The Blood Debt Chronicles

The Case of the Missing Mummy

Chapter the Fifth or Mr. Taurus Being Sent To London's Underbelly

It took some careful encouragement to convince Anya to leave the house. Not only had the woman stayed far longer than was appropriate, but also there were things that Adeline would need to set in motion that she needed no one to witness. She was a member of Society and her reputation was a currency more precious than gold.

Originally, she had cultivated it at the request of her aged mother, who had been desperate to ensure Adeline married before Lord and Lady Cersideon passed into the realm of the Divine. However, on her tenth birthday while she was riding in the carriage with her many decades older brother, Dravan, she had looked out the window and seen a child curled against a wall. The waif was shivering in the pounding rain, sharp bones stood out in relief against the youths face. She had been horrified and said as much to Dravan.

Adeline closed her eyes remembering the conversation vividly.

“Well,” her brother said looking up from his book, “what would you like to do about it?”

She had been confused, “What would I like to do about it?” She replied turning the words over. “I would like to stop the carriage.”

He lifted his cane and knocked it against the roof of the carriage, “Driver! Stop the carriage!” Then he turned his almond eyes back to her, “What would you like to do next?”

Adeline’s eyes had widened. Adeline had never done something that she actually wanted to before. Her life was carefully scheduled to prepare her for the most agreeable marriage possible. Her mother had been eighty at the time and was well versed in the song and dance of Society. She considered for only a moment before replying, “I would like to get out of the carriage, go to the child and find a safe place for them. A place that is warm, dry and has food for them to eat.”

Dravan had one of the footmen bring an umbrella for the two of them to stand under and then walked her back to the child. The poor footman had wrung his hands while following behind; Dravan had ignored his attempts to encourage them back into the carriage. The waif had shrunk away from them as they approached. Before she had done anything Dravan had said to her, “If you tend to this one’s needs, there will always be more that are forgotten.”

Adeline shook her head firmly, “I’m going to change that.”

His eyes were steady, as if evaluating her, before a benevolent smile broke out, “I do believe you are correct.” He rested a gentle hand on her shoulder, “It’s your birthday Adeline, whatever you want to do, we shall do.”

He hadn’t been placating her. That was the day she purchased her first building and began renovating it to make it into an orphanage. Dravan had suggested she do one room at a time so the youths and their caretakers would have somewhere to stay as well. She had considered his suggestion before countering by offering to pay for anyone to stay at an inn. Dravan had agreed with the plan, it would be faster that way. At the time, Adeline hadn’t understood the scope of money she was spending... or that her brother was spending for her. Dravan had casually handed over money or written notes for people to speak to his banker.

Dravan had prompted some decisions and steered her clear of others, but largely he had her choose what was important and who would work on it.

They had walked away from businesses that had attempted to insist on dealing with Dravan rather than Adeline. She had consulted the child, Matthew Tailor, on what he considered valuable. It had been heartbreakingly simple, warmth and food. She had insisted on hiring a doctor to be on call to the home and then asked Matthew to bring any friends he had. She had also ordered clothes and bedding to be delivered.

Matthew Tailor had been the first of many to pass through those halls. Years later, she had helped him purchase his first shop. He now made all the uniforms for her household and for the households of many other nobles.

Their mother had been horrified and embarrassed. Lady Cersideon had been lavish in her preparations only to have the birthday girl never arrive. Later, after Adeline and Dravan had finished her project they had arrived and both received a tongue lashing that, while delivered in a calm and pleasant tone of voice, could have peeled the plaster off the walls.

That was the last time she let Dravan offer to take Adeline anywhere without an escort. Dravan was notorious for being easily distracted and utterly devoted to his little sister. If Adeline had leaned toward being spoiled, it would have ruined her character. As it was, her altruism could drain thousands of pounds from the family coffers. To Lady Cersideon, this was almost worse.

Her passion, finances and reputation were still turned toward helping the poor, which meant that whatever happened tonight at the soirée she had to be prepared to walk away if it put that in jeopardy. Like Dravan, only her family was more important. Which meant that if she was going to properly prepare for the night to come, she would need to flex some contacts in directions that it was better if people didn’t know about.

As her mother had said before her passing, “A good reputation takes a lifetime to build and a moment to destroy. Be careful who you sacrifice it for.”

“Wise words, mother.” Adeline murmured folding her hands delicately and taking a moment to consider which contacts she should alert.

