27 July 1870, Tuesday

Mr Frazer gave me quite a scare this evening. I was returning to my rooms via the back stair, thinking that the coast would be clear and Miss Sinclair would be abed. As I reached the alcove at the base of the stairs, I found Turgenov was holding very still listening intently to something in the hall.

I crept quietly forward. I could see Mr Frazer, in full dress uniform, pacing up and down in front of Ruth’s door. He cleared his throat so loudly that it would be impossible for Ruth not to have heard it. Her door remained closed. Mr Frazer said in a loud clear voice that he just happened to be walking by (after he said something in what I can only guess must be Chuk-chi). He continued by talking about the traditions of the Chuk-chi people and how that particular phrase was only really used as a way for a man to show his interest in a woman.

By this time my heart was in my throat and it was beating so hard I was certain that Mr Frazer would hear it. However, I could not go forward into the hall, not now that Mr Frazer was in the middle of declaring himself, and I could not go back up the stairs quietly enough to avoid causing a distraction.

Mr Salmalin has been teaching me how to move with a modicum of stealth but stairs are tricky and stairs in a day-dress with a full crinoline even more so. I bent my knees slightly and breathed as quietly as I could. Mr Salmalin has said that holding one’s breath only draws attention to one. The trick is to breathe so quietly as to fade into the background.

I haven’t mastered that either.

However, I did manage to hold myself together as Mr Frazer went down on one knee outside of Ruth’s door just as she opened it. She obviously had something to say, but she halted mid-sentence and he was able to get his words out at last.

I could feel tears streaming down my face as he said: “Please marry me Miss Sinclair.”

She said yes! She said Yes!

This was much more heartfelt than their time in the parlour. Miss Sinclair did confess to feeling anxious knowing that we were outside the door listening in. At that point Mr Frazer moved his body slightly to the left blocking Ruth from having any chance of seeing either myself or Turgenov. I do not know which one of us gave the game away but I was grateful that Ruth was spared the knowledge of our presence.

They spoke for a little while longer and then Mr Frazer stopped Ruth from talking in a most satisfactory way. They have come to a solid Understanding and Ruth has even given up her convoluted plan to introduce her family to Mr Frazer before announcing their understanding. She has made it clear that her family’s opinion will not carry the day in this matter. (Not that I think she has anything to worry about. Mr Frazer is a most suitable man for her and her parents would do well to recognize the fact!)
Their agreement sealed. Mr Frazer took his leave and Ruth closed her door. Turgenov bolted up the stairs so he could pretend that he had spent the evening lying about Mr Frazer’s room. I waited in the alcove a very long half an hour to ensure that Miss Sinclair was staying in her room and that I would not be caught out.

Now I must keep all this to myself until Miss Sinclair and Mr Frazer share the full news with the rest of the household.

I must say I am much easier in my own mind. I was the tiniest bit worried that I had mistaken Mr Frazer’s good manners for something else but the words have come from him at last and Miss Sinclair can no longer doubt the sincerity of his intentions.

28 July 1870, Wednesday

~Afternoon train to Antwerp~

Sir Cosmo told us this morning that we would be leaving for Antwerp in the early afternoon. The negotiations between France and Prussia are proceeding and he would like to return the train and its crew to Belgium. Miss Sinclair, Mrs Cuthbert, and I decided that a little shopping was in order.

We were in France after all and it would have been a shame to miss the opportunity to pick up some of the latest fashions. Besides which, I have lost two skirts and a bodice to the adventures of the past two weeks.

Miss Sinclair was rather pleased at the more subtle range of colours available for our selection. She noted that the brighter colours and blinding patterns that are all the rage back in England are not to the advantage of a Lady of Action. I can see her point. As much as I am tired of wearing black all the time, it is a very useful colour given the nature of our duties.

In addition to enough stuff for two new skirts and a matching bodice I picked up a lovely dark blue-shading-into-green fabric. I will have it made up when we return to London. It will be sober enough to make the transition from my mourning year– perhaps I will wear it to Sir Cosmo and Miss Chigwidgeon’s wedding. I will have to check the dates, but I believe we will be close enough that I will not have to look like a crow at their celebration.

Miss Sinclair and I are conspiring to make Emily a nice dress out of fabric of her choosing without her knowledge. Miss Chigwidgeon and I took the list Miss Sinclair gave me and we picked up twelve yards of a lovely silk Emily was sighing over, some lace, and a few other oddments.

