Playing With Fire (19 page)

Fear.

Charity was afraid of Jack.

What had happened between the two of them all those years ago? I wanted to know, but tension wrapped its tentacles around us, and I felt compelled to break its hold.

"It's very nice to meet you, Miss Charity," I said.

"I'm sorry, Miss Smith, I've been terribly impolite." She did seem genuinely apologetic. "You're a friend to Jack's cousin? How delightful. I've met Miss Langley and she seems like a sweet girl."

"She's been very kind to me."

"She's not here with you?" Naturally she must be curious as to why Sylvia's companion was gallivanting around London with two gentlemen and not Sylvia herself. It must seem terribly suspicious.

"Circumstances have necessitated she remain at Frakingham and Hannah come with me," Jack said.

Miss Charity raised an eyebrow. Clearly she didn't miss the use of 'me' instead of 'us.' "How delightful."

"Not really. A madman has escaped prison and is trying to kidnap her."

Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "My God. That's truly awful." For the first time I felt she'd said something that didn't have a double meaning and wasn't designed to tease or cajole Jack. "Does it have anything to do with you needing to see Mr. Culvert?"

"Yes. Is he here?"

"He's teaching at the moment, but his class should be almost finished. The maid has been given instructions to tell him you're waiting for him. Can I get you any refreshments?"

"No, thank you," I said.

She sat with us, which I found a little awkward. She had not looked at Jack again, but he couldn't keep his eyes off her. He studied her intently, his gaze taking in every part of her until finally resting on her hands. She'd folded them in her lap. The extravagant cuffs reached almost to her knuckles.

"Tell me about yourself, Miss Smith," she said. "Why is the escapee after you?"

"Well," I said on a breath as I considered whether I wanted to tell her anything and if so, how much.

"It's complicated," Jack said before I could go on.

Charity sat back as if his words had pushed her. "Of course. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked." She rose. "Let me see if Mr. Culvert is finished."

I waited until she'd left before I turned to Jack. Samuel got in first, however. "Was it necessary to be so short with her, Langley? It was a natural question. Of course she'd be curious."

"There are some things Charity shouldn't know." His gaze settled on me. "You understand, don't you, Hannah?"

I didn't, not really, but I told him I did. He seemed to want me to agree with him, understand him. I couldn't imagine why. Ever since seeing Charity, Jack hadn't been his usual confident self. Not that he seemed afraid or desperate, but there was something lacking in his composure.

And then it struck me. He cared about her opinion of him. I suddenly realized that not telling her why Tate was after me had been difficult for Jack, and that's perhaps why it had come out sounding so curt. I think he'd wanted to tell her everything. So why hadn't he?

Whatever the reason, it would seem Jack hadn't quite gotten over his feelings for her after all.

A large hammer smashed through my rib cage—or that's how it felt. I wanted to run out of the parlor and let the tears welling in my eyes flow. But Jack was watching me closely and I felt like he could see right through the smashed ribs to my fragile heart.

"Hannah," he said softly.

I was saved from my self-pity by the entrance of George Culvert. Charity wasn't with him. I found I was quite happy about that.

"Has something happened?" he asked even before greeting us. "Has it harmed anyone?"

"No," Jack said, "nothing like that."

Mr. Culvert pushed his glasses up his nose and let out a deep breath. "That is a relief. In that case, you must have more information for me."

"We do. We found this." Jack pulled the amulet out of his pocket.

Mr. Culvert shut the parlor door then took the amulet and inspected it. "Was it in the trench?"

"Yes, half buried in the soil on the trench floor."

"Ah." He picked at the central star shape with his fingernail and muttered some "hmmm" and "ah-ha" noises. "I'd say this is probably what was used to summon it."

"Probably?" Samuel asked. "Can't you be more definite than that?"

"I'm afraid not, Mr. Gladstone. It's impossible to tell for certain, but if it was found near the dungeon, then it's likely to be the amulet that was used. It does have a likeness to others I've seen."

"I'm not sure I like the uncertainty in your answer."

Mr. Culvert merely shrugged and handed the amulet back to Jack. "I sent an incantation via the mail, but it wouldn't have reached you before you left. Dine with my wife and I tonight, and I'll write it out again for you."