She turned her eyes to a row of silver bells. Symbols Adeline had never been able to discern, were elegantly etched around the rims of the bells. The handle of one in particular, a rich mahogany, had a name engraved into it in a clear copper plate. "Mr. Taurus" Her son, Edward the Younger had made them. He took after his grandfather, Adeline's father, in his strong mechanically minded mind. His magical skill was avuncular[1], Dravan to be exact. Fortunately, he was the spitting image of his father or unfortunate and erroneous accusations might have sprung up. These thoughts sprang painfully to mind when Adeline picked up the first invention he had ever given her.

Adeline rang the bell with a flick of her wrist. Then set it down. It was painful to hold it, as full of memories as it was. However, it was terribly convenient and she could never part with a gift her son had given her.

Not long after, she heard Mr. Taurus clomping down the hall. He was whistling a bawdy, old, sailing song. Which was strange since according to him, he was from the highlands where they raised sheep and he had never set hoof on a ship. It was a part of his past he adamantly refused to speak about and consistently made her worry that he had been in the navy.

Adeline had heard that her Majesties Navy had a lamentable habit of enlisting men against their will. According to her sources, if a man became too deep in his cups, he was likely to find himself upon a naval vessel leagues from shore when he awoke and leagues from freedom. Men who found themselves in pressed into such service where unlikely to ever be free of the navy. It was a sort of legal slavery. Ironic, since the British Empire had fought so hard to abolish slavery, that the very forces that defended the empire were conscripts.

Since Mr. Taurus took his work very seriously, she assumed this was most likely the case. Were such an accusation ever proven, he would be executed for deserting. She couldn't protect him from such a charge, but she could dissuade it from ever coming to fruition. Part of that was keeping him from interacting with anyone of consequence who wished her ill. It wasn’t truly hard, he was a coachman. The only people he spoke to were in house or of such a birth that they would not be able to touch him.

Mr. Taurus entered the parlor. He was five feet tall, with short, stumpy legs and horns that had been clearly trimmed down to fit inside her ladyship's home. Gold caps, which protected the cut horns, were engraved with dwarfish runes. He was tall for a Highland minotaur, which were commonly between four and four and a half feet tall. Silky red fur covered him from the rim of his horns to the tops of his hooves. It spilled from his collar and cuffs. Adeline had once mistakenly introduced the subject of trimming his hair. It had never been broached again.

"My lady." He bowed slightly, standing at attention.

Adeline smiled, "Mr. Taurus." She held out the dinner invitation, "I shall be dinning out tonight. Miss Anya will be accompanying me."

"Very good, my lady." He bowed, turning away.

"Mr. Taurus." Her voice was soft, but commanding. It should have irritated her that he moved to leave before being dismissed, but she hadn’t employed him because of his manners or skill as a coachman.

He turned back, returning to attention, "Yes?" His soulful brown eyes expressed neither concern nor anxiety. He had not even glanced at the invitation.

"Thieves are expected." She said gravely.

He smiled, a warm flush lighting him up, "Excellent, my lady!" His whole body loosened with a graceful ease that made him seem infinitely more dangerous.

She lifted her hand cutting off his argument before it had started, "I'll have no argument with you." She paused, his words and tone registering. "What was that Mr. Taurus?"

He spoke softly, his voice straining against the paroxysm[2] that was bubbling inside, "I enjoy my work, my lady." His hands, by his sides as he stood at attention, flexed with excitement.

She nodded, not certain what could be said to that, "The good doctor already knows we are attending. Now, if you have time, I would like you to take a few pounds down to some of the places I cannot go and see if you can hear anything."

"I will have to drink, so as to not arouse suspicion."

"You are a Scotsman, Mr. Taurus. I dare say you could drink a barrel of ale and be fit to work. Just make sure you are." Many of Adeline's peers considered it to be the height of foolishness to hire one of the procellous[3] Scotsmen. Some believed she hired him because she was charitable, others because she was rodomontade[4] regarding either her compassion or her security. Adeline believed that people were people and good people could come from anywhere the Divine had placed his hand. Anyway, she had married a Scotsman and her son had been half Scots.

"Yes, my lady." Mr. Taurus accepted the coins she held out to him. He was grateful she gave him a mixture of small coins. It meant this was a premeditated action on her part. It also meant it was more likely to work. He couldn't bring a pound note down where he would be going. His people never saw that much at once.

With the coins in his pocket he headed out. He would have to work carefully to not get himself mugged. He changed into the clothes he wore to visit old friends. Closer to rags really, but there was a reason he wouldn't let the maids toss them.

[1] In the manner of an uncle. In this case in the manner of a specific uncle, Edward’s uncle Dravan.

[2] an explosive outburst

[3] stormy, tempestuous

[4] arrogate boasting