Constantine Capers: The Pennington Perplexity by Natalie Brianne (new ebook reader TXT) 📕

“They threatened to kill you and very well could have. This work is dangerous.” He paused for a moment.

“I want you to seriously consider why you are doing this, Mira. If this is what you really want. According to my journal I’ve been in more dangerous situations than that. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“I’m fine.”

“Promise me you’ll think hard about this?”

She hesitated. “I promise.”

They stopped in front of her rooms. He seemed reluctant to leave her.

“May I walk you in?” She thought a moment and nodded. Then she led him up to the door and unlocked it, going in. He followed.

Everything was as she left it. Pencils and drawing paper on the table in the small front room. Kitchen spotless. Cat mewing at her feet. She picked Nero up and cradled him in her arms. Byron came in warily. He walked into the front room and then into the back. She followed him as he went up the stairs and checked each room. He came back into the living room again.

“No one is here.” He allowed his shoulders to relax.

“I didn’t think there would be anyone.” She smiled at him and put Nero down. He went over to Byron and sniffed at his feet before rubbing up against his legs.

“I forgot to introduce you to Nero, it would seem. Nero, this is Byron, Byron this is Nero.”

Byron smiled and picked the cat up. “Hello, Your Emperorship.” He flashed a grin at Mira, and she laughed. He could always make her laugh. He put Nero down again and smoothed down his fur.

“I probably ought to go.” He started towards the door, stopped once he reached it and looked around the front room again, and then to her.

“Goodnight, Mira.” He opened the door and stepped out.

“Goodnight, Byron.”

She went to the door and watched him go down the steps. He waved from the sidewalk and then hailed a hansom cab. It drove away, and she closed the door. She looked around at her empty rooms and felt isolated. She fed Nero and got ready for bed, keeping the lamps lit for as long as possible. It occurred to her that just twenty-four hours previous she had been kidnapped. She thought about the prospect of not working with Byron anymore. He was right. It was dangerous. But the thought of stopping brought a pang of grief to her heart. Whether it was for her parents or for Byron or for the case, she didn’t know. Maybe it was all three. Her emotions were all tangled and mismatched. How could she decide in such a state? She took a few deep breaths and determined she didn’t have to worry about it at that exact moment. It could wait until the morning.

She woke early again and dashed around her rooms to get ready. She didn’t care if it was dangerous. They had to get to the bottom of everything. She had to get down to the bottom of everything. And aside from that, when had her life ever been this exciting? Sure, she had been kidnapped, but she had escaped. She laughed at the thought.

Working with Byron helped her to find a part of herself she didn’t know existed. And she felt closer to her parents than she ever had before. It was invigorating. It was exciting. It was freeing. And it was the only explanation she could come up with. Why else would she be crazy enough to keep going back?

Byron. He was so strong despite everything. And he had been so worried about her. She smiled to herself as she began her walk to Palace court. Under different circumstances they never would have been acquaintances, let alone friends. She felt her heart leaping again, and she frowned. No. She couldn’t. He just was too…

Too what? Handsome? Brilliant? Forgetful. She sighed. Perhaps she did have feelings for him. But what use were they? He was going to forget her again. And again, and again and again until who knows when. He would never remember her, and that stung like cold steel. A deep-set pain, different from the grief she had for her parents. She knew that now. A surprising pain. She didn’t understand it.

These thoughts accompanied her through Kensington Gardens and up the steps of number 27. They weren’t comfortable companions, but she couldn’t be rid of them. She pulled out her key and entered.

She heard shuffling noise coming from a room up the stairs. Perhaps his bedroom? She closed the door behind her and started into the living room. Byron peeked his head out of his room, straightening his tie.

“Mira! I didn’t know if you’d be coming back. I’ll just be a minute.” His head disappeared again. Mira looked around for any new notes. There were none. She sat down on the piano bench and looked out the window, trying to figure out her jumbled emotions and thoughts.

A few minutes passed, and Byron entered wearing a snappy grey suit. He had a spring in his step. Mira turned back to the window to keep her emotions in check. To her surprise, Byron sat on the piano bench next to her and began to play. He started with a simple melody and then added the second hand. He reached across her to play the lower notes. The music calmed her, and she turned around to watch him play. He was completely engrossed by the music, playing from memory, which she found funny. He must have learned the piece before his accident. Whatever it was, it was beautiful. He finished and turned to her.

“Are you alright?”

“What? Me? Yes, I am.”

“You don’t seem like it.”

“Well, I’m fine.”

“Very well. I assume you are planning on continuing then?”

“Yes.”

“Then let me catch you up on what’s happened.” He stood and walked over to the side table where he had left his journal. He picked it up and flipped to the most recent page.

“I dropped off the powders at the lab, and they should be