Chapter Fourteen

The carriage that had taken them all swiftly to the ball now chugged back to Clancy manor at a more sedate pace. However despite the sleepy atmosphere holding on to the occupants of the coach, there was an underlying tension. Emma had her head leaning against the walls of the coach, shaking with each bob of the vehicle but her eyes were fluttering every few seconds as sleep fought to consume her.

Millie however was wide awake. Her mind was turning over the proposal her acquaintance had given her and decided it wasn’t entirely repulsive. She would be free to do as she pleased, inventing and not chained to the home like a good little housewife. And yet, she was reluctant to enter into a marriage with a man that could never love her – never give her a family. It may not have been on her list of priorities then but she couldn’t rule out her desire for them in the future.

Sighing she rolled her head to the side and glanced out of the window while her hands rubbed up and down the length of her arms. They were covered in Goosebumps but the young woman knew that they had nothing to do with the cold. If anything, her flustered mind meant that she was uncomfortably hot.

Pulling open the small window embedded in the door to allow in some fresh air, Millie immediately started to choke. Clouds of black wafted past bringing with it the tangy scent of fire as it tore through a building. Terror caused the young woman to stick her head outside to look for the source. The last time there had been a major fir in Portside, twenty homes in the poorer district had been destroyed before it was brought under control.

Her eyes quickly started to burn from the smog now blowing through the streets. Craning her head up, she was pleased to see the driver had taking the initiative, using his neck scarf to cover his mouth and he was now wearing a pair of goggles that reminded Millie of the pair she often wore when traversing the other side of town.

“Are you alright Reg?” She hollered before spluttering out a cough when she took in a lungful of the noxious air.

The man startled, jolting the controls for the coach so that it swayed threateningly. Reg, a portly man of her father’s years, quickly got the vehicle back under control, turning smoothly around the tight corner before letting go to give her a ‘thumbs up’ gesture.

With a quick nod of her head, she withdrew into the coach and slammed shut the window.

She was just about to slump back into the seats when suddenly a bright glow was impressed upon the night sky. No doubt it would be seen for miles around because one of the largest buildings for fifty miles was now aflame. Millie resisted the urge to stop the coach as they wheeled down the street. She had to grip the edge of the seat tight to keep herself firmly within the coach as the image of her father’s business up in flames was now stuck firmly within her mind.

The rest of the journey dragged on for what seemed an eternity to the only conscious occupant as she urged Reg to hurry home. The hairs at the nape of her neck were tingling as they stood on end. Trying to force away the sick feeling that was forming in her stomach, the teen wriggled uncomfortably on her seat. Every few seconds her eyes would glance out of the window but all they would see was smoke and houses that were flying past so fast that she almost got sick from the motion.

Thus, when the coach jolted to a stop more abruptly that she was used to, it was only by clamping her hand over her mouth and clenching her jaw that the Clancy heir managed to stop her self from vomiting over the floor. Glaring up at the room as she forced herself back into the chair, Millie hoped that the man outside could feel her eyes burning into him and yet she also felt a jab of concern warring with the irritation in her heart.

Her face twitched as she thought over her actions causing her friend, who had startled awake in the abrupt stop, to laugh so loud that it rang in their ears for a long time after they stopped.

“What’s going on?” Emma asked as her eyes examined the face opposite.

“Millie looked out of the window to see many people milling about beside them. She even noticed a few Bobbies walking around. They all looked a little flustered, like they had rushed to get here. Some obviously had only gotten dressed as they were walking out the door as their shirts were in disarray and a few even had their boots on the wrong feet.

“Father’s factory is on fire,” she replied absently while her teeth chewed a little too hard upon her bottom lip. “Something else is going on here but I am afraid to look. I feel like something is very wrong.”

Turning her head towards her friend, the blonde offered a shaky smile that soon fell away. Emma, seeing the woman’s distress, jumped to the opposite side of the coach and wrapped an arm around her friend.

“Don’t worry. Your father has plenty of money. He will just have to rebuild.” Emma sighed and followed the young woman’s distracted gaze. “I’m just glad it was so late, at least no one would have been inside.”

“Thank god for small mercies.” Millie whispered before frowning out of the door. “Hang on one moment.”