Miss Sinclair, Inspector MacGregor, Emily, and Mrs Cuthbert went into the bookstore across the way. I really wish they had not gone to the bookstore as it, or rather something they found there, is putting rather a damper on my spirits.

I had just written a letter to my brother James warning him of the rumours that Our Employer had encouraged about the Honourable Mr Ramsay and the Marquis de Montmerial de Dragulan paying court to me and trying my best to bring an end to them.

Imagine then my horror in finding out that the latest Kid Rocket and Atlas O’Flaherty novel to be translated into French is being advertised by means of a poster with an illustration of Mr Salmalin leaping to my rescue while Herr Schmidt has me in his grasp! The only good thing about it is that the poster is for an edition that has already been published in English and so is unlikely to cross the channel. I know a report appeared in the paper of the attack on the carriage, but how the artist got such a clear likeness of the three of us is a Mystery.

In more promising news, Miss Sinclair has not seen fit to shut me out of her confidence after the actions Mrs Cuthbert and I took on her behalf yesterday. Miss Sinclair went about town with the corners of her mouth twitching up into little smiles most of the morning. It was difficulty not to feel envy for our two pair of lovebirds but if that is the price I must pay to see Miss Chigwidgeon and Miss Sinclair happy then I will gladly bear it.

We returned home from our whirlwind shopping tour in time to oversee the last of the packing, take a light lunch, and leave the Consulate in good order and are now on the train to Antwerp.

~Evening~

We have settled back into the villa Sir Cosmo rented, though not without some pointed questions from the estate agent about the hole Lieutenant Wooster left in the dining room wall. We are all agreed to continue on our tour of the continent. We have two unresolved items still to deal with. The most important is Herr Hans Bopp. In addition to promulgating a war on behalf of his master King Wilhelm, attempting to arrange the assassinations of the Emperor of France and His Majesty King Ludwig of Bavaria’s principal military advisor, and sending his agents into Belgium in violation of treaty (which, it could be argued, are all just a normal day’s work for a man in his position) he has shown no regard for the lives of those around him (that poor girl who was killed in Miss Chigwidgeon’s stead!). Additionally, he holds the Bull of Damascus and keeps it from being used for its proper purpose at a time when we need it’s power more than ever.

He will have to be dealt with. However, Sir Cosmo has pointed out that making arrangements to travel to Berlin will take some time. In the meantime we still have the puzzle of what to do about the missing Miss Haverson.

Sir Cosmo has received intelligence from the Belgian Police that a woman fitting Miss Haverson’s description was seen in Amsterdam. She apparently tried to escape the ‘gentleman’ who claimed custody over her by handcuffing herself to a door and yelling for help in English and French. Bystanders were told that she had brain fever and was being taken for treatment. That the two men with her, one claiming to be a doctor, were allowed to take her away without question, served as a chilling reminder of how dependent Mrs Cuthbert, Miss Chigwidgeon, Miss Sinclair and I are on the good graces of the men around us.

29 July 1870, Thursday

We passed a quiet night and resumed our regular training routine. Miss Sinclair took advantage of our position out in the country to practice with her pistol. I must devote more time to both my sword drills and my weaponless fighting. There is so much to learn and so little time to practice. I have learned so much since joining Sir Cosmo’s household and yet it seems that new challenges just keep coming.

Mr Salmalin continues to instruct Miss Chigwidgeon and myself in his mantras. He started us on a new one today it is very similar to the Seed of Peace mantra. The Seed of Self is intended to help with self control and focus, two things I could certainly use more of.

After practice and breakfast Mrs Cuthbert took some time to do some divination work with a map provided by Mr Frazer. She determined that Miss Haverson is in the northern part of the Netherlands near the city of Florhovn.

Mr Ramsay and I cast a history spell and saw a more detailed vision of the report given by the Belgian Police.

Miss Haverson escaped from a large steamer trunk with a makeshift saw blade. When I described the vision to Miss Sinclair later she mentioned that she has considered modifying a corset stay to act in such a manner but discarded the idea as impractical. Steel corset bones, as we all know, work their way out of their casings even when they have not been purposefully sharpened into a hacksaw.

