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Chapter Text

1868, London

As the tiny gears of the British Empire, we live in those days when Queen Victoria has been on the throne for three decades now, and the world is being reshaped by the Industrial Revolution. It cannot be denied that this is the age of the new inventions. These days, The beautiful letters once written by hand are now put on papers by typewriters, the thoughts in the envelopes are sent far away by the telegraph, while the soft cotton and the warm wool are turned into yarn by the spinning machinery. Besides, the arts are flourishing as well. The architecture is characterized by decorative fireplaces and stained glass windows, as the literature is defined by Charles Dickens and the Brontë sisters written words. The lives of the rich British men are all about politics and economics, while the thoughts of their spoiled wives are spinning around silk and velvet, but all these things distract the attention from what is happening beneath the surface in the darkness. The city of London is being poisoned in every moment by the miserable life taking place on its streets. The dirty slums, the dangerous criminals, the harmful narcotics, the humiliated prostitutes and the starving children in the workhouses are part of the cruel reality. The poison is everywhere, even in the dyes of the colourful wallpaper of the walls and the poorly burning tallow candles. Although, even from the height of the social hierarchy, I clearly see the darkness that casts shadows on my city, but a young woman's words mean nothing in such a world. That’s why I chose a path where it is not my words that bring change, but my actions...

My name is Adaline Flavia Lanchester. I was born in the 24th morning of June, in 1839, in the heart of England, in the city of London. As the only child of Arthur Lanchester and Alexandra Lanchester, I was born into a noble family whose life was surrounded by grace and elegance. The most beautiful moments of my childhood were when my mother was playing beautiful ballads on her ebony black piano. And, when she was sitting on the edge of my bed, singing me lullabies that made me smile, but since a frosty winter night all of these are only memories. I was only six years old when my mother was taken from us by the flu. The first days of the grief were so painful for my father that he locked himself in his study and hid from the world, instead of seeking my company. Although, he did it not to shut me out from his life, but to hide his tears from me. Of course, I was not left alone as a half-orphan child, because our housekeeper, Aunt Martha took care of me. Aunt Martha crossed the threshold of the Lanchester House for the first time when the fresh snow fell in December, in 1845. She has done so much for us. She cooked delicious soups, she cleaned our expensive clothes and she took care of the peonies of our home, but she took care of my mother as well. Aunt Martha was the support of the Lanchester family during the period of the grief and with time she became the part of our life. She taught me to embroider and read, and she was the one who taught me the tricks of baking perfect fruit pies. My father respected the freedom and he never wanted to send me to a ridiculous finishing school, so it is thanks to Aunt Martha that I have become a decent and educated lady. However, my knowledge was enriched not only by Aunt Martha, but also by my mother’s only brother, Archie Blackburn. I spent the most precious moments with my Uncle Archie when we visited him and his family at their estate, north of Oxford. His wife, my Aunt Elizabeth revealed the beauties of the literature for me, while their daughter, Clarissa taught me the basics of horse riding and thanks to her, now I proudly can call myself an excellent rider. However, my Uncle Archie, as a scientist of the sky, he opened the doors to a fascinating world for me. Unfortunately, almost every men of our time believed that a woman should stay away from the sciences. However, my Uncle Archie told me not only about the brightest constellations of the night sky, but also about the solar system and the planets. After all, maybe it is not so surprising that I am eccentric. Ladies of my age find their joy in expensive cosmetic products and even more expensive fabrics, while I feel happiness by admiring the stars and galloping on horseback. However, when the spring become beautiful flowers, the summer become warm sunshine, the autumn become golden leaves and the winter become frozen snowflakes, then I feel that something is still missing from my life. I mean, someone...

"Adaline..." a gentle voice brought me back to reality. At that moment, I realised that my thoughts were far away in the past few minutes. I was walking in the St James’ Park with a true friend of mine, Lady Eleanor Moore. Our mothers spent a lot of time together when we were children, so for the strong friendship between us we owe them. Eleanor was the more mature of the two of us and it was quite obvious. At the age of twenty, she married to a respectable and handsome count, Lord Jonathan Moore, and since then she is the mother of two boys. Although, Eleanor became very busy with her duties as a countess, but she always made some time for me. Sometimes we were admiring the beautiful merchandises at the markets, sometimes we went to the most popular coffee houses, but our most precious conversations always took place here, in the St James’ Park. Just like now. Although, I already forgot what our conversation was about a few minutes earlier.

"Oh, I am so sorry, Eleanor! My wandered among my thoughts a little." I admitted as the spring breeze brought us the scent of the fresh flowers of the plum tree. "What were we talking about?"

"I was telling you about my new dress." Eleanor reminded me. And that’s right, in the minutes before my wandering thoughts the woman informed me that she would like to have pale colours into her wardrobe. "The pearl pink fabric comes straight from Paris, from the D’aureville Fabric Shop, crossing the sea aboard the ship called Carina. I have no doubt that the colour of the fabric will match my rose quartz jewellery." she continued as we were walking slowly towards the Buckingham Palace and a gentle smile appeared on her face. "I can’t believe that my dear husband is showering me with so many beautiful gifts for ten long years already..."

"Jonathan is a count. He is rich and moral, at the same time he is attentive and generous as well. You deserve to be pampered with soft velvet and sparkling gems by your husband."

"Soon we will be proud parents of three children, this is more than enough for my happiness." as soon as the words left Eleanor’s mouth she placed a hand on her belly. She was only a month away from holding her third child in her arms. His sons, the eight-year-old Daniel and three-year-old Colin were looking forward to meet their little sibling, but the most excited family member was Eleanor’s husband, Jonathan. He was hoping that their third child also will be a boy, wishing to name the child after his recently passed father, Jack Moore, while he entrusted Eleanor to choose a girl name. At the time of our last meeting, Eleanor told me that she does not yet know what name she would give her child if the baby was a girl. Thinking about that, I decided to try tell her a story. ’ It’s worth a try....’

"Do you know what the ship carrying your precious fabric was named after?" I asked Eleanor, hoping that I get her attention. Fortunately, the woman looked at me curiously and after a few seconds I answered the question. "The Argo Navis is a legendary ship in the Greek mythology. One of the largest constellations of the southern sky and the nine stars of the Carina constellation are the keel of the ship. Carina the keel, Vela the sails, Puppis the stern. Together, those constellations are the Argo Navis. It is true that it is not visible in the sky of England, because it is too far fr-"

"Oh, no! I know what you are up to!" the woman interrupted me with a cheerful laugh. Of course, Eleanor quickly realised what idea I was trying to plant into her mind. She knew very well that I am so interested in the astronomy, and I told her many times about the brightest constellations of the night sky, but she did not want to name her child after an unreachable constellation. What a pity, because the name Carina would have been really special. "Carina is a really nice name, but if my child is a girl, then her name will be Eloise. Eloise Moore..."

"As I recall, you told me that you had an intuition that you are expecting a boy, again. Although, before the birth of your sons, Daniel and Colin, you said the exact opposite, so.." I couldn’t even finish my sentence, because by then we were both laughing. Of course, only quietly, as befits young ladies. Meanwhile, my thoughts were far away, again. I was looking at the ladies and gentlemen who were spending this pleasant spring afternoon in the St James’ Park, just like we did. Some of them were admiring the waterlilies on the surface of the lake, feeding the ducks. Some of them were dancing around the musicians, enjoying the combination of the sound of the flute, the violin and the double bass. Some of them were about to capture the moment by the tools of photography. Some of them were talking with fruit flavoured ice cream in their hands, and some of them were pruning the hawthorn bushes, so the hawthorn tea will be tastier this year. While we were walking on the bridge across the lake, Eleanor changed the topic of our conversation.

"Which one of your gowns are you going to wear tomorrow at the ball?" she asked. Although, I had forgotten for days that I will spend the next evening in the magnificent courtyard of Buckingham Palace, Eleanor’s words instantly reminded me. I liked attending the balls, in the honour of Queen Victoria, especially because of the golden champagne and the delicious cakes. However, I always tried to avoid the conversation with the guests.

"Unnecessary question, because I always choose my midnight blue satin gown." I answered, and Eleanor was not surprised at all, since she knew me like the back of her hand. "You know that I don’t like the vivid colours. I’d rather be swallowed by the waves of the Thames than show up in the colour in which people would mistake me for a basket of sour lemons..." I murmured as I glanced at the ladies wearing the ugliest shades of the said colour. I was about to mention my opinion of the ridiculous sight, when the bells of the Palace of Westminster broke the silence.

"It’s time for me to leave. Mr Berrycloth and his wife will be our guests for dinner... It would be a sin to miss Mrs Berrycloth’s stories about her son’s vineyards..."

"I had the misfortune to meet his son. He is boastful, grumpy, he has no sense of humor and he doesn’t even know what heliocentrism is or who Johannes Kepler is... Mr Witherington’s son doesn’t know neither, nor does Mrs Ashworth’s brother, and as for Mr Wilford’s nephew... He is a ba-"

"Adaline!" she interrupted me, while I was listing the men in their early thirties who wanted to court me before, but I rejected all of them, because they did not meet my expectations. Mr Witherington’s son is greedy and heartless, Mrs Ashworth’s brother is peevish and noisy, and Mr Wilford’s nephew is forgetful and clumsy. I’d rather remain an independent woman than be the wife of any of these fools. Eleanor sensed my frustration, so with a deep sigh she smiled at me and said... "I know that one day you will meet someone who perfectly matches your expectations and can love you with all his heart. But promise me that you won’t start talking about Johannes Kepler in the first few minutes of your conversation when a man is trying to get to know you. Again..." the woman asked me, reminding me that wherever and whenever I found myself in the middle of a conversation, soon I started talking about the stars. Our cruel society expected me to remain silent and pretend to be a pretty gem at the side of an arrogant man, but I rejected that life. There was silence for moments as I breathed in the scent of the flowers of the plum tree, then I glanced at Eleanor with a sadness in my eyes.

"So, you encourage me to pretend to be someone else, instead of showing who I really am?"

"No!" the woman said as she placed her hands on my shoulders. Her gentle fingers were hidden from the rays of the sun by lace gloves. "First of all, let them get to know the sweet and devoted Miss Adaline Flavia Lanchester, and bring up science later. I know how important the astronomy is to you, but men of our time are easily discouraged by a woman being smarter than them. And to be honest, there is at least one lightheaded man on every street corner, even among the noble families..." Eleanor was right. Every people and their souls are poisoned by something. Poisoned by unbearable wealth, by miserable poorness, by envy, by sorrow, by loneliness, or by grief. Before I got lost in my thoughts again, Eleanor smiled at me and broke the silence. "My intuition tells me that your long awaited day may not be so far."

"Eleanor... No offense, but your intuitions are as incorrect as the rumours in our city..." I informed her with a tiny sigh, but in the end the woman admitted the truth and we both started laughing.

After our farewell Eleanor quickly left the St James’ Park, because she didn’t want to keep their guests waiting. However, I thought it was still too early to return home. Firstly, I went to the library to find a freshly printed book for myself, but in vain. Later, I spent time in a tea house with a cup of chamomile tea, sweetened with honey. And, when  the sun disappeared behind the horizon I was already walking on the dark streets of the slum of London. I showed up here from time to time, though not to put myself in danger. I just wanted to help those families who barely know the taste of the bread. Whitechapel was a district of London where bad things happen quite often. The starvation and the flu have already claimed innocent lives in Whitechapel, but most of the deaths were caused by the pocket knives of thieves and murderers.

Chapter Text

When the Big Ben struck nine at night in the distance I was already on my way home. I was walking on a semidark street, through a veil of the fog. I was only a few minutes away from hiring a carriage, but then I heard the sound of quick footsteps. Thanks to my senses, I did not have to look back to know that three men were following me. I had no idea what their names were, but I knew exactly whose lickspittles they were. As soon as the three men got enough close to me the time has come to teach them a lesson. Again... Seconds later, one of the men was clutching his bleeding nose, another of them was whining in pain, staring at his wounded kneecap. Meanwhile, the strongest looking man was looking at me in horror. Thanks to my skills in close combat, I not only forced him on his knees, but also placed an ebony-handled dagger against his neck. Until that moment, the weapon had been hidden by the frills of my dress, and now its sharp blade made a thin cut on his dirty skin. The fresh blood had the same colour as the outfit of the three men. Red...

"Tell Kaylock that I’m getting really bored of his games!" I growled at the man kneeling in front of me. All the three of them were members of the gang known as the Blighters. This gang ruled London by bringing fear into the hearts of the people. They were violent and ruthless, just like their leaders. The Blighters divided London into seven area, and the most ruthless of the gang leaders was Rexford Kaylock. The man who ruled the streets of Whitechapel.

"Ka... Kaylock is dead!" the man answered in a trembling voice. As I heard his words the features of my face changed. The information was very unexpected.

"Say that again!"

"Rexford Kaylock is dead!" he said, this time I heard him very clearly. Rexford Kaylock was a cruel man, so many people wanted him dead, but the man was protected by his lickspittles, so he was unreachable. Whoever tried to harm him, those people put the lives of their beloved ones at risk. So, whoever killed Rexford Kaylock, that person committed a perfect murder.

"Who killed him?"

"We don’t know." he answered, then the signs of anger appeared on my face, again. "We really don’t know! A new gang appeared on the streets of London, they call themselves the Rooks. Their gang leader killed Kaylock and took control of Whitechapel. A man, we have never seen him here before..." an unexpected information, again. The Blighters ruled my city for a long time now and over time their number increased, there were a few hundreds of them. Ever since I can remember, only this gang had power in London, but now it seemed they had a rival. However, I had no idea who the Rooks were.

" I have never heard of the Rooks..."

"The rumours have already started to spread in the city. Southwark and Whitechapel are theirs, Kaylock’s train too." Bertha. This was the name given to the locomotive built in the autumn of 1831, in Scotland, by Mr Mungo MacBean, years before I was born. Soon, Mr MacBean’s health worsen, so his beloved daughter, Agnes MacBean took his place, following in her father’s footsteps, as soon as this information was discovered, the locomotive were transferred to Mr Crawford Starrick and the Starrick Industrial. Mr Starrick gave the train to Rexford Kaylock, strengthening not only the Blighters’ power, but also his own power. Since then, the locomotive and its carriages have been going around the city of London, whether the sun is shining or the storm is raging.

"How many of them?"

"M-more and more! After Kaylock’s death, many of the Blighters joined to the Rooks, they changed their red clothes to green and they no longer want to be belong to a bunch of criminals. Those who did not want to surrender, t-those people ran away."

"Just like you and your friends..." I mocked with a grin, then the time has come to end the conversation. "Only one question left... Why did you follow me?"

"W-we just... Well, we wanted to let you know that Kaylock is dead. W-we know that you wanted him dead for a long time now, because he caused a lot of annoyance to you and your father, Miss." his statement was true. Rexford Kaylock loved to abuse his power and he tried to cause problem to important people of the city so many times. My father also became a target, as a diplomat. By the memories of Kaylock, the anger came over me again, but soon I realised that all of this is in the past now, and that cruel man can no longer harm us.

"Get out of here, while I’m asking nicely!" I ordered the three men. I don’t know what was so scary for them. The anger in my voice or the blade of my dagger, but they did as I asked. And my words were not friendly at all. As soon as the three men disappeared in the darkness, I also left the cold streets of Whitechapel.

The night was late when I walked through the gate leading to the Lanchester House. The wrought iron was decorated with wild roses. The two-storey building was so special because of the characteristics of the Baroque architecture. Alder carved furniture, painted patterns on the ceiling, white marble stairs and crystal chandeliers. Twenty-eight years of my memories belonged to my home. And not only happy and unhappy moments, but secrets as well.

"Adaline!" I heard Aunt Martha’s voice as I closed the double wing door. Seeing her facial features, I read the signs of concern.

"I know, I know!" I spoke up, before the woman in her fifties could continue. As soon as the words left my mouth, the pendulum clock of our living room let me know that... "It’s late..."

"What time you come home is none of my business. But look at yourself! The hem of your dress is full of mud and dirt. Where have you been?"

"In Whitechapel." I answered, while Aunt Martha already gently grabbed the scarlet red fabric, so she could assess the damage. Although, minutes ago the woman was still so worried about my whereabouts, and yet, now she seemed more worried about what the streets of Whitechapel caused to my dress. Needless to say, my deerskin leather boots got dirty too, but that bothered her less.

"If I were you, I would avoid that district. There is only dirt and stench in Whitechapel.  If you bring home any nasty parasitic insects, such as flea, and your skin will itch, then that will be your fault, yours alone!"

"Aunt Martha... I promise, I won’t bring home even a single dropped penny from there." I stated with an honest smile. Aunt Martha returned the smile, but soon she remembered that this is not the first time that she hears my promise.

"The last time I heard this promise you came home with a cat. And with fleas..." she reminded me, but her smile never disappeared. "By the way, cat... He chewed the leaves of the azalea, again."

"That’s how Rogue is..." I reminded her. My words were laced with a tiny chuckle as I remembered a few unforgettable memories of my cat. Rogue was a fearful, weak and skinny kitten when I found him on an abandoned street of Whitechapel. I took pity on him, so I adopted him. Thanks to my care, soon he got stronger and over time he became a beautiful cat. His ash grey fur and his amber eyes made him special. By the time my thoughts returned to the present, I was walking on the corridor. Its walls were decorated with paintings, depicting the city of Firenze. Well, Florence, but as a woman of Italian origin, I often used Italian words. Like, I said ’Italia’ instead of ’Italy’. Even when I talked to Aunt Martha. I said ’Grazie!’ instead of ’Thank you!’ and I said ’Buon giorno!’ instead of ’Good morning!’. Soon I entered the dining room. By then, my father was already eating the dinner, perfect fried cod fish. "Sorry, I’m late!" I apologised as I took a seat at the table.

"I hope that the reason of your lateness is not a stray. Again..." my father joked, then he continued eating. He seemed so cheerful as he smiled at me. Looking at him, I remembered that sometimes he was mistaken for the British naturalist, Mr Charles Robert Darwin, because of his long grey beard.

"I’m pretty sure that Rogue would be more interested in a delicious canary." I answered, appreciating his sense of humor, but the time had come to to turn the words serious. "Rexford Kaylock is dead..."

"Where did you get this nonsense from?" he glanced at me, raising his  grey eyebrows. I expected that he will doubt my words. Kaylock was terrorizing the streets of Whitechapel for almost twenty years and during that time his power grown day by day. If I hadn’t heard the news of his death from a Blighter, then maybe I would not have believed what happened either.

"His lickspittles voluntarily brought me the news."

"Did they hurt you?" he asked with concern in his voice. My father knew very well how ruthless the Blighters were.  Those bastards tried to kidnap me a few times, while I was walking on the dark streets of Whitechapel. Rexford Kaylock believed that by holding me hostage he could control my father and influence the diplomatic relations between England and Italia, but soon the Blighters realised that I am not a helpless whore. My smartness and my agility were enough to escape from them, again and again. "I gave you that dagger to be able to protect yourself if you get in trouble, and not to put yourself into danger voluntarily."

"In London, the source of the all danger is Crawford Starrick. The Blighters can harm people without consequences because of him. The children work in workhouses and factories of the Starrick Industries because of him. And thousands of people are starving in my city because of him..." I grumbled with anger as I grabbed my spoon and tasted the delicious soup. Before the last minutes of the dinner, my father and I were already talking about the Rooks. This gang weakened the power of Crawford Starrick, so thousands of people owed them a debt of gratitude. Crawford Starrick earned his reputation as an arrogant and rich businessman. As the owner of the Starrick Industries, he had a huge business empire and he was able to finance illegal activities without financial limits. Over time, he took control of so many businesses. These days, the locomotives, the telegraphs and even the breweries were owned by him. He was manipulating the infrastructure and the communications as well. What’s more, he is responsible for the political and economic corruption that London is suffering. That man rarely appeared in public. He ruled all of England without leaving his luxurious residence, sitting in an armchair, since his lickspittles did the dirty work for him. I visited Crawford Starrick’s residence only once, but I have never forgotten his arrogant words. ’This tea was brought to me from India by a ship, then, up from the harbor to a factory, where it was packaged and ferried by carriage to my door, unpacked in the larder and brought upstairs to me. All by men and women who work for me. Who are indebted to me, Crawford Starrick, for their jobs, their time, the very lives they lead. They will work in my factories and so too shall their children...’

After dinner I spent some time in the company of one of William Shakespeare’s comedies, then as soon as the pendulum clock reached the midnight I walked up on the white marble stairs that led straight to my bedroom. It had so beautiful shades of colour. Golden, chocolate, bronze, beige and some pearly white. The walnut furniture perfectly matched the long, white, silk curtains, as did the crystal chandelier of the ceiling. Bright colours were present in the form of a bouquet of carnations. I bought them a few days ago at the most popular market of the Westminster district, but their wilting was already visible on the leaves. I was about to get lost in the beauty of the colours of the petals when my gaze was captured by the invitation on my desk. Queen Victoria invited me to the Buckingham Palace, and my precious name was written on the invitation, by black ink. Adaline Flavia Lanchester...

Chapter Text

The next evening arrived quickly. When the setting sun reached the horizon I was already wearing my midnight blue gown. My long, slightly curly, golden brown hair was decorated with a pearls, while my moss green eyes were full of joy. When we arrived to the garden of Buckingham Palace my beauty was praised not only by my father, but also by Queen Victoria. I really enjoyed her company, she was always so kind to me. However, the young ladies were so boring.

"These cosmetics are extremely expensive, because they came straight from Paris. Gifts from my suitor..." Theresa boasted. Besides me, three young ladies were listening to her bragging, and it seemed that all of them were envious of her. And for what reason? For some poisonous rubbish. I almost got lost in my thoughts as I was listening to their boring conversation, but Helena didn’t let me.

"Do not take offense, Adaline, but I think that you also need some qualitative powder. The shade of your skin is not pale enough. Not to mention your eyes..."

"Excuse me, but what is wrong with my eyes?"

"Nothing!" Helena said in a hurry, as soon as she sensed in my voice that I took her words as an insult. "But without makeup your face is so featureless. Perhaps, someone would court you too if you were more attractive." she added without looking into my eyes. Helena had no idea how many suitors I had rejected in my life. And, as for the cosmetics in question, I avoided them for a very good reason.

"I will not poison my skin with arsenic and lead for the sake of any man." I answered. This time, my words were laced with disgust.

"Arsenic? What is that?" needless to say, these fools had no idea how poisonous those cosmetics are. Their used them every single day, ruining their skin and their health. Helena and Theresa were staring at me as if I were a fool, while the two youngest members of our company, Emma and Leticia joined to the the increasingly awkward conversation with stifled laughter. It was so annoying and even more embarrassing that these whores and other ladies like them always looked at me with pity, looking for faults in me, so instead of explanation I remained silent. I glanced at the table full of various biscuits and cakes. I was about to reach for a piece of lemon cake, but Helena opened her mouth again. "Adaline! Don’t use your left hand, it is not appropriate!" at that moment I have had enough of their company.

"Dio santo![1]" I grumbled, but of course they didn’t understand my words. They were very good at bragging and mocking, but they had no idea how to speak in Italian, not even manage to say a ’Thank you!’. Minutes later I was already walking in a quieter area of the garden. I wanted to calm my thoughts before returning to the guests. As soon as I heard the pleasant sound of the violin in the distance again I stopped and looked up at the night sky. I was staring at the constellation of Orion, while the gentle breeze brought me the honeyed scent of the lilies.

"I don’t know why you accepted the Queen’s invitation, but I assume that the reason was not the expensive French champagne." I heard a pleasantly deep voice, coming from behind me. As I turned around, I saw a young man, standing only a few steps away from me. Although, only the golden string lights were shining near us, but I saw every tiny feature of his face. His messy chocolate brown hair and his stubble made him so attractive, but his golden eyes especially enchanted me. And I noticed two old scars on his face,  one over his right eyebrow, and another on the left side of his jaw. I took a long look at the handsome man who I had never seen before, enjoying the chirping of the crickets, but later I broke the silence.

"The French champagne is excellent, but the people that thirsts for it is not really." I admitted, even though it was not appropriate to say so.

"I agree!"

"Oh! So you did not come here for the free booze?" I joked.

"If I were interested in the alcohol, then I wouldn’t be here with you. Would I?" he answered, making me smile. I knew a few men who would certainly have taken my words as an insult, but the mysterious stranger appreciated and reciprocated my sense of humor. "Jacob Frye..." the man introduced himself as mialatt our gaze met. I got lost in the pair of the golden eyes moment by moment, but soon I realised that I should introduce myself.

"Adaline Lanchester..." I said. Hearing my name, Mr Frye’s smile grew even wider and for some reason I felt that our unexpected meeting was shaping the future in every second.

"Will you tell me that why you are not having fun with the guests?"

"I prefer the company of the stars." I informed him and with that I looked up at the night sky again. I glanced at the constellation of Lyra  and soon a legend revived in me. It was the most beautiful legend I ever heard as a child, at the Blackburn Estate. "Have you ever heard the legend of Vega and Altair, Mr Frye? Thousands of years ago, there was a beautiful celestial princess who lived in Heaven. At every sunrise and every sunset she weaved colourful clouds onto the sky. But she was lonely... She wanted to be in love..." I started, but soon I realised that I couldn’t last even two minutes without mentioning the starry sky. I really enjoyed the company of the man, despite the fact that I knew nothing about him, except his name, and I didn’t want to scare him away. "I’m sorry! Sometimes I talk too much..."

"I don’t think so." Mr Frye reassured me as he stepped closer to me. "So? What happened to the princess?" he asked and I was a little confused. I thought that Mr Frye will lead our conversation to the politics or the economy, or maybe he will leave and return to the guests, but instead he wished to hear the legend of the stars. His answer was so unexpectedly that for a few moments I forgot which story I had started to tellbut his golden eyes reminded me of my last words and I continued the legend.

"One day she visited the mortal world and met a young cowman who was sitting under an oak tree, playing an old love melody on his flute. The princess fell deeply in love... Their love was pure and they got married secretly. On their wedding night the princess promised her husband that they will be together in Heaven... But one day the princess' father, the Lord of the Heaven, found out that his daughter fell in love with a mere mortal. His fury grown when he found out that her daughter wanted to bring her love up to the Heaven... The Lord of the Heaven loved his daughter, so he let the princess to keep her promise. He placed the two lovers in the sky as stars, but they couldn't be together, because the Celestial River separated them... The princess was heartbroken... The Lord of the Heaven was moved by his daughter's tears, so he allowed her to meet her husband once a year. On the seventh day of the seventh month of each year... However, when the big day has arrived they couldn't cross the Celestial River, because there was no bridge. The princess cried so much that a flock of magpies came and made a bridge with their wings, so finally the lovers could cross the Milky Way..." and with that the story was over.

"Vega and Altair..." Mr Frye whispered their names as he also got lost in the beauty of the unreachable lights.

"You can see them, since they are stars. There... The brightest stars in the constellations of Lyra and Eagle..." I pointed towards the northern sky. As soon as the words left my mouth everything went silent again. The silence was so pleasant, as we were listening the sound of the violin in the distance. Soon my eyes were no longer admiring the night sky, but Mr Frye’s features. He really found the story interesting, filling my heart with joy. He was the first man in years who didn’t start mocking when I started talking about the stars. Quite the contrary, he showed interest in my passion. However, to make sure that this is not only a mask, I had to ask a question that has been asked many times in the past. "Do you know who Johannes Kepler is?"

"I just arrived to London recently. Unfortunately, I don’t know everybody yet." Mr Frye answered. Hearing his words, my lips curled into a smile again. Johannes Kepler was a German astronomer who lived almost three hundred years ago and he was not a citizen of London. I instantly realised that Mr Frye had no idea who I am talking about, but, for the first time, it did not bother me that a man has no knowledge about the astronomy. "May I have this dance, Miss Lanchester?" Soon Mr Frye’s words made me realise that my thoughts were far away, again. I happily accepted his offer, then the handsome man escorted me back to the garden of Buckingham Palace. By the time he put his right hand on the midnight blue satin on my waist, I heard a beauteous song. „Danza Alla Daggers”, meant that „Dance at the daggers”. I knew the steps of the dance so well, so I let the pair of golden eyes enchant me again. I had so many questions for the man who gained my trust in such a short time, but I didn’t know how to put my thoughts into words. Instead, I got lost in his gaze, his charm did not let me go. Soon the violin went silent and our dance came to its end. "Thank you so much for the dance, Miss Lanchester! But now, if you will excuse me, duty calls." the man said goodbye to me. as soon as the words left his mouth he was about to leave, but an inner voice made me to hurry after him. Fortunately, I caught up with him in the palace lobby before he could leave the Queen’s residence.

"Wait!" I asked him, while I heard the pleasant sound of the violin in the distance again. "How long are you staying in London?"

"From now on, it depends on you too..." Mr Frye replied with a mysterious smile on his face, but before I could understand the meaning of his words he disappeared from my sight. Moments later my memories about Mr Frye were filled with the pleasant scent of the hydrangeas, then soon the time had come to return to the guests. Although, as the hours were passing, so many men danced with me in the garden of Buckingham Palace, but my thoughts were spinning around only Jacob Frye in the spring night.

It was already past midnight when my night blue gown was replaced by my white nightgown. Well, the dance through long hours in the night exhausted me, but my thoughts did not calm down. I was stroking the ash grey fur of my cat, Rogue, while my eyes were captured by an oil painting hanging on the wall of my bedroom. The colours on the canvas were so beautiful. The brushstrokes captured a perfect moment.

"Stasera ho incontrato con un uomo misterioso.[2]" I started talking about what happened in the garden of Buckingham Palace. I often talked to the oil painting. Telling about what happened to me while I was away from home or what my thoughts were spinning around. And, I always talked in Italian. I loved to speak Italian, since I had Italian blood in my veins on my father’s side. "Era molto bello e la sua voce era così piacevole. E il modo in cui mi fissava gli occhi... Oserei dire che mi ha rubato il cuore... Vorrei rivederlo, ma non ho idea di dove trovarlo.[3]" I said with a deep sigh, but as soon as I looked into Rogue’s amber eyes I remembered someone. Someone who always knew what is happening on the streets of London. "Tuttavia, conosco qualcuno che forse lo sa...[4]" I whispered with a smile, then the time had come to sleep.

* * *

[1] Holy God!

[2] Tonight I met a mysterious man.

