Page 34 of Her Majesty's Necromancer
"I'll keep them on."
So much for small victories. I stared in silence at the flickering flames. Their dance mesmerized me, the warmth made me drowsy. It must have been almost dawn and I was dog tired, but I wasn't prepared to excuse myself from Lincoln's presence. It was rare that we spent time alone outside of training.
I pulled my knees up and, feeling his gaze on me, rested my cheek on them and tilted my head to face him. I'd been wrong, however. He wasn't looking at me but at the fire.
"Will you keep watch over the graves?" I asked. "In case the captain returns for the bodies?"
"Seth and Gus can take turns tomorrow. Today." He rubbed his forehead. He must be exhausted. I'd at least slept a few hours, but he'd been up all night. "It's unlikely the captain will be back now."
"If he learns where the bodies went anyway, that is."
"Pete and Jimmy will have to tell him something, but whether they tell the truth or not, I cannot guess."
"I wonder if the captain will be angry."
"Probably. We've likely set him back."
"I wonder what it is he's doing. I can't begin to think of a reason that would require the bodies be stored for months on end in a cool room. If he were a doctor, surely he would have dissected them by now." I shivered and hugged my knees tighter.
"Perhaps."
"Have you ever noticed how you give non-committal answers?"
"Sometimes." The corner of his mouth twitched, and this time I was certain it was a smile.
I smiled in return. It felt like another victory. Two in one night! No, three. He'd not corrected my usage of his first name in the cart. There was no better time to try my luck for a fourth win. "You're going to visit Mr. Lee's opium den to try to find out more about the captain, aren't you?"
The black orbs of his eyes narrowed to pinpoints. "Why?"
"I want to come with you."
"No."
"But—"
"No, Charlie."
I stretched out my legs and stroked the soft rug with my fingers. "There may be death there. Recent death. I could talk to a spirit while you question Mr. Lee."
"I don't want you near that place."
I sighed. "Lincoln—"
"Fitzroy," he barked.
I squared my shoulders. I didn't deserve to be shouted at! "I am not a delicate flower that wilts at the first sign of danger, sir, so do not treat me like one."
"I am your employer," he said through an unmoving jaw. "I'll treat you any way I bloody well like."
"I would be concerned if we weren't arguing about you being over-protective toward me."
He pushed off from the chair and rose above me. "While you live under my roof, you live by my rules."
"And if I choose not to?" I held my breath. Would he throw me out? Would he go along with the committee's suggestion and banish me from London?
"If I want your help at Lee's, I'll ask for it," was all he said.
It didn't answer my question, but it was an improvement on an outright refusal. "That's all I want—your due consideration. I can be of assistance, Linc—Mr. Fitzroy. Tonight proved it."
