Page 13 of The Unseen Hour

She jumped, jostling the vase and only just managing to grab it.

“Miss Celia! I didn’t realize anyone else was about.”

“I’m sorry if I frightened you. I wasn’t able to sleep much last night. I thought I’d get a bit of breakfast and then lie down again. Would you like to join me for some juice?”

Tilly beamed.

“Of course, Miss.”

I patted my pocket, reassuring myself the papers were still there before following her.

CHAPTER 8

OCTOBER

THE 99th YEAR

We were well into fall, and by some miracle of both gods I had managed to make it through another courting season, and another birthday, without an unwanted proposal of marriage.

When we arrived back in Fox Haven in mid-September, I finally felt safe to breathe. We’d stayed in the capital longer than normal, for Ambrose’s wedding and associated festivities. While I was happy for my brother and glad that Penny was an agreeable person, having a marriage so close felt almost contagious.

To my horror, Charlotte and Thomas had informed me that Bellamy had been very close to speaking to Mother about a request for my hand once he’d heard of Ambrose’s engagement—a sign that the Hipnosis were ready to wed.

It was Thomas who had come to my rescue. He’d gone to one of the gentlemen’s clubs in the evening and sought Bellamy out, plying the dull Marquess with drinks and then pretending to let slip that he’d always admired me. Thomas had gone so far as to lie and say he’d been in communication with my family regarding my hand.

It was a bold and total falsehood, but it bought me time. Bellamy had, no doubt, figured out by now that Thomas and I were very much un-engaged. As he’d pursued no other women, there was every likelihood the Marquess would renew his attempts the following season, but each time I thought of that and my breathing went shallow and quick, I reminded myself that it wouldn’t matter. By that point, I’d have Father back and it would be a non-issue. At least, that’s what I repeated to myself at night when my confidence in my plan threatened to crack.

Father would never let me be married to someone against my will, I was sure of it. And with him back home, Ambrose could relax and Mother could go back to her more vivacious self, rather than the nitpicking and traditional creature she’d morphed into in recent years.

I was thankful that her anxiety seemed to have been eased somewhat by Ambrose’s wedding. It was beautiful and took place at the Huberts’ estate, which they had kindly lent on the day.

While everyone else was focused on planning for the festivities, I’d used the months to solidify my plan. I read my father’s notes and Holmes’s diary until I could quote both by heart.

I had to admit that while it was all informative, R.’s writing proved distracting for an entirely different reason.

If we could see beyond the edge of the known realms, beyond even the lost country, what would we find? What horizons lie past our experience, ready for exploration?

A question that I myself had asked. I’d awoken more than once from dreams involving an entirely different sort of exploration. They always involved the mysterious Holmes, his features shaded, his words turning from poetry to seduction.

In a few instances I’d roused from sleep to find my own hand trailing over my sleeping gown between my legs, though I’d been imagining his touch just before waking.

A part of me longed to linger on the fantasy, but it was one I couldn’t afford. Holmes had been gone for nearly a hundred years, and no amount of infatuation was going to change that. I had one person I could rescue, and I needed to put all my focus toward that goal.

The diary also helped me tailor my plan. The Holmes brothers had taken Thipp’s in regular and increasing dosages leading up to their disappearance, with no way of knowing in their time how dangerous such a practice might be.

While I was far from a medical expert, I suspected that the amount he indicated could have brought him to the brink of death—which was exactly my father’s goal, during the hour. There was only one place where I could both retrieve the Thipp’s and find notes as to how much to take. It was also the most likely place to find the antidote, which I fully intended to bring along with me.

I was not an unintelligent woman. I knew the risks were high, the chance of success low.

It didn’t matter to me. The alternative was unacceptable, and if there was even a small chance of reuniting my family, I would take it. Nothing had been right in my life since Father left. Mother had lost her spark, and Ambrose had become even more severe. Temple was rarely home and seemed to deal with his grief by engaging in near-constant travel. Only Bram and Pellix had kept their sweet natures.

Pellix had been my companion more and more frequently as the need to expend my nervous energy increased. Waiting for the hour proved tedious, and I felt jumpy and confined when I had to stay away from him for more than a couple of days. Once we returned to Fox Haven, I took him back near the ruins more and more often. I even began practicing some tricks. My family would have had a fit if they found out, but it kept my mind off everything else.

I could ride astride, and sidesaddle, and with no saddle. Pellix would even let me ride without reins. I’d taught myself to mount while he was moving and even how to jump from some of the stone ruins onto his back. He was an excellent sport about all my attempts, in exchange for a supply of his favorite snacks.

And the worst I had done with all these tricks was to bruise my legs and arms.

There was a time, years before, when Pellix and I had run into a wolf on one of our rides. In a panic, I steered us into the trees, and a branch slashed into my leg. I tumbled off, and when the lone and probably desperately hungry wolf charged me, Pellix ran forward. He stamped his hooves, nostrils flaring as he chased the predator away. Then, he stood patiently while I got myself mounted once again.