Page 24 of Lady Isla and the Lord of Rogue (Merry Spinsters, Charming Rogues #6)

Chapter Sixteen

“I had hoped to escort you to Madame Tussaud’s exhibition of waxworks,” Teddy informed her upon his arrival that afternoon. “But alas, she is currently touring the provinces. So instead, I have another destination in mind.”

In place of wax figures, he brought her to Professor Maker’s Marvellous Mechanical Menagerie —an itinerant exhibition housed in a striped pavilion near the bustling market stalls of Covent Garden.

Inside were automata, scientific curiosities, and clever optical illusions.

Catherine accompanied them as chaperone.

The show was, to Isla’s surprise, thoroughly delightful.

There were clockwork toys and lifelike mechanical figures that performed tunes on tiny instruments, alongside more scholarly contraptions: telescopes, pneumatic pumps, and a ‘magic lantern’ that cast eerie images onto a canvas screen.

Teddy’s particular favourite, however, was the orrery: a splendid brass model used to calculate the movements of planets and moons.

He launched into a detailed explanation of its workings, eyes bright with enthusiasm.

Isla listened with a smile on her face, though the intricacies of gears and rotations quite escaped her understanding.

She’d watched Teddy the entire time, and doubtless he must have noticed, for he smiled back every time their eyes met.

Once he lifted her hand and pressed a quick kiss on it, which caused her to blush.

She was wearing gloves, so there was no reason at all for her heart to thump the way it did, she chided herself.

“‘Tis a pity your brother is not here to see this. He would have found it most entertaining,” Catherine remarked when they finally left the exhibition.

Isla threw her a surprised look. “Yes, I suppose he would have. Particularly the mechanical toys. Algie can be ridiculously childish sometimes.”

“Though I suppose a man like him would never have time for entertainment like this. He is a thoroughly busy man.” Catherine’s face appeared serene, though Isla detected a faint note of wistfulness lacing her voice.

Isla halted and looked her fully in the face. “Catherine. Never say you like my brother?”

Catherine started visibly. “What a peculiar question! Whatever would prompt you to ask such a thing?” Without awaiting Isla’s response, she rushed on. “Of course I like him. He is a very likeable man. He must be liked by many people.” A delicate flush crept up her cheeks.

Isla took her arm and grinned. “Ooh. Yes, of course. He is very well liked. Exceptionally so. It is therefore entirely meaningless if you, too, like him.”

“What complete nonsense you talk sometimes, Isla.” Catherine fanned herself with one hand. “Look there! I behold Lady Wentgrove. I must speak to her. Pray excuse me for a moment? I shall return presently.” Catherine fled.

“It appears you have touched a sore point,” Teddy murmured close to her ear.

Isla started, for she hadn’t noticed him approach. He offered his arm. “Shall we investigate the antiquities shop over there, whilst we wait? It appears they sell some interesting clocks.” He lifted his stick to point at a little corner shop in a narrow lane.

Isla nodded.

The shop was bigger than the exterior suggested, and seemed to be connected with the adjacent buildings, consisting of a series of rooms, each dedicated to different categories of objects.

One room contained old books. The second room furniture, such as sedans, chairs and escritoires; the third clocks of all shapes and sizes; and the fourth, the most distant and shadowy, held an assortment of curiosities that Isla found fascinating.

While Teddy immersed himself in investigating the timepieces in the third room, Isla studied the bric-a-brac that was collected in the last room.

She discovered a little musical box and lifted the lid.

A tiny bird emerged, and a tinkling melody played.

It was charming. The entire shelf was filled with similar musical boxes.

Isla wondered whether she should buy one when she noticed that next to the shelf was a curtain concealing what appeared to be a doorway.

And since the curtain fluttered, the passage seemed to be open.

Curious whether it led to yet another room with oddities, Isla drew the curtain aside and entered.

She found herself in a dim, sparsely furnished room, with only a rickety table and several chairs. What appeared to be a map lay spread upon the table, and the men seated around it looked up in surprise.

She had clearly intruded upon private quarters. Isla froze in mortification. “Oh. I do beg your pardon. I believed this to be another room belonging to the antiquities shop.”

She turned to go, but one of the men lurched forward, blocking her path. “Not so hasty.” He grinned, revealing a set of blackened teeth. Isla recoiled.

“Ye can’t just waltz in ’ere like that.”

“As I explained, it was a mistake. Now, if you would permit me to—” Isla backed away, and the man made a motion as if to grab her. Alarmed, Isla spun about and crashed into a rock.

