Chapter Twenty-seven

The rest of the week I didn't see Eugene at all. However, as promised, he left illustrations on his nightstand. They were neatly drawn with ink, and they were usually of his pets, flowers, or imaginary horses. I took each of the papers and gathered them into the only book I owned: a bible a nun gave me after I left the church.

On Sunday Mister Kupka informed me and the girls we all were having the day off.

"Be grateful," he said. "Because many of them are out today, your masters gave you girls a day off too. Even the valets are off, while Otis and I still have to stay home—"

"That's wonderful!" Beth cheered.

"Yes," Clo agreed, the two cutting off Mister Kupka to his annoyance. "I've been thinking of going to the post office to send some things back home to my family."

"You should ask Harper to go along," Beth said with a wink. "It's dangerous for a girl to go out alone, especially if you're carrying money."

"Shall I go with you?" Rhiannon asked.

"No and no," Clo said, scowling. "Don't you have all anything to do?"

"I don't," Rhiannon said.

"Me neither," Beth said. Then she turned to Rhiannon. "Want to shop together?"

"Again?"

"Please? I always wanted to go to Bond Street—oh yes, about about you, Shuyan?" She turned to me, and I had to think quick.

"Oh, I have to buy something," I lied, "it's pretty far, so I'll go alone."

"Will you be fine alone?" Beth asked.

"Rudy is coming along," I lied again. But he probably was free and knew it was a facade and would help.

As expected, he did. He walked me to the train platform, and there he told me good luck and left. I only had to ride for fifteen minutes to Tudor Square, and despite being nearly thirty minutes early, there was Tobias, waiting at a park bench, reading a newspaper.

"Master Tobias," I said, walking up to him. "Good morning. I didn't know you were here so early or I would've—"

"Don't call me 'master' outside," he said, folding his newspaper. It was wrinkled and I was surprised he still read it. Apparently for nobles, their valets ironed each and every newspaper they read. "I don't want to draw attention."

When he stood up, I realized what he meant. He had dressed down—or at least tried to. He was wearing a brown twill sports-jacket and matching trousers, white shirt, beige vest, brown hat, paired with beautiful leather oxfords, shined to the point they reflected our image. I've never seen him wear something actually fit for going outside, not just for studying chess in his room, so I was surprised. He also seemed to look healthier, less pale, against the warm-colored outfit.

"What's wrong?" he asked, noticing my staring.

"No," I said quickly, "it's nothing."

"Then let's go. We are visiting a man who was entrusted with Father's journals after his death. He goes under the pseudonym Humpty-Dumpty."

"What?" I frowned. "Do we not know his real name?"

"The thing is, he has so many names that it doesn't even matter anymore. His main trade is keeping things people have entrusted to him, anything from money, jewels, to secret documents. Con-artists and thieves work with him, but because of that he doesn't exactly have the best reputation either."

"Do you know if he uses any fake names with the initials R.M.?" I asked. "I heard from Robert Miller Thompson that Mister Silas is looking for a man with the initials R.M. for some reason."

Tobias shook his head. "I've never heard about any of Father's acquaintances. Did Silas say anything else about the man?"

"No. But I do wonder about two things, first, how exactly he heard about that man, and second, how he knew I visited Thompson."

"I know the answer the the second question," Tobias suddenly said, making a face. "Seemed like Silas charmed the young daughter of Thompson into becoming his spy."

I thought of Paula, and her attitude when I said I came from the Beardsley manor. I sighed. Now it made sense.

"But as for the first one, I have no idea. I'm sure Father never told Silas anything either." I nodded. We began walking in silence. It seemed like with Tobias we never talked about anything other than work and Eugene.

By the time we arrived at the palace my jaw was tense from holding it together. He held the door opened for me and I walked in. When we were both in the front entrance, a voice called out from inside.

"Come in, Tobias."

I looked at Tobias. He began to walk in, without any fear. I followed into the room straight down the hall.

It was a strange room, smaller than I expected, yet each of the walls were decorated with paintings, tapestries, and exotic animal skins, the floor completed with extensively woven Turkish carpets and ornamental renaissance furniture.

A strange man sat at the desk there. He wore a turban and some foreign costume, but his skin was pale, besides that fact that his face had numerous sunspots. His eyebrows were extremely long, even longer than Mister Kupka's, although not quite yet. They were a pale golden. Wait—he was blonde. Then why the turban?

He smiled.

"Good evening, Tobias—oh, and a foreign girl?"

Tobias took off his hat.

"She's a maid working for Eugene and I."

"Good morning," I greeted him.

"I'm Humpty Dumpty. Keeper of treasures," he said with a wink. I laughed. He reminded me of Otis.

"We're here to collect my father's journals," Tobias said.

"That's the thing, Tobias." Suddenly the man had on a grave expression, and he pulled out a hookah. My eyes widened at it for a minute, but I quickly composed myself.

"What do you mean?" Tobias's voice seemed to falter.

"Silas took them around a week ago."

"Silas?" Tobias seemed to stagger, making me turn to him just in case he fell. "Why did you give it to him? You know how he is!" For the first time, I heard him angry.

"I couldn't refuse. He had the client's stamp."

"The stamp!" Tobias shouted to himself. "I should have known! Now he has the stamp, the journals, and knows everything. That must be how he found out about R.M. Humpty-Dumpty, do you know about it? A man with the initials R.M?"