[3] He was very handsome and his voice was so pleasant. And the way he was staring into my eyes... I dare to say that he stole my heart... I wish to see him again, but I have no idea where to find him.

[4] However, I know someone who maybe knows...

Chapter Text

I didn’t left the Lanchester House for days. Not because of the mornings that greeted London with fresh rain, but because I spent my time to translate the diplomatic letters from Italia. The letters came not only from Rome, but also from Venice and Naples. And, I got a letter from Firenze too. The envelope was decorated with a silver grey wax seal. After the precise translation of the letters I visited the streets of Whitechapel. As soon as I reached Babylon Alley I heard the laughter of the children.

"Miss Lanchester!" the twelve-year-old Clara smiled as soon as she saw me. Moments later the little girl ran to me and pulled me into a tight embrace. "Nice to see you again!"

"Nice to see you too, Clara! How are you?"

"I’m fine." she answered with an honest smile on her face. Clara and I met for the first time two years ago, on a stormy spring morning. I was walking on the streets of Whitechapel when I found the little girl. She was shivering in the shadow of a rotten tree, with bitter tears in her eyes. Her pale skin was so cold like the snowflakes, while her chocolate brown eyes reflected fear. Without hesitation, I hired a carriage and took her to the Lanchester House. By the time the sun disappeared behind the horizon, the little girl was already had fever, but thanks to Aunt Martha’s ginger soup, soon she began to recover and by the fifth morning she had regained all her strength. That was the day when I heard the story of Clara O’Dea.

Clara was the only child of a poor family. Her father fell victim to the poisonous fume of the factories before the little girl learnt to walk, while her mother passed away a few days before our paths crossed. By the next morning of the grief, Clara found herself on the street. She had no family, she had no home, not even a mouthful of bread. She spent cold nights on the abandoned streets of London before I found her. Her story made me sad and I tried to convince her to stay and rest for a few more days, but she didn’t want to be a burden. That afternoon Clara returned to the streets of London where she forged the orphans into a community over the past two years and Clara became the leader of the Urchins. It is true that these children survived the days as pickpockets, but they never hurt anyone. They only took valuables from those whose table was filled with sweet figs and fresh apples instead of dry bread.

"I brought some chocolates for you and the children." I broke the silence.

"As always..." Clara smiled at me again. Every time I visited her and the children I always brought them something delicious. Honey flavoured sweets or fresh cherries, but the chocolate was their favourite.

"Thank you, Miss Lanchester!" the children thanked the kindness as they started eating the sweets made from cocoa beans. Seeing their joy, I also smiled, then I looked back at Clara.

"Clara... I need your help. You are the eyes and the ears of this city. There is someone I would like to find. He came to London not so long ago, but I have no idea how to find him."

"Just give us a name."

"Jacob Frye..." I answered, then Clara pointed towards the church of Saint Mary Matfelon.

"There is a shop not so far from here, The Curiosity Shop. Look for Mr Henry Green!"

"Thank you, Clara!" I thanked her for the help, then I walked across the street, but soon I heard Clara’s voice again.

"Miss Lanchester, wait!" by the time I turned around, Clara was already standing in front of me, handing me a tulip. Seeing its bright pink colour I got lost in its beauty for a moment. "This is for you."

"It’s so beautiful! Thank you so much!"

"You are welcome!" and with that Clara went back to the children. They were laughing and playing hopscotch, competing for the remaining chocolate. I was admiring the fragrant tulip in my hands for long moments, then I left Babylon Alley.

Soon I found The Curiosity Shop. Entering there, my moss green eyes instantly fell on the merchandises. I saw wool woven tapestries, copper candle holders, fragrant incense sticks and sparkling a few jewellery too, but my interest was captured by a box of Darjeeling tea. It came to London straight from India, and I have already heard a lot about its muscat flavour, so I decided that it was time to taste it. As I approached the counter, an Indian man entered the back door of the shop. The white and gold colours of his clothes matched his raven black hair, his chocolate brown eyes and his sunkissed light brown skin.

"Namaste! Welcome to The Curiosity Shop!" the man greeted me with kindness. As I was paying for the Darjeeling tea I was admiring the beautiful lotus blooming in a porcelain bowl on the edge of the counter. Although, I got lost in the bright colours of the petals, but I didn’t forget why I visited the shop in the first place.

"Mr Green..."

"Yes?" the man asked back. His facial features reflected that he was not at all surprised to be called by his name by someone he had just met for the first time.

"I am looking for someone, a man, and not so long ago I gained the information that you know where I can find him."

"Who would that be?"

"Jacob Frye..." I told him the name, then Mr Green looked at me like if I were a ghost. At first he didn’t even dare to blink, later he opened his mouth to speak, but in the end he remained silent. " I can clearly see that you are hesitating..." I said, then Mr Green’s lips were about to part again, but before he could say anything I decided that it might be easier for everyone if Mr Frye would find me instead of I would find him. "You know what? J-just give him my message, please." I asked the man, then he nodded.

" What would be your message, Miss?"

"Miss Adaline Lanchester would like to meet with him. If the desire is mutual, then look for Clara O’Dea and the Urchins. They always know where to find me..."

"I will give your message to him, as soon as possible. I promise!"

"Thank you, Mr Green!" and with that I left The Curiosity Shop. I thought that maybe it will take days before my message reach Mr Frye, so I was waiting with patience. That day I spent hours in the company of my piano, and by the time the sun disappeared behind the horizon I was already sitting at my desk. With the teaspoon in my hand I was repeating the same circular motion over and over in the cup of Darjeeling tea, while I used my other hand to put my thoughts on paper. As soon as the ink dried on the pages of my letter I carefully placed them in the envelope. I sealed it with a silver grey wax seal and with a pressed four-leaf clover. When my mother taught me about the floriography she told me a legend about Adam and Eve. It says that before leaving the Garden of Eden, Eve plucked a four-leaf clover, hoping that she will remember her happiest moments in the paradise forever. Meanwhile, the Celts considered the four-leaf clover as a symbol of luck, so my letters to Firenze were accompanied by a clover. Traditions held that all the four leaves had meaning. Faith, hope, love and luck.

I was about to take a sip of the delicious tea, but then I heard a knock. Not on the door of my bedroom, but on the door of my balcony. I had no idea why anyone would be on my balcony, especially late at night, so I thought that maybe my imagination was playing with me, but I was too curious. I opened the double wing door. Its stained glass windows were decorated with painted monarch butterflies. I stepped out onto the balcony, not caring that I was wearing only my nightgown. Outside, I was greeted by silence and the warm breeze. Enjoying the fresh air, I was admiring the golden lights of the city for minutes, but soon the sweet scent of the peonies blooming in the garden of the Lanchester House made me sleepy. I was about to return to my bedroom when I noticed something near my bare feet. It was a bouquet of lily of the valley, accompanied by a grass green envelope. As soon as I took them in my hands I realised that the knock was not only a creation of my imagination. I carefully opened the envelope. It did not hide a handwritten letter, but a silver coin that captured Queen Victoria’s features. I decoded the message I found on my balcony within seconds. The coin referred to the Buckingham Palace. As for the bouquet, I was informed of the exact time of our meeting in the language of flowers. The number of flowers indicated the hour, while the number of acacia leaves surrounding them indicated the day of the meeting. So, the freshly picked bouquet told me that we will meet in front of the Buckingham Palace, at five o'clock the next afternoon. And who wished to meet me? It was not even a question. That night a smile appeared on my face as I fell into sleep.

Chapter Text

Next day, when the sun reached the highest point of the sky I already felt like every minute was a long hour. I could not rush the passage of time, but I was able to forget about it, thanks to William Shakespeare’s best-known tragedy, and by the time I reached the last page the time had come to leave the Lanchester House. The Big Ben struck five as I arrived to the Buckingham Palace. The man who left the message on my balcony was not there, but before I started to worry...

"Miss Lanchester..." said my name the voice that made my heart started pounding in my chest faster. Turning my back to the palace, I instantly saw that pair of enchanting golden eyes. "I am really glad that you accepted my invitation!" he said with a gentle smile, and with that he gave me a white iris. I easily got lost in its beauty and its honeyed scent, and the joy was also visible on my face.

"Thank you!" I thanked the man the flower, then I looked at him again. "Mr Frye... I wished to thank you for the dance at the Buckingham Palace. I really enjoyed your company! Most of the people do not care who I truly am beneath the surface, hidden by the expensive satin and the sparkling jewellery. You, on the other hand, you are not looking for my faults, but for who I really am. To be honest, y-you..." I went silent to take a deep breath. "Mr Frye... I know that it is not appropriate for a young lady to talk about her feelings, but I-I..." and this moment was enough for me to forget the beautiful monologue that I repeated over and over in front of the mirror for an hour in the morning. "Dio santo! Mi sto comportando come una bambina timida...[1]" I murmured in Italian. Even my spoken words became forgotten.

"Miss Lanchaster..."

"I’m sorry!" I apologized. "I’m just... I would like... I-if... Well, if... If you... If you feel the same, then pl-"

"Miss Lanchester..." the man repeated my name as he gently took my free hand, looking into my moss green eyes. "You only need to ask..."

"Ask? Ask for what?" I was staring at him and I was a little confused, because I really didn’t know what he was talking about, but as soon as he smiled and leaned closer to me his intention became crystal clear. I was about to close my eyes, so that I could enjoy our first kiss, but at the last moment I raised the iris in front of me and ordered his lips to stop. "Oh, no! We... We are not there yet, Mr Frye!" I warned him shyly, while the man’s lips curled into a smile once again behind the petals.

"Do you punish all of your suitors with flowers?"

"Only those who would try to kiss me."

"In this case, I advise you to always have a boquet of flowers with you, so that you are not defenseless when I try again." the man warned me. His lips were still caressed by the soft petals of the iris. I instantly blushed at his flirtatiousness. Mr Frye was so confident that I became speechless. I didn’t know what to answer, so I returned his smile, then I crossed the street with fast steps. I entered the St James’ Park with the promise of a walk filled with pleasant conversation. "Just so you know, I wanted to ask for a meeting from you much earlier, but these days I had no free time, not even a single minute." the man said as soon as he caught up with me. "I was a little worried that by the time you left the palace you might have forgotten me..."

"Believe me, I never stopped thinking about you..." I admitted as Mr Frye’s golden eyes sparkled again, but this time I did not let him embarrass me. Instead, I asked a question to which I expected an honest answer. "May I ask what brought you to London?"

"The wind of change..." he answered and his sense of humor made me laugh. "I’m not joking! I left the town of Crawley and came to London in order to end the tyranny as soon as possible." he informed me.

"I’m glad that you also can see that this city is not the paradise on earth, as many people think."

"London is not paradise, but hell, and Whitechapel is the nest of the sin... Crawford Starrick collected the filth of the world around him over the past few years. He and his henchmen move the strings behind the scenes. He already has influence in every branch of society, and the streets are in the hands of the Blighters. But it is time to end this! We need to return London to those people who built it!" Mr Frye was right, thousands of people were suffering. In his voice I quickly recognised the anger, but after a few seconds of silence the man sent his furious thoughts away. "I apologise! I should be praising the pearls in your hair, but instead I am talking about the suffering of the city."

"Oh, please! In the second minute of our first meeting I already asked you about a German astronomer..." I reassured him and the man returned my smile. Thanks to the sun in the western sky, I noticed that Mr Frye was much more handsome than I had seen in the garden of Buckingham Palace. Besides, there was something in his eyes that made me embarrassed, so I broke the eye contact and looked at the fragrant iris in my hands. The men usually treated the ladies with roses or lilies, but Mr Frye gave me a beautiful iris. In the language of flowers, the white iris symbolised the purity and the pure soul. "Why did you choose the white iris, if I may ask?"

"I wish I could say that I was specifically looking for this flower at the market, but then I would be lying. The iris was just a momentary feeling of mine... I don’t understand the language of flowers..."

"Yet, you left me a message on my balcony with lilies of the valley and acacia leaves." I reminded him as I couldn’t take my eyes off the iris.

"It was Greenie’s idea, he is the master of the phonography."

"Floriography..." I corrected him.

"See? I didn’t even know that..."

"In this case, I ignore the fact that in the language of flowers, with the white iris you said that you reject me..." I told him, then Mr Frye his gaze reflected despair.

"What?! N-no! I’m so sorry! I did n-"

"Mr Frye... It was only a joke!" I reassured him, trying to hold back my laughter. "The white iris represents the purity, so no hard feelings. Rejection is symbolised by the yellow carnation..." I informed him, then I remembered the name he said seconds ago. "Who is Greenie?"

"Henry Green..." he answered, and with that a childhood memory revived in me. I owe my knowledge of floriography to my mother. I was only a five-year-old little girl when my mother told me about how we can communicate in the language of flowers. She taught me that the marigold symbolises grief and the poppy symbolises consolation, but her favourite flower was always the chrysanthemum, as it symbolises family. When she was alive, the Lanchester House was always fragrant with a bouquet of fresh chrysanthemums, but after her death the chrysanthemums were blooming only at her grave.

"Anyway, today you brought me happiness with my favourite flower." I said as soon as my thoughts returned to the present. "The white iris symbolises not only the pure soul, but also the city of Firenze. If I were a pure hearted iris, you would find my roots there..." as soon as I mentioned that I have Italian blood in my veins I saw the curiosity in Mr Frye’s eyes, so I started to tell him about my family. Like my father, my grandfather William Lanchester was also a diplomat who visited Italia many times. During a business trip to Firenze, he met my grandmother, Isabella Grasso. They fell in love and soon they married, then they continued their life together in the city of London. They had only a son, my father, Arthur Lanchester. His heart was stolen by Alexandra Blackburn, daughter of Estelle Wraith and Edgar Blackburn. I am the fruit of their love. Of course, I talked about my work as a translator, and I told a little about my travels in Italia. "I am really glad that you don’t think I am eccentric."

"You are not eccentric. You are unique, Miss Lanchester." Mr Frye answered as we reached the lake, admiring the waterlilies. For a brief moment we enjoyed the pleasant silence, listening to the chirping of the birds, and soon we continued our conversation.

"And what may I know about your past, Mr Frye? You didn’t even tell me what is your duty in London. Not to mention that you left the Buckingham Palace remarkably early on the evening of the ball..." I reminded him. Hearing my words, Mr Frye’s lips curled into a smile, but before I could get an answer to my question...

"JACOB! JACOB!" I heard a voice in the distance. A young boy shouted, running towards us in the company of two men. "The Blighters are causing trouble in Lambeth." the boy said in a hurry. Only then I noticed their clothes. The boy wore grass green shirts, while the two men wore grass green trousers, and one of them wore a grass green hat as well. I instantly glanced at Mr Frye’s velvet waistcoat which was the same shade of green under his ebony black leather jacket. As soon as I remembered the colour of the envelope left on my balcony all the pieces of the puzzle came together.

"Miss Lanchester... I promise that we will see each other again, but right now I am needed on the other side of the Thames. Have a good night!" by the time I could put my thoughts into words, Mr Frye disappeared from my sight. It took me a few moments to return to reality, but then hired a carriage not so far from the Buckingham Palace. As the carriage left the St James’ Park my thoughts were wandering. Although, Mr Frye did not tell me how he spends his time in London, but before he joined his friends it was revealed that he is a member of a street gang known as the Rooks. For the first time I heard about the Rooks on the streets of Whitechapel not so long ago, and as it turned out, they are working at all hours of the day and night to make London a peaceful and safe city. It filled me joy that the man who stole my heart was fighting for the innocent people not only with words, but also with deeds. These thoughts escorted me all the way to the threshold of the Lanchester House, and by the time the sun went down I was helding the grass green embroidery thread and a needle in my hands.

[1] Holy God! I am acting as if I was a shy little girl...

Chapter Text

Clouded days passed without Mr Frye leaving a message again, but I didn’t worry. As a member of the Rooks, he spent every minute to protect the people of London, and for that I owed him a debt of gratitude. Although, I really missed his company, but I knew that soon we will meet again. He gave me his word in the shade of the plum trees.

In the early morning of the last day of April, I wished to stay in bed until the sweet scent of Aunt Martha’s freshly baked peach pie permeate the Lanchester House, but by the time the Big Ben struck nine I was already in the Lambeth district. I was on my way to visit a dear friend of my father. A smart man who was kind enough to repair my beloved musical box. Recently it had some weird sounds, reminding me that the passage of time is not gentle to its gears. I was only one street corner away from his workshop when I was distracted by the loud argument of a married couple, and my carelessness had its consequences.

"Oh, mi dispiace! Mi sono perso nei miei pensieri. Mi dispiace davvero![1]" I apologised as I almost knocked someone over and that someone was none other than... "Signor Frye! E' bello rivederti![2]" my lips curled into an honest smile as soon as I recognised the pair of golden eyes. I did not think that for the next time I will see him on the streets of Lambeth, but the unexpected meeting made my morning, and by the look is his gaze it seemed that the feeling was mutual.

"I hope that those words were not the first line of a curse." Mr Frye said, referring to my Italian words, which he did not understand at all.

"Don’t worry, Mr Frye! Only witches know curses. Lucky for you, I am not a witch, yet some people think so." I added as I remembered that how many times I had been called a witch behind my back, because of the dominance of my left hand. However, to be honest, I never really cared that what the idiot people thought about me. "Where are you going, if I may ask?"

"To the Lambeth Asylum, to Dr John Elliotson..." he answered and my smile faded away. The Lambeth Asylum was an institution of madness, hiding the darkest secrets of London. As for Dr Elliotson, he was a cruel physician who performed brutal experiments on the patients, but the city couldn’t do anything against him, since the crimes of the Lambeth Asylum were covered up by Crawford Starrick.

"Dr John Elliotson is a merciless murderer who enjoys torturing people before their death!"

"I know! That’s why I have to intervene!"

"And how?" I asked in despair. "If you enter to the Lambeth Asylum and question Dr Elliotson, then you might end up on a blood soaked operating table, just like all of his victims!"

"I promise that I ain’t get hurt!" Mr Frye reassured me. Although, I had no idea what exactly he was up to, but I believed his words. "Recently I found out that he makes the syrup that poison the mind of the poor citizens of London. I have to stop him! And I will stop him!"

"Just... Be careful!" I asked him. For a few moments the wind of spring revived. It sent my dark thoughts far away and my worries disappeared.

"Wherever you were going before you almost knocked me over, I wish to accompany you." he lead our conversation towards a pleasant direction, and with that the smile returned to my face. It is true that the Rooks could call Mr Frye at any time, but I was grateful for every minute we spent together. I was glad that the man offered to accompany me, because I was on my way to someone who, in my modest opinion, was destined for great deeds in the future.

"Aleck!" I called the man as we entered the workshop, filled with various tools and gears. On the shelves we saw astronomical telescopes and disassembled pocket watches as well.

"Miss Lanchester! Good morning!" the Scottish man  greeted me. He was lost in the lines of his notes, but he instantly recognised my voice. Aleck was still staring at his diary, so I cleared my throat, but I had to realise that he already forgot our presence. Well, that’s how Aleck was.

"Aleck..." I called his name again, this time in a louder voice, so he finally looked at us. "I would like you to meet Mr Jacob Frye."

"Oh, um..." Aleck jumped up from his chair, stopped in front of us, then bowed as politely as if Jacob Frye were a king. "Alexander Graham Bell. Inventor and technical expert. At your service!"

"Aleck intend to develop a phonetic telegraph. It would convey not only dots and dashes, but the human voice. Though, to be honest, the phonetic telegraph is not an easy term to pronounce. I think that he should call it a telephone." I told him. By that time, Aleck was already searching at the corner of his workshop, but the great inventor heard my words clearly.

"Telephone... How bizarre!" Aleck said with a chuckle, then as soon as he returned to us he handed me my wooden musical box. "Here it is, Miss Lanchester! Only one gear was broken, but I thought it would be better to replace all of them. After all, this relic is an old piece."

"Almost a hundred years old..." I informed him, while I was admiring the details of my musical box, carved from cherry wood. Aleck not only replaced its small gears, but also put a fresh layer of varnish to its surface. "Thank you so much, Aleck!" I thanked him for his kindness, then not so long after a short farewell we left Alexander Graham Bell’s workshop.

"Is that musical box really as old as you say?" Mr Frye asked as we were walking towards the bank of the Thames.

"It is! I found this musical box at a market and I paid only a few shillings for it, since the vendor had no idea how valuable it was. This musical box was made in Vienna, at the end of the eighteenth century." I told him, but soon my thoughts were captured by the Rooks, the protectors of London. "May I ask you something, Mr Frye?"

"Anything..."

"Do you believe that the Rooks can liberate the city from the Blighters?"

"Do you doubt them?"

"No, I do not! The Rooks reduced the crime in the slums of the city by three quarter within weeks. Not even the Scotland Yard could do that." I said, while my thoughts were spinning around the Rooks. "The Rooks who protect the innocent people... I like the name! I do, really! Though, I would argue with the choice of the colour..."

"What is wrong with the green colour?"

"The green colour doesn’t suit me..." I admitted honestly. A mysterious smile appeared on Mr Frye’s face, then he glanced at my emerald ring on my left hand and his glance did not escape my attention. "This gem is the only exception. My grandfather, William Lanchester proposed to my grandmother, Isabella Grasso with this silver ring. In Firenze..." I told him as I showed the jewellery. The rays of the morning sun were dancing on the emerald. I was about to mention that my Italian grandmother died not so long before I learnt how to walk, but Mr Frye came up with an offer.

"Tell me a colour that you like and by tomorrow it will be the colour of the Rooks." it was obvious that he did not mean his words, so I went along with his little game. I pretended to really think about it, and in the end I chose an extremely beautiful colour.

"I think that the leader of the Rooks would not be happy with pearl pink." I joked and with that we started laughing. "By the ways, who is their leader? Who started this gang?" I asked him with curiosity.

"If I tell you the truth, then will you let the Rooks keep the green colour?"

"I will..." I answered without hesitation. Mr Frye was about to answer my questions when all of sudden we heard the quick pounding of the hooves of horses in the distance. A worn carriage disturbed the calm of the street, then soon it stopped in front of us.

"What happened?" Mr Frye asked the man who was holding the reins. Although, I didn’t know the man, his green shirt made it clear that he was a member of the Rooks.

"The Blighters are ’bout to thre-" the man started talking in a hurry, but as soon as he noticed me he went silent for a while, staring at me as if I were Queen Victoria herself. "Oh... I, um... G’day, Miss Lanchester!"

"Good day, Mr... Umm... I am sorry, but I don’t remember that we ever met before."

"’Cos we haven’t met yet, lass! Oh, ’n’ the name is Johnny. Johnny Walsh..." the man introduced himself an he seemed embarrassed by my presence. "Y’know... The boss mentions ya many times, always talkin’ ’bout ya when the beer ’s free in the pub. ’N’ when he ’s drunk he forgets where he ’s. Well, w’all forget where we are, but... Y’know..." he explained, but soon he lost me. I didn’t wish to be rude, so I smiled at him with kindness.

"Pleased to meet you, Johnny! But I think that you are mistaking me for someone else. I have never met your boss." my words confused the man. His gaze went back and forth between Mr Frye and me.

"Then why d’ya walk with him, lass?" came the question, and with that the gears of time slowed down around me. As I glanced at Mr Frye everything made sense. I realised that the Rooks appeared on the streets of London when he arrived to the city. He left the town of Crawley to liberate London, he weakened the power of Crawford Starrick and he was the protector of the innocent people. He was the leader of the Rooks... I was speechless. At that moment, I wanted to say so many things to him, but my thoughts were spinning so fast that my voice remained silent. The silence would have been broken by Mr Frye as soon as his lips parted, but before he could start an unnecessary explanation...

"Not a word!" I whispered to him as an honest smile appeared on my face. I didn’t want to steal time from the leader of the Rooks, his duty called him. "London needs you. Hurry!" I urged Mr Frye who returned my smile, and by the time I heard the bells of the Westminster Palace in the distance the man was already far away.

While the sun was moving towards the western sky I visited the most beautiful library of London. I spent pleasant hours there, then soon I went home. After dinner, Aunt Martha made me a cup of hot Darjeeling tea, and by the time the tiniest stars also appeared in the sky I was already sitting at my desk. I held Charlotte Brontë’s novel in my hands, but not to read the story of Lucy Snowe. The book held the pressed flowers, those were priceless treasures for me. The first petals were hidden by my mother, between the fifty-fifth and the fifty-sixth pages of the novel, where the town of Villette was mentioned for the first time.

"Sai, a volte sento che dovrei tornare in Italia. Ma no... Il mio posto è qui, a Londra...[3]" I put my thought into words, looking at the oil painting hanging on the wall of my bedroom. Meanwhile, I remembered the day when finally I could see Firenze with my own eyes. I was still so young and the beauty of the city enchanted me. Soon I glanced back at the book, admiring the pressed daisies. I had expanded my collection with these daisies as a child. I was about to close the book when I heard an unexpected knock on the door of my balcony. I glanced at the painted monarch butterflies on the stained glass windows. I had no doubt that Mr Frye was the one who had drawn my attention, so that I would certainly find his message on my balcony, but as went I went outside I was greeted by a pleasant surprise. "Mr Frye!" I greeted the man. As for his visit, I did not expect it at all. This was made clear by the fact that I was wearing only my nightgown. Fortunately, Mr Frye was a gentleman and he did not left his eyes on my chest. "What are you doing here at such a late hour, if I may ask?"

"I wanted to apologise for leaving you alone. Again..." he answered, handing me a white iris and its sweet scent made me smile.

"There is no need to apologise!"

"So, aren’t you angry at me?"

"Why would I be angry at you?" I looked at him questioningly, but by the time the words left my mouth I already knew the answer. "Mr Frye! I understand very well that why you did not reveal that you are the leader of the Rooks. It is not lucky to begin a relationship by revealing the secrets that make us who we are."

"As a matter of fact, you hid from me for only two minutes that you enjoy looking at the stars a thousand times more than the taste of the expensive French champagne..." the man reminded me, then he heard my cheerful laughter. "Now you know why I disappear again and again, even for days at a time."

"And, now I know to whom my city owes a debt of gratitude..." I added, and with that a brief memory revived in me. "And, as for the gratitude..." I said, and for a few moments I disappeared from Mr Frye’s sight. Entering my bedroom, I put the iris in the crystal vase with the bouquet of carnations, and then I returned to the balcony with a gift. It was a silk handkerchief in pearl white colour. On a spring night I made it special and unique by using my soft embroidery threads, then it spent many nights in the drawer of my desk. The handkerchief was decorated not only with my monogram in grass green colour, but also with a few bluish forget-me-not flowers. Their floriographic meaning was clear even to those who did not understand the language of flowers. "I wanted to give you something to remind you that wherever your duty calls you, I am always waiting for your return..."

"And you did not choose the pearl pink..." the man joked, making me want to laugh again, but Mr Frye looked at me and turned the word serious. "Thank you! However, I truly hope that you know that it is not only the embroidered petals of the forget-me-not flowers that will remind me that we desire for each other’s company."

"Your words embarrass me, Mr Frye!" I informed him as a blush appeared on my face.

"Jacob..." he said, and with that I forgot about the world around us. I was speechless for a brief moment, in the end there was no question of what to answer him.

"Adaline..." although, our future was always shrouded in a mysterious fog and so many minutes of the future remained unknown to us, but something has changed that night. It was as if the fresh buds of the foxglove flowers had suddenly bloomed in petals, so that the morning rays of the sun could admire them. By the time the melody of the Big Ben said goodbye to the last moments of April, I had no doubts that a new chapter of my life had begun when Jacob Frye and I met in the garden of Buckingham Palace not so long ago. From now on, the lines of this chapter was written by us, together. After the man left with the promise of seeing each other again, I spent pleasant minutes in the company of the constellations of the eastern sky. Admiring them, I made a promise that I will fill Jacob Frye’s life with happiness, whatever it takes.

[1] Oh, I am sorry! I lost in my thoughts! I am really sorry!

[2] Mr Frye! It is good to see you again!

[3] You know, sometimes I feel that I should return to Italia. But no... My place is here, in London...

Chapter Text

A few days later the blue sky greeted me as soon as I stepped out onto my balcony. It was such a beautiful morning, it would have been a mistake to spend the time inside the house, so nothing could convice me to stay in the Lanchester House, not even Aunt Martha’s delicious plum pie. By the time the rays of the sun lit up every street of the Westminster district I was already at the market. Old gentlemen, talkative ladies and cheerful children were also admiring the merchandises of the vendors. Some of them admired the fancy hats, some of them looked at the books, some of them put fresh bread into their basket, and some of them bargained for the price of the pocket watches. My eyes were captured by Mr Broxton’s bracelets, those were decorated with mineral stones. I was thinking for a long time, whether to choose jasper or aquamarine, but before I made my decision I saw the man whose company I already missed.

Even though that Jacob was standing in a far corner of the market, he couldn’t hide his mood from me. He had a smile on his face, and he was explaining something in a quite dramatic way, as if he was trying to convince the queen herself about the existence of dragons and fairies. But soon his smile faded away when the young lady in front of him tossed a boquet of narcissus at him with a rather powerful movement. I did not understand what was happening there, because I didn’t hear their words. I was standing too far away from them, and everyone around me was talking in a loud voice. I could read only the facial expressions. Jacob’s gaze were full of displeasure and annoyance, while the young lady looked at him with anger, and she was waving her hands in a fierce, yet elegant way. It was clear that they were arguing. And, as I looked at the boquet in Jacob’s hands my heart became filled with anger and bitterness, because I realised what was happening in front of Mrs Wykeham’s flower covered table.

It seemed that Jacob Frye had a lot of irons in the fire. The man wanted to pamper the lady with a bouquet of narcissus, and she must have taken the bouquet as an insult, since the narcissus symbolise egotism. The thought of I gave my heart to someone who did not take my feelings seriously brought tears into my eyes. The man deserved a painful slap from me in public, but at the moment I wouldn’t have been able to even look at him. Instead, I left the market in a hurry.

Because of my warm tears, I could not really see where I was going, so it did not surprise me that I almost knocked someone over when I reached the corner of the street. I didn’t even have time to look at the man, because I was so worried about the notes he dropped.

"Mi dispiace davvero![1] I am so sorry!" I apologised as I knelt down in the middle of the pavement to pick up the sheets of papers. Now, those were lying in the dust due to my carelessness.

