Page 10 of Of Fate and Phantoms
Lord and Lady Hothfield arrived along with the butler and footmen. It would seem we weren't welcome to see in the New Year. Lord Hothfield asked one of the footmen to have our carriage brought around, and another fetched our coats. Lady Vickers praised the ball and the esteemed guest list, but Lady Hothfield ignored her completely. Lady Vickers thrust out her considerable chest, threw back her head, and backed away. She bumped into the Greek statue. A moment later, she stepped away, a small smile on her face. The crimson cloth covering the statue's nether region disappeared into the folds of her skirt.
I bit my lip, but couldn't stop my grin. Seth and Alice both followed my gaze to the white marble statue, now entirely naked. Seth pinched the bridge of his nose while Alice giggled into her hand.
Lord and Lady Hothfield hadn't yet seen. They continued to sport scowls as the footmen produced our coats. I put mine on and caught Leisl observing me. Could she see into a person's past as well as their future? What did she see in mine?
"You are not medium," she said quietly. "You are more."
I glanced at Lincoln. Neither of us answered.
"Do not fear me," she said. "I do not harm the woman my…my son loves." She reached for his hand, but he moved away. Her face fell.
I took her hand instead. "Forgive him," I said. "He needs time."
She nodded and held my hand briefly in both of hers before letting go.
"If you need anything, we can be found at Lichfield Towers in Highgate. Take care, Leisl."
Alice hooked her arm through mine. "We'd better go," she whispered. "Lady Hothfield is looking at us so fiercely, I can feel her glare stabbing me."
"You!" Leisl took a step backward, her huge eyes fixed on Alice. "You are door."
"Door?" Alice tried to laugh but it fell flat. "Charlie, what does she mean? Why is she looking at me like I'm the devil?"
"The door to other worlds," Leisl muttered, taking another step back. She pulled out a necklace from beneath her bodice and held it up. The flat oval pendant attached to the leather strip sported a roughly hewn etching of a blue eye. It was identical to one I'd found in Lincoln's possession some time ago. He'd told me his mother had given it to him when he was a baby. It was all he had of hers.
"What is she doing? Is she cursing me?" Alice's voice rose in panic and she sidled closer to me.
"Nothing like that," I quickly assured her. "It's for her own protection."
"She knows what I am? What my dreams do? How? How can she know?"
"I'll explain later." I took her hand and steered her toward the door.
"Alice?" Seth fell into step beside us. "You look pale. Allow me to escort you."
"Oh!" cried Lady Vickers. "Oh my! Oh dear, howwicked."
I spun round to see Lady Vickers pointing at the statue, her other hand shielding her eyes.
"I cannot bear to see such…such filth!" she screeched.
Several faces peered over the balustrade to see what all the fuss was about. More than one gentlemen snickered, and a few ladies too, while an older woman covered her young companion's eyes.
"I want tosee, Mama," the girl whined, clawing at her mother's hand.
Lady Hothfield's cheeks turned the color of the carpet. "Cover it up at once! You there, your jacket!" She dragged the hapless footman's jacket from his shoulders then flung it back at him. "Cover up the offensive area! Quickly!"
More guests peered down, and several giggled while others shook their heads in disgust. This level of society wasn't used to seeing nakedness in their entrance halls, not even on statues. Indeed, for some, nakedness in any room was abhorrent.
Gus arrived with our carriage. Lincoln climbed up beside him while we four piled inside and pulled the blankets over our laps. Lady Vickers produced the statue's loin cloth and waved it in front of Seth's face.
He shoved it away. "You're drunk."
She flicked the cloth at him. "How else am I to get through evenings like those?"
"I thought you wanted to go."
"And be whispered about behind my back? Be snubbed at every turn? That is not my idea of a pleasant evening, Seth."