Not waiting to hear her companion’s reply, Millie thrust open the door and stuck her head out. She took a sharp intake of breath before clambering from the idle coach. The smoke still lingered in the air but not as thick as it had been before when they were closer to Clancy’s clockworks. And yet, what had drawn the young woman’s attention was the fact that none of the people were looking towards the blaze in the centre of the city, but in the opposite direction – her house.

Drawing in a sharp breath, she followed the crowds moving towards the main gates onto her family property. She could hear the driver and Ms Wright calling her from the stationary coach but she was on autopilot, forced to follow her feet as they walked forwards with a mind of their own.

She had barely gotten a few feet when she overheard three women chattering. They weren’t being particularly discreet anyway which is why, even from ten feet away, she could understand every word that they said as if they were standing right next to her.

A young girl barely fourteen was the loudest and crudest of all the gossipmongers as she had no care at all for who heard her speak and how they might take her words. Still, the words didn’t understand much of the words until the teen snorted and then let out a chuckle.

“No, you heard it all wrong Patty. I stood right behind his lordship’s servant when he was talking to the Bobby. It’s Mr Clancy who died, not the young Miss.” The woman, whose attention kept being drawn back to the newest source of her conversation, gave a chuckle. “If you ask me, the Bobby’s should be looking at the daughter. Don’t you think it’s funny that all of these people keep dying around her?”

The other two each put in their two pence worth but the girl, who was at least a decade younger than her companions, held out her hand which silenced the pair in an instant.

“No, she’s at the heart of it, you mark my words. I wouldn’t be surprised if she paid someone to kill Mr Clancy and Ermintrude. She probably didn’t like that her father was eyeing up Valance like she was Christmas dinner at the last ball.”

Millie growled. She had had enough of the slanderous words, even if she felt fear over the revelation that her father was dead. But she quickly reassured herself that they were wrong. Her father had been very much alive when they had left for the ball. He couldn’t be dead – could he?

Striding forwards towards the group, Millicent Clancy did one of the stupidest things she had ever done. She stormed into the group of gossiping hens send all of the women into a panic. She didn’t care about that. Her eyes were trained on the imp that insisted on loudly spreading slander about her family. She could handle people talking about her but she would never handle people talking ill about the man behind his back – even if he was a pretty poor example of what a father should be. It was all he knows, she reasoned with her self.

Pulling back her shoulders and mustering more courage than she thought she possessed the heir to the Clancy fortune met the mean beady eyes of her accuser.

“I don’t know who you are and where you got your information from young lady but I believe you are misinformed. If you continue with such slander, I will drag your name through the mud so that every person from here to London believes you to be a working woman and not the good kind.” Millie stepped closer to the young girl who now had the ugliest scowl upon her features. “And if you talk about my father like that again, he will make sure your family are out of jobs. My father may be giving but he will believe anything I say.”

The smirk that appeared that formed on the unpleasant girls features set her on edge. Millie opened her mouth to question her, but someone shouted her name. It drew her attention away from the girl but it also drew that of everyone else within hearing distance.

Spinning on her heels, Millie’s eyes widened when Percy raced towards her. There was nothing of the man she knew as there were dozens of emotions racing through his eyes as he barged past people in his race to reach her. Several disgruntled shouts were thrown at his back but he barely noticed, just kept racing forwards with urgency that surprised his friend.

“Percy? What are you doing here? What’s wrong?”

Her questions went unanswered. He merely took her hand in his and then, without uttering a single word to her, began running back the way he had just come from. She was almost tugged off her feet at the sudden movement but she trusted her friend completely. Thus she simply squeezed his hand tighter and was soon scrambling to keep up with his rapid pace.

By the time they actually reached the gates to Clancy manor, her lungs were burning and she was struggling to stay conscious due to the corset current removing her ability to breathe deeply. Leaning heavily against his side, she lifted her gaze to his and tried to work out what was going on.

She gulped and backed away from him, her head shaking backwards and forwards over and over again as she tried to deny what those eyes had revealed.

“No. Please Percy?”

Her blonde eyes looked silver with the shimmering gleam that threatened to spill forth in fat morose tears. His own eyes shimmered with unshed tears as he pulled her into a hug that did nothing to help the breathing situation.

