye’ll be in a world of hurt come morning. Come on, love. Lay yer
head.”

He pulled her into his arms, and she nestled up
against him, her head on his chest as the sound of his heart lulled
her. But the herbal coursing through her veins was putting
something other than sleep on her mind. Her fingers traced
imaginary patterns across his chest, her lips following the trail—
until Seth wrapped her snug in his arms, effectively putting a stop
to her progress. She looked up at him and pouted— something she
could assuredly blame on the alcohol.

Seth frowned at her. “Sleep.”

“That’s not exactly what I had in mind.” Phoebe
thought he was trying awfully hard to be good, poor man. Though he
was twice her size, he too had consumed an ungodly amount of
Viridis— from her private collection, no less— and she could not
imagine it wasn’t having an effect.

She turned away onto her side, taking his arm with
her so that he was forced to lie cradling her from behind, a
position she knew would give her the upper hand. They were a
perfect fit, their bodies molding to each other with her head
fitting just under his chin, their legs a tangle. Her skin buzzed
with energy, a rush of need coursing through her every fiber. She
felt the hard heat of him pulse against her and knew he was as
helpless against the herbal’s effects as she was. She shifted in
his arms, pressing herself up against him, her need for him now
bordering on desperation
.

“Phoebe.” Her name was just a murmur on his lips,
before he bent his head towards hers, covering her mouth with his,
hungrily taking. He tasted of whisky and Viridis. His hands ran
down the length of her, setting her skin on fire.

She shifted so as to better face him. Her hands
reached down to stroke his hard length, eliciting a moan as he let
his head fall back. His hands, rough on her hips, flipped her onto
her hands and knees, as he sidled up behind her, mumbling.

She looked over her shoulder at him, thinking for
sure she’d not heard right. “What did you say?”

He burst out laughing. “I was just saying that, by
the god’s, ye’ve got the most bonny wee arse— nice and plump.”

She swiped at him laughing, throwing herself off
balance in the process. With his hands still on her hips, he pulled
her back into position, and said, “Be still with ye. Is this not
what ye wanted?”