Page 51 of Hawk & Sparrow

Vesper shrugged. “I’m a writer. Pens are far more useful to me than flowers.”

“Ever the romantic.” Maximilian looked incredulous. “Dare I ask what kind of pens you prefer?”

“Henry & Lewis Brothers are the best in Victerra,” said Vesper. “They’re handmade with quality steel, and the ink’s imported.”

“I’m courting a stylophile. Duly noted for next time.” Maximilian cocked his head. “Am I forgiven?”

Vesper looked to the roses again. “Yes, but … I owe you an apology too. I let my temper get the best of me, and that’s not helpful to our investigation.”

Maximilian waved a dismissive hand. “Water under the bridge.”

“Speaking of the investigation, I have an update.”

“Oh?”

Quickly, Vesper recounted her exploits at City Hall and the discovery she’d made about Francis Gladwell’s patent. By the time she’d finished, Maximilian’s eyes were wide.

“Maybe we should get into arguments more often,” he said. “You’ve been quite productive.”

“It’s still a dead end,” said Vesper. “We now know that Francis did submit and then rescind his patent application, but we don’t know why, and it doesn’t answer any of our outstanding questions.”

Maximilian glanced out the coach’s window. “With any luck, our trip to the Belvers’ might help. Many of the same people who were at the polo match will be there, which gives us a chance to gather more information from people who knew Francis.” He pursed his lips. “It also gives us another crack at Belver. I’m still convinced he’s behind this, and I’m determined to prove it.”

The Belvers’ home sat high on a hill just outside Basalton’s city limits. Vesper accepted Bexley’s hand as he helped her out of the coach, and for a moment she could only stare. The manor’s white brick gleamed in the morning sunlight, and lush winterberry bushes bordered its raked gravel drive. Not for the first time, Vesper wondered what it was like to call a place like this home. She was still taking it in when a well-dressed woman approached. She was wearing an extravagant blue-and-green ensemble that was clearly inspired by a peacock’s plumage. She stopped before them and smiled.

“Maximilian!” She clapped her hands in delight. “I’m so glad you could join us; welcome!”

“Mrs. Belver.” Maximilian tipped his hat. “The pleasure is ours, thank you for the invitation.”

The woman turned to Vesper. “And you must be Miss Evans. It’s so lovely to have you here!”

“Good morning, Mrs. Belver,” said Vesper. “Thank you for having us.”

Mrs. Belver gestured for Vesper and Maximilian to follow her down a smaller gravel path that cut across the front lawn and led to the aviary. Vesper did a double take. The aviary reminded her of a castle spun from a fairy tale. Most of the building was fashioned from rose-tinted glass, and its windows were trimmed with shining gold. A footman dressed in gray livery held a door open for them, and they entered together. The other guests were already inside, and Vesper immediately spotted several familiar faces, including Ada, who appeared to be trapped in a conversation with Mrs. Oelrich and another woman who looked like Ada’s mother. She threw Vesper a pained expression before returning her attention to them, and Vesper redirected her attention to the aviary’s interior.

It seemed the place had been designed to resemble a tropical jungle. Tucked between lush palms and monstera, she made out various birds swooping and flying amid the foliage. Toward the front of the group stood an older-looking gentleman in a brown bowler hat, matching suit, and spectacles. Mrs. Belver moved to stand beside him.

“I’d like to thank all of you for joining us this morning!” she said. “The construction of this building has been a dream of mine for many years, and I’m pleased to see it finished at last. To commemorate the occasion, I’ve invited Professor Vernon O’Gilvie, one of Victerra’s leading ornithologists, to provide information about the birds in my collection.”

The professor mentioned that there were more than sixty different species housed here. Vesper saw local birds, such as cardinals, chickadees, and finches, but also birds clearly taken from other parts of the world. The gray shoebill in particular, with its odd angry yellow eyes, had unsettled her quite a bit.

“And now, I’m pleased to present the crown jewel of this wonderful collection!” Professor O’Gilvie announced. “Behold, the northern teratorn!”

The teratorn was the only bird in an enclosure, and Vesper immediately saw why. It was, by far, the largest and most frightening bird she’d ever seen. The feathers on the creature’s body varied from rust brown to bloodred, while its crest was bright blue. She eyed the bird’s hooked black beak and scaly yellow talons, then swallowed.

“As you’ll notice, the teratorn is kept in an entirely separate enclosure from the rest of the aviary,” said Professor O’Gilvie. “This is because it is a true apex predator, quite capable of killing any and every living creature in this building—including us!” He glanced at the bird with unmistakable affection. “Fortunately, due to their size, teratorns cannot fly for very long. They rely on their keen eyesight so they can spot prey quickly and attack. Then they require long naps!” He bounced on his heels. “My wife tells me that sometimes, before supper, I behave just like a teratorn!” He laughed at his own joke, but when no one else did, he cleared his throat. “Ahem. Well, that concludes the tour. Please feel free to mill about and enjoy the aviary’s attractions!”

“We’ll then convene for tea on the west lawn!” Mrs. Belver added.

Maximilian leaned in and lowered his voice. “I’m going to work the room and see if anyone wants to talk about Francis,” he murmured. “We can regroup in a few minutes.”

Vesper nodded, then watched as Maximilian made a beeline for a group of well-dressed men standing together and talking. She looked around the aviary, keen to do the same, but it seemed everyone was already in tight groups of conversation. Small talk had never been her strong suit, and she suddenly wished she had her notebook, or a list of prepared questions she could reference. She’d hoped she might find Ada again, but the young woman must have been pulled away, because she was nowhere in immediate sight. The only other person she recognized was Mrs. Oelrich. Vesper shifted. She wasn’t especially keen to speak to the woman—her ensorcelled face still unnerved her—but she reasoned that she’d have to start somewhere. She’d just started in Mrs. Oelrich’s direction when she bumped into Professor O’Gilvie.

“Oh, pardon me.”

The professor smiled. “The fault’s mine, young lady. I was distracted.”

Vesper followed his gaze. He’d been watching a tiny reddish bird with golden-brown feathers on a branch a few feet away. He gestured toward it.