me in the park?” I asked, hoping that she’d decline the invitation.
Instead, she closed the book and jumped off the sofa. Lord Henry blinked awake, then said, “Be home before dark.”
“Uncle Henry, we won’t be out that late,” she chided. He smiled before his eyes fluttered closed again.
As I went out with Olive, I wondered how I’d find Lizzie in such a vast space as the park. We wandered the pathways, with Olive chattering nonstop and darting off the path every so often to pick up a leaf or acorn. Soon, her pockets were full of treasures to take home to her uncle, but I had yet to see any sign of Lizzie. We made a full circuit of the Conservatory Water, stopping to watch small boys sailing their toy boats. I couldn’t help but imagine how the Mechanics would propel such boats.
I was beginning to lose hope when I saw Alec on the other side of the pool. My heart leaped but I tried to appear calm as I took Olive’s hand and ambled casually around the pool.
As we approached him, he tipped his hat to me and said, “Miss Newton! How delightful to see you again.”
“Mr. Emfinger!” I greeted him. “How are you today?” I indicated Olive. “This is my pupil, Olive. Olive, this is my friend Mr. Emfinger.”
Alec bent to shake Olive’s hand. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Olive.”
“Likewise,” Olive said in a perfect imitation of her older sister. She broke the illusion by bursting into giggles. “That’s what Flora always says,” she tittered. “She thinks she’s a proper lady.”
“Flora is Olive’s older sister,” I explained to Alec.
Alec smiled and said, “I thought you sounded like a proper lady. You must be quite grown up.” While Alec bantered with Olive, I desperately tried to think of a way to pass over my article.
Salvation came in the form of a balloon vendor setting up shop nearby and drawing a crowd of children by twisting long, narrow balloons into animal shapes before tying them to magical ribbon tethers that allowed them to float. Olive’s eyes went wide when she saw him, and she tugged on my skirt. “Miss Newton, may I? I have my own money.”
I tried to sound reluctant rather than gleeful when I said, “Very well, but just one.”
As soon as she joined the crowd of children, I took off my hat and removed the article, pressing it into Alec’s hand. “I wrote this from my notes,” I told him as I resecured my hat. “Can you take it to Lizzie? I still have her notebook, but I couldn’t think of a way to carry it without Olive asking questions.”
“Keep it,” he said as he slid the article into his breast pocket. “Perhaps you’ll find a chance to use it again. I’m glad you decided to write the article.” His eyes met mine with a hint of the intensity from our previous meeting in the park, and I felt a thrill to know I’d pleased him.
I glanced around to make sure where Olive was, then whispered, “I felt I ought to do something. The way the government treats you is such an injustice.”
He continued gazing at me, and the connection was so intense that I almost couldn’t bear it, but I also couldn’t bear to look away. “You can help by continuing to do what you’ve done here. If you learn something you think people need to know, write about it. And not just about the Mechanics. You see more of the magister world than any of us. You could write about that.”
I gasped and took an unconscious step away from him, breaking the eye contact. “I can’t do that! I’m no rebel.”
He moved closer to me. “It’s not against the law to write for the newspaper. It’s the publisher who’s in danger. It would mean so much to us, though. You’re the only one who can do this. No one else we know has the access you do. You could even meet the governor himself.”
“Actually, I’m going to a party at his home Wednesday evening.” I said it without thinking, then instantly regretted it. I should have been more circumspect, but I supposed I’d wanted to impress him.
He took my arm, gripping it tightly in his eagerness. “That’s exactly what we need. You could describe the way he lives while so many live in poverty, unable to afford magical devices but with no alternatives available.”
Olive saved me from having to answer by skipping over