Miss Haverson donned a man’s jacket to cover her dishabille and escaped out the window. She made it out of the hotel. However, a man matching the description of Count Rugin (the man who had tried to abduct Lieutenant Wooster and Mr Caine the last time we were in Antwerp) chased after her. Also with the Count was an albino who seemed to be acting as an assistant and a large man who looked in face and form to be a duplicate of our Mr O’Flaherty.

The count talked the local police into letting them take Miss Haverson away. They injected her with something that caused her to lose consciousness. They then searched Miss Haverson for further tools, without even the decency of having another woman present. It was quite disturbing, if understandable given Miss Haverson’s demonstrated resourcefulness.

Once we reported the details to the rest of the League a plan was devised. Mr Cuthbert had been invited to come hunting with Prince Rudolf, Duke of Florin. Given what we have seen in with our history spell, Lieutenant Wooster’s brush with Count Rugin, and now the suspiciously timed invitation we know we will be likely walking into a trap. However it will get us near to Miss Haverson’s location and we should be able to rescue her from there. Getting back out again may be tricky if the Duke himself is involved but I am certain we will manage.

Mr Ramsay, Mrs Cuthbert, and I are going into town to meet with Baron van Raalik and advise him of the events in Metz. I would also like to find out if the Order has a branch in the Netherlands, so we know who to turn to should we find any more evil magik books or insane sorcerers.

Sir Cosmo, Mr Cuthbert, Inspector MacGregor, Mr O’Flaherty, and a few of the others will also come into town, mostly to make reports to their various agencies.

Miss Sinclair, Edward, Miss Chigwidgeon, Dr Wilson, Miss Bertilde, and George will stay at the villa to work on various projects. George suggested that Mr O’Flaherty join us and take some time off from watching Dr Wilson.

30 July 1870, Friday

I awoke from a horrible dream. No it was more than that– it was some form of demonic spell that changed the world for a day. Inspector MacGregor was somehow tricked by the vengeance demon Epsilon Theta Rho Iota Alpha Nu, into confirming a wish and changing the world as we knew it.

When we went to bed Thursday evening it was with the knowledge that our colleagues Mr Cuthbert, Mr O’Flaherty, and Inspector Lestrade were in jail for participating in a barroom brawl. We had no memory of Inspector MacGregor. The plan had been to send someone down to bail them out in the morning (it being to late on Thursday to do so by the time we discovered their self-inflicted plight). Quite frankly I was happy to leave Inspector Lestrade to rot in jail as long as possible. He and I had been at it hammer and tongs ever since he joined us for the investigation of Mr Arkwright’s murder as the liaison from Sir Sebastian’s office and Mr Frazer’s partner.

However all of my plans were set aside when Emily woke me early Friday morning saying that Salmalin was acting strangely. He had screamed. Which none of us had ever heard him do, not even when was killed the first time protecting while Miss Chigwidgeon and Sir Cosmo from his, then master, Jerrold Moriarty. When Emily had asked him what was wrong he had said he needed Mr Ramsay, but he could not remember where Mr Ramsay’s room was. This was most out of character for Salmalin. I was terribly worried and rushed downstairs to see if I could be of any assistance. My offer of aid was rejected. Salmalin asked for Mr Ramsay and Mrs Cuthbert. They went into his room.

I could hear him telling them that he was not Salmalin, he was someone named Simon MacGregor stuck in Salmalin’s body and that Salmalin did not seem to be in there with him.

I could hear Mr Ramsay chanting and Mrs Cuthbert saying something about how his aura looked perfectly like that of Salmalin. I was getting more and more panicked, because the Salmalin I know would let me help regardless of his feelings for me. That alone convinced me that something terrible was wrong. Then I hear a few words float clearly though the door. “It’s all Miss Whitnell’s fault.”

I was overcome. To hear the man that I admire more than anyone blame me for the loss of himself was more than I could bear. I shut myself up in my room and let the tears come in a way that I have not since Father died. The Universe can stop testing my feelings for Salmalin. First Schmidt, then the Sisters of Jhe, and now this, whatever it was– all of them pulling me to and fro by the heartstrings.

Later Miss Sinclair brought me some hot sweet tea. I’m certain I looked a fright– my complexion does not take such extremes of emotion well.