"Nothing to worry about, Miss! In this city no one looks where they are going. Neither did I, so what happened is as much my fault as yours. Besides, the dust doesn’t harm the paper." he reassured me with his kind words as he got down on his knees to help me. Although, I could not see his face through my tears, but I recognised his voice within a moment.

"Mr Dickens?" I looked at him in shock. At first, I did not even know what to say. I was so embarrassed, after all, I ran into a famous writer in the middle of a hurry. Charles John Huffam Dickens was not only the greatest novelist of our time and a literary genius, but also a well known social critic. Besides, he was fighting for the children’s rights, for the education and for social reforms. Those who hated his humor called him a grumpy old man, but Mr Dickens was a gentleman with kindness. As I gave him back his notes, which might have been the first pages of a new novel, Mr Dickens smiled at me, then he handed me all the paper pages we had just collected.

"Read these pages, and if you think that my writing is interesting, then find me and we will discuss what The Mystery of Edwin Drood will be. In two days, I will give a public reading at the St James’ Hall. You can always find me there. Early evening, when the ale is still cold and the tempers are hot. Have a beautiful day to the beautiful lady!" he said goodbye to me, and by the time I wiped away my tears he disappeared from my sight. Looking at the pages in my hands, I forgot about my problems, but this carefree feeling did not last more than a few brief seconds. I hired carriage, which then took me to the wrought iron gate of the Lanchester House, then as soon as I went upstairs and closed the door of my bedroom, I let my feelings out. I was crying for long hours, while it was so hard to take a proper breath. As a young lady, I had tears only when the night brought me dark dreams, reviving in me the grief and the sorrowI felt for my mother. I always thought that only the grief could cause such pain, but I was wrong.

After what happened at the market, I spent hours in my bedroom, sitting on my bed and stroking Rogue’s ash grey fur. He was purring softly in my lap, while I was staring at my crystal vase in silence. Among the carnations, I saw the white iris that Jacob had given me on my balcony a few days ago. I was about to get rid of it, when there was a knock on the door.

"Adaline! You didn’t come downstairs for lunch and the tea is getting cold." I heard Aunt Martha’s voice. Suddenly I didn’t even know what to answer. Maybe I could have said that I was ill, but I didn’t want to say a lie, so I remained silent. "May I come in?"

"S-sure! Come in..." I said as I wiped away my tears.

"Oh, for Heaven’s sake! Why are you crying, sweet pea?"

"My heart is broken, Aunt Martha." I told her the truth. Aunt Martha was always there for me when I needed consolation, and for that I was very grateful to her.

"Come here!" she whispered, while she sat down next to me and pulled me into a tight embrace, just like my mother did when I was a child. "It was that Martino boy, wasn’t it?"

"Who?" I looked at her questioningly. I didn’t know anyone with the name Martino.

"That boy, who sends you letters from Florence."

"No!" I snapped before Aunt Martha misunderstood the situation. I even had a small smile on my face as I heard her assumption. "He is a friend of mine and his name is Matteo, Matteo Lastra. Besides, he turned fourty-seven this year. He is ten years younger than my father." I informed her. All Aunt Martha knew about Matteo was that he had been sending me a letter from Firenze on the seventh day of every month, for almost thirteen years now.

"Well, I really thought that it was an Italian stallion who climbed the woodbine leaves to see you..." the old woman sighed with a little disappointment, and my eyes grew wide. I had no idea how Aunt Martha found out about Jacob’s visit, since he came to me around sunset. "Oh, don’t look at me like that! Did you really think that I would not notice the muddy boot prints on your balcony when I clean your bedroom?"

"Nothing escapes your attention, Aunt Martha..." I answered, smiling again. Aunt Martha really knew about everything that happened in the Lanchester House. If an apple disappeared from the dining table, if a new book was put on the shelf, or if Rogue chewed the leaves of the azalea, Aunt Martha noticed it within hours.

"I know exactly what would make you feel better." the old woman left my bedroom with a gentle smile, and soon she returned with a glass of hot drink. It was made from orchid roots and cinnamon. Aunt Martha was right, because the delicious drink instantly calmed me down. She gave me a few kind words that encouraged me not to cry because of a a heartless fool, and finally I found peace in the novel of Emily Brontë. My thoughts were spinning around the story of the book, but as soon as the rays of the setting sun painted my bedroom into golden colour, there was another knock, this time on the door of my balcony. The anger took control of me in seconds, and I put the book down with such a powerful movement that its noise scared Rogue. Without hesitation, I opened the doors of my balcony. On the other side Jacob Frye was waiting for me with a white iris in his hand.

"Adaline! I’m glad that you are still awake!"

"The sun is still setting. Of course I am awake." I answered, and my voice was deeply laced with anger. Not to mention that the features of my face reflected that I could murder anyone in exchange for a wrong look. And, the man in front of me noticed all this.

"Why are you so angry?"

"Oh, you tell me, Mr Frye!"

"I thought we had left the formalities."

"And I thought that you were a gentleman. I was wrong..."

"Adal-"

"It is Miss Lanchester for you..." I interrupted him, almost yelling, then his smile disappeared. "And as for your visits... You’d better go now and never come back."

"Did something happen to make you angry at me?" he asked me. He was looking at me with such an innocence, but I saw through the mask he was wearing so confidently.

"Yes, it did! Turns out you are not who I thought you were. When were you going to tell me the truth?" hearing my words, the blood in Mr Frye’s veins froze and I saw that his gaze is full of fear. I waited for an answer, so I didn’t break the silence. Every second of the silence was so painful, choking me. Finally, a deep sigh left the man’s mouth, but he did not break the eye contact.

"You are the one who said that at the beginning of a relationship we should not reveal the secrets that make us who we are."

"Oh, great!" I yelled as I crossed my arms over my chest. "You use my own words against me..."

"Believe my words, I wanted to tell you the truth, but I was afraid that I would lose you."

"Of course you lose me! What were you thinking? That I would be one woman among many?"

"Among ma-" Mr Frye was looking at me as if I were a fugitive from the Lambeth Asylum. A mad woman who is yelling about nonsense. "Adaline! You are the only woman in my life. You are the woman who made me realise what I truly want... Ever since I can remember, I was shaping my future in such a way as to remain independent from everyone, but this decision of mine became meaningless when I met you. I no longer desire a life in which I can see you only in my dreams."

"Such beautiful words!... Let me guess! Those are the exact same sentences you told the other lady too, huh?"

"What?!" I was about to lose my patience. Mr Frye kept denying that he spent the morning in the company of a pretty young lady. What’s more, he gave her a bouquet of narcissus. "Who are you talking about?"

"I am talking about  the young lady who tossed a bouquet of narcissus at you at the market in the morning. If you knew even a little about floriography, then you would know that the narcissus symbolises egotism. There is no doubt that the lady took your gift as an insult." I informed him, but soon I noticed that Mr Frye’s smile returned. "Why are you laughing? Is this funny to you?"

"Evie..."

"I do not care what your lover’s name is!" I murmured, but the man was still smiling. My heart shattered into thousands of pieces. At that moment I already saw that our story has to come to its end. I had to close the chapter of my life which began with the appearance of Jacob Frye, but when the man came closer to me and captured me by his golden gaze I didn’t even dare to breathe. With fast heartbeats, I was waiting for Mr Frye to tell me that in his eyes I nothing more than a naive whore. These thoughts brought fresh tears into my moss green eyes I couldn’t hide them from him. My mind told me to leave before he broke me into dust with his words, while my heart told me to stay. In the end, I followed my heart. For though, Jacob Frye broke my heart, but it was still beating for him.

"Adaline... Evie is not my lover, she is my sister." the man broke the silence. As soon as his words reached my mind I felt as if a thousand bolts of lightning struck me. I even got a slight headache from realising what I heard.

"Y-your sister?"

"Yes... And she tossed the bouquet of narcissus at me, because she believes that I am an egocentric fool and she wanted to remind me of that..."

"Dio santo![2]" I sighed with a whisper. I felt so embarrassed that I did not dare to speak in my native language. Maybe it would have been easier, if I could have hid under an old oak tree, so I would never have to look into Jacob’s eyes again. "How could I be so stupid?"

"Calm down, Adaline! It was just a tiny misunderstanding."

"Tiny?!" I looked at him with tears in my eyes. The man was so calm, while I was about to sob hysterically. "Mr Frye, I almost slapped you!"

"Mr Frye? Well, it would be my pleasure if you called me Jacob. Again..." he reminded me in a gentle voice as I wiped away my tears. I returned his smile, but I felt so guilty. I accused him of infidelity, while he held my feelings as precious treasures. I was the one who deserved the slap, not him. I was about to beg for his forgiveness, when a sentence he said earlier echoed in my memory.

"’I wanted to tell you the truth, but I was afraid that I would lose you.’, you said... What truth?" I asked the question. As an answer, Jacob gave me the iris he brought me, gently placed my fingers on its fragile stem, then he looked deeply into my eyes. He was so close to me that for a brief moment I had impure thoughts.

"Give me some more time, and soon I will tell you everything. You have my word, Adaline!" minutes ago I thought that Jacob was a dishonest womanizer, but now... I no longer had any doubts that I would trust him with my life. I answered with a nod, and his concerns faded away as I assured him that he earned my trust. "And, as for the misunderstanding... This never would have happened, if I had mentioned my sister. So, it was my fault... How would you feel about I take you anywhere in the city, as an atonement?" he offered and I instantly knew where I wanted to visit.

"Anywhere?"

"Anywhere..."

"The Devil’s Acre..." my answer came, then the blood in Mr Frye’s veins froze, again, for the second time today. "Anywhere, you said!"

"Yes, but I didn’t think that you wished to go the most dangerous pub in London." he said with a small sigh. No wonder that he hesitated, because that place was notorious not only for its fresh draught brown beers, but also for its dangers. Jacob knew that I will not pass up the opportunity to visit the Devil’s Acre, so he had no choice, but to fulfil my request. "So be it!"

[1] I am so sorry!

[2] Holy God!

Chapter Text

The man kept his word, and he didn’t even try to talk me off my dangerous request. By the time the sun went down, we were already enjoying our time at the Devil’s Acre. Although, this pub was pouring excellent beer for its guests here, under the starry night sky of the Westminster district, but most people avoided this place. So many bad men came here, especially in the night, and among them there were not only aggressive thieves, but merciless murderers as well. If the rumours are true, then Rexford Kaylock himslef got a drink here many times, but at these moments he could got drunk only in hell. The Devil’s Acre was a very neglected pub with an awful reputation. By the time we sat down at the table, my boots were soaked in mud. The old tables were decorated with ugly stains, while only the poorly burning tallow candles gave some lights. Meanwhile, the air was polluted by smoke, and sometimes our conversation was disturbed by the shout of drunken pigs, but thanks to the taste of the fresh draught golden drink, I could turn a blind eye to these mistakes. Although, I saw Blighters in the area, staring at us with piercing eyes, but thanks to the presence of the Rooks, I forgot about the dangers lurking for us. I was already drinking my second pint of beer when I noticed that Jacob left his gaze on me.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You didn’t mention that you can handle the alcohol so well."

"To be honest, it is not advisable for me to drink more than two pints of beer."

"Why is that so?" he asked me curiously. His question instantly embarrassed me and I felt as the blush appeared on my face, because neither the story nor chatting about it suited a young lady. However, I told him about the details.

"During one of my trips to Firenze, I got into an argument that led me to a drinking contest at a pub named after a worthless mineral stone. I didn’t know my limits, I drank too much beer and... Well, I used my shoe for aggressive actions and I was yelling so loud. Allegedly, I cursed Christopher Columbus, so the people no longer welcome me in that pub..." I said. Jacob laughed at the story, the story which even my father didn’t know about.  I could laughed at it already, because it happened almost ten long years ago on an autumn night. Since then, I have rarely had a pint of beer in my hands. And, as for Christopher Columbus, I really looked down on him. In my eyes he was not a great explorer, but the heartless man who was responsible for slavery. The great explorer was Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian cartographer who joined Columbus as the navigator of the expedition. And as for America, the Vikings reached the land of the New World centuries before them.

"All the pubs of Crawley threw me out by the time I turned thirty." he informed me. The man never mentioned his age, but his charm and his attractive deep voice revealed his great vintage.

"How old are you, if I may ask?"

" Thirty..."

"Mhm..." by that time, my lips already curled into a wide smile. "Admit that this is the actual reason why you left your hometown and came to London. Because of the pubs... Is this the truth that you are hiding from me?" I joked. I was in a very good mood, but the alcohol made me say out loud what was only a mere thought. Needless to say, Jacob didn’t take my words as an insult. In fact, he seemed pleased by hearing me joking about something that would have raised doubts in so many people long time ago. My suitor did not mention either his parents or his childhood, but he already promised me that soon he will tell me everything that I need to know about him. Whatever I will learn about Jacob Frye in the near future, my heart already belongs to him.

"You are absolutely right!" he answered, and with that we both started laughing. By the passage of time, not only Jacob, but also the Rooks were laughing, as I told them about my comedic adventures. I met them for the first time, but as it turned out soon, Stella, Laura, Gideon, Reginald, Luther and Eugene had already heard of me. Hearing that the Rooks were gossiping about me among themselves, I was not surprised, not at all, since they had seen me in the company of their leader more than once or twice. They looked at me as if I were the luck talisman of their gang, so the Rooks assured me that I could always count on their protection. Whether the aggressiveness of the Blighters or the untied laces of my boots cause me annoyance. Besides, my new friends turned out to be perfect drinking buddies. And as for me, well, I wasn’t. By the time Big Ben announced that the time reached midnight, I already forgot about my second pint of beer, long hours ago, and perhaps even a little bit about myself too. I was dancing on top of the rickety table with Laura and Gideon, singing about the hidden treasures of the pirates. No, I was not drunk, I was only a little bit tipsy, yet I knew that my behaviour would have offended the noble people of the city. They took almost everything as an insult. If I refused a dinner invitation because I got ill, then I would be considered as one of the most indecent lady of London.

Soon the time has come to leave the Devil’s Acre and moments later I already was enjoying the comfort of a carriage. God knows what time it was when Jacob escorted me to the Lanchester House, but I already missed my soft bed.

"Thank you for the evening, Mr. Frye! It’s been a long long long time since I drank this much... I mean, I laughed this much..." I corrected myself, trying to hide the fact that I was having trouble about keeping my balance. My cousin, Clarissa, had taught me at the Blackburn Estate how to keep perfect balance in the saddle, even if my horse became wilder, but after we visited the pub I could not remember any word of her lesson. Actually, I realised quite quickly that the horses and the alcohol had nothing to do with each other, so I didn’t try to recall my memories anymore.

"I thank you, Adaline!" the man answered. Although, his thoughts were soaked in alcohol, but he hid it very well "It was a pleasure to hear about your childhood and your travels. The story about your cat and your father’s expensive cognac made a very deep impression on me."

"Oh, that made a deep impression not only on you, but on Rogue as well. Since then, he has not gone near my father’s study." I told him. Our conversation ended with laughter again, but I stopped as soon as the world started slightly spinning around me. I had no time to fall, because Jacob wrapped his left arm around my waist, supporting a lady who could not stand on her feet after a few pints of beer. As he pulled me into an embraced me, he was closer to me than ever before. While his golden eyes captured me, my heart was beating faster and faster in my chest. I already had imaginations of what it might feel like when the the man I fell in love with pulls me into an embracement, but my imaginations were not even close to the reality. I felt as if the blood in my veins was on fire, and it was not cooled by the unexpected spring rain. I took my eyes off his golden irises only for a brief moment and I found myself admiring his lips. I remembered the white petals of the iris flower, with which I once prevented our first kiss, but now I was unable to restrain myself. I gave in to the temptation. I closed my eyes and leaned closer to Jacob, but this time my lips were caressed by the soft petals. I responded with a smile to the velvety touch. "Thief..." I whispered, trying to tame my desires, but the man’s attractive gaze enchanted me, again. "You stole my trick."

"And I hope that you will forgive me." Jacob answered. He remained a gentleman, even in those moments when I almost let my desires control my acts.

"I forgive you..." I reassured him, and with that I took the peony from his hand. The soft petals of it were still pampering my lips. "But Aunt Martha will bury you alive, if she finds out that you harmed her peonies."

"I would rather be sentenced to death for a flower, than for taking advantage of the situation." he said, as he gently touched my face. The softness of his fingertips was enough to bring back my impure thoughts and th-

"ADALINE!"

"Dio santo![1]" the words left my mouth after Aunt Martha almost gave me a heart attack.

"Thank heaven that you are finally here! It’s already past midnight! I didn’t even dare to tell your father that you are not at home yet. I already thought th-"

"I’m sorry, Aunt Martha! I lost the track of time, but I had a lot of fun in return." I reassured her. Meanwhile, Aunt Martha hugged me so tight that this time there was danger of suffocation. The old woman didn’t let me go as she looked at Jacob, staring at him with curious eyes. Earlier, I told Aunt Martha about that I met him for the first time at a ball held in the garden of Buckingham Palace. However, I never mentioned his name, the colour of his eyes or his height, but it was so obvious to her who escorted me home at such a late hour.

"Are you the bumpkin who broke the heart of my sweet pea?" she asked him with anger. To be honest, I wouldn’t have been surprised if Aunt Martha had run into the Lanchester House and return with the fire poker to chase my suitor until the morning, but fortunately she waited for Jacob’s answer. Although, her patience didn’t mean that later she will not grab the fire poker. The man didn’t deny that he made a mistake. Instead, he stepped closer to us and politely apologised to Aunt Martha too.

"Yes and I am really sorry! I made a mistake and my mistake caused a misunderstanding..."

"Mr Frye is telling the truth, Aunt Martha!" I forced the sentence out from my chest before her thoughts would return to the fire poker. Well, there was not much oxygen left in my lungs, but I was still grinning, because the alcohol in my mind sent all my bad thoughts away.

"Misunderstanding or not, this poor girl was crying for hours in her bedroom, because of you!" she continued. I did not tell Jacob that not so long ago tears were flowing down my cheeks because of him. So, hearing these words, he felt guilt, again. Just like me, Aunt Martha could clearly see how sorry he was for what had happened, her heart softened. We all make mistakes, sometimes against our will or without our knowledge. "But I am willing to forgive you, if on your next visit you will arrive by walking up the stairs and not by climbing the woodbine leaves."

"I give you my word!" Jacob promised. Aunt Martha acknowledged with a tiny smile that the man was telling the truth and this filled my heart with relief. Finally, I could take a breathe. Not only because Jacob’s mistake was forgiven, but also because the power of Aunt Martha’s choking embrace eased.

"And, if you touch my peonies one more time, I will bury you alive!" she added. Although, her warning had a very kind tone, her gaze still held some mistrust. It is true that sometimes Aunt Martha’s threats were coated in sweet sugar powder, but she would never harm someone who would have brought the stars down from the night sky for me. So, I did not had to worry for Jacob’s life. Instead, I said goodbye to the man who gave me the peony, and before I blinked three times I found myself in my bedroom. "The spring is so capricious this year. This sudden rain might have even soaked your underwear."

"Oh, Aunt Martha! My underwear got soaked still before the rain..." I sighed, while my fingers were combing the curls of my wet hair. Being so close to Jacob, seeing lust in his eyes, admiring his lips... 'Oh, Jacob... What have you done to me?', I thought. But soon I realised that what I intended to be only a thought, someone else heard. "I’m sorry! I-I just... It just came out of my mouth..." I apologised for my statement, blaming the alcohol.

"Sweet pea, sweet pea! A few hours ago your handkerchief was soaked because of that man. And now, look at you..." she joked, putting essential oil into my bath water. There was silence for long moments, but I was unable to hold back the question that came to my mind when I saw Aunt Martha’s unbroken calmness.

"Aren’t you angry that I said something that I should not say out loud?"

"Oh, sweet pea! I had nine lovers before I met my dear Harold." she revealed the information with a smile on her face. I knew that Aunt Martha came to the Lanchester House a few months after her beloved husband died of heart disease, and I knew that they were never blessed with children, but she not really talked about her life before her happy marriage. It seemed that this was about to change. "When I was in my glorious heyday, I caught the eyes of a lot of men and I couldn’t resist the temptation. Teddy was a handsome man with a glance that was enough to get me into bed. Boris had to use fresh gerberas and beautiful poems to get the corset and crinoline off me. Leopold never invited me into his bedroom, so he took me to the abandoned streets when I wanted to enjoy his big co-... Khm, compliments... Oh, and Otto... He gave me such a pleasure thammm hmmm mhm hmmhmm mmm..." I never found out what was the story of the man named Otto, because by then I protected my ears with the soft pillow. I did not want to read Aunt Martha’s lips, so I was staring at Rogue, praying to forget what I heard moments ago.

[1] Holy God!

Chapter Text

Fortunately, soon Aunt Martha left my bedroom, so I could submerge in the pleasantly hot water in silence and peace, and by the time the Big Ben struck two in the morning, I already enjoyed the warmth of the blanket. I slept so deep that night, I thought that I might not wake up until the end of the spri-

"ADALINE!" Aunt Martha rushed into my bedroom, and there was a slight chance that the hinge of the door perhaps broke off.

"Since when do we neglect the knocking in this house?" I asked her sleepily, while I hid under my blanket to protect my tired eyes from the rays of the rising sun of the eastern sky. I could have sworn that I slept less than five hours, and my alcohol soaked body required at least five more hours.

"For Heaven’s sake! Are you still in bed?"

"No, I am hanging upside down from the crystal chandelier..." I mumbled, while I was trying to fall asleep again, but Aunt Martha probably woke me up for a good reason. "What happened?"

" Your Italian stallion!"

"Oh, pleeease! Stop calling him that!" I asked her. Our housekeeper often gave people unique names. She referred to Eleanor as the violet eyed girl, because the eyes of the young countess reflected the most beautiful shades of this flower. She called Aleck the humorous genius, while she called Crawford Starrick the moustachioed maggot. "Anyway, what about him? His letter would be too early..."

"He did not send a letter, he is here!"

"What?!" my mind instantly became clear, but as I tried to sit up, I fell off the bed. The thud might even have been heard in the Buckingham Palace. Thanks to Aunt Martha’s help, I reached the end of my morning routine very quickly and I even had time to put elegant braids into my hair. I glanced at myself in the mirror one last time, then finally I left my bedroom. I was already on the lowest step of the white marble stairs when I saw our guest. The man was waiting patiently, admiring the painting about the cornflowers. My Aunt Elizabeth painted their, not so long ago. "Matteo!"

"Adaline!"

"Dio santo![1] What are you doing in London?" I asked him, as we embraced each other as if a thousand years had passed since our last meeting. It was only twenty-five months since I last visited Italia, yet it still seemed like such a long time.

"London is where my case led me to, and I successfully closed it yesterday. Today, at noon I will board a ship and return to Firenze, but I could not leave without visiting the Lanchester House." he told me, as we let each other go.

"I am really glad that you thought so! It is so good to see you again!" Matteo had never been in England before and I was very happy that our reunion took place in my hometown. Oh, what a pity that he had to return to Italia so soon. I wanted to asked him to stay a little longer, because I wished to show him the most beautiful locations of London, but the sightseeing had to wait, for now. I was a little sad, because I could not show him my favourite library, when Matteo pulled out something from his leather bag, hanging over his left shoulder. It was a glass jar with a silverish lid.

"For you, mostarda di frutta.[2]"

"The sweet treasures of Italia..." I whispered. Seeing figs and pumpkins preserved in sugar syrup, some pleasant memories revived in me. "Grazie![3]"

"This is for your father, a bottle of Tuscan wine." he handed me the fragile bottle, full of golden wine. Then, Matteo turned to Aunt Martha who was standing next to me. "And this is for you, Signora Blumenarrangement." Matteo was a polite gentleman, so it was not unexpected that he came to the Lanchester House with gifts, but it seemed that Aunt Martha was very surprised that our guest brought gift for her as well. Perhaps, because our housekeeper had never met Matteo before, and his famous kindness was unknown to her. "Adaline mentioned in her letters that you are fond of gardening. These are the seeds of the bougainvillea... I am quite sure that every woman in London will jealous of you as soon as these seeds bloom in petals."

"Oh, The women of London would be jealous of me even if you only walked with me for an hour in the St James’ Park." Aunt Martha giggled as she accepted the seeds. Those were wrapped in a paper bag. Hearing her statement, I instantly raised my eyebrows to the middle of my forehead, and my smile went wild. Matteo’s had the same features, as a perfect mirror of my face, while Aunt Martha was blushing like a shy little girl. These were quite memorable moments for me, because I had never seen her blush before, never in my life. Sometimes I thought that her cheeks are not able to turn into reddish shade. "Would you like some tea?" she broke the silence after a long minute.

" We would prefer some wine, Aunt Martha."

"Did you not drink enough alcohol yesterday? The sun is still rising and you are already thinking about drinking wine, huh? Do you wish to be tortured by a headache that lasts for hours?" she asked the questions without taking a breath and my face was on fire. In my embarrassment I didn’t know where to look, but Matteo chased the clouds of my shame away with his velvety gentle voice.

"Tea would be perfect, Signora Blumenarrangement!" Aunt Martha’s cheeks were as red as the roses, and it seemed that for a brief moment Rogue got her tongue.

"R-right away!" she finally answered, then went to the kitchen in a hurry. As soon as she disappeared from our sight Matteo came closer to me, so that only I could hear his question.

"Did you curse someone, again?"

"Oh, no!" I said without hesitation, before my dear friend could assume that I had been thrown out from a pub of London. "It was a one-time incident, and fortunately you calmed my temper before I did something that would surpass cursing Christopher Columbus. You was there for me and you protected me, so the Italian scandal sheets did not have a chance to tarnish my name, and for that I am still grateful to you." I reminded him, then we walked into the lounge of the Lanchester House with slow steps. I carefully placed the Italian gifts on the dining table, right next to the basket full of pears and grapes, then I returned to Matteo and took a seat in one of the leather armchairs. "Aunt Martha would be annoyed if we continued our conversation in Italian. She likes to eavesdrop..." I informed the man, while I made sure that our housekeeper was still in the kitchen, already boiling the water. Matteo didn’t say anything. Instead, he put on that glamorous smile that drove all the ladies of Italia wild. And, if that was not enough... "Stop that!"

"Stop what?"

"That... That thing that you are doing with your eyes."

"I’m just looking at you."

"You may look at me, but not like that way!"

"Why? How am I looking at you?" he asked so innocently. As an answer I rolled my eyes, because Matteo knew exactly what I was talking about. "It is not my fault that the ladies swoon when I look at them..."

"I did not swoon, but you distract my thoughts." I explained as his presence embarrassed me, again. Although, the man sitting in front of me recently turned fourty-seven, but he still looked perfect. If he wasn’t a moral gentleman, then almost a hundred lovers would be waiting for his return to Firenze at these moments. Or, he is a moral gentleman and almost a hundred lovers are waiting for his return. Who knows? After all, Aunt Martha was right; Matteo Lastra is an Italian stallion. "And I know what you are up to! You wait for the moment when I lower my attention and I let my guard down, and then, as soon as that rare moment come, you switch from English to Italian."

"You never let your guard down, amica mia.[4] Except when you are hungover. Just like now..." I wished to remind the man that I was really hungover only once in my life, but then Aunt Martha entered the lounge. She carefully placed the cups on the table, then poured us some fresh tea. This time I did not put sugar into my tea. After Aunt Martha returned to the kitchen, I was about to continue our conversation about the excessive alcohol consumption, but Matteo lead our conversation towards another direction. "Tell me, what about your collection?" the man asked me after he tasted the tea, sweetened by fresh milk and acacia honey.

"Not even half as fast as I would like." I answered with some sadness in my voice. "Twenty-two pressed daisies... I am close, my collection is almost complete. However, it took me years to find those twenty-two. As you know, these are special daisies..."

"Some things take time. Some take hours, some take months and some take centuries. Rome wasn’t built in a day either..." he said, but his words did not reach the mill of my patience.

"I wish the collection to be complete by the next time I visit Italia." I informed him. My words reminded me how much I miss the Italian Peninsula, especially Firenze. I missed the songs of the choir in the Basilica di Santa Croce, the scent of the cypresses in the Giardino di Boboli, the pleasant walks on the Ponte Vecchio, even the gentle waves of the Arno River. "I love my city, but sometimes I would like to board a ship and leave England behind for a while. And I miss Italia, so much..."

"If you wish to return to Italia, well... My offer still stands." he reminded me. Matteo has offered me so many times to travel back to Italia and attend in his archaeological researches, but something always happened in London that I could not ignore.

"I’m flattered by your offer, but in that case I would have to leave London for so many months. Maybe the day when I accept your offer will come, but I can’t go anywhere while my city is in Crawford Starrick’s hands... Not only the Prime Minister and his wife, but also Queen Victoria gives credence to my words."

"Is that why Signor Starrick hates you so much?"

"Exactly as you say!" I answered and my words were laced with poison. Whenever I heard the name of Crawford Starrick, all my aggressive thoughts came to the surface. "It offends his pride that my words are worth as much as his in the Buckingham Palace and in the Westminster Palace as well. Although, my speciality is about forging the diplomatic relations between Italia and England, but behind the scenes I persistently fight for justice. I want to free the children from working in Starrick’s workhouses, whatever it takes." by the time I got to the end of what I wanted to say, my blood was boiling. If I had the chance, I would have cut Crawford Starrick’s throat with my dagger a long time ago, so that his filthy blood would soak his expensive armchair. In which he was sitting in comfort, proving for himself that he is the master of our world, but he was nothing more than a bloody bastard. Matteo noticed the spark of anger in my eyes quite soon, so he cleared his throat and pulled me out of my dark thoughts.

"You are carrying too much  weight, if you ask me. You can’t bring a bright future all alone..."

"As a matter of fact, I am not alone anymore..." I informed him. In my last letter to Firenze, I did not mention the Rooks, because when I sealed the envelope with the silver grey wax seal I still didn’t really know what to say about them. And, even if I had written about the gang protecting the streets of my city, Matteo had already left Italia, so he would not have received my letter before his visit in England. Hovewer, now the time was perfect to tell him about them. "Already a whole gang is fighting on the streets for the freedom of London, and Starrick’s power is weakening day by day. If Queen Victoria and Mr Disraeli can see enough evidence of Starrick’s underworld businesses, then maybe we can take back the reins and break his power."