"Thank you," Jack said.

"Capital! I've been telling my wife what an interesting time we had at Frakingham and she's regretted not coming ever since."

"Before we go," I said, "is there somewhere I can freshen up?"

"Of course." He opened the door and gave me directions.

I went in search of Miss Charity instead. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to speak to her alone and find out more about Jack—and about her relationship with him. I wasn't sure if I'd find out anything good. Indeed, I was quite sure I wouldn't, but I
had
to know.

CHAPTER 11

I found Miss Charity in a classroom speaking to two girls of about ten years of age. She was pointing at something in the book one of them held open.

"Excuse me, Miss Charity," I said. "May I have a word?"

She dismissed the girls. As they passed me, both brushed their fingers along my skirt. One of them sighed, the other blinked large eyes up at me then ran off when I said hello.

"Forgive them," Miss Charity said, smiling. "They're rather in awe of you."

"Me! Whatever for?"

She indicated my dark green day dress and jacket, my matching hat with the flowers around the brim. "You look so elegant to them. Rather like Mrs. Beaufort. She always elicits a few gawps from the girls."

"You flatter me by comparing me to her, Miss Charity."

She merely shrugged. "What can I do for you, Miss Smith? I assume you've sought me out for a reason. Does Jack know you're here?"

"The gentlemen think I'm freshening up."

"Ah." She indicated I should sit in one of the chairs angled near her desk. I did and she sat behind the desk. "You want to know more about Jack." It wasn't a question.

"Is it that obvious?"

"No, but I'm a woman too and Jack is…" She sighed. "Jack is compelling."

I clasped my hands tighter in my lap. "Do
you
find him compelling, Miss Charity?"

She hesitated. "Not as much as I used to."

"Why?"

She seemed shocked by my bluntness and took another moment to answer. "I suppose because I know most of his secrets now. The ones he knows the answers to himself, that is."

"And what are those secrets?"

She gave a short laugh. "Miss Smith, you can't possibly expect me to answer that. If Jack wants you to know, then he'll tell you."

"How can he answer me when I don't know which questions to ask?"

She lifted one shoulder. "A fair point. Let me tell you this then. I can see that Jack likes you very much. It's written all over his face."

It was? In that case, I must be illiterate because I couldn't see it when Miss Charity was in the room.

"It's because of that, and because you've been direct with me, that I'm going to be direct with you. Jack and I were very close once. We remained friends even after he moved to Frakingham. We don't dislike each other, Miss Smith. I can assure you, however, that he and I are not as…close as we once were. Our friendship has waned with the passing of time. We're both happier that way." She tugged on her sleeves, but not before I saw a scar on the back of one of her hands. A broad scar that covered almost the entire hand.

A burn scar.

I sucked in air and tried to think of something to say. "It's just that you two acted so oddly in the parlor just now."

She looked down at her hands and pulled on the cuffs again even though the scar was no longer visible. "Jack and I have a long, turbulent history together. We've hurt each other too many times to count."

Bile rose to my throat. No. He wouldn't. But I had to ask. "How did he hurt you?"

"Not like that," she said quickly. "Never physically. The sort of pain we inflicted on each other doesn't leave scars. It was never intentional. He's a good man is Jack Langley."

"Jack Cutler, you mean."

She gave me a tired smile. "Yes. Jack Cutler, man of fire and master thief by the age of eight."

"A thief?" I muttered. Perhaps it should have been obvious to me considering his upbringing, but it wasn't.

"Don't tell him I told you." The mischievous twinkle returned to her eyes. "It's how we all survived. We'd have nothing to eat in those days if we didn't steal. Jack could keep us warm with the point of a finger, but he could also keep us fed with those same fingers. He was incredibly fast at picking pockets. Most victims were never aware of what had happened until he was well away, and those that did detect him in the process could never catch him. He was fast on his feet too."

"Yes, I've seen him."

"I imagine you have." She folded her hands and I thought our conversation was over, that she'd told me as much as she wanted to, but then she spoke again. "Jack saved me, you know. He saved me many times."