"I don't know about you, but I advise forgetting about trying to find Adam's will. Silas will get rid of it no matter what, and forge a different one."

"I can't. Eugene—he's serious about this."

"You mean your cousin and adopted brother?"

"Yes." Humpty-Dumpty looked sorry for him.

"Then I advise you to find this R.M. before Silas. He's not one to play by the rules."

Tobias's shoulder slumped. He bid farewell, put on his hat and left the room, me following and giving Humpty-Dumpty and his room one last peek before I left. He smiled at me and waved as he inhaled his hookah.

When we finally reached the train and were riding back together, sitting across from each other, I mustered up the courage to ask.

"Is Humpty-Dumpty rich?" He no longer looked sad, in fact he seemed amused at my question.

"I think those in his room are forgeries, actually."

"Forgeries? You mean fakes? But why?"

"Forgeries sell for a high price too—sometimes at a point they surpass their originals. Think of a tiger skin—with the invention of rifles, it's no longer hard to obtain one, but if there was one artificial skin that was just as beautiful, and it's maker died, never to make any more, which one would have more value?"

"The fake one." He nodded.

"That man loves collecting things. I was advised to use his safes and to protect some of my treasures, but I didn't like the idea of a family member being able to retrieve it after my death."

"Oh, that's why Mister Silas got Lord Adam Beardsley's diaries."

"Yes. Any one of us could have got it, but I was too focused on other stuff." He looked out the window of the train, the sunset painting his face orange. "I'm the one to blame, but I took my anger out on him."

"Oh." I wanted to comfort him so badly in that instant, but couldn't find any words too. In the train, we sat there in silence, rocking back and for the slightly, listening to the engine.

Then suddenly there was a voice right next to my head.

"You there, are you a Chinese?"

I turned around quickly. Three men were standing there, their faces red, seemingly drunk. When I whiffed the air and smelled the air, I could confirm it.

I turned my head away and wished they could move on.

"Aww, don't be such a bore! Talk to us!"

"Aye, maybe she can't speak English!"

"Ching-chong ching-chung!" There was a burst of laughter. "I think she understood that! Did you? Did you?"

The trains shook terribly and made my head hurt. I was trying so hard to ignore it, but the lump in my throat swelled and my abdomen hurt.

"Hey, monkey—"

In an instant, Tobias was up, and there was the sickening sound of bone against bone.

I turned around and screamed.

Two of the men were carrying the bigger man who had staggered back from Tobias's punch. He was at least a head taller.

"Master Tobias!" I ran and grabbed him by the arm. "What are you doing?"

"Oh my God, there's a fight!" People started gathering around us.

"What the hell, bastard!" The tall man suddenly sprang back up and grabbed Tobias by the collar. "If you want to fight, just say so!"

He swung a punch, and despite being drunk it landed on Tobias's cheekbone. Tobias growled as he hit the seats but stood up and rushed to hit him. In a moment the other two men pounced on him too.

"Someone help!" I shouted. "Please!"

"There's one man against three," someone said.

"This is going to end up ugly!" Men from around the train began to jump between Tobias and the drunk men.

"Stop the fight!"

"You, you there, stop!"

When they finally pulled Tobias away they tossed him to me.

"Tell him to stop picking fights!" one man said, shaking his head. "Against three people, too. Stupid." People glared at the drunk men too. Muttering and cursing, they moved to a different carriage. I sighed and sat Tobias down before taking out my handkerchief to wipe the blood from his wounds.

"Master Tobias, that was dangerous! Why did you do that? That's not like you." I watched as he averted his eyes, like a guilty child.

"No reason."

"Master Tobias!" Then I took a breath, softened my tone, and kneeled before him. "Tell me the reason, please. I know you're not a violent person."

I had to strain my ears to hear what he said next.

"I'm such a coward. I hate it."

Was it about Eugene and the horse accident again?

"That night you were being held by Silas I was so mad—and yet all I could do was stand there. Even after I walked up to him and yelled at him, he didn't bat an eyelash." He laughed dryly. "He knew I wouldn't hit him. He knew how pathetic I was."

No. It was about me.

"Master Tobias, that doesn't matter—"

"That's not it, Shuyan."

It was the first time he called me by my name, and I was frozen in spot by surprise.

"You don't know how awful it is to relive it again. That feeling of someone hurting someone you care about. Sometimes I feel like I'll hurt you next—that it won't be only Eugene, but it will be you, too."

I didn't understand why he was making such a painful face, or why his voice cracked, but I didn't like how much he looked different from usual self.

I wanted to comfort him, even if it was was something small.

"...it made a difference to that one," Eugene had once said, saving me.

I wanted to make a difference, too.

I took his hands in mine.

"Master Tobias, don't worry about me. I'll become strong—and beat you in chess one day." I smiled. "I'll stand as your equal one day."

There was a moment of silence before Tobias finally relaxed his face and spoke.

"I'll look forward to that."

I let go of his hand and handed him my handkerchief. He smiled as he looked at it.

"What a nice fragrance," he said, holding it to his nose. I was surprised, but also pleased.

"It's lily of the valleys," I said. "My favorite flowers. In flower language, they signal the return of happiness." 

Tobias slowly lifted his head.

"I wish we can all have happiness one day."

At that moment, I realized that Tobias was no coward.

He never was. Inside, he was still the sensitive and gentle boy he had always been.

Bạn đang đọc truyện trên: AzTruyen.Top