Page 48 of Salt Magic, Skin Magic
He’d meant to say ‘it’smarvellous’. But that wasn’t what he’d said at all.
Would John have noticed? Of course he would; he noticed everything. Thornby felt strangely exposed—as he had the morning John had held his scarred foot in his hands. Did it matter, to feel that way? Thornby liked flirting with people, and giving those light, overblown compliments that perhaps one didn’t really mean. But he hadn’t spoken like that at all. It had sounded quite sincere; almost a little breathy. Like a girl swooning over a flower.
He realised he’d frozen with his hand on the balustrade of the main staircase. He could hear voices coming along the first floor passage—Mr and Mrs Grey coming down to breakfast with at least one of their daughters.
Swooning? He didn’t do that. He had enough to worry about.
John wanted him. And John could get him out of Raskelf. Wasn’t that what all this was about? A fair exchange? And if he enjoyed it himself then so much the better.
Butyou’re marvellous? Not sleeping for wanting to see the man at breakfast? But the thing was; Johnwasmarvellous. Stunningly marvellous. A bloody magician. With those dark eyes and that smile, and in bed—
It was as if another woodland path had opened up in the middle of a threadbare spare room, and Thornby was being invited to walk down it.
The voices were getting closer. If he didn’t go now, the Greys would find him standing in the hallway, gawping at nothing with a cockstand like a flagpole. He adjusted his breeches as best he could, and hurried on down the passage to make sure Stewart wasn’t too soused to see that they got the guns ready properly.
***
That night, when thelast shooting story had been told, the last piano piece applauded, and everyone had gone to bed, Thornby took his candle and crept along to John’s room. He hadn’t managed to speak to him in private since this morning at breakfast. He was desperate to know whether John had discovered anything. And just as desperate to see him. But the room was empty.
Eventually he found John loitering in the passage near Lord Dalton’s door. A candle was guttering in a tarnished ormolu sconce, sending shadows flickering up the walls.
“John?” he said softly.
John’s face lit up for a moment, then went solemn. “Look, I can’t see you tonight. You’d better go.”
“You’ve done it, haven’t you? You’ve charmed Father.”
“Yes.”
Thornby couldn’t help shivering a little. Although, in theory, he agreed that Lady Dalton deserved to have things her way for once, in practice it was a bit horrible to think of John doing something so intimate, so controlling to anyone. Surely no-one should have that much power over another person? Thornby put his candle down in an empty marble niche that had once held a Sèvres vase. It had probably been sold, like so much else.
“Is she in with him?” he said.
“No.”
“Oh. So, it hasn’t worked?” He almost felt relieved.
“I don’t know,” John snapped, then added, “Sorry. I thought, better it doesn’t work at all than something goes wrong. But I may have been too subtle. He may not seek anyone out. He may just—” He made a slight, but unmistakable, movement with his hand.
Thornby shuddered. “This whole thing’s rather horrible, isn’t it?”
“Worse for you, probably. He’s just a man to me. And not a very nice one either.”
“Where’s my lady?”
“Waiting inside the door of her room. The moment she hears him come out, she’ll open the door. Or I’ll go and knock on her door. He’ll see her. He’ll go to her. That’s the theory anyway.”
“Wouldn’t it be safer if she waited here?”
“She’s in her nightgown. Mind you, everyone else has gone to bed now. He’s still awake though, I think. I heard a noise not long ago.”
“He won’t—I mean—if he sees you. He won’t have a go at you, will he?”
John gave him an unreadable look. “He’s not that way, is he?”
“I doubt it. How would I know? No.” He realised he had never thought about his father’s predilections, and certainly did not want to think about them now.
The sound of a door opening made them both jump. But it was down the corridor. A moment later Lady Dalton came out. She wore a white nightgown with a lace shawl wrapped around her shoulders, and carried a candle. When she saw Thornby she paused, then raised her chin and came towards them.