While I was off reestablishing my equilibrium, Mr Frazer went into town to retrieve our strays. Mr Ramsay went with him taking a drawing of the creature that Simon-Salmalin drew. He hoped that Baron van Raalik would have some ideas for how to research the problem. After drinking the fine and heavily sugared tea that Miss Sinclair brought me I decided to spend some time in meditation to gather my thoughts and perhaps see if Great Aunt Hethalyn could help find a way to help Salmalin.
I soon found myself in Great Aunt Hethalyn’s cottage sitting by the fire. She was working on her knitting, an oasis of calm after the maelstrom of my emotions. She was both comforting and bracing. I told her what little I knew so far. She did not have any specific knowledge of what could have caused the effects we were seeing, however, she suggest that I speak directly to Salmalin and find out why he thought I was responsible for his plight. She also told me that I must do what is right.

The cottage faded and I found myself back in my own room. I decided to act upon Great Aunt Hethalyn’s advice before losing my nerve. I opened the door to find Miss Sinclair talking with Salmalin. Emily was hovering in the background obviously keeping an eye on Salmalin but she also looked quite miserable. I have noticed that Salmalin is the only man in the household that she seems at all comfortable with. She doesn’t ever really let down her guard but she comes close to relaxing when he is around. Now she looked nervous and ready to pounce.

He had come upstairs to search through ‘his’ room and had found Inspector Lestrade’s belongings. Miss Sinclair had come to find him because she claimed that the ghost of Simon’s father was wandering around confused. Miss Sinclair was rather distressed that she was the only one who could see MacGregor Senior, not the least because he appears, by her reactions, to be a most odious man. Emily looked even more distressed. Neither Salmalin nor I could see MacGregor Senior.

I’m not certain how I made it through the interview with Salmalin. When he spoke there was a strange animation to his face. I am used to Salmalin’s centered quiet and carefully schooled expressions. The personality inhabiting Salmalin’s body was much more expressive. It was also very strange to hear a Scottish brogue coming from Salmalin’s lips. What was even more distressing was to discover that this Simon (who I had no memory of) held me in high regard. To hear such words from Salmalin’s lips and know that I could place no meaning on it was wrenching.

As we spoke it became easier to think of the person I was talking to as Simon rather than Salmalin. The story as he told it was that he, Mr Cuthbert, and Mr O’Flaherty were waiting in a bar while the rest of us were finishing our business in town. They had, courtesy of Mr Cuthbert, a few to many, and started to talk about women. Simon says he tried to stand up for women in general and that started the fight.

The three of them were hauled off to jail and Simon awoke to find Garvey, the dog that Mrs Cuthbert had taken a fancy to and that had run off during the long wait at the French border, looking at him though the bars of his cell. Somehow Garvey brought the subject around to Simon’s relationship with me. Apparently Simon had confided in the dog when I dashed his hopes. Finally Garvey asked ‘If you could trade places with the blighter (apparently referring to Salmalin) would you?’ Simon said yes and Garvey turned into a human-like demon with a strange striated face and said ‘Granted!’

Simon then awoke in Salmalin’s body and events proceeded as I have already documented.

During our conversation Emily decided it was time to test Salmalin’s reflexes. She leapt at him from behind, knife drawn. He spun faster than I could see and was suddenly standing, facing Emily with her knife sandwiched in his hands. He said, in his normal quiet voice, that he did not think now was an appropriate time to practice. For a brief moment, the Salmalin I knew returned, only to slip away the next moment when Simon’s brogue returned. He let go of Emily obviously bewildered by what had just happened.

I was reminded of one of the spells in Great Aunt Hethalyn’s book. A witch can send her mind to ride in the body of an animal, however if the person casting the spell stays with the animal too long then the animals thoughts will absorb the spirit of the caster, leaving nothing behind but an empty body. The way Simon described being inside of Salmalin but somehow apart, of having flashes of Salmalin’s memory but no sense of Salmalin as a separate person, reminded me strongly of some of the cautions I had read in regards to this spell.

Mr Ramsay was still away researching at the Order of St Jerome library. I decided to return to my own books and see if I could glean any information. I still have made very little headway in devising an effective index for Great Aunt Hethalyn’s book. It is very old and each owner wrote things down in the order that made sense to them and in the language of their times. Parts of it I have yet to successfully translate.

When I emerged from my room for the fourth time that day, Mr Frazer had returned with Mr Cuthbert, Mr O’Flaherty, and, unfortunately, Inspector Lestrade. More importantly, Mr Ramsay returned successful from his hunt for information on the demon described by Simon.

