2 June, 1870
(continued)
By morning Edward's experiment had filled the upper floors of the house with a most disagreeable odor, and I sensed a new round of trouble was one our way when I found Miss Wilhelmina sleeping in the servants' hall. She was draped over a chair with one of those triangular hindu punching daggers still gripped in one hand.
The maids were reporting that the odors eminating from Edward's room were much stronger upstairs, so I opened the ground floor doors, instructed the footmen to see that the doors remained open, and ascended to the attic to activate the exhaust fans. I met Miss Chigwidgeon upon the stairs and we bade each other good morning. Mr. Caine was also descending, having administered the morning restorative to Lt. Wooster. The Lieutenant, Miss Sinclair, and Mrs. Cuthbert were gathered outside the door of the offending room, upon which Edward had affixed a sign: "Please do not enter."
After unlocking the fan and exhaust motors, adjusting the flues, and starting the motor, I stood by for several moments to monitor the engine. I heard the breakfast gong sound. I was just pulling out my watch, somewhat concerned that I had lost two hours, when the gong was struck several more times, rather insistently. I descended to see what the trouble was.
Miss Whitnell had awakened Miss Wilhelmina and was having a discussion about the chemical experiment. Miss Whitnell had felt the need to resort to the gong since Miss Wilhelmina sleeps so soundly. It seemed that Miss Sinclair and Mrs. Cuthbert had roused the rest of the household and now they were all out in the garden in their dressing gowns. Patsy and Stewart had rallyed round with tea for everyone. Miss Whitnell and Miss Wilhelmina went upstairs to deal with the experiment. We proceeded with breakfast for the staff, as the rest of the household went back inside, several returning to bed.
The household's breakfast was served at the usual time. Dr. Wilson, Lt. Wooster, and Mr. Caine left for another day at the rocket works.
Mrs. Cuthbert consulted with me briefly about candidates for servants in their new house. I promised to put the word out at the Junior Ganymede club.
The master prepared to go on some errands, which would include a visit to the Foreign Office, the Dectective Department, and the Coroner. He was taking Edward, George, and Owen with him. George was making due with Edward's spare coachman uniform. The master asked me to find George a suitable set of clothes of his own. Just before they left, the master instructed me to be circumspect if any of the household asked what errands he was attending to. He alluded to persons needing a breather.
As it was, none of the household had much energy to spare for such inquiries. As the ladies went out to the garden for their lessons, Mr. Salmalin pounced upon them, armed with a sword and buckler. It soon became clear that this was not the lesson he had discussed with Miss Bertilde. After several minutes of vigorous exercise, Mr. Salmalin called a halt, asked a few questions, and then turned the lesson over to Miss Bertilde to instruct them in the manner that had been discussed. Although the ladies expressed much irritation at their teacher's new and unsettling tactic, I noticed that their attitudes seemed more confident and satisfied at the end of their exertions than previously.
After lunch, Miss Whitnell, Miss Chigwidgeon, and Miss Bertilde went out to the dressmaker's. Mrs. Cuthbert began interviewing prospective employees. Mr. Cuthbert went next door to supervise the tradesmen who are beginning repairs. Miss Sinclair decided to take a nap. Everything was still in order when I returned from my afternoon at the Junior Ganymede. The master had returned, as had the ladies. Mr. Ramsay arrived for the planned interview of young Mr. Graham. The master informed me that he had received two notes of interest: Lt. Wooster had sent a cryptic note about being away on business. Dr. Wilson's note informed that Wooster had been arrested for assault, specifically for shooting the person who had tried to attack Mr. Chigwidgeon with a knife. Mr. Caine had gone looking for a solicitor. Dr. Wilson also indicated he would be joining one of his colleagues from the Temperance Union for supper, and would therefore be arriving later in the evening.
Mr. Graham arrived promptly at 4:30. I escorted him to the parlour where Miss Whitnell and Mr. Ramsay were already waiting. Miss Chigwidgeon, George, and Mrs. Cuthbert were in the master's office, quietly staying out of everyone's way.
Mr. Frazer arrived to take tea with Miss Sinclair. As Mr. Ramsay and Miss Whitnell were camped in the parlour, awaiting Graham's arrive, I suggested Miss Sinclair receive Frazer in the music room. I couldn't help but notice that Mr. Frazer bore a large, paper-wrapped parcel. He had purchase a three-volume botanical guide to the forests of the German uplands for Miss Sinclair. Unfortunately, it had not occured to him that she did not read German. At least, I think it did not occur to him beforehand; he did seem quite pleased when she suggested he could assist her in learning the language.