"From what?"

"From all sorts of things, and people, but mostly from myself." Tears shone in her eyes, but didn't spill. "I'll be forever grateful to him for that, and he'll always hold a special place in my heart. But it's time to move on. I
want
to move on, and I want him to as well. I'm glad I met you, Miss Smith. It makes me hopeful for his future."

I found Miss Charity utterly confounding. I'd gone from thinking she still loved Jack to the complete opposite and then to somewhere in the middle. I suppose relationships of their nature were complicated, but I'd never had experience of them. My long-term relationships were with only two people, Miss Levine and Vi. Neither would be receiving social calls from me now.

"You'd better go," Charity said. "They'll be wondering where you got to."

"Yes. Of course." I stood. "Just one more thing. There's something I need to ask you and you probably won't answer me, but I'll regret it if I don't."

"This sounds intriguing."

"I think something happened to Jack. Something to do with his fire that makes him reluctant to use it on people, even if it's to save somebody. Do you know why?"

She bit her lower lip then released it to smile, albeit thinly. She took my arm and walked slowly with me to the door. "You ask too many questions, Miss Smith, and that's one that he must tell you himself. If he wants to."

"I thought as much."

"But you had to try," she quipped. "I understand." We stopped at the door and she turned to face me. "Be assured, Miss Smith, if he does tell you, it means he cares for you very deeply. It's not something he would want just anyone to know."

"Thank you. I'm glad we spoke."

"As am I. Take care. I hope you catch that madman. I suspect there's a story there, and I love a good story. You'll have to return one day and tell it to me. I'm sure we'll meet again now that I'm working here. I know Jack will want to see the Plum Alley children from time to time. He always felt responsible for them, even those who came after he'd left."

I took her hands, but she pulled away and tugged the cuffs again. She'd said Jack hadn't hurt her, but had he caused those scars somehow?

Oh lord. It suddenly struck me why he'd not told her about Tate and me. I'd thought it was because he didn't want to explain the whole mess, but perhaps it was because Charity had been burned. Was she afraid of fire? Was that why she looked at Jack with fear earlier? Was that why he hadn't told her about my fire, because he didn't want her to be afraid of
me
?

It explained her mixed emotions toward him too.

I opened my mouth to ask, but shut it again. Sometimes not asking questions was the wisest move, and I suspected this was one of those times.

I bid her good day and thanked her again. I made my way back to the parlor where the three men were discussing all things demonic. Mr. Culvert walked us out to the carriage where a cluster of children had gathered around the horses. Jack paid the lads who'd minded it and suggested to Samuel that he drive again. Samuel claimed not to mind. He winked at me, and I realized he suspected Jack was purposely keeping him away from me. I wondered if it were true. Surely Jack knew Samuel wouldn't hypnotize me against my will.

We had tea at the Hammer and Nail while we waited for Mrs. Dodd. It was a crooked old inn with low ceiling beams and an enormous yawning hearth. A few drinkers who appeared as ancient as the inn sat hunched over their ales at the bar. They didn't move except to lift their glasses to their mouths. We sat in the corner and kept our voices low as we discussed the demon.

"I'm so glad we have the amulet and will soon have an appropriate incantation with which to send it back," I said.

Jack agreed. "Now if we only knew for certain whether Tate summoned it to Frakingham."

"If it wasn't him, then who?" I asked. "And why?"

Both Jack and Samuel shrugged. "Culvert suggested the summoning isn't always accurate," Samuel said. "Perhaps it ended up in the dungeon by accident and was meant for somewhere else. Somewhere far from Frakingham."

"If you believe that, then you're a fool," Jack told him.

"I've been called worse."

"I'm sure you have."

"Do you have a problem with me,
Cutler
?"

I held my breath and glanced at Jack's face and then his hands, but he didn't look angry, and there were no sparks. I breathed again.

"You have questions," Jack said.

"Several." Samuel smiled, but it wasn't one of his hypnotic ones. He wasn't trying to charm Jack, although he may have been trying to placate him. Samuel couldn't afford to make an enemy of him. "Tell me about Miss Charity. How did you two meet?"