He had found a reference to a vengeance demon by the name of Anyanka. There was an illustration of a female demon that looked very much like the picture Simon had drawn. Anyanka was said to be the patron of scorned women visiting vengeance on the men who had hurt them. Apparently she has a male counterpart. The research that Mr Ramsay found said that Anyanka had a source of power. When he showed Simon the picture of the amulet worn by Anyanka, Simon realized that he had seen it as a tie pin on the Apothecary and the Bartender, and as an ornament on Garvey’s collar. Apparently the demon had spent several days following him around trying to get him to make a wish.

Miss Chigwidgeon came barreling into the house with Mr O’Flaherty in tow. Miss Chigwidgeon had received a vision from Kali that convinced her that Mr O’Flaherty had encountered the demon directly. We were all getting ready to go back into town and search for the demon-bartender when Mr O’Flaherty reached in his pocket.

Instead of the lucky coin he was expecting, he pulled out the twin to the amulet that we had just been reading about. Miss Chigwidgeon took it off of him and gave it to me and I sprinted for the stairs. We had one of the unused bedrooms set up for magik rituals. Mr Ramsay joined me and we had a quick consultation on how to modify the spell from the book to summon the male vengeance demon.

We still didn’t know his name which was a obstacle to putting together an effective summoning spell. As we were setting up, I looked more closely at the amulet and realized that the Greek letters Epsilon Theta Ro Iota Alpha Nu were inscribed around the setting for the gem. It only took Mr Ramsay and I a moment to realize that they spelled out Ethrian. As soon as we said the name aloud, Mr O’Flaherty confirmed it as the name he had heard the bartender use.

Armed with the name we started the spell. The candles sputtered and the sunlight outside dimmed. We could see a figure inside the circle. He stepped forward into the remaining light looking much as Simon had described him. It was as if someone had removed the skin on his face, leaving only the musculature. He asked who had summoned him.

I answered, saying: ‘the Witch of Darlson and the Honorable Mr Ramsay’. The demon started ranting about having a woman summon him and how I would be punished for my transgressions. Then he spotted Simon and they got into an argument about the wish that the demon had granted. My estimation of Simon went up when I realized just how badly the demon was forced to cheat to get anything near a wish out of him.

We attempted to negotiate with Ethrian but he seemed unwilling to accede to our request and return the world to the way it had been. We then told him that he gave us no choice but to break his amulet. He tried to bluff that it was of no value but when I reached for my ritual knife planning to use the handle as a hammer on the gem he showed his true colors.

He also showed us that he was not bound by our circle. He leapt though it and straight at me, grabbing me and shoving me back though the wall and into the room next door where Miss Sinclair and Emily were waiting. I landed on my back at Miss Sinclair’s feet. I could feel several of my ribs moving in ways that were not normal and my vison was blurring. I could still feel the gem in my hand though and Ethrian was not given a chance to finish me off as Salmalin punched him from behind, fist coming all the way though the demon’s chest and splattering me with gore.

Miss Bertilde, Miss Chigwidgeon, and Mr O’Flaherty joined the fray. I pressed the gem into Miss Sinclair’s hand and she found a hard spot along the baseboard and began to pound on the gem with the handle of her gun. I lay on the floor breathing in the way that Salmalin had taught me. I managed to keep from passing out, even though every breath set my chest afire.

Miss Sinclair and I took turns pounding on the gem while the others kept the demon from killing us. I could hear Salmalin’s voice with Simon’s brogue urging us to smash the gem. I sensed that more of the league had entered the fray. Miss Sinclair managed to chip a few tiny shards off of the gem but neither of us were making much of a dent in it. I could smell the blood of our colleagues and felt our opportunity to save ourselves slipping away.

I remembered the new mantra that Salmalin had taught Miss Chigwidgeon and paused in my hammering for a moment to focus all of my energy on my next strike.

Salmalin’s body fell right next to me. His bruised and bloodied head showing vacant eyes. The demon had ripped away part of his chest. Blood pooled around my skirts. I had failed.

Time stopped for me.

I wanted to cry and howl and rip the demon’s lungs from his chest. I wanted to grieve and mourn and give in to hysteria. Some tiny and very cold part of me said, fine, you can do all that, but smash the gem first.

Great Aunt Hethalyn had said that I had to do what was right, not necessarily what I wanted. I finished the last syllables to the mantra and brought my knife handle sharply down on the gem.