"You are persistent! Even more persistent than your father, Signor Lanchester." Matteo praised my commitment about breaking Starrick’s reign, then he raised the cup to his lips, but before he took a sip of the pleasantly hot drink... "Speaking of your father, where is he?

"I presume that still in deep sleep...." my father liked to sleep through the mornings, while I would have regretted missing the first rays of the dawn. He knew Matteo Lastra, he was the one who introduced us to each other, but my father had no idea that Matteo and I had been exchanging letters in every month, for almost thirteen long years now. During our trips in Italia, my father usually spent every minute in Rome, while I often travelled to Firenze already on the third day of our arrival. Although, I enjoyed Venice and Naples as well, but I always ended up in the cradle of the Italian Renaissance. "However, I would really appreciate if finally you told me something about yourself as well."

"About what?" Matteo looked at me questioningly. "I have no wife, I have no children, and not even a dog... And as for Firenze, all is calm and quiet."

" And what about your archaeological researches, which are part of your offer? I would love to hear the story of a teacup that is hundreds of years old. Everything has a story, even the thin cracks on the northern wall of the lobby has a story..."

"As well as the scar that beautifies your hand..." he joked as he glanced at the said scar, and he was very right, even my scar had a story. During the incident in the pub in Firenze, a tough guy grabbed a broken bottle and accidentally cut my right hand, below my little finger. Since then, the scar has faded, but never really disappeared.

"Now, for both of our sakes, I will pretend that I did not hear what you just said." I continued the teasing, then I took a sip of my tea again. Needless to say, Matteo didn’t mean his words to be an offense, since he knew very well that I wear my scars with pride. I had three scars. I got my first scar at the Blackburn Estate, when as an energetic little girl I fell off the oak tree and a broken branch badly injured my right leg. I got the second scar in the pub in Firenze, at my age of eighteen. And I got the third scar in Whitechapel, when the Blighters attacked me for the first time. Rexford Kaylock himself cut my left upper arm, while I sank my blade into his shoulder. He was the first man to be wounded by my dagger.

The time sometimes pass with agonizing slowness, but now it passed so quickly. Every minute of our conversation with Matteo filled me with joy. He was someone who would have gladly talked to me about anything, even about the courtship display behaviours of the crows. We talked about the gang war that going on in the streets of London, we revived the old memories of our visit in Venice, and we even talked about my plans for the unknown future.

"I truly hope that soon you achieve this beautiful dream of yours."

"The money I have is almost enough. So, I am only a few months of extra translation and a very convincing speech away from crowning my hard work with success. I cherish this dream for so many years..." I told him as we walked outside the Lanchester House. The sun was still in the eastern sky, shining with warm rays. "Well, I think it is time to say goodbye. For now... Thank you for your visit and thank you for the gift as well!"

"See you in Italia, amica mia![5]"

"Arrivederci![6]" we said goodbye to each other, and with that Matteo let my hands go, but as soon as he reached the wrought iron gate, Aunt Martha appeared beside me.

"You are always welcome here, Mr Lastra! Bon voyage!" she called out to him. Matteo looked back at us without hesitation, and moments later he left with an honest smile on his face.

"Do you know that’Bon voyage!’ is a French expression?" I asked her with a little grin.

"Oh, damn it!"

[1] Holy God!

[2] Candied fruit in mustard-flavoured syrup

[3] Thank you!

[4] My dear friend

[5] My dear friend

[6] Goodbye, until we see each other again!

Chapter Text

After Matteo’s unexpected visit, my days became a little greyish. I already missed the presence of my dear friend, and I missed Italia as well. Even the taste of the figs in sugar syrup did not help me to get rid off this feeling, but I felt a bit better. During these days I translated the newly arrived diplomatic letters, but I had to put away my work on a warm morning, when our Prime Minister, Mr Benjamin Disraeli asked my father to his home on an urgent matter. Of course, I joined my father, because Mr Disraeli's wife was always happy to see me. As it turned out soon, Mr Disraeli invited not only my father to his home, but also four other men, and one of them was Crawford Starrick. I have met that bloody bastard only a few times, and he never once spoke to me with respect. Well, what should I expect from a man who force children to work in his workhouses and factories. Thousands of people were suffering in my city, because of him, but I really believed that Crawford Starrick will lie in a grave before the first snowfall of this winter.

The meeting lasted nearly two hours in Mr Disraeli’s study, while I was enjoying the company of Mrs Mary Anne Disraeli, and a cup of lavender tea.

" Desmond! The skirt of Miss Lanchester’s expensive dress is not for hide and seek!"

"Oh! No worries, Mrs Disraeli!" I giggled, as the young corgi appeared from the frills of my dress. I loved this cute furball, and he loved me in return. "The truth is that my cat is even more shameless than Desmond."

"Oh, is that so?"

"Well... He often chews the leaves of the flowers in our home, he likes to leave furballs on the velvet covered sofa, and sometimes he thinks that my father’s fluffy slippers are his litter tray. Besides, he doesn’t like strangers, so he has of no use apart from purring. And yet, that fluffy devil has grown very close to my heart..."

"Dogs and cats steal the hearts of people so easily..." she said and she was right. Rogue meant a lot to me, even when I did not get home with him yet. He was shivering between my arms, he felt cold and he was still scared, while I told him that from now on the Lanchester House will be his new home. "Oh, speaking of stealing and other crimes... You will not believe what happened to us recently!" she started with a deep sigh. "Well, as we all know, not so long ago my husband introduced the Corrupt Practices Act which was meant to end the electoral bribery. His death could have stopped  the implementation of the act for an unspecified period of time, allowing Mr William Gladstone to become the Prime Minister. So, someone hired a few men to kill my husband, while we were riding in a carriage. If that man who pretended to be our bodyguard hadn’t been there, then maybe... Oh, I don’t even want to think about what could have happened!"

"Thank God that you are alright!"

"Correction... Thanks to Mr Frye!" the woman smiled at me. Hearing her words, my concern was replaced by amazement.

"Mr Frye? You mean, Mr Jacob Frye?"

"Yes! Do you know him, perhaps?" the question came with a curious look.

"You could say that. " I admitted. I felt a blush appear on my cheeks, and Mrs Disraeli noticed it quite soon.

"Oh, it is you!" she cried out with sparkling eyes, but I couldn't really understand her joy. I looked at the woman questioningly. By then, she already realised that maybe it would be wiser to rejoice more quietly, so she leaned closer to me and continued talking almost in a whisper. "After he saved our life, I wanted to thank him for his heroic deed with the most delicious carrot cake or white chocolate coffee cake of London. But, Mr Frye stormed off so quickly, saying that he was already late and he did not want to keep the lady of his heart waiting. He was talking about you!" after her explanation, my lips curled into a wider smile. Mrs Disraeli spoke of the day when I almost slapped my suitor because of a stupid misunderstanding. The carrot cake and the white chocolate coffee cake were famous and expensive, but Jacob refused the offer, because he wanted to see me as soon as possible. I got lost in the sea of memories about Jacob, while Mrs Disraeli was talking about how well the tiny petals of the gypsophila would look in my wedding bouquet, but as soon as the door to the study opened the cheerful atmosphere became so cold. Needless to say, only because the presence of Crawford Starrick poisoned the fresh air. It did not matter that the windows were wide open. Desmond felt the tension too, and he growled at Mr Starrick, but the detestation in my eyes annoyed the man a thousand times more.

"Miss Lanchester... Can I talk to you? In private..." he asked me with a fake smile on his face. Actually, his question was an instruction, but that is not the reason why I followed him into the corridor of Disraeli House. I followed him, because finally I got another opportunity to insult his pride.

"I give you two minutes, Mr Starrick. My time is too valuable to waste on you." I informed him as I crossed my arms over my chest.

"And my time is even more valuable, Miss Lanchester, that is why I devote only one minute to this conversation."

"What do you want?"

"To warn you! If I catch you looking at me with disgust one more time, then I will destroy everything that you hold dear." by the time he got to the last word of his threat, he leaned so close to me that could have cut his throat with a slight movement. What a pity that we were at the home of the Prime Minister, and not on an abandoned street of the slum.

"Rexford Kaylock threatened my family almost a hundred times. And yet, I am still here, while he is rotting underground, in a deep pit." I reminded him, but he did not feel sorry for Kaylock, not even for a second.

"All I have to say is one word, and then my men will dig a pit for you too."

"You can dig a pit for me with your bare hands, if that is what you wish, but do not believe even for a minute that my name will be engraved on the gravestone."

"Your name won’t be engraved on a gravestone, Miss Lanchester. It would be a waste..." he said. Crawford Starrick rarely spoke to me and when he opened his mouth he talked to me with rudeness. However, his disrespect for the resting place of the dead filled me with anger. Every drop of my blood tried to force me to break his jawbone with a strong movement. I really wished to act as my impulses whispered, and it would have done me no harm to me. But there was no doubt that Starrick would have been furious. And then, he would have taken revenge on the children who suffered in his workhouses and factories. He knew very well how much I cared about the poor people, especially the children. That is why I had to calm down, for their sake. "Be content with the pit. Trust me, it is more than enough if only I know where you are underground. But I promise that sometimes I will bring you a bouquet of snowdrops."

"Would you bring snowdrops, for me?" I asked him, and this time I was the one who I stepped closer. "You do not even know who I am."

"Adaline Lanchester. A spoiled brat who fancies herself a princess, but doesn’t even deserve to lick the sole of my shoes." Starrick’s insults did not bring tears into my eyes. After all, none of his words were true. The corridor around us went silent for a few moments, while my lips curled into a wild smile, and Starrick didn’t like it. What’s more, looking into his ash grey eyes, I clearly saw that he was very irritated by the features of my face. "What are you grinning at?"

"You do not even know my full name... And there is no royal blood in my veins, but something else that I am a thousand times proud of." I said with such confidence that Crawford Starrick, perhaps for the first time in his life, did not know what to answer. His silence filled me with satisfaction. Besides, it was time for me to leave. After all, the two minutes I gave for the man already was over. "See you at the funeral, Mr Starrick! And don’t worry, I will bring you snowdrops!" I said goodbye, and with that I left not only the corridor filled with fragrant begonias, but also the Disraeli House. I waited in the carriage while my father said goodbye to the men, and soon we were on our way home. He was reading the freshly printed newspaper, while I was looking through the window of the carriage, admiring the fluffy clouds passing through the sky. In the meantime, a memory revived in me. Those moments when Jacob told me about the first days of the Rooks, while we were enjoying the beer of teh Devil’s Acre. The memory made me a smile so quickly. We were about halfway home, when a familiar feeling came over me. "Are you aware that I can sense that you are staring at me?"

"You seem remarkably happy since the ball, even though that recently you had to share the air with Mr Starrick. I presume that he pissed you off again. So, may I know the reason of your happiness?" he asked me. At first, I was looking at him as if I had not heard his question, but my lips revealed that I was truly happy. And, even Starrick’s hurtful words could not take the happiness away from me.

"I met someone, without whom I could not imagine my future anymore."

"So, I guessed right..." he said, returning my smile. Although, my father always hoped that one day I will find the man who I would gladly call my husband and the father of my children, but he didn’t press me to hurry. He knew that I desire for love, for marriage, and for motherhood, so he never had to worry that I might strive for total independence and eventually grow old alone in a rickety rocking chair. It is true that I had plans and intentions for the future, but I considered the family to be the most precious treasure of all. "Well, I won’t ask questions! I will wait with patience until you decide to introduce your suitor to me. However, I have a question."

"If I remember correctly, then you said that you won’t ask questions." I reminded with a cheerful chuckle. "I am listening!"

"Does he know that what is your big plan for the autumn?"

"I haven’t mentioned it, yet..." I admitted, as my father glanced at me with his chocolate brown eyes questioningly.

"You wish to buy the Alhambra Theatre, not the Buckingham Palace... I think that you should let him know about this, as soon as possible. If Mr Roth accepts your offer and you buy the building of the Alhambra from him, then you won’t have even a penny left. After all, you want to not only buy that theatre, but also to bring back its golden age. Instead of the old and dull shows, you intend to place Shakespeare’s works on the stage, and those shows require not only talented actors and actresses, but also a completely new theatrical scenery. And do not forget, according to a few literary critics, Shakespeare wrote his tragedy Titus Andronicus with blood..."

"Shakespeare can wait. First, I will bring to life the works of Victor Hugo and József Katona. And I promise that soon I will tell Mr Frye all about the Alhambra!" I gave him my word. My father was right. I was about to risk all my hard earned money on a dream of mine, and I didn’t even say a word about it to my suitor.

"Good!"

"And now, let me ask a question... What was the discourse about in the study? Mr Disraeli looked very worried." hearing my question, my father looked back at the newspaper in his hands, then with the deepest sigh I had ever heard, he turned it over and showed me the article about perhaps the biggest scandal of the decade.

"In the early hours of this morning, someone has stolen the currency printing plates from the bank and murdered Philip Twopenny."

"The Governor of the Bank of England?"

"Yes... Mr Disraeli asked for our advice on the matter and I had to be there for him not only as a diplomat, but also as his old friend."

"And what did you tell him?" I asked him with curiosity, as I was twirling the emerald ring on my finger. I did this when I had a bad feeling.

"As a diplomat, I told him that no one really trust in our bank and our currency anymore, that England is threatened by inflation and riots, that the manufacturing will flee to America where the labor is cheaper, and that the British Empire is done for. And as an old friend, I told him that he is in a greatly deep shit..."

"DAD!" I shouted at him. My father never sugarcoated his words, but sometimes it would have been better to express himself more gently, especially in the company of his daughter.

"I know! It is not at all appropriate to say such a thing in such a situation, but somehow I had to lighten the mood, because our Prime Minister was already on the verge of fainting."

"Lighten the mood? I think you poured more oil onto the fire! And not only a little..." I said, as I buried my face into my hands. My father was talking about the imminent collapse of the British Empire, and yet he talked so calmly that it brought me a headache.

"Do not worry! Sergeant Frederick Abberline was present at the meeting. He was late, but he was present! He informed us that the plates are already back into the bank. Soon, this will call into question the stories on Twopenny’s murder and restore confidence in the economy." I had never heard the name of Sergeant Frederick Abberline before, but I remembered the gentleman who was nearly half an hour late for the meeting. He was a kind man who politely raised his hat and wished me and Mrs Disraeli a good morning, and only then joined the men in the study. I was about to recall what Mrs Disraeli had told me about the special guests of the upcoming ball, when I heard a shout in the distance.

"Did you hear that?" I asked my father as I looked out of the window of the carriage. Apart from the buildings at the edge of the street, I didn’t see much and I thought that maybe only my imagination is playing with me, but then I heard a shout again, followed by frighten screams. Moments later, even our carriage stopped, in the middle of the street. All of sudden, we heard the noise of weapons, and by natural instinct, I instantly grabbed the door handle of the carriage.

"ADALINE! Stay in the carriage!" my father ordered me, and his face already showed the signs of concern. He was right, it would have been really madness to leave the carriage, since I could not know what was going on out there on the street, so I took my hand off the handle. The door remained closed, but only until a tough man opened it with force. Seeing his red shirt, it became obvious to me that not so far away the Rooks and the Blighters were fighting against each other. The man was grinning smugly as he pointed a gun at me.

"Get out of the carriage! Now!" he ordered us. My skills in close combat would have been useless against the bullet of the revolver, so I did not object, but as I was about to step out onto the street, two members of the Rooks attacked the aggressive man. I wanted to join them, grab my dagger and threat the man who pointed a gun at me, but the Blighters did not give up so easily. Seconds later, two other men dressed in red jumped onto the carriage, pushing the defenseless driver off his seat, then one of them grabbed the reins and drove away from the battlefield with us. The horses galloped so wildly that the carriage was swaying, especially in the sharp turns.

"Ha haaa! Mr Starrick will pay us a lot of money!" one of the men shouted proudly. By that moment, I already knew that I was the one who caused this mess. After leaving the Disraeli House, Starrick had almost fifteen minutes to send message to the Blighters, ordering them to chase me. It didn’t matter at all that they wanted to scare me, take me hostage, or kill me in cold blood. I wanted only one thing, this chaos to be only a bad memory by the next morning. Jumping out of the fast carriage would have been very risky, and I couldn’t beg the wild Friesian horses to stop, so the key to our freedom was in the hands of the Rooks. We were already on the Lambeth Bridge, and the Thames was rough beneath us, when I heard the gunshots again."Shit! Trevor, get rid of them!" I heard the order and I looked out of the window again. I instantly saw a carriage. Its reins were held by one of the most loyal member of the Rooks, Luther, and his company was none other than the leader of the Rooks, Jacob Frye. However, they came not alone. The Blighters were already chasing them. Therefore, the dangerous racing of four carriages caused alarm on the Lambeth Bridge.

"Two Rooks against six Blighters. This is not good..." I whispered to myself as I calculated our chances. The streets of the Westminster district were still ruled by the Blighters, so they had advantage in numbers. My thoughts faded away and I returned to the present when the carriages of the Blighters caught up with the carriage of the Rooks from both sides. Those four were concerned with the elimination of Jacob and Luther, while our kidnappers were about to take us as far away from the Westminster district as possible. I expected that the gang members would use their revolvers hidden under their jackets and point them at each other, but they chose the melee weapons. The Blighters grabbed sharp pocket knives, while Jacob intended to fight with his cane. I realised what they are up to only when the men determined to fight were already standing on the top of the carriages. It seemed they had an excellent sense of balance, since they were not bothered at all by the horses were running too fast and the carriages were swaying.

By the time we reached the crowded streets of the Lambeth district, the fight was already in full swing. I didn’t really see what was happening out there, because the carriage in which my father and I sat sometimes rushed forward, while it crashed with something many times. I clung to my seat as if my life had depend on it, and maybe I was not wrong about that. And besides, I prayed that the wild horses would not trample anyone. Soon there was another fight, this time directly above us. I heard slaps, punches, thumps, crashes, and even crackles before one of the red clothed men fell off the top of the carriage with a harsh scream. If we had been on the Lambeth Bridge, then this bastard would have been swallowed by the waves of the Thames. Only a moment passed, and his companion flew after him, so I could finally take a breathe. Not like my father, whose features still showed so much worry. Probably because our carriage slowed down, but did not stop yet.

"Calm down, Dad! We are in good hands now." I reassured him with a gentle smile. Our journey took us back to the district through the Westminster Bridge, and as soon as we reached the Lanchester House our carriage stopped. By then, my father’s worries disappeared, and we waited patiently until our savior opened the door of the carriage. Jacob’s gaze instantly met mine and he returned my smile. After he made sure that no one was hurt he looked at my father.

"Mr Lanchester... I apologise for what happened! I didn’t mean to scare you and your daughter, but the Blighters speak only the language of violence. You were already on your way when I heard about the wicked plan of the Blighters. Please, forgive me for not being able to prevent this mess!"

"I forgive you! After all, we owe our lives to you and your friends. If you hadn’t done what you did, then maybe we would hav-" my father didn’t even finish what he wanted to say, because it was really terrible to think about what could have happened. As I learnt from Mrs Disraeli, recently a quite similar incident happened to them, to her and her husband. Fortunately, the Rooks intervened just in time, so Starrick’s plan failed. By the time my thoughts faded away, Jacob politely helped me out of the carriage. It seemed badly damaged. Moments later, my father left the carriage and joined us, so that he could enjoy the fresh spring breeze. "May I ask who is our savior?"

"Jacob Frye... And the Rooks! Without them I might have failed today." he admitted. Hearing his name, I saw bright sparks in my father’s eyes. It is true that today I told him that someone is courting me, but I never mentioned his name. At first, my father looked at me, then looked at our savior, and finally he broke the silence with an honest smile on his face.

"Mr Frye! I would be really happy if you could join us for lunch. Our housekeeper make a very delicious Windsor soup." he invited the man.

"I really appreciate the invitation, but the fight is not over on the streets of Westminster yet." he answered. I felt a little sad for Jacob had to leave so soon. After all, we hadn’t seen each other since our night in the Devil’s Acre, but perhaps it was better that he refused the invitation. I was pretty sure that my father wanted to ask my suitor a lot of questions, and he had no idea that I barely knew anything about Jacob. Not to mention that Jacob was the leader of a gang, he was not a pious stableman or a sweet poet, but it seemed that this fact didn’t bother my father.

"You are really a true revolutionary, you suit my daughter!" he said, looking at me again. "And, speaking of her..." hearing these words, I resigned myself to the fact that my father will ask Jacob his questions here, on the street, but instead of interrogating my suitor, my father adjusted his tie and walked towards our home, whistling a pleasant tune.

"Where are you going?"

"Into the house." glanced back at us. "Or, do you want me to stare at you as if I were a newborn calf? I presume that your suitor will come here again. I will interrogate him next time, no need to rush." he said, then he raised his hat like a true gentleman. "Have a good day, Mr Frye!"

"Good day, Mr Lanchester!" he said farewell. After we were left alone, Jacob was about to beg for my forgiveness for not visiting me in the past few days, but I had to make him realise that he doesn’t owe me an explanation. He was my suitor, that is right, but as the leader of the Rooks, he had to understand that right now the safety of the people of London was more important than anything.

"Go now! The Rooks need their leader." I reminded him, then stood on my tiptoes and gave him a tiny kiss on his left cheek. "After sunset I will wait for you on my balcony." I whispered, as if I were telling him a secret. Jacob’s lips curled into a smile again, and this time I could see in his golden eyes that he was truly waiting for the sun to disappear behind the horizon. The man didn’t give an answer, instead he hopped on the carriage, took the reins and left with a wink. The sunset was still far away, since it was still forenoon, so I decided to enjoy the story of a romantic novel, but before I could enter the library of the Lanchester House...

"Mr Frye is a very fine gentleman, his manners are really charming." I heard my father’s voice.

"I’m glad that you think so!" I answered happily. It would have made me sad if my father had misjudged my suitor. Jacob was a gentle, chivalrous and dutiful man, and today he proved these to the master of the Lanchester House. "Dad..."

"Hmm?"

"May I ask, how did you know that he is my suitor?" I asked him curiously. "I didn’t even mentioned his name, yet."

"You didn’t, but Aunt Martha did. The name slip out of her mouth when I asked her about the Tuscan wine I found in the dining room. Besides, I always remember who asks my daughter to dance." I got the answer. I guessed that Aunt Martha was the one who blurted out the information which I told her in a drunken condition. Needless to say, I was not angry at her, not at all. To be honest, I owed her a debt of gratitude for mentioning to my father that the young Miss Lanchester was being courted by a gentleman. Later, my attention was captured by the novel of Victor Hugo, but the time did not want to pass enough fast. That is why, after a delicious lunch enriched with chocolate pudding and fresh apricots, I visited a place where I haven't been since February.

Chapter Text

In the afternoon I already walked the streets of the Whitechapel district, then soon I reached an area where a construction was abandoned years ago. Only a few people knew what kind of activity this place has been hosting since then. Entering there, Robert Ignatius Tropping greeted me.

"Aaah, Miss Lanchester!"

"Sssh!" I silenced the young man, who was not even twenty-two years old. His youth sometimes made him forget important things, like the fact that using my real name could get me into trouble in such a place like this.

"I apogolize, Miss Holmes! I haven’t seen you since the last snowfall and I already thought that you had given up on the pleasures of the underworld."

"Oh, no! I have nothing to do with the underworld..." I stated as I took out my pouch.

"You take illegal bets in this illegal fight club. Don’t you think that this is an underworld act?"

"May I finally take a bet or are you blabbering?" I looked at him with some annoyance. I visited the fight clubs of London to learn useful melee movements and increase my wealth by the bets, and not to be lectured by a lad who was a illusionist of a nomadic circus before he became a bookie.

"You bet on Balthazar Anderton, just like the last time?"

"He is the champion of the Whitechapel Fight Club for many months now... So yes, of course! I bet forty shillings on Balthazar Anderton, because I am pretty sure  that today he wi-" I started, but as my gaze wandered towards the crowd I saw something that changed my decision. "Do not write down what I said!"

"Too late, I already wrote it down!" Robert grinned. "However, I’m in a good mood today, so in exchange for fifteen percent of your profit I am willing to change the letters on the paper." he made an offer.

" Twelve..."

"Fourteen..."

"Thirteen, and  in exchange I won’t tell the Scotland Yard about you book illegal bets." I stated. Robert knew that my patience has a limit, so he did not object.

"So be it!"

"I bet eighty shillings on that man." I told him as I pointed to a fighter I had never seen before in this place.

"I can’t let you do that, Miss Holmes!"

"What?! Why not?!" I confronted him as I crossed my arms over my chest, because I was about to slap him.

"Everyone bet against the new fighter, because they have never seen him here before, and they are certain that he won’t last half a minute in the ring. Besides, if you fail your bet, then I won’t have any good. In sort, I can let y-"

"A hundred shillings, and you got twenty percent!" I interrupted him. "If I win the bet, you get a lot of money. But, if you do not write down what I just said right now, then I will roughly drag you into the middle of the ring and give twenty-five shillings to the one who kicks your ass." my offer was resistless, and Robert realised this quickly enough. He quickly wrote down my words, I handed him the hundred shillings, then instead of breaking through the crowd to get as close to the ring as possible, I went to the man on whose victory I had bet. "I would like to wish the best of luck to the future champion of the Whitechapel Fight Club!" I said. Hearing my gentle voice, the man instantly turned around and looked at me. "Good luck, Mr Frye!"

"Adaline?" I could see in his eyes that he was surprised, but his smile revealed that he was very happy to see me. "Please, don’t tell me that I have to fight against you for the championship!"

"Lucky for you, I am here to take a bet and increase my wealth."

"And how many shillings did you bet on my victory?" he asked me, grinning confidently. Although, I heard his question clearly, but my thoughts started wandering before I could answer. I was staring at the shilling, hanging on a black string around Jacob’s neck. I already noticed that silverish coin before, but I never really looked at it. This time my eyes were captured by it, maybe because Jacob’s muscular upper body was too attractive without the shirt and the waistcoat. At first, his chest caught my attention, because I noticed a black tattoo. A peregrine falcon, flying towards the freedom. Seeing his abdominal muscles, I forget to blink, and before I got totally lost in the sight Jacob cleared his throat. His confident grin made me a little embarrassed.

"I-I apologise! Please, don’t be angry!" I asked for his forgiveness.

"Why would I be angry? Because the most beautiful woman of England forgot her eyes on me?" maybe I did not blush before, but now I most certainly did. I wished to hear more about my suitor’s compliments, but the judge asked the fighters to enter the ring.

"After your victory I would attracts too much attention, because I was the only one who bet on you and I saw a well known gossipmonger in the crowd, so I will be waiting for you at Spitalfields Market, near the fruit vendor."

"Let’s meet in The Curiosity Shop instead. It is only a few streets away from here." he suggested. I nodded, then hurried back to Robert, since I wanted to watch the fight from his private place. Well, it cost me an extra three shillings, but it was worth it. In the first round, there was a one-to-one combat, as the fights took the form of a boxing match. In the second round, already two fighter tried to beat Jacob up, without success. In the third round, the number of opponents increased to three, but my suitor stood his ground brilliantly. Every movement he made to bring himself closer to the title of championship was enviable. The fourth round took the longest, because Jacob had to divide his attention into four directions. While the crowd was noisily encouraging the fighters, I noticed something that perhaps no one else noticed. Jacob Frye dodged every attack thrown at him. Last autumn, Balthazar Anderton won the championship with dark wounds and his lips were soaked in blood, while Jacob didn’t get wounds, not even a single scratch. He ducked away from the aggressive blows so easily, as if he had foreseen the future. I became really curious, I wished to know where he learnt to fight like that.

Soon, the moment that everyone was waiting for arrived. Balthazar Anderton entered the ring to defend his title as the current champion of the Whitechapel Fight Club. Although, I was certain of Jacob’s victory, yet I was worried. His opponent was a robust man, his weight was almost four hundred pounds, and he had been raised on the streets of the slum. Sometimes, in the heat of the fight, he broke a few arms and legs, and he did not tolerate people who made fun of his missing teeth. As soon as the last round began, Balthazar attacked his opponent, but Jacob was very quick.

"Do your best, Balthazaaar!"

"Knock his teeth out!"

"Show that little brat who is the toughest man!"

"Come ooon, kick his ass!"

"BEAT HIM UUUP!" the people around me shouted. They all bet on Balthazar’s victory. The fight was extremely long, and the voice of the most enthusiastic fans became very hoarse. On this spring afternoon, Balthazar Anderton was once again enriched with dark wounds, but this time he failed to defend his title. Jacob Frye won the fight.

"Ladies and gentlemen! The new champion of the Whitechapel Fight Club!" the judge shouted. The crowd was cheering at the top of their lungs, since they were able to witness a brilliant fight, but those who bet a large amount of money on the former champion were filled with anger and disappointment. I took advantage of these moments to collect my money from Robert, then I quickly left the area before anyone could recognise me. I was always careful, even putting my hair into a messy bun to make myself less recognisable. A rumour about Arthur Lanchester’s daughter takes illegal bets in an illegal fight club would not have done good for the reputation of our family. It was very pleasant to walk in the sunshine, so I was not in a hurry. On the way, I visited the library to ask about new novels, then finally I arrived to The Curiosity Shop. Although, the door of the shop was open, but I did not find anyone inside.

"Mr Green?" I called for the owner, but there was no answer. I decided to look around while I am waiting. The pearl jewellery and the Ganesha which was carved from teak wood were beautiful, as well the tapestries depicting Hindu goddesses. As the time passed, I remembered that not so long ago I had bought the leaves of the special Darjeeling tea here, and I found a box of it again. I placed it on the counter, hoping that soon Mr Green will show up and I can pay. While I was waiting for him, I heard fast footsteps from upstairs, then someone ran down the stairs and entered the back door of the shop. However, it wasn’t Henry Green. "Jacob?"

"I’m so sorry to keep you waiting!"

"How did you get here sooner than me?"

"I took a shorter way." the man answered as he adjusted his top hat. It was decorated with a grass green silk ribbon. I noticed only then that he had his cane.

" And what were you doing up there, if I may ask?"

"Let’s just say that my home in London doesn’t really have a good plumbing system, and I very needed a bath after the fight. Besides, Greenie forgot and left here the notes I’ve been asking him for days." he slipped the yellowed pages into the pocket of his coat. "Come with me! It is time to show you where you can find me when my duties don’t allow me to leave the study." he said, and with that we left The Curiosity Shop. I brought the leaves of the Darjeeling tea with me, leaving four shillings on the counter for Mr Green in return. As soon as Jacob locked the door, we left.

