Dark Tides

Emily was committing various maladies and their symptoms to memory, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth and frowning in concentration, when the sound of the doorbell rang through the house. She was curled in the chair in the library, so focused she didn't even notice until the housekeeper cleared her throat and said, "Miss Emily, you have a visitor."

Emily swallowed back a groan of frustration. Henry had been impressed with her memorization of the bones in the human body, and had now assigned her to learn about as many illnesses as she could. Emily had missed her secret studies while she'd been aboard the Silver Spirit and was eager to get back to them. She didn't have time for these silly intrusions. Especially when she saw who was standing in the doorway.

"Good afternoon, Miss Weldon." Gregory Harrington bowed, his blond hair impossibly groomed and his easy charm fairly glowing out of his eyes. Emily was not pleased to see him.

"Mr. Harrington," she said formally. "What brings you here on this lovely day? Surely you'd be out playing polo or appraising yourself in a mirror."

The insult went right over his head, which was not surprising at all, since he never really listened to anyone else. It did not, however, go over the head of Mrs. Browne, who was standing behind him. She rolled her eyes and shot Emily a warning look.

"It is a lovely day," Gregory agreed. "And the Industrial Faire starts today. I was hoping you'd like to attend with me." He gave Emily what she supposed was a smile that made most women weak in the knees. It looked vaguely shark-like to her. She was searching for the proper words to turn him down; "I'd rather pull out all my own teeth and swallow them" seemed a tad excessive; but her attempts to decline the offer were thwarted by Aunt Marjorie.

"Of course she'd like to go with you! How very sweet of you to offer." Marjorie had clearly been lurking in the hallway and was beside herself with glee that Gregory Harrington was calling on Emily. Emily, for her part, felt like she'd just swallowed sour milk.

"I was supposed to attend tomorrow, with the rest of the family," she said, glaring at her aunt. Marjorie's attention was focused on Gregory though.

"I'm sure your father and brothers won't mind if you go today as well," she said dismissively. "I only wish I wasn't leaving to catch the train back to Cornwall."

At least she wouldn't be Emily's chaperone, then. Realizing there was no way out, Emily sighed and addressed Mrs. Browne.

"Would you please fetch Mary and ask her if she'll accompany us?"

"Of course, Miss Emily."

Mrs. Browne left, and Emily excused herself to go in search of her gloves and parasol. She slipped the medical book behind a pile of poetry books and fled the library. She hunted for the parasol that would go best with her sky blue seersucker dress, and slid her hands into a pair of white gloves. She adjusted her boot so that it wasn't making the little charm band Percy had given her bite into her ankle. She had given Percy firm instructions that he needed to visit her more often or she'd hunt him down. Something seemed to be troubling him, but Emily didn't want to press the issue. She supposed if he wanted to share his problems with her he would.

She found Gregory and Mary waiting for her in the foyer. Gregory was charming Aunt Marjorie some more as she prepared to leave for the train station. Mary looked at Emily and rolled her eyes. Emily nodded in agreement. Mary Griffith had the same blue-green eyes as her son, but her hair was a fiery red where Ben's had been dark brown. People seemed surprised that the Weldons kept her around, now that Bartimus's young stepchild was gone. But Mary had become as much a part of their family as Ben and they would never turn her out. Aunt Marjorie finally left, and Gregory escorted Mary and Emily into his waiting carriage.

"It's of the finest quality," he informed them. "The seats are lined with real silk."

"I can see that." Indeed, every time the carriage made a sharp turn she and Mary went sliding all about the bench.

"My father is also thinking of procuring one of those new airships," Gregory went on. "Not one of the large ones, mind you, more like a small sporting boat. Wouldn't that be something?"

"It certainly would be," Emily replied dryly. She was tempted more than once to simply fling herself out into the street. Finally they reached their destination and Gregory helped her from the carriage as though she were made of fine china. She was quick to snatch her hand away, glad she had worn gloves because touching the man made her feel oily. Walked beside her while Emily kept her hands on the handle of her parasol. Mary walked just behind them. A crowd was gathered around something, murmuring excitedly. People moved aside as they saw Gregory swaggering by and Emily rolled her eyes. But her annoyance was forgotten as she saw what had attracted everyone's attention.

It was a clockwork horse. Her brother Teddy worked with creations like this and Emily had spent many an afternoon learning how to tinker from him and annoying his apprentice, Finnigan. People moved forward to touch it as it stamped its metal hooves and tossed its head. They were even offering to let people ride, though most were too nervous.

"I'd love to try it," Emily breathed, running a hand along its smooth metal shoulder. Gregory laughed as though she'd made a joke.

"Don't be silly, Miss Weldon. Operating this machine takes great skill. Ladies such as yourself are not equipped for such things. Here, I'll show you how it's done." He grinned at her and turned to speak with one of the invention crew.

Emily did not anger easily. She grew exasperated with her brothers and found other girls her age tedious and vaguely loathsome, but it took quite a bit to truly raise her ire. Gregory Harrington achieved this feat. Emily gave him a glare that could turn a man to stone, had he been paying her any attention. Not equipped for such things? Emily would show him who wasn't equipped. While his back was still turned, Emily flipped open the small panel on the horse's chest. A few knobs twisted and a wire re-plugged and Gregory was going to get one nasty surprise. People gathered closer excitedly as he winked and swung up onto the horse's back. The horse had originally been programmed to set off at a jaunty trot when the rider tapped their heels to its side.

However, Emily had readjusted its programming, so that when Gregory did just that the mechanical beast took off at a full gallop, bucking wildly. Women screamed as people scurried out of the way. Emily watched the scene with her hand covering her face, pretending she was horrified. But in truth she was stifling her laughter. The horse gave one last rodeo-worthy buck and Gregory went flying rear over head into the pond. Emily was delighted to see that the journalists and photographers in attendance to cover the Faire were catching all the action. Emily darted to the water's edge as a stunned and now quite soggy Gregory waded out.

"Oh you poor thing!" she called out. "Perhaps you should leave the equestrian sports to the professionals. You're going to ruin your fine silk seats with all that pond water!" She backed away to find Mary giggling madly.

"It will be in every paper and tabloid tomorrow," Emily said. "I can see the headline now. Gregory Harrington Makes a Splash at Industrial Faire."

That set them both off laughing again and Emily found the journey home much more enjoyable. Gregory looked not at all his usual put together self and it gave her a wicked satisfaction. Trying to dissuade his attentions was turning out to be rather fun. She couldn't wait to tell her father about it. She was still in high spirits as she climbed out of her rosewater bath that night and shimmied into one of her brothers' old shirts. The sleeves hung past her hands and she had to roll them up about six times to free her hands, but it was worth it to avoid those scratchy, high collared night dresses Aunt Marjorie always sent her. She wound up one of her music boxes so a soft Mozart song played and then sat cross-legged on her bed to resume studying maledictions and poisons before Henry decided to quiz her on them.

She imagined she could find something in her books to use against dear Gregory.