It shattered. I sat up in my own bed gasping for breath as if waking from a nightmare. It was much more real to me than anything in my night-quiet bedroom. I grabbed my dressing gown and ran for Salmalin’s room hoping he would be there and be himself and absolutely, positively not making any wish at all.

Miss Chigwidgeon and I ran headfirst into each other at the head of the stairs and only just missed falling down them. We steadied each other, broke free, and pelted headlong to Salmalin’s room.

Miss Bertilde had beaten us to his door and was asking him if he was alright. He stood in the door to his small room, dark hair in a sleep tousled braid. I stopped three feet from him, running into the invisible wall of propriety that separates us. Miss Chigwidgeon had no such inhibitions and hugged Salmalin tightly her head resting on his chest. He looked at me over the top of her head and I could see that he had returned to us.

It was then that I noticed that I was standing in the hall in bare feet, having forgotten my slippers in my haste. I could remember Inspector MacGregor again and knew that he and Mr O’Flaherty and Mr Cuthbert were safe in the local lockup after their adventures in the bar only yesterday.

Miss Chigwidgeon slipped from Salmalin’s arms, mumbled something about checking on Sir Cosmo, and left us. Miss Bertilde shuffled about as if unsure of what to do next. Miss Sinclair was attracted by the all the hubbub, checked to see that Salmalin was all right, and headed back upstairs to her room. On her way she ordered Miss Bertilde back to bed saying that nothing more would happen tonight.

Something in me snapped and I ran forward as if I had never stopped running. I felt Salmalin’s cool cheek against my lips and hugged him tightly to me. He did not say anything. He is only an inch or two taller than I, but without shoes I felt smaller and more vulnerable. It seemed only a moment that I held him before propriety reasserted itself and I fled to my room.

I was much too shaken to sleep.

Breakfast came and we all compared notes. Miss Sinclair seems relieved not to be able to see MacGregor Senior any more. She was very unnerved at being the only one able to see him while we were in the dream.

Mr Frazer went off to collect Mr Cuthbert, Mr O’Flaherty and Inspector MacGregor. I am so very glad that we will have our Inspector back. I can still remember, quite vividly the many arguments I had with Inspector Lestrade in the other place.
Inspector MacGregor’s behavior throughout this terrible mess has been exemplary. He was tempted and tried and found true. That he would consistently put my happiness above his own needs shows a man of rare character indeed. I no longer even think of making wishes but I do feel regret that my feelings for him did not match his feelings for me.

I will forever remember the demon screaming at him that he had messed everything up by not playing along. It was then that I truly realized what devastation he could have wreaked with my heart and life he had gone along and pretended to be Salmalin.

Once Mr Frazer had returned with Mr Cuthbert, Mr O’Flaherty and Inspector MacGregor we learned the end of the story from Inspector MacGregor.

MacGregor woke from the dream hearing Garvey say ‘Granted!’ Nothing happened. The demon panicked and tried to get MacGregor to wish something else. Slowly they both remembered the events that now seem not to have happened. Apparently Ethrian has not only lost his powers but is trapped in the body of a dog that looks and smells like Garvey.

The dog-demon went away muttering that I would pay for my deeds. I feel that I have paid in full, for while the injuries I suffered at the hands of Ethrian disappeared, my spirit is quite bruised and will be for some time to come.

30 July 1870, Friday

~Afternoon~

We are on the train to Florin. Sir Cosmo and Mr Frazer have given us a briefing on the people we are likely to meet. The ruling family is made up of Her Serene Highness Kristianna of Orange, Dowager Dutchess of Florin. She is Aunt to the His Majesty William III, King of the Netherlands and as such retains the right to be addressed as Highness. Her oldest son and our host is His Grace Prince Rupert, Duke of Florin. He is unmarried, his heir is his brother Prince Lukas of Florin.

Mr Frazer spent some time explaining how the courtesy title of ‘Prince’ does not carry the same meaning here that it would back in England. Florin used to be one of many very tiny kingdoms before the Netherlands was untied under one ruler, as such they retained the retained the title of ‘prince’ but not their status as an independent kingdom.

Unusually for me, I found my attention wandering during his explanation. My emotions are still quite stirred up after our encounter with the vengeance demon and from speaking with Inspector MacGregor after he returned to us. I hope I conveyed my respect and admiration for him without arousing the wrong sort of feelings.