Inspector MacGregor arrived, saying that Miss Whitnell and the others were expecting him. I asked him to wait in the dining room while we sorted out the locations of the others.
Mrs. Cuthbert had joined the proceedings in the parlour. Miss Whitnell gave me the warning that they would be finished with Graham soon. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Ramsay, Miss Whitnell, and Mrs. Cuthbert emerged from the parlour and joined Mr. Frazer, Miss Sinclair, and Inspector MacGregor in the music room. I gathered up the tea service, and escorted Miss Chigwidgeon to the parlour, where young Graham waited so anxiously. She broke the news to him as gently as it possibly could be, and he did his best to hide his disappointment. He didn't linger in the awkward situation long. I believe he was doing his best to genuinely congratulate her on her happy situation.
The Marquis de Montmerial du Dragagulan arrived about this time, hoping that perhaps we could put him in touch with Inspector MacGregor. He seemed rather anxious. I had Stewart take him into the music room. I learned later that one of the other inspectors investigating Lord Clarendon's death has connected another murder, that of Mssr. La Rothiere, an official from the French Embassy, with Lord Clarendon's case. Evidence which implications the Marquis with the second murder was found at the scene. Of course, at the time the La Rotheire's death occured, the Marquis was assisting the league in tracking down the stolen bounty hunter.
Mr. Cuthbert had heard Miss Whitnell asking me to make certain Graham didn't just wander out into the street unescorted, and had suggested that he and his coachman could make certain Graham got safely home. So, as Graham made to leave, I handed him off to Mr. Cuthbert and announced supper.
After supper Miss Whitnell went to her new class at the Order of St. Jerome. The master, the household, and their guests, gathered together all the information they have amassed about the various criminal fraternities which are currently struggling for dominance in London. MacGregor and Frazer's also reported on their progress investigating the death of Lord Clarendon, and related information. Dr. Wilson arrived home sometime during this strategy session.
The facts as I heard them appear to be as follows:
The league decided which of the several leads available to investigate the following day. There was an amusing side conversation about Wooster's situation. The lieutenant has specifically asked Caine and MacGregor not to bring the mitigating evidence (specifically, MacGregor's eyewitness report that the man Wooster shot was going at Mr. Chigwidgeon with a knife, that the lieutenant's accuracy with firearms is remarkable and he successfully shot to disarm the man) until late Friday, so that the lieutenant can avoid a meeting with his sister. As the hour grew late and our guests began taking their leave, I overheard the Marquis and Dr. Wilson discussing some business with a balloon.
Miss Chigwidgeon decided to wait up for Miss Whitnell. They spoke for sometime in the parlour. It was extremely late in the evening when it occured to them that Mr. Cuthbert should have returned from his errand some time before. Mrs. Cuthbert hazarded a guess that her uncle had taken young Graham to a pub to drown his sorrows. Mr. Caine suggested that he and Salmalin go looking for the wayward gentlemen. They arrived home with a very inebriated Mr. Cuthbert about an hour later. Mr. Caine informed Miss Chigwidgeon that Mr. Cuthbert had misplaced young Graham at one of the clubs. Mr. Cuthbert roused somewhat at this point and assured us that Graham was just fine and having a wonderful time.
Miss Whitnell, Mrs. Cuthbert, and Miss Chigwidgeon roused other members of the household and organized a mission to go scour Southwerk and Lambeth for the missing young man. The ladies feared that the young man might have fallen into the clutches of one of the people who are plotting against us. Allusions to theyoung man's visions about vampires were also made. The master, Dr. Wilson, Caine, and Salmalin joined them.
They returned some time later, somewhat chagrined. Apparently Graham had sought solace in the arms of a working girl, perhaps introduced to him by Mr. Cuthbert. Caine was left to extricate him from the situation.
3 June, 1870
After two late nights, the household was more subdued than normal. Dr. Wilson was up extremely early, barely pausing for tea and some toast, as he had an important experiment to supervise.
After dinner and the usual lessons, the league pursued the leads as discussed the previous evening. Those investigations included visiting the scene of La Rothiere's murder, Charlie Billingham's place of employment, and the Detective Department.
Edward was working on his new boat with the master's assistance out in the carriage house. With the house nearly deserted, we were cleaning and dusting everything. I should have known that something would go wrong. The first indication we had was the sound of one of the master's small rockets going off out in the carriage house. As I started downstairs, I heard another small explosion and more shouting and thumping. By the time I made it to the ground floor, George was laying unconscious in the drive, while Salmalin, the master, and Edward were out in the street. Edward was just firing his replica of Dr. Wilson's rocket gun at a wagon that was driving away at high speed.
