entirely unaware of it. Worse, I didn’t know where Alec was or if he was in danger. For all I knew, he’d built that brick-throwing machine and had been arrested or killed. Or else Lizzie had told him what I said to her, and he was angry or disappointed in me for not supporting his cause wholeheartedly.
Lord Henry was unusually quiet and distracted at dinner, and he snapped at the children’s antics. That made me wonder if he and the bandits might have something planned. Attempting to look as innocent as I could, I stopped him on the way out of the dining room. “Are you quite all right, sir? You don’t look as though you feel well.”
He gave a groaning sigh. “Was I that awful a grouch? No, I’m sure I was. I’m sorry. You’re right. I’m afraid I’ve got a headache coming on.”
“You should go lie down. I’ll sit with the children until bedtime and get Olive to bed.”
He smiled wearily. “Thank you. I owe you a favor, Miss Newton.”
“I hope you feel better soon.”
While I sat with the children in the parlor, I listened for sounds of the front door opening, but then I realized he probably wouldn’t go out so early after making the excuse of a headache. He’d slip out once he thought everyone was asleep. After I got Olive to bed and Rollo and Flora had gone to their own rooms, I remained fully dressed, though with my shoes off, as I turned out the light in my room and kept the door slightly ajar so I could listen for footsteps.
It was nearly eleven when I heard someone coming down the hallway. Holding my breath, I stood where I could peer through the crack in my door and watched Henry move with uncharacteristic grace and confidence toward the stairs. I counted to ten—long enough for him to get to the first landing—before easing my door open and tiptoing after him.
I heard muffled voices in the foyer and ducked below the balustrade on the landing. Peeking between the railings, I saw Matthews meet Henry before the two of them left the house. I stood and started to hurry down the staircase, but stopped. What did I propose to do, catch him in the act and confront him? In my stocking feet, I realized, looking down. I could hardly chase him across the city like that. Reluctantly, I turned and trudged back up the stairs to get ready for bed.
Sleep didn’t come easily. I couldn’t stop myself from imagining horrific scenarios of my friends’ fates—all of them, including Henry. Therefore, I sat bolt upright at the first tap on my bedroom window. I held my breath, waiting for another sound. I tried telling myself that it was just a tree branch tapping in the wind, but there was no tree that close to the house.
The sound returned, too rhythmic to be accidental. I slid out of bed and peered between the curtains, barely stifling a scream when I found myself face-to-face with someone outside my window. As I stumbled backward in horror, I inadvertently opened the curtains wider and then I recognized Alec. Opening the window, I blurted, “Alec! I was worried when I didn’t hear from you after the riot.” Then the obvious question occurred to me. “How did you know which window was mine?”
“The other windows on this level have fancier curtains, with two windows per room. One window with simple curtains seemed like a governess’s room.”
That made sense, I thought with a nod. And then the truly obvious question struck me. “How did you get up here?”
He was hanging on to a rope ladder dangling from something far above. I leaned out the window and looked upward to see a faint gray blur against the sky. After staring at it for a while, I realized it was an airship. “Would you like a ride on my magic carpet?” Alec whispered with a grin. “We’re on a reconnaissance mission, and I thought another pair of eyes might help.”
“Oh,” I breathed, pulling back out of the window. “I shouldn’t … I mustn’t.” But to fly above the city … how could I not?
“Dress warmly,” Alec said, as if reading the decision from my mind, and then I remembered that I was in my nightgown. This really was the week for me to be seen in my nightclothes by men.
“One moment,” I said, letting the curtains fall closed. I doubted I had time to get fully