I am updating this record and then will spend some time in meditation.

~Evening~

The meditation seems to have helped. I feel calmer and more focussed. We arrived at Florhovn Station were met by Prince Lukas and enough carriages to carry us and our equipage out to the castle. The castle is several hundred years old, made of gray stone. It fronts onto the town square and is quite an impressive sight as one comes up the hill into the main square. Our rooms are on the fourth floor and are quite spacious. We have been given a little time to refresh ourselves and dress for an after-dinner reception downstairs.

Twilight is settling around us but we should have spectacular views come morning.

Mr Salmalin has come to tell me that all is in readiness for our entry into the reception downstairs.

31 July 1870, Saturday

~Dawn~

We have made it safely out of Florin after a very busy night.

The reception was quite small and somewhat informal. We circulated among the court and met Her Highness the Dowager Duchess and His Grace Prince Rupert, Duke of Florin. We then retired to our rooms. Edward and Miss Chigwidgeon were certain that a castle such as this would have secret passages and suggested that we look though our rooms and ensure our security before retiring for the night.

Mrs Cuthbert decided to use her powers of divination to see if she could more accurately pinpoint Miss Haverson’s location, now that we were in Florin. Miss Sinclair, Edward, and several others began searching at one end of the hall while Miss Chigwidgeon, Inspector MacGregor and I started our search at the other end. Miss Chigwidgeon and I rounded out our day by bumping heads yet again while we were both looking at a highly ornamented fireplace.

We had no luck in our search. However, Miss Sinclair soon returned to report that they had found a passageway leading off of Dr Wilson’s room. It led to a spiral staircase that plumbed the depths of the castle. They had used Edward’s rope to secure themselves but had not had enough rope to explore all the way to the bottom. They had returned to tell the rest of us where they were going.

Miss Sinclair and Edward led the way for a second expedition. Mr Frazer, Miss Bertilde, Miss Chigwidgeon, Inspector MacGregor and I joined them. Edward crept ahead of our light and upon reaching the ground floor, motioned that we should all hold our position up the stairs.

I later learned that Edward could hear the Duke and Count Rugin talking an a room just off the passageway. He does not speak Dutch, but his German was fluent enough to give him a sense of what they were saying. Apparently there was some plan to lead us into the forest and abduct one or more of the League. Dr Wilson was the likely target given the previous encounter with Count Rugin.

Edward made a quick motion to Miss Sinclair and she shuttered the light. Edward disappeared into the darkness and the door at the base of the stairs opened. Count Rugin passed in front of us but continued down the stairs and away from us.

Just when we thought we could safely retreat back up the stairs disaster struck. I do not know exactly what happened on the stairs above me but suddenly Miss Chigwidgeon lurched against my back and we all tumbled, domino fashion, down the stairs. Only Edward and Inspector MacGregor were left standing. Edward disappearing into the ceiling and the Inspector left standing at the top of the stairs.

The rest of us tumbled though a doorway into a lighted room. We rolled to a stop at the feet of a very surprised Count Rugin. He drew his sword as we scrambled to our feet. Miss Sinclair did a valiant job of trying to talk our way out of the mess and I supported her as best I could, but I could tell that he was not buying our show of interest in the castle and it’s old passageways.

He encouraged us to return using the lighted staircase which we did reluctantly. He had not done anything overtly hostile in our presence (aside from drawing the sword) so we kept trying to talk our way back to our rooms. Unfortunately when we got to the stairs we found a contingent of palace guards and the Duke awaiting us. We were escorted downstairs to the dungeon. Miss Sinclair was motioning that we should all keep calm and go along. We weren’t exactly outnumbered, however, all of the guards had guns and kept them trained on us, so we were at a disadvantage. I believe Miss Sinclair was the only one among us to carry a handgun.

I was willing to go along with Miss Sinclair’s plan right up until one of the Duke’s men brought out an iron helmet and motioned that I should be secured into it. I have no fear of Iron but the helmet was more of a solid cylinder with no way to see out and who knows what terrible devices inside. Edward later told me that at the very least there was an iron mouthpiece designed to keep me from casting any spells. I refused to listen to any further description of the infernal device.

Fortunately for us, the Duke had not yet disarmed or shackled us. He really is quite stupid, or perhaps we had been more successful than we realised in making him think that we were harmless. If Mrs Cuthbert had been with us we might have had an even better chance of talking our way out of the entire situation, as she has the most disarming effect on people.