“I’m sorry Mimi, so sorry.” He murmured into her blonde hair as his hands rubbed soothingly onto her back.

He walked her towards the gate where a Bobby was stood guard. Millie met his gaze for a second but quickly turned away. She hated when people stared at her like that – with pity. She had gotten it as a child and for many years after her mother’s death and now she was getting it again. Maybe people would never look at her the same – except for Percy.

“Who?” She asked him with her face now buried into his chest so she did not have to look at any more pitiful expressions aimed her way. She was reluctant to know the answer.

“They think it was the Ripper.”

Millie gasped.

“They didn’t –.” She stopped herself unable to finish saying the words. “The ripper has only attacked women?”

It came out as a question rather than a statement. Percy didn’t reply, only squeezed her tighter to his side as he forced her to walk up the long winding drive towards the house.

However, as they got closer and closer to the house, the hairs on the nape of her neck and she slowed her pace. After a few seconds, it was only the firm arm around her shoulders, urging her onwards that prevented her from stopping completely.

“Come on, not far now.”

Percy’s warm voice whispered into her ear as she leant into him but still she did not want to continue on. Her feet dragged with every step as she forced herself to move. Her house just felt wrong, even from the large distance separating her from it. To her, it was like her safe haven had been violated in the most brutal way.

“He died here, didn’t he?” She shuddered and hid her face so she couldn’t see her house standing bright before her like a towering giant.

There were dozens of people milling outside, half were people who worked in the manor while others were obviously there to deal with the murder. Millie faintly recognised their family doctor who had attended her father only a few days before. But as they finally got close enough to see, the grave expression on his features was enough to dispel any lingering hope that had been stubbornly holding on within her heart.

Sucking in a sharp breath, the sole owner of the Clancy estates felt wearier than ever as she and her friend stepped up to meet the officer in charge. His expression offered her no hope at all.

“I’m sorry Miss Clancy, your father was found dead an hour ago by one of your staff. He was already dead when we arrived. I’ m afraid you’re going to have to stay somewhere else tonight until we have questioned everyone but I can’t say I am hopeful. No one in your household have feet that match the footprints at the scene.”

“She can stay with me and my family.” Percy interjected which drew raised brows from the officer.

“I am sure Miss Clancy would rather stay somewhere with more polite company.”

It was only Millie’s staying hand which kept Percy from launching forwards with his fists aimed at the man’s face for that comment. As it was, she felt a frown forming on her face and anger burning within her as she met the gaze of the officer in charge like he was the lowest scum to walk the earth. The expression and utter disgust she felt for the prejudiced man was one she reserved for the people she really disliked. It was not an expression she used often.

“I can tell you that Percy and his family are probably politer company than you and half the people you assume are polite because they have enough money in the bank to never worry about food. Now I will excuse you ignorance if you would apologise to my friend.” She nodded her head at the man behind her who was still tense with the need to strike. “And once you’ve done that, I would like someone to escort me to my bedroom so I can get some clothing. As much fun as it would be to sleep in a corset, I don’t quite like the idea of having myself on show when I will be brushing shoulders with such …unsavoury characters.”

The sarcasm went right over the bumbling police officer’s head as he tried to figure out just how many times he had been insulted in the last thirty seconds. When he took too long to respond, Millie rolled her eyes and started from the front door of her home only to be halted on a familiar hand upon her arm.

“Not that way Mimi, we need to use the servant’s entrance to get to your room. The – body – is on your level so most of the main stairways are blocked by more incompetent fools.”

There was blustering behind the pair, but they ignored it and instead walked together arm and arm towards a set of doors that overlooked the back patio. It took them almost ten minutes to reach this point due to the vastness of the house but both were relieved to see that the door were locked and the room beyond was empty of nosy policemen.

Both knew that there was no reason for there to be so many within the house but they had all probably volunteered so they could catch a glimpse at the life that they all dreamed about.

Their progression through the musty passageways was slow but Percy continuously prodded her in the back to keep Millie moving. Thus, even though she wanted nothing more than to lay upon the ground and mope, she kept putting one foot in front of the other as she blindly followed her friend’s directions.

