The Girl in the Steel Corset - By Kady Cross Page 0,47
nothing. She felt as though she actually belonged in this house with these people. It was the first time since being a child that she felt that way. Accepted. Wanted.
How long would it last?
Later that day, after a bath, food and some sleep, Griffin came downstairs with the intention of using the Aether engine to search for clues into Lord Felix’s demise. It wasn’t enough that Cordelia had seen Finley’s innocence in her mind. Scotland Yard tended to need more “physical” evidence. If Griffin could find a lead, then he could at least give Constable Jones a direction to look in other than Finley.
Of course, it was convenient that Scotland Yard also wouldn’t believe that a girl weighing eight stone plus change—not much more than a baby horse—had the strength to strangle a young man the size of Lord Felix.
Unfortunately, his men were still repairing the French doors in his study, so using the engine was out of the question for the time being. He didn’t want any prying eyes. Servants knew the strange machine was there, but no one had ever seen him use it and that was the way he wanted to keep it.
It was close to teatime, so he went to the blue parlor instead. He was surprised to find Finley there alone.
She looked up as he entered. Odd, but she looked almost nervous to see him, as though what had happened that afternoon pushed them apart rather than brought them closer together.
“Emily said she’d be here, she just has to get changed. She’s been in her laboratory,” Finley explained unnecessarily. “Sam is going to come, as well, after he’s done training. Your aunt was resting last I heard.”
Griffin smiled in what he hoped was a soothing manner. “And here we are, being idle.”
Her wide lips curved slightly at that. “Yes, lazy bones that we are.”
He hadn’t bothered to wear a jacket, so he had no tails to flip out as he seated himself on the blue brocade sofa beside her. Oddly enough, he wished he’d taken more time in getting dressed, but Finley was hardly the type of girl to be impressed with the knot in his cravat, though she seemed to like looking at his throat. Still, he felt somewhat common in nothing but trousers, shirt and braces.
Finley herself was wearing one of the Oriental-style dresses he’d bought for her. Her honey-colored hair was up in a messy bun held in place with what appeared to be a pencil. He made a mental note to make sure she had hairpins and all those other gewgaws young ladies needed.
“Where did the black come from?” He nodded at the streak in her hair. Oddly enough it looked longer than it had earlier that day.
She raised a self-conscious hand to her hair. “I don’t know. It was there when I woke up this morning. I suppose it might have been there before, but I didn’t notice it. It’s not artificial.”
“Curious.” He smiled. “It suits you. Makes you look very mysterious.”
He thought she blushed a little at his teasing.
“I’ve neglected you,” he said. “And I’m sorry for it. Tomorrow morning we’re going to meet in the library and get started on helping you learn to control this better.”
She started. “Control it? You mean…I’m going to be like this forever?”
It wasn’t appropriate, but he reached over and took her hand in his regardless. They’d been through too much for him to stand on ceremony now. “Your father’s alchemy essentially made you two halves of one whole, fracturing your personality. I believe that’s why you’re having so much trouble with your other nature now. You’re imbalanced. The two halves must be brought together into one personality.”
She didn’t look pleased. “What if that shadow-me takes over?”
“It won’t, but even if it did, it wouldn’t be long before this side of you started to come through. Wouldn’t you rather have control over both sides rather than constantly worrying about it?”
Finley thought for a moment, chewing absently on her thumbnail. She lowered her hand and tucked her thumb into her fist. “Yes. I would.”
Griffin grinned, pleased to hear the determination in her voice. “That’s my girl.” He hadn’t meant it to sound so proprietary, but it did. He looked away so she wouldn’t see his embarrassment, so he wouldn’t see hers.
A few moments later, he turned back to her. “I want to apologize for what Aunt Cordelia did to you.”
“Don’t. She already asked for my forgiveness and I gave it to her.”