"Where are we going?" I asked him as the man glanced at his pocket watch. I could have sworn that I saw the exact same pocket watch on Aleck’s desk when I took my musical box to him. "Isn’t that Aleck’s pocket watch?"

"It is. He gave it to me as a reward, in return that I destroyed Starrick’s telegraphs. That bloody bastard wanted to spread false information..." he informed me. These words explained why I did not hear about Crawford Starrick’s lies these days. "And, to answer your previous question... The Big Ben is about to strike four. I thought that we stay in Whitechapel, and if there had been only a little delay then I would have advised that we go to Southwark, but as I see the time went so quickly."

"I think I lost the thread... Do you live in Whitechapel or Southwark?"

"Well, the location changes many times during the day..." the answer came with a mysterious smile. I did not really understand his words and when we were already in the Lambeth district I completely lost the thread.

"What are we doing in Lambeth?" I asked, while my suitor stepped onto the edge of the stone bridge. Under that, two train tracks crossed the Lambeth district.

"Give me your hand!" I had no idea what Jacob was up to, but I trusted him with my life, so I took his hand and I stepped onto the edge of the stone bridge. One wrong step would have been enough for us to fall and find ourselves on the tracks, so I tried to not move too much. The bridge was not really high, the trains could fit under it, but losing my balance would have been enough to break my bones.

" And now?"

"And now, we wait..."

"Wait? Wait for what?" I asked curiously, then the whistle of a train caught my attention. At first, I saw only the ash grey smoke rising into the sky in the distance, then as soon as I saw the approaching steam locomotive... "Bertha!"

"So, you know her?"

"Of course, I do!" I said with a great smile. I was as happy as the children are on Christmas morning. I wanted to admire the Scottish locomotive more closely for a long time now, but the Starrick Industrial stole it from the MacBean family and gave it to Kaylock, so I couldn't get close to this beauty. "Mr Mungo MacBean built this locomotive which goes around London day and night. The whole train belonged to Rexford Kaylock until the Rooks appea-" I didn’t know what to say, and for a brief moment I forgot to take breath. Finally, I realization that we waited for this train, and for a very good reason.

"Hang on!" Jacob warned me as he wrapped his left arm around my waist, and as soon as the first carriage of the train beneath us, we jumped off the stone bridge. His action took me by surprise, it was so sudden and so unexpected, so I closed my eyes. I clung to my suitor’s coat as if my life had depend on it. When I was a child, at the Blackburn Estate I jumped off the huge walnut trees onto the grass strewn with dandelion so many times, but jumping onto a moving train was a completely different experience. Besides, I was happy that the landing didn’t hurt my ankles. The next ball of the spring was approaching, and I did not want to miss the opportunity to meet Queen Victoria. "You can open your eyes now."

"No one ever taught you not to jump on trains? Especially when the train is moving..."

"Don’t worry! The speed of our train is about eight miles per an hour, barely faster than a trotting horse." he reassured me. What he said was true, the train moved really slowly, shaking pleasantly beneath us. However, Jacob didn’t let go of me and I was very grateful for that, because the soles of my boots had a better adhesion on the sandy and grassy ground. The man carefully helped me down from the top of the carriage onto its open platform, after we politely greeted the engine driver, then finally the time has come for Jacob Frye to welcome me to his home. "Welcome to our hideout!"

"Do you seriously live on this train?" I asked him in amazement. The carriage was full of bookshelves and I saw so many interesting literary works on them. The works of Jane Austen, Edgar Allan Poe, and even Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy.

"That’s right! This carriage is the library, except that desk in the corner, that one belongs to our favourite employee. The second carriage is the study and the living room, that is our main carriage. The third is Evie’s bedroom, the fourth is my bedroom. The fifth carriage is the bar and the lounge for our Rooks, while the sixth is the laboratory and the armoury."

"Laboratory and the armoury?" I glanced at him in surprise.

"Unfortunately, we cannot find smoke bombs and voltaic bombs on every street corner...."

"I thought that your weapon is your cane.." I teased him as I kept my eyes on the cane. The skull of a vulture was carved into the handle, beautifully covered with golden paint. It was a really elegant artwork and it suited Jacob’s golden eye colour very well.

"As for my cane..." Jacob said, handing me his cane. At first, I didn’t understand what I was supposed to notice, but as soon as my fingertips touched the engraved J.F. monogram on the handle, a tiny click revealed the secret of the cane. Its ebony black sheath hid a concealed blade. The secret of the cane sword revealed that Jacob Frye is a much more dangerous man than anyone would think.

"Are you hiding anything else under your clothes that would capture my attention at least as much as this blade, if I may ask?"

"Goddammit, youn’ lady! Calm your desires! The last thin’ I need is ya two start to breed like wild rabbits here!" shouted at me a woman who came out of nowhere, suddenly appeared next to us. Her face was not familiar, but her Scottish accent revealed her identity to me and my jaw almost dropped.

"You are Agnes MacBean! Mungo MacBean’s daughter!"

"Damn, I am! ’N’ who the bloody hell are ya?"

"Umm, I... My name is Adaline Lanchester."

"I’ve ne’er heard of ya, lassie..." she informed me. The Lanchester name was well known in the circles of noble families, but it meant nothing to the poor people of our society. "But, well, since this dumb laddie brought ya here, so then I trust ya, youn’ lady." she continued.

"You are charming, Agnes..."

"As always, Mr Frye!" Jacob sighed, then took my hand and led me to the second carriage. It was so elegantly furnished that my jaw almost dropped, again. The ash wood furniture, such as the sofa and the armchair, was more beautiful by the sapphire blue velvet, while I saw the shades of yellow on the paintings, hanging on the wall. A gramophone, an hourglass, a metronome and a gravity perpetual motion machine contributed to the atmosphere reminiscent of the Baroque era. This carriage had books too. Those were lying on the desk next to the petroleum lamp, and the novel of Jules Verne was open on the thirteenth page. I admired the pattern of the wall, but then I noticed something on it. A painting of Crawford Starrick, hanging on the wall and so many things were pinned up underneath. Faded photographs, maps enriched with routes, crumpled notes, and newspaper articles decorated with coffee stains. I was about to ask why the brochure of the Alhambra was pinned up there, when...

"JACOB!" a young woman entered the carriage and her ice blue eyes were sparkling with annoyance. She seemed to be very angry at the man, but she calmed down as soon as she saw me. "I’m sorry! I didn’t know that my brother returned with a company."

"You have nothing to apologise for!" I reassured her and a smile appeared on her freckled face. "My name is Adaline Lanchester."

"Mine is Evie Frye..." she introduced herself, then gestured towards the Indian man standing next to her. "And he is Henry Green." I already had the pleasure of meeting Mr Green when I visited The Curiosity Shop for the first time, and seeing his facial expression, I was certain that he remembered me.

"Would you keep Miss Lanchester company while I review the notes and hold a meeting with my Rooks?"

"Sure, Jacob!" Miss Frye answered, and then her brother left the carriage. Mr Green took advantage of this moment and stepped closer to me.

"Did you like the Darjeeling tea, Miss Lanchester?"

"I did! People rightly praise India for its tea!" I praised its leaves, as I remembered the muscat flavour. "I brought a box of it from The Curiosity Shop today as well, and I left the price for you on the counter." I informed him as a sweet scent became more and more intoxicating around me. I looked at the coffee table at the far end of the carriage and instantly saw twelve white callas, blooming in a fragile vase.

"I can see that your eyes are captured by the callas." Mr Green said. "A member of the Rooks, Esther, brought them in the morning... Do you know its floriographic meaning?"

"Modesty..." I answered proudly. During my whole my life, I deeply immersed in the art of the floriography, so I knew the meaning of each flower. Even the meaning of the spices and the herbs. The rosemary symbolise remembrance, the sage symbolise virtue, and the bay leaf symbolise change.

"Correct!"

"My mother was the one who taught me how to express my feelings in the secret language of flowers. Her favourite flower was the chrysanthemum, while mine is the iris." I told them. "My grandmother was born in Firenze and even the symbol of the city is the iris. The red iris is the emblem of the flag of Firenze for about six hundred years. However, truly red iris do not exist, because of the lack of the red colouring matter, otherwise known as pigment. But bef-" I was about to mention that the flag of Firenze was originally a white iris on a red background, and that the colours were changed after a war in the middle of the thirteenth century, but I realised that I might be talking too much. "I-I am so sorry! I am not this much talkative in the language of flowers, I swear..."

"Oh, please! You have a great way with words, Miss Lanchester! You have nothing to be ashamed of, or to apologise for!" Miss Frye reassured me. "Not to mention that it fills me with sincere joy that my brother is made happy by such a kind and intelligent woman. The truth is, when he talks about you, he is not that stubborn and egocentric fool he usually is."

"Did he tell you good things about me or did he mention only my drunken comments?" hearing my joke, an angelic smile appeared on Miss Frye’s face, and then she told me about the details.

"A few days after the ball of the Buckingham Palace, I noticed that Jacob was in a remarkably good mood, I had seen him several times at florists, and recently he returned to the train quite late. He said that he spent his time at the Devil’s Acre... And yesterday, I caught him when he was admiring the details of the embroidered handkerchief. That was the moment when the pieces of the puzzle came together." she said, and with that she revealed that his brother cherish the silk handkerchief and its embroidered forget-me-not flowers. "Usually I have to force him to speak and I have to pull every word out of him, but yesterday... He kept talking for an hour!"

"Did your brother mention the misunderstanding at the market?" I asked her curiously. "I mean, the narcissus bouquet and the mess he caused."

"Oh, yes! He got a long lecture from me, he really deserved it. There would have been no misunderstanding, if he had mentioned to you that he has a twin sister."

"Twin sister?" I looked at her in shock. Miss Frye blinked in confusion, then she buried her face into her hands.

"He really is a fool..." she seemed so annoyed, trying to hide the shame she felt because of my suitor. I suspected that her brother has caused trouble more than once by partially or completely holding back information.

"Fool or not, Jacob Frye is the man who makes me happy. I am happier than ever... And not only because he accepts me with my quirks and faults, but also because I wish to spend my life with him. To water the hyacinths that bloom in the garden of our home, to boil milk sweetened with vanilla when the approaching storm is already rattling the windows, and to comfort our children when they are saddened by the snow melting in the spring... I would say that he is the man I have always dreamt of, but Jacob is beyond my imagination. And if I’m lucky, he even likes my criticized pear jam..." I told about my feelings to Miss Frye and my words brought a smile not only to my face, but to hers as well. Jacob’s sister, his twin sister to be exact, no longer doubted that I love her brother with all my heart. It is true that I have never put this wonderful feeling into words, but everything has its time... As for Evie Frye, she gained my trust very soon. She was a kind and educated woman who could express her thoughts in aesthetic sentences, and seeing at her clothes covered with black lace, I was certain that her taste is impeccable. I wished to know about what she thought of the French literature or if she knew the tricks of baking perfect fruit pies, but then Jacob cleared his throat, so he could be the centre of attention.

"If I praise your pear jam, then may I have a chance to win the title of the man of Adaline’s dreams?" he asked me with a grin.

"You really deserved that narcissus bouquet..." I told him the truth into his eyes, then we all started laughing. When the sun started to approach the edge of the western sky, I was still on the train hideout, because Jacob wanted to rest for a few hours. While he was sleeping peacefully in the fourth carriage of the train, I spent time in the company of my new friends. I learnt that Evie Frye is a fan of Plato’s philosophy and she is a great pianist, while about Henry Green I learnt that he had not been in India for a long time and that his real name is Jayadeep Mir. At their request, I told them about myself, about my family and about my work as a translator. By the time I told them about my travels to Italia, we were already on a first name basis.

"Thank you for entertaining the lady of my heart, but it is time to take her home." Jacob joined us, after he had enough rest. If my calculations were correct, then the time was about six o’clock.

"Before you escort me home, there is something I would like to show you..." I said as the train approached the station in the Westminster district.

Chapter Text

After saying goodbye to my Evie and Henry, Jacob and I left the train, hired a carriage, then we arrived at the east side of Leicester Park by the time the sun had set.

"Aaand, here we are!" I said with an honest smile as I gestured towards the building full of lights. "The Alhambra Theatre."

"You mean, the Alhambra Music Hall."

"With a little luck, not for long..." I whispered as the man looked at me curiously. I took a deep breath, then finally I told him what my long cherished dream is. "This building was built as the Royal Panopticon of Science and Art, but ten years ago it was reopened as the Alhambra Circus. During the time I spent in Italia, I went to the theatre many times and what I saw on the Italian stage enchanted me. It was so magical! At that time, the Alhambra was already the most popular art entertainment venue in London, so I started to dream that one day I will own this building and I can bring the world’s finest literary works to life." I said, then my smile disappeared with a sigh laced with sadness. "But Maxwell Roth was faster than me and he opened the doors of the Alhambra Music Hall to the public. Mr Roth’s shows are terribly boring. People pay for the expensive tickets only because the Alhambra is owned by Mr Roth, but I can make the stage flourish, so that people come here because of the plays." I informed him, and then I stepped closer to Jacob, so that only he can hear my words. "I will have enough money by the autumn, and if Mr Roth accepts my offer, then finally I can make this dream come true." at first, my suitor didn’t say anything, but then he smiled. I really hoped that not because he find my dream ridiculous.

"Are Mr Roth’s shows really as boring as you say?" he asked me. In response, I returned his smile and grabbed his hand, then I led him towards the entrance of the Alhambra in a hurry. "What a fool I am! Sorry for questioning your firm opinion..." he joked, and by the time he blinked three times, we were already watching the performance from the balcony box. As I mentioned before, I found Mr Roth’s shows very boring, and after a few minutes Jacob realised that I was right. So I started telling him about my ideas.

"After the renovations and the opening night, I will present the play Bánk bán as well. The elites love the drama..."

"Is that also French, like Les Misérables?" he asked me, while an illusionist entertained the audience. To be honest, I didn’t really understand why Mr Roth renamed this circus to a music hall.

"Hungarian! Just like the Tokaji Aszú wine and the Herend Porcelain..." I informed him, then I remembered something interesting. "Queen Victoria was so impressed by one of the hand-painted Hungarian porcelain which was decorated with butterflies and peonies. She ordered a whole set for herself, and it is one of the most beautiful treasure of the Buckingham Palace ever since." I told him. "And, as for the Hungarians... Did you know that the name of their currency, the forint comes from the city of Firenze? The forint is named after the florin, the Florentine gold coins." I added some information. More than an hour left of the show, but we both decided that we had seen enough. Leaving the building, we walked through the Leicester Park. We spent a few minutes there, admiring the sound of the fountain and the beauty of the fragrant bellflowers. Later, Jacob hired a carriage and took me home, then escorted me to the front yard of the Lanchester House. It was already illuminated by the silver light of the moon. I wished to thank my suitor for the pleasant afternoon and the even more pleasant evening with kind words, since I really enjoyed every minute, but instead... "Dio santo![1] I can’t hold the question to myself!" my thoughts ran out of my mouth, then the man raised his eyebrows. On the way home I managed to hide that I am incredibly curious about what he think of my ideas. Did he find what I told him tonight ridiculous or interesting? I didn’t know, but I did know that if I do not get an answer to my question, then I will have a sleepless night. "What do you think about I desire for the Alhambra Music Hall?"

"Hmm... When we were on the train hideout I could have sworn that you desire for me and not the Alhambra." he said with a grin.

"Do you want to earn the title of the man of Adaline’s dreams or a freshly picked narcissus bouquet?" I asked him. There was no sense of humor in my voice, because I was very worried that the man might give me an answer that I will not be happy about at all. On the way home, I even said a prayer in my mind, hoping that I don’t have to choose between Jacob Frye and the Alhambra Theatre. "So?"

"A special dream of a special lady... I am pretty sure that your ideas will make the stage of the Alhambra flourish! I already can see that the day after the opening night people will be talking about the great show on every street of London, and soon the news will reach even beyond the sea..." he praised about the imagined future and the sparks in his eyes revealed that he truly believed in my success.

"So, you don’t think that I am ridiculous? A fool, perhaps?"

"What?! No! Adaline... You are an extremely ambitious woman and I admire you for that!" he reassured me, while he took my hands and intertwined our fingers. An honest smile appeared on my face, and my soul found peace. "Well, the truth is that I am not very well educated in the literature, but I will gladly read anything for your sake, and I would even get on the stage if that is the price of your happiness."

"I will hold you to your promise, Marius Pontmercy!"

"I’m sorry, who?" he asked back. I didn’t want to be disrespectful, but when I heard his question I put my left hand over my mouth to hide my laughter. I have known for a long time that Jacob doesn’t really know the German astronomers, but now it tuned out that he hasn’t even read the novel of Victor Hugo. I was about to explain that Marius Pontmercy is the man who is in love with Cosette in the novel Les Misérables, but instead I asked him a question.

"And what is your dearest dream, Jacob?"

"I have many dreams, but it would be difficult to order of priority." he answered without thinking, but I didn’t let him avoid answering so easily.

"In this case, tell me what is the dream that you wish to make come true as soon as possible?" I rephrased my question and Jacob instantly smiled. He glanced at my lips, admired them for a few moments, then looked into my eyes again. I knew even without words what he was asking permission for, and I encouraged him not to wait any longer delay by an honest smile. As our lips began dancing, the world around us ceased to exist. Our kiss was so gentle and I couldn’t get enough of Jacob’s sweet lips. My heart was pounding in my chest like the hooves of the wild horses. His every little touch drove me wild, while he slowly wrapped his arms around my waist. I was so lost in the sea of my feelings that I didn’t even notice that my fingers were already stroking gently the velvet material of his waistcoat, and when I touched its buttons...

"Oh, no! We are not there yet, Miss Lanchester..." the man warned me, using the exact same words that I had told him earlier in the St James’ Park. My suitor’s sense of humor made me laugh, again. Besides, he did well to order me to stop, since we were in the front yard of the Lanchester House under the starry sky, and not in my bedroom, hidden from prying eyes.

"Do you think I am eager?"

"Should I think you are eager?" he teased, loosening his arms around my waist. All the while, I was admiring his golden eyes. Those golden irises were sparkling with pure desire. However, soon my thoughts again wandered around the future of the Alhambra Theatre.

"Jacob..." I said his name a little shyly. "If Mr Roth accepts my offer and I buy the building of the Alhambra from him, then after the renovations perhaps I won’t have even a single penny left. And it takes time for the investment to pay off. In the first few months the audience may be below average and nothing is guaran-"

"Adaline!" Jacob interrupted in a kind voice. "If you were the poorest girl in London, I would still love you as much as I do now. Any life makes me happy if I can live that life with you." he said, and his sincere words reached my heart, bringing tears into my eyes. "We don’t need a luxurious palace, not even a richly decorated house. We can live on the train, if that is your wish..."

"Just so you know, it would be my pleasure to live on that train." I informed him. I really would have loved to live on the train hideout. Well, not forever, of course.

"Thank God you say this, because it may takes many years before I earn enough money for a real estate in London."

"To be honest with you, I don’t even mind if we live in your hometown until then. It is only thirty or maybe thirty-five miles from London. Distance would not be a problem..."

" As for Crawley..."

"Yes?" I looked at him questioningly, then he sighed and his smile disappeared.

"I’m sure that in Crawley there is no future for us. I don’t really have good memories about that town..." the man got lost in his thought for a moment, then looked at me again. "The truth is, I never called my parents’ house home. I have no noble title, I am not one of the aristocrats, and I’m not even part of the middle class. Besides, all my money fit in the pouch which I already patched twice..." he told me, and I saw some fear in his eyes. His fear was fueled by the agonizing thought that I might leave him because of the lack of the noble title and the prestigious wealth. "I am sorry! I just... I should have told you a long time ago..."

"Jacob! What matters to me is not what your title is or whether you have a gold mine across the sea, but what is beating in here..." I placed my hand gently on his chest, above his heart. "This is my most precious treasure..." perhaps he didn’t even notice that the tears were already shining in his eyes by then. My suitor considered himself a penniless nobody, but my feelings I put into words chased away this misconception. Jacob Frye was a man with a heart of gold, the leader of the Rooks, the protector of the innocent people of London, and the chosen one of my heart. A fair leader, a sincere friend, a determined brother, a loyal partner. At first, he smiled at me, letting me know that my words brought him comfort. Then finally, the reunion of our lips made him forget everything he had worried about. Meanwhile, the time passed, so it was time to say goodbye to him. We wished each other a pleasant evening, then Jacob accidentally mentioned that maybe he will visit the Devil’s Acre and drink a pint of beer with the Rooks, but before he left... "May I ask you something?"

"Anything..."

"If you don’t belong to the noble circles of London, the how did you attend the ball in the garden of Buckingham Palace?" I asked and I was very curious about his answer.

"Maybe the name on my invitation was Jayadeep Mir." he said with a mischievous grin.

"Jayadeep Mir, so Henry Green..." I was about to joke about how Jacob could fool the guards with an invitation that had an Indian name on it, but there was something that interested me even more. "And where did Henry get an invitation? I mean, no offense, but Queen Victoria doesn’t send invitations to the owners of rarely visited shops."

"Greenie, Greenie... I knew that you did not reveal yourself!" the man laughed, then finally he told me the truth about the owner of The Curiosity Shop. "Henry Green is a prince of the Sikh Empire, the great grandson of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the great nephew of Maharaja Duleep Singh..." I was out of breath, because I did not expect this answer at all. On the train hideout Henry Green didn’t mention that he had royal blood in his veins, and he didn’t mention the Maharaja either. I was staring at my suitor as if he had just announced the discovery of a new continent, and by the time I found my lost voice I had no idea what to say.

" If he is a prince, the why does he live in London in a ramshackle building and sells Indian merchandises?"

"He was exiled here, and The Curiosity Shop is his hideout..." he answered. So many questions were spinning in my mind. Why was he exiled from India? Why to London? Why is he hiding his identity from people? Does he have family in India? And why did he choose the name Henry Green? Jacob quickly noticed that my thoughts were a little confused, so he broke the silence. "Let’s meet tomorrow at the Palace of Westminster, an hour before sunset. I will answer all your questions there." that beautiful evening, he said goodbye to me with these words and a sweet kiss.

[1] Holy God!

Chapter Text

I spent the hours of the next day in the Lanchester House. I admired the rays of dawn from my balcony, in the forenoon my company was a novel by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, while in the afternoon I was admiring my new dress. The grass green satin was decorated somewhere with lace and somewhere with frills, and the emerald ring I inherited from my grandmother looked perfect with it. I was wearing this hand-stitched wonder when I arrived at the Palace of Westminster an hour before sunset, as Jacob asked. I didn’t have to wait, because he was already waiting for meHe held a white iris in his hand, greeting me with a smile.

"Well, well... Is this the day when Miss Adaline Lanchester will officially join the Rooks?"

"If you don’t mind, then I would like to stay the luck talisman of the Rooks." I answered cheerfully. The members of the Rooks often called me their luck talisman, and some of them really believed that the luck follows  me like a shadow. As for my dress, it was made in the finest dress shop of London, with the intention to please my suitor. And I truly believed that this was the proper thing to do, because the leader of the Rooks was the one who courted me.

"I really appreciate that you show your support for our cause in this way as well."

"If the green dye was not poisoned by arsenic, then I would buy a few more dresses, so I could wear this colour on every day of the week." I added.

"I would like to remind you that you only need to ask and pearl pink will be the colour of the Rooks..." he joked. It made me a little sad that my grass green dress was poisoned by arsenic, but if I wear the toxic substance dyed satin only a few times, then my skin won’t be harmed. Besides, the pearl pink would hide Jacob’s charming features. By the time the Big Ben announced that it was seven o’clock in the early evening, we were walking at the foot of the Clock Tower of Palace of Westminster, and as soon as the bells went silent my suitor stopped and turned towards me. "Have you ever seen the bells with your own eyes?"

"I have been up there once before, with the special permission of Mr Disraeli. Three hundred and thirty-four steps..." I told him. "That day the sky was covered with grey clouds and it was raining, so all I could see from there was the wild waves of the Thames. I wish I could have admired the sunset..." hearing my words, a mysterious smile appeared on Jacob’s face.

"Give me your hand!"

"The last time you asked for my hand, you jumped off a bridge onto a moving train with me. What are you up to this time?" I asked him as I happily took his hand. The man embraced me tightly with his right arm, while he raised his left arm. That was the moment when I took a really good look at the black leather gauntlet that covered Jacob’s entire left forearm. It was decorated with embedded brass knuckles and tight buckles, but my eyes were captured by the inner side of the gauntlet. There, I saw a hook attached to the end of a thin rope, equipped with a pulley. By the time I realised what that mechanical device actually was, Jacob had already activated the rope launcher pistol, and as soon as the fired grappling hook reached its target in the sky...

"Hang on!" he warned me. I had no time to resist, so I wrapped my arms around his neck as tightly as I could. I snuggled to him as if I were a shy little child, and I closed my eyes, so I could only imagine what was happening around us. I felt almost the same what I felt when I was sitting in the saddle and riding across the Blackburn Estate, yet it felt so different, because this time we were rising towards the sky. A few seconds later I felt only the spring breeze as it gently caressed my face, dancing with the curls of my hair. "You can let me go now, we are here." he whispered into my ear. His voice quickly calmed me down. Although, I was still tightly embracing him, but I opened my eyes and a beautiful sight greeted me. London was glowing in the light of the setting sun. In the distance I saw the silhouette of the Buckingham Palace, while on the other side the golden waves of the Thames crossed the city. I wished the time would freeze, so I could admire the capital of England forever. "I have to admit, I like that you are so attached to me..." he joked, reminding me that my arms were still around his neck. With a pale blush and a soft laugh I apologised to him, and as soon as we let each other go I turned around to see the bells of the Clock Tower. Maybe it was not a popular information, but the tower had not one, but five bells. The Great Bell was the beauty known as Big Ben, while the four quarter bells around it strike on each passing quarter of the hour.

"I never thought that this city could be so gorgeous. It’s like an oil painting, created with elegant brushstrokes..." I said, admiring London again. "Last night you told me that you will answer all my questions today. May I ask why you brought me to the Clock Tower of Palace of Westminster at this beautiful early evening?"

"You don’t like the view, perhaps?" he teased me. "If you want, then we can leave and go to the Devil’s Acre. Not so long ago I booked a table there for tonight just in case if you kick me out from your life once and for all before sunset. Although, I’m not in the habit of drowning my sorrows in alcohol..."

"Why would I kick you out?" I looked at him questioningly. I was certain that Jacob’s worries about the future of our relationship returned, so I had to act. I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him. Although, his lips curled into a smile, but his eyes were still full of concerns, so I took a deep breath and put my feelings into words, so that he would remember my confession I made last night. "Jacob Frye! I have already told you that my most precious treasure is beating in your chest and my heart has chosen you. My soul found its companion and its other half in the night I met you. And my mind tells me that I would be a bloody fool to walk away from such a gentleman who would be the perfect man in all the romantic novels. Where else can I find a man who would take me to the most dangerous pub of London to have fun, instead of taking me to fancy gatherings?" I asked the poetic question, while memories of our visit to the Devil’s Acre made us laugh, then I turned the words serious again. "Jacob... With all my heart, I truly lo-"

"Wait!" the man interrupted, while he took my hands in his, hoping for calmness from my touch. I could see that something was bothering him and it scared me a little.

"Did I say something wrong?"

"No, you did not!" he answered without hesitation. I didn’t understand what upset him so much that he couldn’t even dare to look into my eyes. He got lost in his thoughts. For a while, he was staring at the setting sun in silence, then finally gathered all his courage and looked at me. "Adaline... If you say those words, then you will make me the happiest man in the world. But I can’t let you say those words to me. Not yet, not before I tell you the... T-the... I wa-" he hesitated and he seemed unsure, but only for a few seconds. "I have to and I want to tell you who I really am, and if you still imagine your future with me, then I will do everything to make you happy. I promise!"

"Are you Crawford Starrick’s henchman?" my question came so sudden. I intended to make a joke to break the tension, but Jacob’s face reflected despair.

"What?! No!" he protested."At these moments, Crawford Starrick is my worst enemy!"

"In this case, I don’t think that you should worry about my feelings. Besides, if you had said that you are Starrick’s henchman, even then my feelings for you wouldn’t have changed. My heart is already yours..." I reminded him, again. Hearing my honesty, the his smile returned. His concerns vanished, and he was no longer troubled by the waves of the sea of fear. I gave him a small kiss, then I looked deep into his golden eyes. "So? Will you tell me who you are, Jacob Frye?" this time, my suitor did not make me wait. He already knew that I truly wish want to spend the rest of my life with him. No matter what he will say, no matter what will happen, because nothing will change what my heart already decided. Besides, he believed that the right way is to tell me the truth. After a long silence, he gathered his thoughts and finally told me a story that began thousands of years ago...

The members of The First Civilization, also known as Those Who Came Before were humanoid beings and they were the first who called Earth their home. They created the humanity to be their slaves, to serve as a docile workforce, but humans did not want to obey them. That is why the Those Who Came Before created the Pieces of Eden, in order to assure the control of humanity. Artifacts, all over our world, existing with supernatural powers. Many of these were created by the hands of Those Who Came Before, but only a few of them were known in our time. Each possessed unique powers. The Ankh temporarily resurrected the dead back to the Land of the Living, the Mjölnir reigned over the lightnings of the sky, while the power of the Excalibur accompanied King Arthur on the way of his conquest, but the Apples of Eden proved to be the most powerful artifacts. Their users could control the humans’ mind, manipulate them by creating illusions, even force Empires to their knees, but some of the humans were wiser than their creators thought. Adam and Eve were the ones who rebelled, they stole one of the Apples from their masters, and a war broke out between the humans and Those Who Came Before. The war took so many innocent lives, both sides suffered losses, being driven to the two species to the brink of extinction. The war was ended by a global catastrophe, a solar flare. Those Who Came Before slowly became extinct, while the humans continued to survive and spread across the globe. Over the centuries, they populated the Earth. The humans continued to revere their creators as gods, speaking of them in myths. Although, soon Those Who Came Before became forgotten, but The Pieces of Eden were not destroyed, just lost to our history. The secret war for the artifacts has been going on for thousands of years now between two organizations, the Templar Order and the Assassins Brotherhood.