The wagon exploded. The driver and one of the horses was killed. Once the smoke had cleared, we could see a tall, gangly man clinging to the back of the other horse, which was fleeing at full gallop some distance away. We moved George indoors where the master tended his wound, and I heard the story.
The tall man confronted Edward and the master in the loft of the carriage house. He indicated, at first, that he was there to warn Edward of danger, and to apologize for not returning to London in time to rescue Edward's mother (It seems that Edward had received a report that his mother has gone missing recently, and that it might have something to do with one of the factions of the Cobb's organization). The tall man introduced himself as Claude Moriarty, and admitted that he was the leader of the faction Mr. Frazer called The Left Hand of Kali. He suggested that Edward might be safer under his care than he was here. When Edward was less than enthusiastic at this suggestion, he proposed an alliance between the League and his gang.
The master and Edward asked several questions to keep this new Mr. Moriarty talking. At one point, Moriarty indicated that he knew Salmalin was creeping across the roof in order to sneak upon him, and that this wouldn't work.
It was clear that Moriarty wished to become the new crimelord of London and continue his father's evil ways. The master declined the alliance, as did Edward. Rather than peacefully withdrawing, Moriarty attacked the master. Fortunately, Mr. Salmalin had slipped into the loft without any of the others seeing. Edward deflected one weapon, Salmalin another, and the master almost succeeded in blowing Moriarty's head off (I have seen the top hat with the rocket hole through the brim). The fight moved outside, with all four, George, the master, Salmalin, and Edward against Moriarty. Moriarty had leapt onto the wagon to escape. Because mere moments before Moriarty had successfully deflected one of the master's rockets with his staff, Edward fired at the wagon. Edward had hoped to disable the vehicle, not realizing that it contained several barrels of flammable alcohol.
The local fire brigade and the police were just cleaning up the mess out in the street when Miss Whitnell and the others arrived home. They barely had time to hear the details of the trouble before Miss Pinker arrived to discuss wedding plans with Miss Chigwidgeon. I understand the discussion with Miss Pinker went rather well. We were a tad distracted, with the constables and other things.
Mr. Chigwidgeon arrived at the house, somewhat agitated and needing to speak to the master immediately. It seems that he has learned some more about precisely how the bounty hunter learned so much about our household and Lady Ottoline's school. Sentenza, the bounty hunter, had paid off some of Lord Robert St. Simon's gambling debts. Mr. Chigwidgeon, having questioned some of the staff in the club where Sentenza met with Lord Robert, is of the opinion that it was more than just gratitude that led Lord Robert to be so very forthcoming with information. He advised the master to be careful around Lord Robert.
Miss Pinker left before Mr. Chigwidgeon's interview with the master ended, and Miss Chigwidgeon joined them for the discussion. Mr. Chigwidgeon could not stay for supper, as he had to be at work.
Inspector MacGregor and Mr. Frazer joined us for supper. I am given to understand we will be seeing a good deal more of Mr. Frazer, as he will be assisting Miss Sinclair in her study of German.
The master had Stewart and David carry the black board into the music room again. The league was continuing their discussion concerning the factions of Jerrold Moriarty's organization, when one of Dr. Wilson's assistants arrived at the door quite out of breath and agitated. It seems that Dr. Wilson and the Marquis de Montmerial de Dragagulan had rented a hot air balloon out in the Kent country side. They fired two of Dr. Wilson's medium sized rockets into the air with intention to photograph each rocket in flight from the balloon.
According to the assistant, something went wrong, though he was uncertain precisely what. He remembers firing the first rocket, and then the next thing he knew, he was lying senseless in the field. When he climbed to his feet, he could see that he had fired the second rocket. And there was no sign of the balloon in any direction. He took the wagon in which they had hauled the equipment down the road in the direction of the prevailing winds. "A few fields over" he found the body of the balloon operator, who had apparently fallen to his death from the balloon. There was still no sign of the balloon, so the man had hurried back to London as quickly as he could.
The household mobilized. Edward suggested that a tug captain who owed him some favors might agree to take them down river in search of the lost balloon. The League loaded up in the carriages and hastened off to the river.
The staff busied ourselves cleaning up and putting things away. I have sent everyone to bed and am waiting in the parlour. I don't expect they will be back until morning.
4 June 1870
It wasn't quite dawn when a telegram from the master reached the house. The League has taken lodgings in the town of Gravesend. The boat captain will return them to the city after they have all slept. Dr. Wilson and the Marquis are "alive and none the worse for wear." The telegram indicates that they had not quite reached the mouth of the Thames when they caught up with the runaway balloon.
Much of the rest of the day was quiet while we awaited the return of the household…
Proceed to Guests, guests, and more guests
Or, proceed to Terror in the sky
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