Instead of quickly disarming us the Duke and Count Rugin had merely herded us into the dungeons (with us protesting all the way). Miss Bertilde was nearly vibrating with outrage and I believe she would have cut something off any of the men who tried to bind us. However she demonstrated superior self control and held herself in check.

I managed to remain calm until the helmet appeared.

I don’t remember making a choice. I went from standing calmly by, waiting for their next move, to pulling my sword out from the long concealed slit in my fancy overskirt, screaming, and attacking the Duke.

No one was putting that thing on me without a fight.

I am sorry to have disrupted Miss Sinclair’s plan but I am also grateful to her for insisting that we practise often drawing our weapons through the clever plackets she and Miss Bertilde have engineered into our costumes.

I did not see much of the fight that followed. My attention was focussed solely upon deflecting the Duke’s blows and trying to get a few good strikes in myself. One of Edward’s flash bombs went off and succeeded in startling or blinding our opponents. (In my fury I had not noticed Edward rolling the bomb into the room, luckily the Duke had spun me around so he was facing the bomb and I had my back to it, so I heard the explosion but only caught the flash in the periphery of my vision.)

I did not manage to strike the Duke with my sword but I did manage to parry his thrusts and avoid getting badly hurt myself, thanks in part to one of the allies of the Duke. I could hear his massive rumble of a voice say ‘Don’t hit the lady,’ then a massive Thump! then ‘Especially from behind!’

I haven’t had a chance to ask Mr Salmalin to critique my part in the fight. I don’t know how much of it he was there for, I just know that one moment I was fighting and the next moment I had to halt my attack because Edward was holding a Katar on the Duke from behind and both of his arms were twisted up in what looked like very painful positions by Miss Chigwidgeon on the left and Mr Salmalin on the right. My sword was at his throat.

That was when Sir Cosmo, Inspector MacGregor and the rest of the League showed up. I looked around to find that all of the guards and Count Rugin were down. We shackled the Duke in his own dungeon while we figured out what to do next. Mrs Cuthbert and Edward saw to the wounded. I asked Mr O’Flaherty and Jeroen the Giant to destroy the iron helmet.

Sir Cosmo told the Duke that we had come for Miss Haverson. The Duke ordered his albino servant to fetch Miss Haverson for us. Sir Cosmo sent Mr Cuthbert and Inspector MacGregor along to ensure that reinforcements were not also fetched.

They returned with her in tow. She did not seem to be much worse for wear and seems to have fixed her attention on Mr Cuthbert as her ‘rescuer’, much to Dr Wilson’s relief.

Sir Cosmo then ordered the Duke to arrange for our transportation to the train and Edward suggested that the Duke come with us as far as the border, so as to prevent any last minute changes of heart. Hopefully we made it clear to him that future entanglements with the League would not be wise. Miss Sinclair was very firm with him about her expectations for his behaviour in the future.

Once at the border we let him off. We had arranged for some of his servants to meet him so we didn’t just leave him alone at the border. We can save the public humiliation for later and only then if we really need it. Hopefully the Duke will take the hint and focus his attention on ruling his little slice of the Netherlands rather than making trouble.

Jeroen the Giant accepted our invitation and is travelling with us for a time.

I need to talk with Mr Salmalin about not only how my part in the fight went, but if my reasons for fighting were correct. I do not like the idea of giving such a villain as the Duke power over me, especially knowing how he had treated Miss Haverson.

If the Duke had been just a tad bit more cunning he might have had me in chains and then I couldn’t have prevented him from putting that awful iron hood on me. There are definitely some drawbacks to being a witch. I wonder if it was the Bishop of Florhovn that gave it away or if the Duke somehow knew before we arrived. I didn’t do anything while we were in Florin to reveal my power but the Bishop himself had the kind of aura that I have come to associate with users of magik.

Regardless, unless Mr Salmalin advises to the contrary, I will never let a villain bind me without giving as good a fight as I can give to prevent it. There are some dangers to being a witch that I had not given full consideration to and that includes the extremes that Our Opponents might go to in order to prevent me from using my powers.

I will have to think on this some more. However, this particular battle seems to have ended in our favour in spite of my actions. I wonder if the Duke knew what he was getting into when he backed us into the corner in that dungeon...

Proceed to No time to put things right

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