The Templar Order consider Cain, known as the the ancestor of the Templar Order, to be the first Templar, because he killed his younger brother, Abel, to steal the Piece of Eden. These power-hungry people conquered and ruled countries through our history, long before the Middle Ages too, while they were searching for the Pieces of Eden. When the Templars discovered the Pieces of Eden they started to speculate that God is only a myth and this led the members of the Templar Order to become atheistic. However, they publicly maintained the pretense of following the Christian ways, so they did not lose the support of the Church. They believed that there is no heaven or hell, there is no afterlife, and there is no punishment after death for their crimes, so there was no reason for them to have morality. Soon, the Templars interest in the Pieces of Eden became more about seeking the power. They wanted to create a new world by using the Pieces of Eden and by control the free will and the entire humanity.

Their sworn enemies were the members of a secret global peacekeeping organization, the Assassin Brotherhood. They believed that people have their right to choose their own destiny, even if they had sins, and they fought to ensure the survival of free will. The Assassins carried out their duties through political and strategic assassinations, in the hope that killing one individual will lead to the salvation of thousands. They were fighting for those innocent people who did not possess the abilities, the resources or the knowledge to speak out against those who abuse their power. Protecting humanity from abuses of power, coercive rule, and injustice. Fighting for liberty, justice and welfare. At the beginning, the Hidden Ones was the true incarnation of the Assassin Brotherhood, and the tenets of their creed were laid down in Egypt many years before the birth of Jesus. However, soon the members of the Brotherhood decided to become shadows, serving the light by working in the dark, because the people were scared of them and their methods. The Assassins had terrifying reputation for taking lives in public, bringing fear into the hearts of those who might abuse their power or harm the innocents. And then, after their assassinations they vanished into the crowd without any trace. They were searching for the Pieces of Eden too, and not to use their powers, but to prevent them from falling into the hands of the Templar Order. The Pieces of Eden could not be destroyed, because those contained immeasurable energy, so they had to be hidden and guarded. In the past millennia, some of these artifacts have already been found, in France, in Israel, in Andorra, and even in Egypt.

Jacob told me that one of the Pieces of Eden is here, in London, in a hidden vault, but its exact location is not yet known. And as for the Templar Order, I learnt from him that my city has been poisoned by the Templars for at least a hundred years, and their current leader, the Grand Master of the British Rite of the Templar Order is none other than Crawford Starrick. Hearing this name, my blood started boiling.

"Why the Brotherhood let Starrick even blink?" I asked.

"The Council of the British Brotherhood of Assassins believes that the Templars are still far too strong in London." the answer came, and the anger came over me. "This city used to be was theirs, but in the middle of the the 18th century the British Rite of the Templar Order led by Reginald Birch murdered the leaders of the British Brotherhood of Assassins, and the Assassins were forced to move their headquarters to the city of Crawley. They are waiting for the perfect moment to return ever since..."

"And what the bloody hell the perfect moment is?!" I yelled. "How much longer do they want to wait? If Starrick finds the Piece of Eden, then Lon-" I realised that it was unnecessary to talk about the dangers, because Jacob knew very well what could happen if Starrick finds the artifact. It was still hidden somewhere in the city of London. Besides, my voice was laced with anger, so I had to calm down my temper. "I’m sorry! I just... For a moment I saw a spark of hope that maybe London could count not only on the Rooks in the fight for freedom." I explained. My facial features reflected disappointment and the man noticed this instantly.

"That was the decision of The Council, but some people don’t like being told what is right and what is wrong."

"What do you mean?" I looked at him questioningly. By then, Jacob had put on his devilishly mysterious smile.

"At these moments, there are three Assassins in London. And you have already met them." he informed me. "You met one of them for the first time in The Curiosity Shop, in early spring."

"Henry?" I raised my eyebrows. "Yesterday you said that he is a prince."

"He is the son of a princess of the Sikh Empire and an Assassin of the Indian Brotherhood." he informed me about the Indian man’s family background. "He has been watching over London for many years. Though... If you ask me, fieldwork is not really his speciality. And if what I heard is true, then that had something to do with why he was banished from India. He broke the the tenets of the Creed and compromised the Indian Brotherhood of Assassinsby hesitating during a misson or something like that..."

"If you bring me fresh Darjeeling tea leaves from The Curiosity Shop right now, then I won't tell Henry that you leaked some private information about him." I joked. Needless to say, I had no intention of revealing Henry Green’s secrets to anyone, just as I had no intention of revealing to Henry that my suitor leaked private information about him. "And what about the other two Assassins?" I asked him, even though deep in my soul I already knew the answer. Jacob already guessed that I knew the answer, yet he told me this part of the story too.

"A few months ago, two Assassins, a pair of twins were sent to the town of Croydon to assassinate two Templars." he started the story. "David Brewster, a scientist who was studying one of the Apples of Eden in a secret laboratory, and experimenting on innocent people. And Rupert Ferris, the owner of Ferris Ironworks forced poor children to work in his factory and got a source of iron ore that would have supplied the British Rite of the Templar Order for years to come. After assassinating their targets, the twins were supposed to return to Crawley, but instead they ignored the command of The Council, got on a train and travelled to London. Here, the older twin is using every minute of her time to find the Piece of Eden, while the younger twin assassinating those who are members of the Templar Order or strengthen their power..." his words were followed by silence. Jacob gave me plenty of time to think about the information I heard today. As a matter of fact, not every part of the story was unknown to me. I knew that there was blood on Jacob’s hands, because the Rooks often had to use violence against the Blighters. Besides, the Blighters brought me the news that Rexford Kaylock had been killed by the leader of the Rooks himself. Furthermore, Jacob should not forget that he killed bad people for a good cause, and for that, many people owed him a debt of gratitude.

"Was it your own decision to follow the path of the Assassins?"

"No..." Jacob answered, then he started to talk about his family and his childhood. His parents, Cecily Frye and Ethan Frye were Assassins, members of the British Brotherhood of Assassins. Their mother died young when she gave birth to the twins on an autumn night, and their father fled to India from grief. Cecily’s mother, the grandmother of the twins raised them until the age of six, and when their father returned to England he started training his children, hoping that one day the twins will become a huge asset to the Brotherhood. Evie and Jacob grew up under a strict lifestyle, but even being twins, they had completely different personalities. Even as a child, Evie was fascinated by the history of the Assassins and she showed great respect for her father. Moreover, she proved to be a very diligent student who trained persistently every single day in order to one day become an excellent Assassin and follow in her father’s footsteps. But, Evie and her brother was not alike. Jacob often skipped the training sessions to explore the gambling dens of Crawley late at night. He became an Assassin, just like his sister, but their father did not approved his methods. Jacob has always prefered the action over the philosophical thoughts and the fight over the discretion. And, he was dismissive of searching for the Pieces of Eden, preferring to focus on his targets. He even told me that he resents his father as well as his  from the beginning, and usually he lost his composure when Evie brought their deceased father into their arguments. "Don’t allow personal feelings to compromise the mission, that’s what my father used to say. How could he say such a thing after fleeing to India from grief and leaving his children for six long years?" he murmured. He added to the story that their father died a few weeks before his children travelled to London. Died of pleurisy, while sailing on the sea of dreams.

"If you had join the Brotherhood voluntarily, then probably you would have done it for a good reason. But you were raised as an Assassin from the beginning, you were born as a son of two Assassins and your father did not ask you what you wanted. Don’t be so hard on yourself for something that was not your choice! We can’t change the past..." I calmed down his soul. Not we chose what kind of family we were born into, nor what principles we were raised according to. It was my father’s decision to let Aunt Martha be my governess and it was my father’s decision to give me free will. But if the master of the Lanchester House had decided to send me to a finishing school, then I would have had no say in it. I am lucky that my father is a liberal-minded man who even lets me wandering on the streets of Whitechapel late at night.  However, Ethan Frye, the father of the twins followed the Creed and chose the path for his children without asking them. "What if one day you decide that you want to live a different life?"

"It is too late! I have sworn an oath..." he said, and with that his thoughts wandered far away. "Besides, I got used to this life. After all, when I was only six years old my father was already teaching me the best angle to sank my blade into the chest of the targets..." the sixth year of my life was a decisive period for me too, because I was six years old when I lost my mother. "Sometimes I notice in myself that I no longer feel any remorse when I take the life of a worthless bastard."

"Because those bastards deserve to die! Trust me, I would not feel any remorse after slitting Starrick’s throat either." I admitted honestly, then a pleasant silence greeted us for a few minutes. But, seeing Jacob’s face, I was certain that he still doubted that my feelings for him had not been changed by the truth he had told me.

"You heard the whole truth... Do you still want to spend your life with me? I am an Assassin, a murderer and not Crawford Starrick will be my last victim..." at first, I didn’t say anything. I was thinking about how I can convince Jacob once and for all that he is not a bad person. In the end, I decided to approach things from an entirely different direction.

"Long time ago, in Southwark the leader of the Blighters used to be a man called Ian Lockwood. He kidnapped children from the streets of the slums, forcing them to work in the factories of the Starrick Industries." I told him, while faint memories revived in me. "I caused his death... Lockwood thought that if he take the daughter of a diplomat hostage, then Starrick would reward him. If he had not come after me alone, then maybe he would have succeeded, but when he tried to drag me away, I sank my dagger into his chest again and again and again... The previous gang leader of Whitechapel died from blood loss after I blew up a barrel of gunpowder near him. And later, the next gang leader of the Blighters in Whitechapel was swallowed by the wild waves of the Thames, thanks to a thin rope and my sly trick. The first incident was self-defense, but the last two were revenge..." I was admiring at the faint stars of the far west, while the sun already almost disappeared behind London, then I glanced at Jacob. In his eyes there was shock with some curiosity, and maybe he forgot to take breath. Until now, he thought that I was a gentle, fragile, pure-hearted iris flower who wouldn’t hurt a fly, but he had the right to know the truth about his sweetheart. I was on the side of the angels, but that didn’t mean that I was one of them. "Do you think that I deserve eternal solitude for taking the lives of three dangerous criminals?"

"No!"

"Well, neither do you! You deserve to be happy!" I said firmly with my sweet smile. "And, as for the future... If you question my decisions about our life together one more time, then you will anger me against yourself. Do you know how I punish those who anger me?"

"You curse them, after a few pints of beer?" with a cheeky grin he reminded me of what I told him about the pub in Firenze.

"Do you wish for a more serious punishment?"

"To be honest with you, I got some wild ideas..."

"I suggest that you save those wild ideas for our wedding night..." I warned him, while my cheeks were already on fire. Earlier, Jacob lured my impure thoughts only with his nearness. Later, his touch also caused me a similar reaction, but now I found it very difficult to restrain myself. I didn’t want my suitor to notice the lust in my eyes and I still had unanswered questions, so I changed the subject in a hurry. "Did you kill anyone I might have known?"

"James Brudenell..."

"You mean, Lord Cardigan?" I asked as I tried to hold back a laughter. "Even my father could not tolerate that old man. Dad told me that Lord Cardigan repeated to him in every five minutes that ’I am a veteran of the Crimean War...’" I mocked.

"Philip Twopenny..."

"The Governor of the Bank of England? Y-you are the one who killed him?" by the time I realised that not so long ago my suitor was the one who caused the chaos in the Bank of England, I already got a slight headache. "Jacob... Do you know that the British Empire almost collapsed that day? Anyway, what the hell was the idea in your head?"

"I had no choice... Mr Twopenny was a member of the British Templar Order. He organised bank robberies in every quarter of the years, and provided a huge amount of money to Starrick's coffers. And this time, his men stole the currency printing plates, but those were already back into the bank at the same morning." he explained. Jacob told me that he even left a shilling on Mr Twopenny’s dead body, so that bastard could pay the ferryman to take his soul across the river of the underworld. Later he mentioned a name that was well known in the Lambeth district. "Dr John Elliotson... He was a physician who producted a syrup, a poisinous tonic that many of people in London became dependent on, strengthening the control of the Templar Order over the population. He was a Templar and a cruel murderer who enjoyed torturing people before their death." he told me about the details. I remembered the morning when I was on my way to Aleck’s workshop and knocked my suitor over. Jacob then said that he was on his way to the Lambeth Asylum to stop Dr John Elliotson. I heard about the death of the old doctor a few days later, and now I also knew that who ended his life. I was glad that Dr Elliotson was no longer alive, because I considered him one of the most ruthless men in my city. "My next target is Pearl Attaway."

"Miss Attaway? The owner of the Attaway Transport?" I looked at him questioningly. "As far as I know, she is a kind and intelligent businesswoman. What does she have to do with the Templar Order?"

"She is the cousin of Crawford Starrick and perhaps his most precious treasure. I learnt that Starrick even asked for her hand in marriage..." he informed me. I was sorry that soon a young and successful woman also will become a victim of the fight for the freedom of London, but the revolutions always had losses. "There is a woman who is even a greater threat. Lucy Throne..." I have never heard her name before, so Jacob provided me some additional information. "She is considered as one of Starrick’s most trusted henchman. An occult maniac, fascinated by supernatural powers. He became obsessed with the Pieces of Eden and the Apples of Eden."

"And why is she such a dangerous threat? Well, I mean... I understand that she is a member of the Templar Order, but how can she harm anyone with her obsessions?"

"She is smart, but arrogant and boastful too. Even my sister is annoyed by her insults... Not so long ago Evie found the key to the vault hidden in the St Paul’s Cathedral, but Miss Throne attacked her and somehow took the key from her, then fled from my sister’s anger. According to Greenie’s spies, Miss Throne believes that the Piece of Eden is in the Tower of London. Tonight, Evie will go there, assasinate that harpy and get the key back..." he explained the plan. When my suitor told me about the Pieces of Eden he also mentioned the power of some of the artifacts, and my curiosity made a new question.

"What is the power of the artifact that is hidden in the city of London?"

"A golden coloured shroud from the age of Those Who Came Before. It heals the wounds. Whether it is a small scratch, a bleeding wound or a birth defect. The Shroud heals its user within moments... Although, it could not be used to bring a dead back to life, but its user can live for centuries. Such a strong power cannot fall into the hands of the Templar Order..." I didn’t dare to think about what Starrick could gain with such a power, but I was not too worried. After all, the British Templar Order hadn’t found out yet which part of the city hid the artifact. Well, the exact location of the hidden vault was unknown to the Assassin Brotherhood too.

"Crawford Starrick’s power is weakening day by day, giving hope to all those people whose freedom you fight for. Men, women and children who are still suffering at this very moment, because of the Templar Order. If Starrick dies, then the wind of change will finally sweep through the streets of London..." I reminded him. Thousands of people had been waiting for this change for a long time now. Crawford Starrick has been poisoning my city for almost twenty years and many innocent people have lost their lives ever since. Some of them died of starvation, some of them were choked by the dirty smoke of the factories, and some of them were the victims of criminals. It seemed that soon all these will be a thing of the past. Fresh milk and crispy bread can satisfy the appetite of the poor, the tired workers of the poisonous factories can earn a living as fruit vendors or musicians if that is their wish, while the defenseless people no longer have to fear the dangers of the dark streets. I chased my bad thoughts away with the promise of a better future, then I turned to the man. "I am grateful that our paths crossed, Jacob. I am very happy that I met you that beautiful night, and I am truly glad that now I am your sweetheart. I can’t put into words how happy you make me... With your politeness you always sweep me off my feet, with your compliments you conquer my heart again and again, and with your unique sense of humor you always bring me joy and laughter..."

"I swear to God, if you continue to praise me, then I will ask for your hand in marriage, right here and right now." he teased me again with the glance he already embarrassed me many times.

"Before I say yes..." the words left my mouth. I had a gentle smile on my face, while I carefully climbed over the balustrade at the edge of the bell room. The balustrade surrounded the bells at a height of nearly ninety meters. For a few seconds I got lost in the beauty of the last rays of the setting sun, then I looked back at the man. "Prove that my life is in the best hands." I gave Jacob some time to catch on to what I was about to do. I glanced at the west again, spread my arms wide like wings to feel every touch of the wind, closed my eyes, then I rose on my tiptoes and slowly leaned forward. By the time the bells began ringing, there was no turning back. I was falling towards the ground, and the landing would undoubtedly have caused my death, yet calmness was flowing through in my veins. I felt no fear, not even the slightest concern. Instead, the pure freedom greeted me. Like a free peregrine falcon, I became one with the dancing wind just before the moment someone caught me, then as soon as the soles of my boots reached the freshly mowed grass, I started cheerfully laughing with joy.

"Miss Lanchester! I demand an explanation for what you just did! What was the idea in your head?" my suitor asked me. His deep voice reflected strictness and seriousness. He tried to make me realise that I was acting recklessly, but his facial features revealed that he was having trouble hiding a smile.

"Isn’t this what the Assassins call the Leap of Faith?" I asked him, while I wrapped my arms around his neck as he hugged my waist. He clearly saw that the adrenaline was still high inside me, so he did not let me go.

"Performing the Leap of Faith pays respect to our ancestors, and it symbolises our commitment. And the Leap of Faith is more than being brave, throwing yourself off the heights into the depths, but also about surviving the leap. In such cases, we place our lives into the hands of fate and we trust in our destiny." he told me. I leaned closer to him, looked into his golden eyes and told him the secret.

"But that is exactly why I survived the leap... I put my life into the hands of my destiny, into your hands, and I always trusted you, Jacob Frye!" and with that, Jacob finally understood that what I feel for him is true and eternal. All of sudden, he didn’t even know what to say, so his sweet lips answered me with a wild kiss instead of words. Jacob Frye always knew when to be gentle and when to be passionate, and I loved this characteristic of his. Meanwhile, my fingers stroked the back of his neck, and by the time my hands slid down onto his chest, I could feel every beat of his heart.

Chapter Text

The Lanchester House was very close to the Palace of Westminster, so I asked my suitor to take a pleasant walk with me. I wanted to enjoy his company for a little longer, but as we reached the southwestern corner of the palace I started telling a story about a man and his adventures. My father told me this story when I sailed across the sea for the first time and I joked about becoming a pirate. This was a well known story around the Queen Anne’s Square too. Well, I mean, this was a well known story to those who always kept their ears open.

My story was about a man, named Edward James Kenway. He was born in Wales in the late 1600s, as the only child of a humble family. He was raised there, in Swanseaon, on the southern coast of Wales. Later, at the age of ten his family relocated to the city of Bristol and continued their life on a farm. As a young man, Edward served as a privateer for the Royal Navy, but the promise of gold and glory lured him to the sea. He became a pirate and over the time, he gained several associates, including Edward Thatch, known as Blackbeard. A Spanish Governor, Laureano de Torres y Ayala imprisoned Edward on a ship in the Spanish Treasure Fleet heading for Seville, but he managed to escape. He obtained the ship known as the El Dorado. Soon, he renamed the ship Jackdaw and as the captain, he sailed the seas for many years. Later, Edward returned to his hometown, and eventually he moved to London with his daughter. The Kenway Mansion still stands, on the northern bank of the Thames. Edward James Kenway was murdered in his own home, on a December night. By the time I got to the end of the story, we were standing in front of the Lanchester House.

"Reginald Birch was the one who killed him not so long before your British Brotherhood of Assassins moved their headquarters from London to Crawley..." I informed him. Earlier, Jacob told me that in the middle of the the 18th century the British Rite of the Templar Order led by Reginald Birch murdered the leaders of the British Brotherhood of Assassins. So, I asked the question that the story raised. "Am I right that Edward Kenway was one of the former leader of the British Assassins?"

"Yes." Jacob answered without hesitation. Finally, I understood why the devoted father was murdered. Reginald Birch served the Templar Order, while Edward James Kenway represented the creed of the Assassins Brotherhood, so they were ancient enemies. I knew that Edward James Kenway was a fearless pirate. My father heard the rumours from his friends, and later I heard more rumours on the streets, so we put the pieces of the story together. However, we had no idea that he was an Assassin. A loyal member, what’s more, a leader of the British Assassins.

"What happened to the Jackdaw?"

"Kenway donated his ship to the Assassins, but no one knows what happened to it. It is said to have been seen sinking in the Caribbean Sea, near the coast of Hispaniola..." he told me, then a pleasant silence came and it was broken only by the chirping of the crickets, from time to time. Soon, we found ourselves admiring the constellations of the night sky. I was staring at the light of the Sirius, when I realised that I still had concerns.

"Please, be careful! Crawford Starrick is a very dangerous man and who knows what he will do if you ruin his plans. Think twice about what you are going to do!" I asked the man in a gentle voice.

"He already knows for a while now that the Assassins are back in London, but he doesn’t seem to be bothered."

"He does!" I argued. "The Blighters still keep the streets of Lambeth and Westminster in fear."

"Just so you know, the gang leader of the Blighters is not Starrick. He is only the financial sponsor who hires whoever he wants to do the dirty work..." I was so confused in no time. Until now, I thought that the members of the infamous gang were following Crawford Starrick’s orders, and now it turned out that I was wrong.

"If not he is the one who is pulling the strings, then who is?"

"It would be much more appropriate to ask that who is behind the scenes..." at first, I didn’t understand his hint, but before I could ask who he was talking about, the recognition hit me.

"Maxwell Roth?" I asked, and with that Jacob nodded. I did not want to believe that the highly respected owner and director of the Alhambra Music Hall was responsible for the countless murders that soaked the streets of London with blood. "Tell me this is only a bad joke!"

"I wish it was! Roth is not a member of the Templar Order, only an associate of them, but Starrick has given him an incredible amount of money to train the gang leaders and keep the people in fear by their control. That’s why the Blighters have not yet run out of ammunition or gunpowder. And in addition, Roth bought the building of the Alhambra by using the exact same money... It is the base of his illegal operations, the Alhambra is only a legitimate facade what he shows for the public..."

"So, Maxwell Roth is not an old fashioned gentleman, but the smartest criminal of our time?!"

"...Who recently came to me with a very interesting offer." he added. I was about to ask that when he lost his mind, but he quickly gave me an explanation. "Starrick insulted his eclectic lifestyle and chaotic methods, saying that Roth is negligent in carrying out the duties assigned to him and that is why the Blighters are nearly useless, so Roth decided to undermine the criminal and economic power of the British Templar Order throughout the city. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, as people say..."

"As far as I know, this was said by an Arab prince, who was then executed by his own, trusted to be loyal people." I said in a whisper. I was about to add that the origin of this phrase is in an Ancient Indian Sanskrit, the Arthashastra of Kautilya who lived centuries before us. Howewer, Jacob heard my words and he seemed a bit shocked by the information. I didn't mean to shock him, so I quickly apologised to him. "I’m sorry! Please, go on!"

"Well... We made a deal, so temporarily he is my ally. We sabotaged Starrick’s shipments of explosives and kidnapped three of his henchmen." he told me. Moments later Jacob came closer to me and gently touched my face. His touch should have calmed my soul, but my concerns did not ease at all. "As long as this deal stands, the Blighters and the Rook will not fight against each other."

"And what if Mr Roth breaks his word? What if he tries to kill you in an unexpected moment?"

"Don’t forget that I am never defenseless!" he reminded me as he showed me the weapon hidden in the inner side of his black gauntlet. For a brief moment, Jacob tensed the muscles in his forearm and flexed his wrist, then the sharp hidden blade appeared. Its length could have easily kill anyone, but it would still have been nearly invisible in close combat. The gauntlet and its hidden blade seemed very dangerous, yet I studied their details with amazement. At the top of the Clock Tower, Jacob mentioned that this was the signature weapon of the members of the Assassin Brotherhood, and its long history is dating back to at least the 5th century BCE. At first, the use of the hidden blade required the amputation of the left ring finger, but at the beginning of the 13th century, the mechanism was modified. Partly because in those days the Assassins could easily be identified by their missing ring finger. Jacob repeated the movement, activating a pressure switch inside the bracer, and with that the blade disappeared from my curious eyes. "I will be fine, I promise!"

"I will hold you to your promise!" I warned Jacob. I was so worried about him, because as it turned out, he formed a partnership with the most dangerous criminal of London, working on undermine Crawford Starrick’s power.

"And, as for you..." he started, this time with a smile. "Get some rest, because you won’t have too much free time in the next few months." he said, but I didn’t really understand his statement.

"What are you talking about?"

"I will convince Roth to accept your offer. For now, the Alhambra Theatre is a cherished dream of yours, but soon it will become reality!" I didn’t know what to say, my emotions warmed me. His words brought tears into my eyes, so I didn’t force myself to talk. Instead, I kissed him as if he had just gave me the stars of the sky, then as soon as our lips parted he did something, which I did not really expect. By the time I realised what is happening, Jacob’s silverish shilling necklace was already hanging around my neck. "Would you be so kind and take care of this necklace for me until the day your theatre opens its doors to the public?"

"Oh, that day is still so far, Mr Frye!" I stated with a deep sigh, while I raised my hand to my forehead with an elegant movement, creating a dramatic effect. "However, for your sake, maybe I will wear this necklace when I attend the upcoming ball."

"I have no doubt about that, unless you know how to untie Jacob Frye’s inextricable knot..." the man joked. I really had no knowledge of knots other than recognising the sailor’s breastplate knot and the square knot. While Jacob adjusted the silverish shilling hanging between my collarbones, he told me that the word Assassin comes from the Arabic word Hashshashin[1].

"A colonel and a baron also courted me in my early twenties, but in the end an assassin won my heart. My father will be delighted!" I joked, bringing a smile to his face.

"Do you think that if he finds out that a sinful murderer is courting his daughter, then he will step between us?"

"My father wouldn’t even mind if my future husband were a bloody fool, if that makes me happy. Besides, he already knows that you are a gang leader who murdered Rexford Kaylock in cold blood... If he wanted to step between us, then he would have done it a long time ago, but instead he invited you to have lunch. Take my advice and accept his invitation next time, because I am pretty sure that in your presence he will open one of the precious wines of the Lanchester House." I informed Jacob. My father collected many wines over the years, saving them for very special occasions. For example, a bottle of 1838 Amarone della Valpolicella red wine was waiting for the opening night of the Alhambra Theatre. It was a gift to the Lanchester family by a famous winery.

"And what do I have to do to convince him to open his most expensive wine?" Jacob asked me. He was excited by the thought of expensive drinks, despite he considered the fresh draught brown beer as his best friend.

"If you ask for my hand in marriage, pledge eternal loyalty to me at the altar and give him a grandchild, strictly following this order, then my father will make a toast with a 1913 Tokaji Aszú wine."

"Today, already for the second time, I feel the urge to get down on one knee in front of you." he teased me again, but I felt some seriousness in his words. To be honest, if Jacob Frye had asked for my hand in marriage right here and right now, then I would have said yes without a second thought, and there is no doubt that he knew that very well. I would have liked to stay in the front yard to continue teasing him, but I couldn’t resist the smell of Aunt Martha’s great Windsor soup. I wished that my suitor join us for dinner, but the leader of the Rooks had to go to the Whitechapel district, the duty was calling him. He informed me that these days probably he won’t have time for visit me, because it was time to eliminate Starrick’s cousin, Miss Pearl Attaway. Furthermore, gave me his word that he will speak to Maxwell Roth about my offer, and then he left Westminster with a promise to see each other again soon.

The dinner was filled with pleasant conversation in the company of my father, and the smell of freshly baked peach pie lured Rogue also into the dining room. Later, when I got to my bedroom, I took some old music sheets. Those were unfinished, waiting in the drawer of my desk for so many years now. I wrote down only a few musical notes when the rain started knocking on the stained glass windows. And with that, for a while, I forgot about everything that was happening outside the walls of my home.

The dark clouds covered the sky over London for days and the rain came at every dawn. The streets of the city were dotted with dirty puddles and the mud soaked even the expensive shoes of the aristocrats, but I didn’t mind at all. I spent a pleasant time at Lanchester House, especially in the music room, enjoying the sweet scent of the fragrant lilacs, admiring all shades of its purple colour. Aunt Martha brought them from Mrs Wykeham’s beautiful garden. Sometimes I wrote down musical notes on the sheets, and sometimes I played on my piano. The ebony black instrument meant a lot to me, because it once belonged to my mother.

Alexandra Blackburn was a very talented pianist who impressed the audience, even in the city of music, Vienna. And even in the months before my birth, she was shining on stage like the North Star. A bright career awaited her, but she was taken from us by the flu. After her death, the fresh chrysanthemums reminded me her sweet scent, while the oil painting hanging in the living room kept her beautiful facial features. But, her piano was in deep silence, and with the passage of the time the black and white keys were covered with thin dust. At the first months of the grief, my father did not let anyone near the piano, lest its magical sounds tear open the healing wounds. However, soon the silence became unbearable for me and I broke that painful silence in a stormy night. I learnt to play the piano, so that my mother’s beautiful ballads would keep her memory alive at the Lanchester House. Before she fell ill, she started to compose a sonata. "To Adaline, for my butterfly...", written on the first sheet. In Ancient Greek, the butterfly means soul. It’s delicate, flickering  and elusive, like a butterfly. Once I asked my mother why she calls me My butterfly, then she said that butterflies represents the power of the transformation and it shows us the easiest way to become who we want to be. At that time, I did not understand what her words really meant. Now, that I took her unfinished masterpiece into my hands and my heart decided to make it whole and perfect with a worthy finale, I already understood. Before I fell into a deep sleep, I once again picked up the fountain pen invented by the Romanian-born Petrache Poenaru, then I wrote these words on the first sheet; "The butterfly"...

[1] حشاشين

Chapter Text

It was already the middle of May, when the gloomy clouds finally left the city and headed north. The rays of the sun quickly dried up every drop of rain, and it was a pleasure to walk under the clear sky. With Aunt Martha,  I visited the market. We bought crispy bread and fresh milk, and we put smoked ham also into our basket. Later, Aunt Martha returned to home, while I went to the library to ask about new novels, and by the time the sun had set, I was walking on the streets of the Lambeth district.

I was on my way to Lambeth Asylum to visit Miss Florence Nightingale. The old lady was a nurse with a heart of gold. For almost thirty years now, she healed people and often ket vigil at the bedside of those whose lives were coming to the end. Fourteen years ago, she tended to the wounded soldiers on the front line during the Crimean War, and when she returned to England she introduced many social reforms to improve healthcare. Furthermore, she published a book, which later served as the cornerstone of the curriculum at the Nightingale Training School in the St Thomas’s Hospital. She was a true friend of my mother, they met as young ladies in the finishing school and they loved each other like sisters. Miss Nightingale was present even at my birth, she eased my mother’s labor pains. Now that Dr John Elliotson could serve the Templar Order only in the afterlife, Crawford Starrick had no reason to finance the Lambeth Asylum. The doctors and nurses of the asylum were dismissed one after the other, while the healthcare was interrupted throughout the city. I could not do anything about it, but I wanted to know what will happen to Miss Nightingale in the near future.