Eventually they came to the second floor. The passed one exit, that after being cramped in the enclosed space for too long was so appealing, which  Millie reached to so they could leave only to have her hand pushed away before being nudged in the back once more.

She shot a sharp look back over her shoulder at Percy, glaring at him through the darkness but the little light meant that he could not see the gesture. Despite that, he could still feel the sentiments and bowed his head in silent repentance. A second later he nudged her forwards once more. Murmurs could be heard through walls and he knew it would not do well to dwell where they might overhear.

A minute or so more of stumbling through the darkness and another door appeared outlined in the a wall. Millie hesitated but when her hands made contact with the door and she didn’t get a prod in the back from her inconsiderate friend, she immediately put more pressure upon the wooden surface. It popped out with a grating sound that had her shoulders up around her ears but all too soon she was stepping into her bedroom.

Percy stepped in behind her, urging her forwards so that he could close the door behind him before surveying the room. He waggled his brows in a poor attempt to lighten the mood.

“I think this is the first time I’ve been in your room without Ms Wright and your father here to chaperone us.” The man teased as he walked over to the bed and then leapt onto it. He bounced a few times before being tossed onto the bed.

Millie, whose grey eyes had been flicking around the room while a frown formed between her brows, turned to stare at the man now sprawled out on the floor. At first she giggled but as quick as they started, the young woman was choking back sobs and gasping for breath.

“Oh gods, Percy. He’s really gone isn’t he?”

He leapt to his feet, closing the distance as fast as his body would allow before wrapping her into a hug as he tried to squeeze away the pain and offer comfort the only way he could think of.

“Shh, it may not seem like it right now but everything will be okay. God always has a plan and you have people that care about you. You have me and cogs and I’m sure all of the people that work in this house.” He rubbed his hand up and down her arms before pulling away enough so that he could look into her face. His thumbs came up and wiped away the tears dampening her cheeks. “Now wipe away those tears and get some clothes. My and cogs are going to spoil you rotten. You better get something for Ms Wright too.” He added the last bit as she was crossing the room causing the teen to splutter out a laugh.

“She is going to get angry at that.” Millie told him before snorting and striding off with her nose in the air.

Percy rolled his eyes at her back before heading back to her bed and sitting on the edge, more cautious than he had been the first time he had approached it. This time he didn’t bounce off but his eyes were drawn to what had been missed in all of their excitement.

Reaching out a hand, Percy’s fingers hovered over the cream envelope resting upon her pillows, the thick parchment all too familiar to the man after working within the manor for nearly five years. He ghosted his hand over it until curiosity got the better of him and he snatched it up.

“Millie?” He called loudly turning the envelope over again and again until she came to stand before him.

Wordlessly he passed it over, knowing the words that would come from her lips before they were even uttered.

“It’s written in my father’s hand.” Shell shocked, she slumped down beside him on the bed.

The voices in the hall decided to take that moment to get particularly loud and the reality of the situation came back in full force. With a flinch, she dropped the paper onto his lap and buried her head into his shoulder.

“We’ll look at it tomorrow?”

“Sure thing Mimi, now get your stuff together so we can get out of here. I don’t want any Bobby’s thinking I am taking advantage of the lady of the house.”

Millie smacked his arm and pulled away from him. She wanted to do nothing more than to do as he said, grab her clothes and leave and yet… She paused, her gaze straying to the door. She couldn’t quite make out the words being spoken on the other side of the door. But it told her enough. Her father had been murdered after leaving her bedroom.

She shivered and turned back to Percy who was turning the paper over and over within his hands with a frown wrinkling up his brow. She, quite oddly for her, though the expression was endearing and would have pondered over it for longer if her gaze wasn’t drawn back to the letter. It was the last thing that he ever wrote and she could not help but feel that it might hold something important.

She sighed and looked away. For now she would pack and get the servants to start closing up her rooms and her father’s rooms. She couldn’t continue living there when her only family had been slaughtered just outside the door. It was days like that when the Clancy heir was grateful for her birthday gift that Mr Clancy had bought her last year.

She would move into The Cottage, a large house about two miles away. Much larger than its title suggested, it was intended as her home after marriage. All part of her dowry, her father had ensured her.

So for now she would pack and tomorrow the house would be closed until someone with no memories of this tragedy could turn it into a home once more.