A band of steel wrapped around her. “Careful.”

Teddy.

“What’s this?” He looked around with curiosity.

The man who had approached her stopped, then slammed the door shut. In the semi- dark, Isla perceived that he held a weapon. Her own fingers tightened around her umbrella.

“Well, well, well, who have we here?” drawled a tall, bald man who looked like a mariner. “A tulip.” He smirked .

Teddy blinked. Then he cocked a smile. “‘Tis actually a camellia.” He indicated the flower adorning his buttonhole, which was currently all the rage. “Though I wouldn’t expect simple mariners like you to know that.”

Isla regarded him with astonishment. It wasn’t like Teddy to be so aggressive.

“I think we should leave,” Isla whispered to him. But Teddy didn’t appear to hear.

To her amazement, he strolled further into the room. “It’s a most interesting place, don’t you agree? Furniture, clocks, and now—maps?” He tilted his head thoughtfully. “I happen to like old maps. May I have a look? Ah, the Thames.”

One of the men hastily rolled up the map.

Teddy looked at them with a smirk. “Surely you are not affiliated with those river pirates one hears such tales about. What are they called again?” He snapped a finger. “Something with skulls.”

They jumped up with a snarl.

“Teddy,” Isla repeated, not daring to move, for the ruffian, who held a long, ugly blade in his hand, crept closer, and two of the other vile looking men had also pulled weapons out of their shirts. They were surrounded.

And Teddy, apparently oblivious, wouldn’t stop provoking them without the slightest sign of alarm.

“Take ’im,” one commanded.

The three men lunged at Teddy, who ducked. Then pandemonium erupted.

Isla had no idea what happened, but she had no intention of being murdered. She rammed the end of the umbrella into the assailant’s midsection so that he doubled over. Then she rushed to the door, flung it wide, and hollered in her loudest voice, “Help!”

The entire altercation didn’t last longer than a few seconds.

When she turned again to check on Teddy, the scene had changed entirely.

All four men lay in a heap on the floor. Only one of them groaned. That was the fellow she’d poked with the umbrella. The remaining three were ominously still.

Teddy stood in their midst, gazing down at them, gripping his walking stick.

Isla stared in amazement.

He looked up apologetically and gestured with his stick. “You took care of one fellow. Two managed to knock their heads together, and the third—” he made a helpless motion with his stick “—somehow fell over.”

“Fell over,” Isla echoed faintly.

“So it would appear.” Teddy looked down at the fallen men pensively. He prodded one of the bodies with his boot. “You don’t suppose they’re dead?”

“Merciful heavens. Are they, really? What are we to do now?”

Rapid footsteps approached.

The proprietor of the antiquities shop burst into the room. “I heard noises. Customers are not permitted in this room. Didn’t you see the sign outsi—” He broke off when he beheld the scene, then shut the door firmly. “What in blazes happened?”

Teddy retrieved the map that had rolled under the table and brushed it off. “There was a bit of a scuffle.”

The shopkeeper scowled. “I can see that. Who are you?” His hand moved toward his waistcoat as though reaching for a pistol.

“Linwood is my name.” Teddy lifted both his hands in appeasement. “And this is Lady?—”

“It was self-defence,” Isla interrupted. “I believed this room to be part of your establishment. These men, for no reason at all, became most threatening and drew weapons. And, and—” she made a helpless motion “—then somehow this occurred,” she ended lamely.

But the shopkeeper wasn’t listening. He continued staring at Teddy.

Or more precisely, on the head of his walking stick, just visible where Teddy’s hand gripped the shaft. It gleamed in the dim light.

The man paled visibly. He moistened his lips. “There appears to have been a misunderstanding.”

“A misunderstanding. That’s a way of putting it.” Teddy nodded gravely.

“But—” Isla began.

“I offer my most profound apologies. This should never have happened.”

“No, it should not have,” Teddy agreed.

The shopkeeper escorted them from the room, bowing as he held the door open, apologising continuously as they traversed the shop, then holding the front door open for them.

“And those men?” Isla turned to the shopkeeper. “What will happen to them?”

“I’ll take care of them. There is no cause whatsoever for concern. ”

“But—”

“Excellent,” Teddy declared and took Isla’s arm with a firm grip and steered her to their carriage.

“You are unharmed?” He framed her face gently, turning it from this way to that, checking for any injuries.

“Yes. But, Teddy?—”

He examined her hand, her arm, then the other.

“I’m perfectly well,” Isla assured him with a small laugh. “Truly, I am.”

He released her.