I was walking towards the hospital with slow steps, so that I could spend more time in the fresh air, which had been cleaned by the rain in the past few days, but as soon as I got closer to the main entrance, I saw someone in front of the huge double wing door. A little girl whose seaweed green dress I would have recognised anywhere.

"Clara?"

"Miss Lanchester! What a pleasant surprise!" greeted me the leader of the Urchins, as soon as she saw me. She was smiling, but I could see that something is wrong.

"Nice to see you again! I came to see Miss Nightingale to have a few words with her. I wish to know what she will do after the Lambeth Asylum closes its doors." I said in a kind voice, returning her smile. "What are you doing here, if I may ask?"

"The children in my care have been falling ill and the usual tonics are not working. I came to... I-I... I ca-" only then I noticed that the little girl was fighting to keep her balance. When she came closer to me, I already saw that there were tears in her chocolate brown eyes, and her cheeks had a slightly reddish hue.

"Clara! Are you feeling all right??"

"O-of course! I am, Miss Lanch-" she whimpered, but before she could finish her sentence she passed out.  Fortunately, I caught her just in time, so she did not fall down the steep stairs.

"Clara! CLARA!" I called her name, but in vain. Clara did not regain her consciousness. "Please! Is there a doctor nearby? Please, someone! Anyone, PLEASE!" I cried out in desperation, but not a single soul was wandering on the dark streets. I held the little girl in my arms, hugging her so tightly, while I was hoping that someone will come to help me. I didn’t know what to do, but then the doors of Lambeth Asylum opened behind us. My heart was relieved when I saw Miss Nightingale’s kind face.

"Bring her inside, quickly!" the old lady urged me. She led me into the nearest room, where I could place the unconscious little girl on a soft bed. By then, Clara was shivering, like the poplar leaves in the cold wind. "She simply collapsed?"

"Yes! She said that the others already took tonic, but it did not work."

"I am not surprised..." Miss Nightingale grumbled. I looked at her questioningly and she instantly noticed my gaze. She sighed with sorrow, as she placed her hand on Clara’s forehead, then looked at me again. "Ever since Dr Elliotson was murdered, the city, especially the Lambeth district has been overrun with counterfeit tonics. This little girl needs proper care, but without the appropriate medication she and the others will quickly decline. Herbs don’t help here anymore..." she informed me, and my blood froze. The thought that the children might be drifting off to an eternal sleep tonight terrified me. I loved these sweet children so much, and Clara was especially dear to my heart. I would have done anything to save their lives. Anything...

" Tell me, what do you need?"

"Supplies, plenty of them. And medicine. However, I can’t do much without the rare ingredients." the answer came. I knew that my mission will be dangerous, and I may fail, but I didn’t care about the risks. The children needed me.

"I will get what you ask for!"

"All right, but hurry! We don’t have much  time! If these children don’t get proper medicine within a few hours, then they won’t survive the night." hearing her words, I felt slight nausea, but there was no time to waste. Every minute and every second counted. Miss Nightingale told me where the pharmacist, Dr Jeremiah Bancroft was preparing the shipment for the Lambeth Asylum, then I left the building in a hurry. On the way, a few members of the Rooks joined me. We walked through the narrowest streets of the Lambeth district and just before we arrived to the address given to me by Miss Nightingale, we heard Dr Bancroft’s desperate voice.

"Please! You can’t take these! The medical supplies are for the hospital!" hiding in the shadow, we was watching as the young pharmacist and the medical shipment were surrounded by four members of the Blighters. I already suspected that the Blighters were behind the disappearance of the medical shipments, and now my suspicions have been confirmed.

"No! The supplies are for whoever pays the most money." the ugliest of the Blighters yelled with impatience, then pushed the pharmacist. The defenseless man landed in the mud, and the people around him were laughing loudly. We could not watch anymore. We had to do something, right now.

"What is the plan, Miss Lanchester?" the Rooks asked me. I asked them to help me chase the Blighters away from the area without anyone losing their lives, because I didn’t want to violate the agreement that was made between the two gang leaders, Jacob Frye and Maxwell Roth. A few slaps and three brief minutes were enough for chase the Blighters away. Fortunately, we arrived just in time, so the young pharmacist was not hurt. I informed him that Miss Nightingale sent me for the medical supplies and he was happy to give me the reins of the cart.

"Please, be careful! Some of those items are fragile!" he warned me. I promised him that I will deliver the supplies safely to Miss Nightingale, thanked the Rooks for their help, then I grabbed the reins and returned to Lambeth Asylum.

"Miss Nightingale!" I called for the old lady. When I entered the room where Clara was, I found her too. She tried to ease the little girl’s fever with a wet towel.

"You are back! Just in time!" her lips curled into a smile as soon as she saw me. I carefully placed the most valuable medications and tonics in fragile bottles on the table, then took a seat on the edge of Clara’s bed. I was looking at the little girl with such a worry, her forehead was already covered with salty sweat. As I was staring at her features, I remembered the moments when Clara gave me a bright pink tulip. She was a kind, sweet, selfless little girl who deserved happiness in every minute of her life. But instead, now she was lying on a rickety bed, surrounded by the cold walls of Lambeth Asylum, fighting for her life.

"How is Clara?" I asked, but I didn’t dare take my eyes off Clara. By then, Miss Nightingale already prepared a very strong medicine and injected it into the little girl’s body with the help of a syringe.

"She is weak and she has a high fever, but she will recover. Don’t worry!" she calmed me. "Thanks to you, from now on, we can distribute authentic medicine."

"But is that a permanent solution?"

"I will petition to have better healthcare regulations. The time for the counterfeit tonics are over." she stated firmly. Miss Nightingale had great influence in the field of healthcare, so I had no doubt that she will succeed. I was looking at her with a smile on my face, finally remembering why I visited Lambeth Asylum in the first place.

"Miss Nightingale... What will you do after Lambeth Asylum closes its doors?"

"It takes a long time to change things, but I’m not going anywhere..." she answered. She returned my smile, took a few fragile bottles from the table, then walked over to an other room to tend the other children. As the silver light of the moon was shining through the windows, I wondered if the time was getting late, but then Clara’s weak voice broke the silence.

"T-the... The children... The chi-" the medicine had not yet had time to work, so the little girl did not have enough strength to speak. Her words were whispers. In my childhood, when sometimes I was ill at nights, my mother’s touch always calmed me and gave me strength. Her embrace did miracles, and her gentle touch was a cure for me during the feverish nights. Unfortunately, Clara’s mother has already left the World of the Living, but I could not let this innocent little girl feel alone in these dark hours, so I gently grabbed her hand.

"Don’t worry, Clara! They all will recover, and so will you. I got the medicine!" I told her. The little girl looked at me with her chocolate brown eyes. She was so tired. She gently squeezed my hand, smiled at me faintly, and before she fell into a deep sleep she whispered...

"Thank you, Mom..." and with that she entered the dreamworld. Hearing her words, at first, I froze. I even forgot to take breath, and soon warm tears appeared in my eyes. But those were not bitter. Those were the tears of joy. Although, Clara O’Dea didn’t know, but she had a very special place in my heart. When I found her on that stormy spring morning, I only saw a defenseless child, but as time passed, this little girl became more and more important to me. I loved her as if she were my own for so long, and now her words revealed that she also feels this mother-and-daughter bond between us. Unbreakable, forged from sincere love. From now on, also as a mother, I had to be there in the life of a child whose soul was as pure as fresh dew on the silky grass. Clara already mentioned many times that she is wishing for a loving family. For a clean home that is full of the sweet scent of hot chocolate during the snowstorms, for caring parents whose love accompanies her everywhere, and maybe even for a furry friend whom she can responsibly for. As the bells of the Clock Tower chimed at the twenty-first hour of the day, I promised Clara that I will give her the life she wished for.

I stayed by her side for almost two more hours, guarding her dreams until her fever nearly disappeared. I knew that the children were in the best of hands, thanks to Miss Nightingale, so I left the Lambeth Asylum with a calm heart as the midnight approached London. I had barely walked a few meters from the wrought iron gate of the hospital, when I heard the sound of quick footsteps. I did not even have to look back, since I had no doubt that the Blighters were after me. Those four bastards who were chased away by the Rooks not so long ago. Maybe I should have run away, but I was still angry for what they did to the young pharmacist, so I started mocking.

"Why are you wandering around such dark streets at this late hour, boys? Perhaps, you missed the bedtime story and the hot cocoa?" I mocked as I continued walking.

"Watch your mouth, you ugly goose!"

"Duck..." I corrected. "A duckling, to be exact."

"What?! What the hell are you talking about?"

"Once upon a time, there was an ugly duckling who was mocked because of his grey feathers, so h-"

"Enough!" the man who earlier pushed the young pharmacist into the mud yelled, but I didn’t go silent.

"... he was so sad and he was ashamed, so he decided to hide. But then, one day he met wi-"

"I said, enough! Stop talking!"

"...with a beautiful and graceful Mama Swan. She took the ugly duckling under her so-"

"Did you not hear me?! ENOUGH!"

"...soft and white wings, and said to him in a gentle voice; You are not a little duck, you are a little swan!" I reached the end of the story, but by that moment the man completely lost his head, in which he had only a tiny brain, with the size of a walnut at most. He was running towards me like a furious beast, unaware that my fingers already grabbed the ebony hilt of my dagger. I was not a member of the Rooks, so the agreement between the gang leaders did not apply to me at all, so I could harm them without consequences. I turned my back to the dark night to look into the eyes of the furious man, but before he could get enough close me, suddenly he disappeared in a thick greyish smoke.

"W-what the hell?!" the man he grumbled, coughing aloud, and soon his companions also started choking by the smoke. For some unknown reason the smoke had a slightly aniseed scent. I quickly came to my senses and held my breath, so the cyanide had no time to start scratching my throat. Meanwhile, it was hard to see anything, so I had to trust my ears. Between the coughing and the swearing, I heard slaps, punches, thumps, crashes and a few crackles too, and as soon as the smoke faded away...

"Jacob!"

"Adaline!" my suitor hurried to me after he knocked out the Blighters alone. The four red clothed men were still alive, but none of them was conscious, they were lying in the dust. Jacob embraced me as if it had been a thousand years since the last time he saw me, then he looked at me. His gaze was full of concern and he didn’t let my hands go. "Adaline, why are you in Lambeth at such a late hour?"

"Well, I could ask you the same question." I answered, trying to dispel his concern with my kind smile.

"The Rooks informed me of what happened at Dr Bancroft’s pharmacy. These bastards probably knew that you brought the supplies straight to Lambeth Asylum, so they came here and waited for you patiently." I realised that Jacob’s hypothesis was correct without any doubt. These men clearly saw my face when I stood on the side of the Rooks, ordering them to leave the area, so they knew exactly who could have taken the valuable supplies. Besides, my grass green dress was quite spectacular, so maybe even a blind idiot would have recognised me. "Are you all right?"

"I’m fine, and thanks to you, the blade of my dagger is not soaked in the blood of these fools." I reassured him as I put away the my weapon, then finally my suitor returned my smile.

"Come! I’ll escort you home..." he said, then we walked to the  nearby street corner, hand in hand. There, Jacob hired a  carriage, on which two members of the Rooks greeted us as the drivers of the carriage, and finally we left the district. On the way, I told my suitor why I went to the Lambeth Asylum, as well as what happened to the children. Then, Jacob mentioned that he eliminated Miss Pearl Attaway early in the morning at the Waterloo train station, and the news of the young businesswoman’s death had already reached Crawford Starrick’s luxurious home. And, he informed me that his sister successfully retrieved the key to the hidden vault from Lucy Throne. As we crossed the Thames there was silence, and Jacob  broke it only when we were already close to the Lanchester House. "Adaline..."

"Yes?"

"I really appreciate your courage, but please, don’t wander around alone in such late hours. On the streets of Westminster and Lambeth in particular, because those districts are still ruled by the Blighters." he reminded me. He was right, since Westminster and Lambeth were still waiting to be liberated, so danger could lurk around every street corner there. It didn’t matter that I had some skills in close combat or I had a dagger, because I could have been defeated in a fight at any time, if the attack came unexpectedly. My father already asked me many times not to chase the danger, and I felt that it was time to fulfil both of their requests.

"I promise, if it is possible, then I will always try to return home before sunset. If it is not possible, then I will be safe in the company of your Rooks." I was serious, I really meant my words. Wherever I was in the city of London, I almost always saw the members of the Rooks, and I knew that they would be more than happy to be my bodyguards in the late hours. Jacob also reminded me.

"Remember that you can always count on the Rooks!"

"That’s right, Miss Lanchester!" said the member of the gang who was holding the reins.

"Oi, you two up there! Are you seriously eavesdropping?"

"No, we just... Umm... Sorry, Boss!" apologised the man who I knew as Johnny Walsh. I met him for the first time in April, not far from the Saint James’ Park. And, his companion on the driver seat was Gideon Hill who was introduced tom me in the Devil’s Acre. Hearing Johnny’s shy voice and seeing Jacob’s shocked expression I started laughing aloud. I found our situation so humorous that I was unable to remain silent. By the time we reached the southwestern corner of the Palace of Westminster, we were all laughing and soon we arrived to the Lanchester House. Jacob politely helped me out of the carriage, escorted me like a gentleman all the way to the front door, then said goodbye with a sweet kiss before leaving with the Rooks. Although, it was almost midnight when I returned home, yet my father was still awake. He was admiring my Aunt Elizabeth’s oil painting, smoking tobacco from his cherry wood pipe.

"Adaline! I was getting worried about you!"

"Yes, I can see that..." I smiled as I walked closer to him. "Aunt Elizabeth will bury you alive, if she finds out that you are puffing smoke in front of her painting."

"If I can take my pipe to the grave with me, then whatever..." he joked, but he never took her eyes off her sister-in-law’s beautiful cornflowers. As the time was passing, I joined him and began admiring the oil painting, as if I had seen it for the first time in my life, but my father broke the pleasant silence after a minute. "Curiosity is not my forte, but may I know where have you been so long?"

" There was madness in the Lambeth Hospital today..."

"Well, if I may remind you, that institution is a madhouse, full of madness. So you did not say anything new to me, Mademoiselle..." he joked a little, but this time I didn’t smile. The Lambeth Hospital, also known as the Lambeth Asylum was holding dark secrets for a long time now. Even thinking about that, I felt slight nausea. Unlike other hospitals in London, the asylum was undocumented and its records of treatment were unknown. And when Dr John Elliotson got his power from Crawford Starrick, the institution became a location of merciless experimentations. Thanks to Jacob, Dr Elliotson could no longer harm people. After I sent my thoughts about the asylum away, I told my father why I came home so late. I told him what happened to the children and the medical supplies, then I mentioned that Jacob Frye escorted me home to the Lanchester House. Hearing the name, an honest smile appeared on my father’s face, and even his greying beard could not hide it from me. "When will you invite your suitor to have dinner with us?"

"Soon, I promise!"

"That dinner could even be a lunch, that’s all right with me... Or a breakfast... A snack time, perhaps... Or what about a tea party in the afternoon?"

"Oh, no! No tea... Jacob prefers the fresh draught beer."

"If he accepts the invitation, then I will open one of my precious wines. What do you say?" my father opened the honeypot rather quickly, so I was grinning like a joyful little child. Well, I admit that I would have gladly accepted his offer, but those wines had to wait a little longer. "Ah, all right! I will join him when he will visit a pub next time."

After a few minutes, the clock struck midnight and its sound reminded me of how exhausted I am. I ate a fresh pear as a late dinner, later I took a hot bath, then I went to bed.

Chapter Text

I spent the next days again in the company of my piano and sometimes Rogue joined me. I played my mother’s beautiful sonata again and again and again and again, remembering that my heart made it whole with a worthy finale. When I performed the masterpiece for the first time in our home, Aunt Martha praised me with appreciation for long minutes, while my father smiled and let his tears flow down on his cheeks. These days, in every free minutes of mine, I was practicing the dance of my fingers on the black and white keys, while my heart felt that my mother is looking at me proudly from the Heaven.

On the warmest morning of May, the sweet scent of the freshly baked plum jam biscuits woke me up. I hurried down to the kitchen, wearing only my nightgown, and I tasted the delicious biscuits before Aunt Martha took them to the dining room.

"Tsk, tsk! You are just like your cat!" the old lady said to me as I licked the powdered sugar off my lips. I wished to pick a bunch of grapes from the fruit basket, but our housekeeper was about to hand me an envelope. Its colour had a beautiful shade. "A letter came for you in the morning."

"Fo’ m’? F’om Fi’enfe?" I asked with sparkling eyes, but Aunt Martha did not understand my words, because I had not swallowed the biscuits yet. I didn’t even wait for her answer. Instead, I washed and dried my hands, then the old lady handed me the envelope. Its colour was dark eggplant purple, almost matte black, sealed with a golden wax seal. My name was written on the envelope with beauteous handwriting, but I had no idea who sent me the letter. According to Aunt Martha’s words, an elegantly clothed gentleman brought it and he said nothing to her, except that she have to give the envelope to Miss Adaline Lanchester. I hoped that the letter I received will answer my question, but it did not. On the silky paper there were only these words; ’Leicester Park, after sunset’. I knew that the sender of the invitation was not my suitor. After all, he was not a fan of the eggplant purple colour, and I could have easily recognised his handwriting. For long minutes, I was trying to guess who sent me the envelope, and finally I decided that whoever the mysterious sender is, I accept the invitation.

The sun already disappeared behind London when I arrived to the address which was written in the mysterious invitation by a mysterious woman. Woman? Yes. I could have sworn that the letters on the envelope and the paper were written by the elegant hand of a woman, because the handwriting was extremely beautiful. Of course, I might be wrong. Faithful to my promise to Jacob, I was not wandering alone in the dark and abandoned area. Two members of the Rooks were watching over me. Brandon and Oswald, who had recently joined the gang. We had never met before, but as soon as I told them my name, they were smiling like cheerful children, feeling honoured to join and escort me. I had been waiting for almost an hour, but I had no intention of returning home before I found out who sent me the invitation. Maybe a friend, maybe an enemy, I did not know, but I did know that the person invited me here for a reason. I was telling Brandon and Oswald about the great brown beer of the Devil’s Acre when we heard a gunshot in the distance. Then, all of sudden, something exploded nearby, and its deafening noise might have been heard even in the Palace of Westminster. The flames of fire already rose high when I realised in which building the explosion took place. I ran to the other end of the street in despair, and before I got there I already heard the voice of the scared children. Some of them was sobbing, while the others were coughing.

" Dio santo![1] Are you alright?"

"W-we are fine, but... But Lily and Hugo! They are still in there!" a blond little boy said in a hurry. He was scared, and his face was covered in dirt and soot.

"Stay with the children!" I gave the order to the Rooks, and then I did something that might have signed my death sentence. I ran into the burning building. If the building had been a precious library or an exclusive dress shop, then I would not have been such a fool, risking my life. But this building was Starrick's workhouse where orphan children were working for a mouthful of dry bread. "LILY! HUGO!" I shouted their names, but no answer came. The flames were spreading very fast, so I had to hurry. I rushed upstairs, praying that I  would find the children. "LILY! HUGO! WHERE ARE YOU?"

"Miss Lanchester!" I heard Hugo’s terrified voice. The little boy was lying on the ground, and his left leg was trapped under a heavy box full of tools.

"HUGO!" I shouted his name, as I freed his leg. The little boy was injured, he barely could stand on his left foot, so I took him in my arms. "Don’t be afraid! I will take you out of here!"

"L-Lily..." he was crying, hugging me tightly. "Lily ran up to the attic. She was so scared and... A-and..."

"I will not leave Lily here, but first, I have to get you out of here! Hugo, everything will be all right!" I calmed him. Hugo nodded with tears in his eyes, then coughed again. All of sudden I realised that we are running out of air. I was looking around in fear, looking for a way out. The fire spread to all floors of the building so fast. With Hugo in my arms, I hurried to the nearest stairs, but its rotten steps were already glowing. Even the weight of a mouse would have been too heavy for them. We had no choice, but to go to the windows. The glass was shattered everywhere by the power of the explosion. That was the only way out for us, but the flames had caused too much damage to the wooden beams and they couldn’t hold on anymore. With loud cracking noises, the northern part of the building collapsed and the flames blocked our way. We found shelter under a rickety table, but it protected us only from falling debris. The poisonous smoke was already choking me, while the dust took my vision away, and even some ash got into my eyes.  Trying to take breath, I was embracing the little boy who was so scared. I was scared too, very scared, and I felt guilt. I gave my word to this child that everything will be fine, but no matter how hard I tried, I failed to keep my promise. "I am sorry, Hugo! I am so sorry..." I whispered as the heat became more and more unbearable around us. I trusted in my destiny, yet this time I did not expect any miracle. But then...

"HUGO! HUGO!" a little girl’s voice came from a distance, and then the little boy in my arms became so happy, chuckling a little.

"LILY!"

"HUGOOOOO!" this time, Lily’s voice came from a closer distance. And although, the tears made my vision blurry, but I saw the silhouette of the little girl in front of us. The children hugged each other in such a way that my lips curled into a tiny smile. "Come, this way! We found the way out! Quickly, quickly!" the little girl urged us before she started coughing. When I realised that Lily said ’we’, I was confused. I was about to ask who is here with her, when someone took the injured boy from me. In a hurry, yet carefully.

"Adaline!" I heard my name. "Hold onto my arm and whatever happens, do not let me go!"

"J-Jacob?"

"Lily! Do not let go of her hand!" he said, and with that the little girl grabbed my left hand. Lily’s courage gave me strength. I stood up, clung to Jacob’s arm, and followed him into the unknown. Soon we reached the safe street where I left the children with the Rooks not so long ago. I could not really remember which route we took to escape from the burning workhouse, but the building already was about to collapse. All of the children were safe, so did I, thanks to the of the leader of the Rook. We owed Jacob a debt of gratitude. Without him, not only me, but also two children would have lost their lives in the fire.

"This workhouse was a paper mill, no explosives were stored here. What the bloody hell happened?" I asked him, while Lily was still holding my hand. Even though, I could clearly see his little face, blinking still felt uncomfortable.

"All what happened here is Maxwell Roth’s work..." Jacob grumbled as his blood was boiling in his veins. He informed me that this time Mr Roth wanted to cause problem to Crawford Starrick by destroying his profitable paper mill. Jacob was the one who placed the dynamite crates in the building, but he had no idea that by sunset the workhouse would be full of children. By the time he realised that Maxwell Roth was about to kill innocents, it was too late. Mr Roth took out his own pistol and decided the faith of thirteen innocent children with a single gunshot, then left the area with a smug grin. The leader of the Rooks would have gone after him to assassinate him, but saving the children was more important than anything else. "Hugo is injured, and the other children got some bruises too. We take them to the hospital, and then I will escort you home."

"I would like to stay here, if you don’t mind..." I said, then Jacob looked at me as if I said that I want to run back into the burning building. To be honest, I also needed medical attention, because I my right wrist injured when the northern part of the building collapsed around us, but I wanted justice. I wanted Maxwell Roth to be punished for what he had done. "Soon the fire brigade will be here, and I am sure that the journalists are already on their way here. Someone have to tell me what really happened..." Jacob quickly admitted that I was right. Well, he admitted only after he twice advised me to stay with them. And I admit that after what happened I didn’t want to be without the presence of him, but I could not let the truth be buried under the ruins of the workhouse. It was not easy, yet he accepted that we have to say goodbye to each other for a while. He promised me that he will waiting for me to wake up in the lounge of the Lanchester House tomorrow in the morning. Jacob asked the present members of his gang, Brandon and Oswald, to stay with side, then the leader of the Rooks left with the children. I smiled, looking at the man who perhaps did not really know what she was doing. He tried to collect the little ones as if they were glass marbles, rolling in all directions, and their sight made me laugh in a gentle voice. When they were already far away, I glanced up at the sky. I thanked the stars that I could see them again and that I did not die in the fire. I knew that the death is inevitable. However, I wished to leave the Land of the Living in a peaceful way. And not tonight, but in another century. Fall into the eternal sleep as an old lady with white hair after living a happy life. I wished to have a grave and a gravestone under an oak tree, full of the fragrant squill flowers, visited by my children and granchildren.

I was admiring the light of Sirius all of sudden the silence was broken. I instantly turned to see what happened behind me, but I was greeted by a horrible sight. Brandon and Oswald were lying dead on the ground, and by the time I realised that the two men had been mercilessly murdered, their blood was already soaking the hem of my dress. Fear took over me, but before I could scream, someone attacked me from the darkness. My arms were held behind my back by force, while my face was covered with a rag soaked in a chemical liquid. I tried to escape, but in vain. The bitterish chemical made me more and more dizzy, slowly my vision became blurry, and not so long later everything went dark around me.

I was prisoner of the darkness, maybe for minutes, maybe for hours. I really hoped that what happened at the workhouse was only a bad dream and as soon as I wake up I will find myself in my bedroom. The raindrops will knock on the stained glass windows, while Rogue’s soft fur will warm my toes peeking out from under the blanket. But, when I regained my consciousness I did not feel the sweet scent of the freshly baked lemon cake.

"My dearest Jacob!" I heard a rough, hoarse voice and it brought me back to reality. "Alas, it seems our adventures together have come to a close. Although our time together was brief, it’s left a lasting mark. I wish you well in all your future endeavors! Cordially, Maxwell Roth..." hearing the name, I felt as if I were thrown into ice cold water. I came to my senses in a fraction of a second and I realised so quickly whose voice I was hearing. As soon as I raised my head and opened my eyes I saw Maxwell Roth. The man was sitting in front of me, at the other end of the table, writing a letter. Seeing the dark eggplant purple envelope next to his the letter, I already knew who had lured me to the Leicester Park. I wanted to grab my dagger and cut out the man’s eyes, but instead I had to tolerate being tied to a chair. "Post scriptum: I’m putting on a show tomorrow evening, all of London will be there. Please, be my guest of honour! You will find your invitation is in this beautiful rosewood box." he read his written words, then put the fountain pen down. He carefully placed the letter into the envelope, sealed it with a golden wax seal, then finally glanced at me. As soon as our gaze met, a devilish grin appeared on his face. "Ah, the young lady finally deigned to wake up! About time.."

"What do you want from me, Mr Roth?" I asked in a cold voice. My blood was boiling and my moss green eyes were sparkling with anger, but I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere with yelling, so I didn’t waste my energy. The director of the Alhambra Music Hall was staring at me for a long time, then got up from his chair and walked closer to me. Not to loosen the ropes around my wrists, but to grab the bottle of red wine placed in the middle of the table. I was waiting with patience, while he opened the bottle and poured himself some of the expensive drink. He took the fragile glass in his hand as if it was the rarest diamond, then he tasted the wine.

"You know, Miss Lanchester, I’ve had my eye on the leader of the Rooks for some time. I find his heroics in battling the great Crawford Starrick quite magnificent." he told me.

"Jacob and the Rooks are eleminating your lickspittles one by one. Does not that make you angry?"

"On the contrary! Surprise is the spice of life, my dear... Crawford Starrick, well, that is a different story..." he waved with his hand, then put the glass down and continued. "By the way, I told Mr Frye that if I fail to provide him with the chance to cause Starrick some trouble, then he can come here and kill me himself. I won’t run away..."

"And what do you get out out of all this?"

"A chance, my dear! A chance to have a little fun with the bravest man in London." Mr Roth was grinning at me as if he was a mad psychopath and maybe I wasn’t wrong. I would have appreciated it if he had kept the distance of three steps, but instead he leaned very close to me. I felt the urge to spit in his eyes, but seeing the scar that looked like a spider web and disfigured the right side of his face, I turned my head, pretended to be disgusted. Needless to say, Mr Roth did not care for my reaction at all. He wore that scar as proudly as Queen Victoria wore her crown. "But you know exactly how much pleasure it is to be in the company of Jacob Frye. I assume that he fully satisfy all your desires. If you know what I am referring to... Besides, that boy does have a clever way with words, he must have a really skillful tongue..." he annoyed me. I was still staring at the wall, so maybe I managed to hide that I was a little embarrassed. "I saw you two together when you attended one of my shows and recently I heard that Mr Frye might be getting ready for to propose to you. I believe that you are very dear to his heart, and I would like to see that with my own eyes. The way he spoke of you, the way he said your name..." hearing his words, I looked into his eyes again, and my gaze instantly revealed that I was embarrassed. "Oh, yes! He told me about you and your long cherished dream. I considered your offer, my dear... And do you know what I think?" I asked the question. I was afraid that the man would make fun of me and tell me that I am chasing childish dreams, but instead... "You, Miss Lanchester, you would really flourish this place. The Alhambra would shine again in its old glory, because you would put your heart and your soul into the shows. The Alhambra Theatre would be the most beautiful jewellery of England, and you would be its most precious gem..." this time, Mr Roth was not evil. I could see in his gaze that he meant everything he had just told me. I would have even thanked him for his kind words if his devilish grin had not returned. "May I have your hand?"

"I am tied to a chair, you moron!"

"Oh, you are right!" he sighed in disappointment, then looked at my left hand. I had no idea what he was up to and I did not really care, but when he took my emerald ring off my finger I became furious.

" Ma che cazzo fai?![2] Give me back my ring!"

"Do not worry about this beautiful jewellery, my dear! I’m about to send it to your suitor along with the invitation for tomorrow night’s show. I would like Mr Frye to know that you will be present..." he said. Mr Roth put my precious emerald ring and the letter enclosed into the envelope into a small rosewood box, then he walked closer to a cage in which a baby crow spread its wings. His black feathers was so shiny, like the obsidian, and he looked so happy when Mr Roth approached the cage. "I’ve been raising this little beauty since he hatched from the egg." the man said as he opened the door of the cage and carefully took the baby crow into his hands. He stroked him gently, and slowly walking towards me, so that I too could admire the little bird. The baby crow chirped, then snuggled against Mr Roth’s fingers and the sight warmed my heart for a moment. "He is beautiful, isn’t he?" Mr Roth asked as our gaze met again. Before I could answer him, the man let out a soft chuckle, then broke the neck of the baby crow with a firm movement. I presumed he thought that I would cry, or maybe scream, but he was very wrong.

