Chapter 15
15
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1 2 February, 1827
Inside Marianne's Carriage
Cheapside, London
Once again, Marianne was headed toward the great unknown. But this time, she was hopeful. In an odd twist of fate, her Uncle John had sent a note to Lucinda. He promised to meet them on Cheapside Street and explain how to work the treasure out of the green malachite box.
Marianne was over the moon. This was their big break-through. Whatever was inside that damned little box was probably worth a king's ransom. They would be set up for life. She, her lady's maid, and their coachman could travel throughout Europe, doing as they pleased. Imagine all the possibilities. Royalty always traveled with tons of jewelry. They'd never miss the odd trinket here and there. She was tempted to rub her hands in glee at the thought of all the horizons awaiting them.
They rolled slowly along Cheapside until suddenly, a familiar figure strolled out from a side street and pulled himself up easily into the carriage. When she and Lucinda pulled him inside, he hugged her tightly. "I've missed you, Poppet."
"Where have you been all these years?" Marianne demanded.
"That father of yours never had a sense of humor. All he cares about is work, work, work."
"I'm so glad you decided to join us. There's a little green malachite box with a priceless fortune inside. I got it open as far as the inside, but then there's no clue as to how to open the final chamber."
"How do you know there's something precious inside?"
"I stole it from an aristo who stole it from a 'very bad man,' according to what my, um, sponsor."
"And this 'sponsor' of yours, is he in the business as well?"
"Well, he's certainly in the criminal line of work, but he doesn't practice the Black Art."
"Can I see the box?"
"Of course." She opened her bag of belongings and dug through to the bottom. "Here it is," she said, and handed him the small, exquisite malachite box.
He pulled the box from her and turned away from her in the dark carriage. After several minutes, he returned the box, which she returned to her bag. "No wonder you couldn't crack the secret. Even I can't figure it out." He snapped his fingers suddenly. "There's a jeweler near here who might be able to help." He reached for the bag. Marianne shoved the bag behind her. "I don't think it's a good idea to let the box out of my possession. What if he tries to trick us?"
"You're right. I'll spend a few days seeing if anyone's ever heard of this box. I'll get back to you in a few days." With that, he leapt from the carriage and walked down the street away from the carriage whistling. While Marianne was watching him walk away, he suddenly side-tracked down a dark alley and disappeared.
She leaned back against the comfortable squabs and thought treacherous thoughts. She squirmed a bit, but then couldn't stop herself. She checked on the green malachite box. It was still nested at the bottom of her bag, but when she shook it, the jingle of possibly precious jewels no longer sounded.
She punched the carriage door hard, causing Lucinda to give her an odd look.
"He tricked us," Marianne said. "How stupid am I?"
Lucinda patted her arm in a movement calculated to comfort her. "You do know there's no honor among thieves."
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13 February, 1827
No.'s 25-27, Mercer Street
Edge of Seven Dials
Con had thoroughly enjoyed Marianne's machinations to escape her cell this time. When he'd seen the door completely removed from its hinges, he'd had a long, hard laugh. She'd taken the green malachite box again, of course. He'd expected that.
When he'd gathered up all the charcoal sketches from the cell floor, he'd especially loved the depictions of the dogs. He was also relieved to see she'd used her drawing talents to escape a beating from Sally Big'uns. But the ones that had made him question himself for days were the ones of him. He had no idea he was showing her a side of himself that was vulnerable and not in keeping with his persona of a tough, ruthless gang lord.
At a commotion on the second floor he ran up the back stairs, Lugh and Aengus hot on his heels. Since their sense of smell was ten times better than his, he suspected they were all racing toward the same thing: Marianne.
His suspicions were proved correct when he rounded a corner, and Mrs. Bonham and Crisp were deep in conversation with his wayward love. When she saw him, she walked straight toward him and wordlessly handed him the malachite box.
"You figured out how to open it and you sold what was inside?"
"No," she said. "I finally found my Uncle John who taught me everything I know about the Black Art, and..."
"And he showed you how to open that godforsaken box?"
"No," she admitted, with a little moue of her lips. "He stole what was inside and then disappeared."
Con wrapped an arm around her and felt her warmth seep into the place inside him he thought had shriveled up and died.
"While you were racing around breaking out of my fool-proof cell and then getting robbed, I met your father."
Marianne stiffened and stepped back. "What did that bastard want?"
"He wanted me to give up my own ventures, join his army of fools and figure out a way to keep you in line."
A stricken look crossed her face. "What did you tell him?"
"I didn't tell him anything. I flattened him in the middle of his club in front of his army.
"You wouldn't send me back to him, would you?"
"That depends."
"On what?"
"On whether or not you can behave yourself for the next fifty or so years."
At that moment, Con Dyer wished he had the gift of drawing people with their their feelings revealed. Marianne's face moved through a whole kaleidoscope of feelings.
"You mean you want me to stay here with you?"
"Yes. Why not? Considering what I know about your lawless mind, I can't let you loose on the streets of Seven Dials and Covent Garden on your own."
"Why not?"
"Because my brothers would hang me from a gas light pole in the middle of Mercer Street. They've secured my solemn promise not to allow you to continue to racket around London causing mayhem wherever you go."
"If I agree to live here with you, would I be allowed to come and go as I please and have my own concessions in Covent Garden?"
He touched her nose lovingly. "No."
"Why not?"
"Because you'll be entirely too busy raising my children and teaching them all the Black Arts."
Her mouth dropped open. "But..."
"No arguments. And, we're going to go on an extended honeymoon to India."
"India? Why?"
"Because there's someone there you need to see."
"Who?"
"You'll see."
"That's not fair. Tell me."
"Life, my love, is not always fair."
* * *
Later, after they'd found a church where the priest was not afraid to marry one of the Four Horsemen, they returned to Con's tenement lair, and Marianne asked Con the question that had been burning away at her curiosity.
"Remember the personages you meet with secretly that you said I'm not ready to know about?"
"Yes."
"Am I ready now?"
He stared at her for a long time before relenting. "I think perhaps you are."
"Who are these people and where do you meet them?"
"They're here, right in this building."
"Why haven't I seen them?"
"They're hiding in plain sight.
When she gave him a look of doubt, he pulled her into his office and opened the secret bookcase door.
Once inside, she looked her fill and then walked to the nearest shelf."They're full of books." A huge glass skylight provided plenty of daylight for perusing.
"What's so special about these books that you have to hide them here in the center of the building?"
"Well, for one thing, most of them are naughty."
"Naughty?" Her eyes sparkled with devilment.
"Where do you get naughty books?"
"Mr. Whitcombe's bookstore on Holywell Street.
"What kinds of things are in them?"
"Let me show you." He pulled her onto his lap in a comfortable leather chair and turned her so that her ankles rested at his shoulders. He levered one long finger and then two into her already wet quim. She moaned and bucked against his hand. In one swift move, he straightened her out in the chair and knelt on the floor in front of her. He replaced his fingers with his tongue until she cried out in pleasure.
She stopped suddenly, her cheeks crimson. "What if someone hears us?"
"No one can hear anything from inside my sanctuary.
She smiled a naughty smile. "What shall we try next?"
"Whatever you like."
-THE END-
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