"Vai all'inferno![3]" I whispered, and my words were soaked in poison. Mr Roth did not understand my insult in Italian, and I felt that he did not even care. Still grinning, he placed the corpse of the baby crow too into the rosewood box, then he closed it and handed it to his assistant.

"Lewis! Give my greetings and this little gift to Jacob Frye tomorrow in the morning!"

"I will, sir!" the man answered.

"And make sure that our guest has dinner. If she behave herself, and doesn’t try to flee, the you might as well offer her some cherry pie."

"Understood, sir!"

"And as for you, Miss Lanchester..." Mr Roth looked at me and his grin really bothered me. And if that was not enough, he leaned too close to me again. "Don’t even think about trying to escape! It would break my heart if you weren’t present at the show tomorrow night, because I have a special role for you. You are the sweetheart of the bravest man of London, so you deserve to shine on the stage tomorrow!" I was considering that I should spit in his eyes or rather break his nose with the hard bone of my forehead, but in the end I decided to create fear in him.

"Tomorrow, by the time the clock strikes midnight, you will be dead, Mr Roth!"

"Oh, I have no doubt about that, Miss Lanchester! The only question is, will you join me to the afterlife?" I had to realise that a psychopath does not feel fear, so I had nothing left to say. I remained in deep silence. "That all depends on Jacob Frye..." and with that Mr Roth put on his coat and left. Finally I got time to look around. Although, I was tied to a chair, but I could see almost every nook and corner of the room. Seeing the expensive mahogany furniture and the precious oil paintings hanging on the wall, at first, I would have concluded that perhaps I was trapped in Maxwell Roth’s residence. However, the colourful costumes, the various weapon replicas and lacy masks revealed that I was actually at the backstage of the Alhambra Music Hall. As for my escape, I had no chance. I had no knowledge of knots and I still felt pain in my injured wrist. Besides, Mr Roth’s assistant guarded me as if I were a precious treasure, and I was pretty sure that there are Blighters in every corner of the building. That is why I was waiting in patience. And for what? I had no idea...

[1] Holy God!

[2] What the hell are you doing?!

[3] Go to hell!

Chapter Text

After a while, Mr Roth’s assistant offered me dinner. In the fruit basket there were peaches, pears and blackberries, while there were a few slices of cherry pie on a porcelain plate. I felt the saliva in my mouth and even my stomach grumbled, but I did not even accept a glass of water. The assistant was really nice to me, he even offered to make me glass of lemonade, but I had too much pride.

During the night I did not sleep. Even if I had been in my soft bed, I would not have been able to sleep, because I felt so much pain in my wrist. The next day, I refused both the breakfast and the lunch. My lips were dry, as was my throat, but I still said no to fresh water.  When the sun began to set, I was already really worried, especially because I couldn’t get Roth’s words out of my mind. The man said that he have no doubt that by the time the clock struck midnight tonight, he will be dead. What is that supposed to mean?

"Good evening, Miss Lanchester!" Mr Roth greeted me a few minutes before the show. "I really hope that you liked the cherry pie and not even a tiny crumb of it left! You know, it is not advisable to stand on the stage with an empty stomach. That is why I’m letting you stay in that expensive chair. You haven’t taken your hands off it since last night..." he joked. My hands were tied to the arms of the chair last night, and my fingers were already numb. "Smile, Miss Lanchester! Tonight will be a special show and don’t forget that Mr Frye is the guest of honour. Do not disappoint him!" he said, then walked out onto the stage of the Alhambra, while the orchestra was playing a dramatic tune. "Mesdames et Messieurs, ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the Alhambra Music Hall!" Mr Roth greeted the guests. Those people were lured here with the promise of a special show. I should have scream for help, but the orchestra was playing so loud that no one would have heard my voice, not even myself. "Tonight, and only tonight, we have very special performances on the stage. Corvus the trickster and Jane the illusionist!" and with that, the audience started cheering and clapping as if the director had announced the arrival of William Shakespeare. "While some of the effects may seem dangerous and scary, do not be alarmed, my good people. Fear not! This is the purest form of entertainment! Tonight’s performance immortalizes and is for a benefot of a young fellow very near and dear to my heart. Any concerns or complaints may be addressed to him. Jacob, dear boy! Tonight is for you!" soon, Corvus the trickster stand on the stage in front of the audience. Although, I could not see what was happening on the stage, but Mr Roth made sure that I didn’t miss anything. The first performance required a volunteer and a young man was honoured to be part of the show. "A big round of applause for this brave man!" Mr Roth said to the audience as the young man walked onto the stage. "You are lucky people, ladies and gentlemen! You are about to witness this gentleman being fired upon at point blank range. Corvus will hit several targets placed around his head." he informed the guests, then I heard a few loud gunshots. "Exciting, is it not? Will our honoured guest go unharmed?" the audience was watching the performance with amazement until Corvus pulled the trigger one last time. Some of them screamed in fear, but the host of the evening calmed them down. "What a thrill! Do not freat, my friends, it’s all part of the show! Please, stay with us as we prepare for the next trun!" Mr Roth said. At the time, I still had no idea what actually happened on the stage, but when Blighters dragged away the brave volunteer from the stage to the backstage, the show turned into hell. The young man was dead. There was a bullet in the middle of his forehead, and that bullet caused his death. The audience thought that what they saw on the stage was just a spectacular magic trick, but they were so wrong. In despair, I was trying to loosen the ropes around my wrists, but in vain. Instead, I caused even more pain. I was screaming so loud, but no one heard me. Meanwhile, the show continued without interruption. "We found a suitably flat-headed gentleman for this one. You laugh, ladies and gentlemen, but I assure you that is the case!" Mr Roth joked and the audience burst into laughter. If the people had known that the young man was murdered, then they would have ran away from here a long time ago. "I have no doubt that I don’t need to explain to you how risky this performance is. And yet, our courageous participant hasn’t even flinched! Standing a few feet away, Corvus expertly throws his knives at the apple, slicing it in two." the guests were having a great time in the auditorium, while I was crying behind the scenes like a scared little child. The ropes did not loosen at all, but caused damage to my skin. "Well! We weren’t quite expectng that! Were we? How thrilling it is when life surprises us... I am not finished just yet! Stay right where you are and the show will continue shortly." moments later, already two dead men were lying at my feet. These men came here tonight to have fun and with that they signed their death warrant. "For this trick, ladies and gentlemen, we have found a most courageous volunteer! With our courageous volunteer in the box, the celebrated illusionist will proceed to saw him in half. Our skilled illusionist, Sabertooth Jane is performing this famous trick. The saw Miss Jane is using this evening is imported from the ancient city of Kodumanal, celebrated for manufacturing the finest steel in the world." Mr Roth told the guests. Knowing that the illusionist will cut someone in half on the stage, I felt nausea and I was dizzy. "Marvelous, marvelous, marvelous! To thank our guest for participating in the show, we’ve invited him backstage to partake of some refreshment before returning to the audience... The final act will begin shortly. Please, stay seated as we prepare! You won’t want to miss the highlight of the evening!" the audience was cheering excitedly as the host left the stage and walked to me. "It is time, Miss Lanchester!" Mr Roth’s harsh voice reminded me that this was not an awful nightmare, but the reality, and it seemed that the highlight of the evening will be bloodier than the tragedy of Macbeth.

"Why are you doing this? WHY?!"

"Why?" the man looked at me questioningly."Why I snap a baby crow’s neck between my thumb and forefinger? Why I slice to bits the ones you deem innocent? Why I kidnap a young, ambitious lady? Why I keep the world in its divine manic state? For the same reason I do anything..." he answered, and with that  his devilish grin returned. "Why not?" Mr Roth walked back to his guests, laughing like a maniac, while the Blighters carried me out onto the stage with the chair. As soon as the peppermint scented smoke faded away, I saw the audience. Almost a thousand people was smiling at me and the theatrical scenery enchanted them. I was surrounded by bare trees and thorny bushes, the lights was glowing in the shades of red and orange, while stuffed crows were hanging from the ceiling. For a moment, I thought of Salem. There, where witches were punished for their sins. By Hanging, yet I heard rumours that those women were executed by fire. "I hope you have enjoyed your evening so far, ladies and gentlemen! I know I have... And now, our final act, in which the most beautiful star of London, Miss Adaline Lanchester will shine!" I was fighting against my tears, while the audience was cheering and clapping their hands as if I had been crowned the Queen of England."I would like to toast all of you brave people who joined us tonight, burning with the desire to celebrate life... And death." Maxwell Roth looked at me one last time, got lost in my gaze for a while, then he said... "Go on, let them burn..." hearing his words, the blood froze in my veins. A fraction of a second later, the Blighters arrived with torches and set the stage on fire. The fire was spreading very quickly and soon the whole Alhambra was engulfed in flames. It was the moment when the audience realised that the death is no longer a mere illusion. The people were screaming in fear, escaping from the burning building, as Mr Roth continued laughing. "Ha ha ha! Your move, Jacob, my dear! Come and join us for the finale! Come out, come out! WHERE AAAAARE YOOOUUU? SHOW YOURSEEEEELF!" Mr Roth shouted, grinning with pure joy. He didn’t care that his bones will become ashes within minutes. Meanwhile, I was begging all the gods of all religions, because I wanted to live. I was crying and screaming, as I tried to free my hands with all the strength I had left. The ropes may have loosened a little, but by those moment it was too late. My lungs were filled with smoke, I felt so dizzy, the cyanide was scratching my throat, and the heat burnt my skin. Maxwell Roth was right, this was the final act for me. The Alhambra was my dream, but now it will be my grave. And with that, I got lost in the darkness...

I cheated death so many times in my life, but life came to its end for everyone, sooner or later. Some of them were sailing on the sea of dreams towards their eternal sleep, and some of them exhaled their soul on the battlefield. People believed that after our death, St Peter greets us at the gateway to Heaven, while the sinful souls are banished to Hell where only torment and darkness awaits them. In the last days of her life, my mother often told me about what does she think Heaven is like. She mentioned the angels with glorious wings. And the saints who walk on the silky clouds with bare foot, wearing white clothes and bring joy to each other by plucking the strings of the harp. And the gateway made from pearls of faith. Perhaps such a magical realm awaited the pure souls, but I ended up in an entirely different land.

I was surrounded by snowy mountains, and the mist covered everything with a silvery veil as the snowflakes were dancing with the breeze. In the distance I saw a fortress that must have been hundreds of years old. It seemed abandoned. There was silence, and its flags were not flying. All of sudden, an eagle landed next to me on the bare tree branch and looked straight at me. He was staring into my eyes, as if he could see into my soul, as if he was looking for something there. Soon, he continued his way, flying towards the fortress.

"Flavia... Il mio bel fiore di iris...[1] Agiamo nell'ombra per servire la luce...[2]" a voice echoed in the distance, brought to me by the north wind, and with that I left the realm of dreams.

I regained my consciousness in the Lambeth Asylum, Miss Nightingale’s kind words woke me up. He calmed the people and assured them that my life was no longer in danger. When I opened my moss green eyes, familiar faces greeted me. Jacob, my father, Evie, Eleanor, Aunt Martha, Henry, and even Clara were there. The little girl was the first who noticed that I regained my consciousness and after seconds I already hold her in my arms. Meanwhile, I looked at my beloved ones, who worried about me and prayed for me. The fate let me to stay a part of these people’s lives. In silence, I thanked the stars of the sky for being with them, and finally I burst into tears.

[1] Flavia... My beautiful iris flower...

[2] We work in the dark to serve the light...

Chapter Text

After a few days, finally I was allowed to return home. My tears dried up and the fresh water washed the dirt and soot off me. My wrist was still a little swollen, it did not hurt as much anymore, and Aunt Martha made sure that my wounds that were rubbed by the ropes heal fast. Although, I still avoided fire, because sometimes even the small flame of the candles revived bad memories in me, but I was no longer really afraid, since Maxwell Roth was dead. That night, Jacob killed him right in the middle of the stage and he saved my life. As it turned out, Mr Roth adoration for Jacob Frye was already morbid. Adoration for his principles, for his mindset, for his courage, for his sense of humor, even for his beautiful eyes. The thought of how that psychopath looked at my suitor brought me slight nausea. He was so obsessed with the leader of the Rooks that he wanted to die by his hand. He kidnapped me, Jacob’s sweetheart, to make sure that the man will present at the show, and he set the stage around us on fire, forcing Jacob to make his move. In the end, Maxwell Roth’s wish came true...

Sometimes, I still had bitter tears. Not because I almost died a few days ago, and not because of my grass green dress which was burnt by the flames. Thinking of the Alhambra my heart ached. My dream became ashes...

"Miss Lanchester!" an angelic voice called me early in the morning, while I was admiring the freshly picked lilac flowers. My little friend, Artie was standing in the door of the music room.

"Artie! Long time no see! Come, sit with me!" I greeted him, and with that the little boy sat down next to me on the piano bench. It was wide enough for both of us, my mother and I used to sit here together. "What bring you here?"

"I heard what happened a few days ago. I know that you are still healing and how much you love mysteries, so I brought you an interesting story." hearing the the little boy's words, a smile appeared on my face and I listened to the story with attention. Artie told me about a recent murder and the most hated man in London. His name was Mr John Ashton. He was a successful industrialist, but he treated people with contempt and he caused annoyance to many of them. He was found dead not so long ago, and there were many suspects. Mary Fletcher, his lover, who wanted to end their affair, but he refused to let her go. Thomas Reese, the pharmacist of the victim, who wanted to take revenge on Mr Ashton, because the Reese family farm was forced to close by him and his dirty methods, and now Mr Reese’s beloved parents had to live in poverty. Then, there was Laurence Hendricks, a rival industrialist, whose business was forced to shut down, because Mr Ashton had been paying his employees to sabotage his machinery. And two of Mr Ashton’s employees, Eddie Gastrell and Frank Miller, who resented their boss for cheating his employees out of their wages. All of them were suspects, as well as the wife, Mrs Ashton. The woman told the details about the daily routine of Mr Ashton, then also admitted that not so long ago she learnt about her husband’s affair, but the divorce was not an option for her, because the clergy believed that Mr Ashton was a pure soul. The clues were led to the truth, especially the knitting needle that the young wife often used to tie up her hair. Needless to say, it was revealed who caused Mr Ashton’s death. "Did you figure out who the murderer was?"

"The wife, Mrs Ashton..."

"Yes! That’s right!" the little boy rejoiced after I solved the mystery. He laughed cheerfully for a while, but soon his smile disappeared. He seemed sad, like an orphaned fawn.

"Why are you so sad, Artie?" I asked him. His father, Charles Altamont Doyle was an old friend of my uncle, and when Uncle Archie celebrated his fiftieth birthday in the autumn of last year, he invited not only his relatives, but also the Doyle family to the Blackburn Estate. There, I met little boy, who even then entertained me with detective stories. I had never seen Artie sad before, and now it seemed that something was really bothering him.

"Mr Raymond is dead..." he informed me. Henry Raymond was a British penny dreadful journalist who solved murders across London and he wrote about them. There is no doubt that Artie was his greatest fan. "My and my friends waited every week to read the next number and find out what happened next... From now on, who will write about the murders of London? Who will write the mysterious stories onto paper?" he asked the big question, to which I already knew the exact answer.

"If you love mysterious stories so much, then why don’t you write stories yourself?" I advised, then I saw golden sparks in Artie's hazel eyes. "I already see your first book in my mind. London’s Murder Mysteries, written by Artie..."

"Hmm... I should think I would use my full name. Arthur Conan Doyle..." he said, and with that his smile returned. "However, what the name of the brilliant detective in my stories will be is a still a great mystery even to me!" he added, then the pendulum clock let us know that the tenth hour of the day arrived. "It’s time for me to go, Miss Lanchester! I would like to enjoy every free moment I have, because as soon as the autumn come, I will resume my studies. I wish you a speedy recovery!"

"Thank you so much, Artie! For your kind words and for the mysterious story as well." Artie politely raised his hat and he was about to leave, but before left the music room... "Artie!"

"Yes?" he looked back at me with curiosity.

"Holmes..." that’s all I said, then the blond little boy tilted his head to the side. "The brilliant detective of yours... Name him Holmes. I think it sounds nice and mysterious!"

"Holmes..." Artie repeated the family name that I used as an alias for many years now. "William Holmes... Or Scott Holmes, perhaps? Hmm, no, no, no..." Artie was thinking, thinking and thinking. He wanted to give a perfect name for the detective in his stories, and soon the answer came to him. "Sherlock Holmes..." he whispered. The little boy was smiling as if he had solved all the mysteries of the universe, then he ran out of the music room with pure joy. "Thank you so much, Miss Lanchester!"

"For what?" I asked him, but Artie was already far away. I giggled happily as I looked at the porcelain plate. It was right next to the crystal vase that held the lilac flowers. "And he didn’t even taste my pear jam..." I joked. My fingers were already resting on the piano keys and I was about to play, when all of sudden Artie spoke to me in his angelic voice, again.

"Miss Lanchester!"

"Back so soon?" I joked a little.

"I’m on my way, but you have a visitor." he informed me, and before I blinked three times, Jacob Frye was standing at the door of the music room. Since the final act at the Alhambra, my suitor visited the Lanchester House every day, and he arrived always at ten o’clock in the morning. He always asked about my well-being, gave me a sweet kiss and a white iris flowers, and sometimes even brought some interesting news from the city. We could have talked about the upcoming ball, or the pleasant weather, but instead I played him the sonata that was so dear to my heart. When the last sounds faded away, my eyes were already full of tears, I was so sad.

"My mother was a pianist... She started to compose this beautiful sonata, but she died before she could finish it. Not so long ago, I made her unfinished masterpiece whole. I wished this sonata to be played for the first time at the opening night of the Alhambra Theatre..."I told him, as the bitter tears were flowing down my cheeks. "My hard earned money would have been enough to buy the building from Maxwell Roth, and I could have spent money on the developments. Talented actors and actresses, great musicians, freshly painted theatrical scenery and colourful costumes, maybe even new instruments... But the Alhambra burnt almost to the ground..." I reminded him, although, I was certain that the news of the fire had already reached the ears of all the citizens of London. "It is true that I have enough money to buy the ownership of the Alhambra, but then what do I do? What’s left of the building has to be entirely rebuilt and that require a lot of money. As for the renovation, I won’t even have enough money left to pay for the roof of the building, let alone new instruments..." I was really sad. It would have been useless to spend all my money on a building that I could not even pay half the cost of its renovation. Even if I could pay, the Alhambra Theatre would be empty, perhaps for many years. No elegant furniture, no beautiful crystal chandeliers, no glorious oil paintings hanging on the walls. I had to let go of my dream, because it was gone. "The Alhambra Theatre will never open its doors..."

"Maybe it will..." Jacob told me in a gentle voice, then I looked at him questioningly. The man took out a dark eggplant purple envelope from the inner pocket of his coat and handed it to me. The golden wax seal made it obvious to me that this envelope was sealed by Maxwell Roth himself. My name was written on it with beauteous handwriting.

"What is in it?" I asked as Jacob took a seat next to me on the piano bench. He had an honest smile on his face and I did not know what to think. "Jacob... What is in the envelope?"

"Why don’t you open it instead of asking questions?"

"Just tell me, please..." for some unknown reason I did not dare to open the envelope. Maybe because it was sent by Mr Roth. A wicked criminal who almost ended my life.

"I mentioned your offer to Maxwell Roth, and he said that he would consider it, but he didn’t tell me anything else." he began the story. "Not so long after he kidnapped you, he sent me a box and I found several things in it..."

"An envelope, my emerald ring and a dead baby crow..." I listed, staring at the shimmering jewellery on my left hand. I knew the contents of that rosewood box, Mr Roth closed it right in front of my eyes.

"Two envelopes..." Jacob corrected. "The one you are holding in your hand was in the box too. It was already there even before you regained your consciousness at the Alhambra, that is why you didn’t know about it. And at the end of the letter addressed to me, there was a second postscript in which Roth told me what was hidden in the envelope addressed to you." he went silent for a few seconds, then he continued. "Maxwell Roth signed a declaration. A last will... And it says that in the event of his death, all his real estates are yours." and with that, his lips curled into a wider smile. "Adaline... As soon as you too sign the declaration, the Alhambra is yours..." I was staring at the man as if he was speaking to me in Celtic. I did not really understand what he said moments ago, but when I realised the meaning of his words, I started crying. I was sobbing, like a little child, while Jacob was embracing me and gently stroked my back until I calmed down. After my tears dried up, I opened the envelope and read the statement. I started crying, again. Mr Roth left to me not only the ownership of the Alhambra, but also his wealth. It was a significant amount of money, which was more than enough to cover the costs of renovate the building, and for everything else. I could even afford to offer the guests golden champagne at the opening night of the Alhambra Theatre. Not so long ago, I was crying in my grief, but now I was talking with joy about who I will invite to the opening night of my theatre and who the guests of honour will be. "As for the invitation... I hope that you won’t be there the ball tonight!"

"Are you ashamed of my company, Mr Frye?" I joked.

" I desire for your company more than anything else, but Crawford Starrick will be there tonight, and we learnt that the hidden vault that holds the Piece of Eden is somewhere in the Buckingham Palace. Something will happen there tonight, that’s for sure, and I’d feel a lot calmer if you weren’t there."

"Oh, do not worry about me! While others will enjoy themselves in the garden of the Buckingham Palace, I will read the novel of Victor Hugo. Again... I would have liked to attend the ball tonight, but it is not advisable to dance with sore wrist..." I said as I glanced at my right hand. By the looks of it, there was nothing wrong with my wrist today, but I still felt some pain, especially when I forced my hand to play the piano."By the way, will you attend the ball with Jayadeep Mir’s invitation, again?"

"No. This time, I have to find another way..." he informed me. "Tonight, Greenie need to be at the side of the Maharaja, keep watching on him."

"So, what are your plans?" I asked him with curiosity.

"Well... Evie has to hide behind frills and lace to avoid suspicion when she sneaks into the the White Drawing Room to steal the plans detailing the renovations of the Buckingham Palace. The Queen keeps them among her personal papers... If my sister gets the plans, then we will know where the hidden vault is. But Evie can’t appear there without an escort, and someone has to secure the area while she is sneaking around, so I have to dress up like a charming gentleman and pretend that I am one of the wealthy guests. However, none of us have invitation... I mean, not yet..." he added, admiring the petals of the lilac flowers.

" What about your weapons?"

"Sergeant Frederick Abberline is our trustworthy ally. He will smuggle everything we need inside. He will wear a uniform, pretend to be one of the royal guards... We are really grateful to him for smuggling even our clothes inside, because Evie’s hair would turn grey if she had to face Starrick in a gown..." the answer came. Although, it seemed that the Assassins protecting my city had a detailed plan, yet I was still very worried. Crawford Starrick rarely appeared in public. If he did, it was for a serious reason, and now it turned out that he will be there at the ball held in the garden of the Buckingham Palace. For this, there could be only one reason. He already knew exactly where to look for the artifact.

"Jacob... Promise me that these won’t be our last moments together!"

"Adaline..." the man came closer to me, then gently took my hands and looked into my moss green eyes. "If we succeed tonight, then London will be free!" he reminded me. Yes, London can finally be free. But what is the price of this freedom?

"Would you die for this city?"

"It is enough if you know that for you I would face death a thousand times..." even though he gave an evasive answer, yet I was satisfied with his words. Jacob made me forget my worries with a passionate kiss, then he said goodbye to me, because he still had a lot to do before the ball. After my suitor left the Lanchester House, I continued to play the piano. My fingers were dancing on the keys for almost an hour. I skipped the lunch today and instead enriched my knowledge by reading my books about the astronomy, then when the sun reached the western sky I decided to drink a cup of Darjeeling tea. Unfortunately, I ran out of tea leaves I bought in The Curiosity Shop, so I put dried lavender flowers into the freshly boiled water. I always drank lavender tea in the company of Mrs Disraeli, and this thought was haunting me until I realised who could provide invitations for the Frye twins.

Chapter Text

Without hesitation, I left the house and hurried to the station in the Westminster district, hoping that the hideout train will arrive soon. I was not mistaken, the train was waiting on platform two. By the time I got there, the locomotive was leaving the station, but the train was slow, barely faster than a trotting horse, so caught the last carriage just in time. The one that was the laboratory and the armoury. Henry Green greeted me there. Although, my visit was unexpected, he seemed happy to see me again. I told him why I came here, then he escorted me to the carriage that was the study and the living room. When we entered there, I thought that I would be greeted by a pleasant conversation, but instead I found myself right in the middle of an intense argument.

"I’ve seen your handiwork across the city. Perhaps you should trust my judgement this time, instead of making your own thoughtless choices." Evie grumbled and her words instantly angered Jacob. I truly thought that the bond of the Frye twins was enviable, but now it turned out how wrong I was.

"I’ve been killing Starrick’s henchmen! What have you been doing? Hmm?"

"I have been repairing your mistakes! „Too much haste is too little speed...”"

"Don’t you quote Father at me!"

"That’s Plato, you idiot! And I am sorry this doesn’t involve anything you can destroy, as if you are an aggressive beast!" Evie continued to argue, almost yelling. "Father never approved your methods. AND HE WAS RIGHT!"

"FATHER IS DEAD!"

"ENOUGH!" Henry yelled at them. Only then did the twins realise that they are not alone, and when they realised that I also witnessed their argument, they both felt ashamed. "I have just received word from my spies. At the palace ball tonight, Starrick plans to steal the Piece of Eden, and then eliminate all the heads of church and state. Miss Lanchester came here, because she has a great idea that might solve your problem about your invitations." the sister and the brother understood that the stakes are too high, so they had to put their personal resentments aside for a while. Jacob and Evie looked at each other, then the man broke the awkward silence.

"Once more, for old time’s sake?"

"And then we’re finished!" Evie answered. If I hadn’t been there, then maybe they would have been at each other’s throats now. As soon as the tempers calmed down, I told the Frye twins that I know someone who might be able to give them invitation cards. Soon, I was sitting in a carriage on my way to visit Mr and Mrs Disraeli at their home, but only my suitor accompanied me. Evie said that she need some peacetime and silent to clear her head, so she hired another carriage. Jacob was in deep silence for almost ten minutes. So I decided to ask the question that was bothering me for a while.

"May I ask you something?"

"You want to know why Evie and I argued, am I right?" the man asked me. I nodded and waited with patience. Jacob sighed many times, but finally he answered me honestly.

"Although, we are twins, yet Evie and I are very different... Our personalities, our principles, our mindsets... She prefers philosophical thoughts and discretion, while I prefer action and fight. Even as a little girl, Evie was fascinated by the history of the Assassins and she always desired to follow the footsteps of our father. The Creed means everything to her..." he started. "A few minutes before you got on the train, Evie scolded me as if I were a worthless, snotty child. She thinks I am reckless, impulsive, rebellious and aggressive, and she looks down on me simply because my methods are different... I hate it when she bring our father into our arguments. That’s when I always lose my temper..." he told me and I could clearly feel that his blood was boiling. I knew that Jacob resented his father as well as his teachings from the beginning, but I had no idea that all of this was ruining his bond with his sister. "I never wanted to be a murderer, but my father never asked me what I wanted. As the time passed, I got used to this life and I no longer really wanted to sit in a rocking chair and drink hot tea instead of killing the enemies of the Assassins. But when I met you, I reconsidered everything..." he admitted, and with that I became captive of his gaze. "My father believed that my personal emotions would make me weak, but he was wrong! My emotions make me strong..." he added, then a confident smile appeared on his face and I also smiled. With the passage of time, we arrived to the Disraeli House. Minutes Evie joined us, and soon we were already talking with the couple in the lounge.

"Such an unexpected, yet great delight for me to see all of you again on this pleasant afternoon. Did you bring me some juicy gossip?" Mrs Disraeli asked us. Evie stepped closer to her and revealed the reason of our visit.

"Mrs Disraeli..." she started to talk with a kind smile. "We have discovered that there is something inside Buckingham Palace that could threaten th-"

"What my sister’s failing to say, is that we require entrance into the ball tonight." Jacob interrupted. Mrs Disraeli’s gaze went back and forth between the brother and the sister, then she said...

"Impossible!" hearing her words, all three of us became disappointed. After all, we had no doubts that the Prime Minister’s wife could help us to easily get two invitation cards for Evie Frye and Jacob Frye. Mrs Disraeli clearly saw the signs of disappointment on our faces, and even she was a little saddened. "Even if there were any invitation cards remaining, which there are not, someone of your lowly station... Well, I..."

"And what about the invitation cards of the Lanchester family?" I asked her, then everyone looked at me. "My father sent our invitation cards back a few days ago, but if I could get them back, then maybe I could give the invitation cards of the Lanchester family to the Frye twins." I came up with my great idea, but Mrs Disraeli's deep sigh broke my hope quickly.

"I can say for sure that the twins will not get into the Buckingham Palace with those invitation cards."

"And why not?"

"Because, even though some of the royal guards have pretty poor memory for faces, yet they know very well that the Lachester family is father and daughter, not sister and brother..." unfortunately, Mrs Disraeli was absolutely right. For a minute, I thought that the invitation cards with the names Arthur Lanchester and Adaline Flavia Lanchester might solve the problem.

"And what if my father uses his own invitation card and Miss Frye uses mine? Father and daughter... Miss Frye has to be there at the ball tonight, and let’s hope that Mr Frye can find another way in."

"Dear girl, the poor memory for faces applies only to smug snobs who are not worth remembering at all. You are a modest and sweet lady, the daughter of a highly respected diplomat, and your unique moss green eyes would not be mistaken for Miss Frye’s blue eyes..."

"If that damn fool Gladstone is attending this evening, they can have my card..." murmured the master of the house, Mr Disraeli, then Evie and I glanced at each other. Hearing the Prime Minister's words, the same thought appeared in both of our minds, then she gave voice to our thought.

"Mrs Disraeli... If you would be kind enough to inform my darling brother of the location of the Gladstone’s residence, perhaps he can use his considerable skill to commandeer their cards." Evie said. Mrs Disraeli loved the idea so much that she could not hold back her cheerful laughter.

"What fun!" she rejoiced, looking at her husband."Did you hear that, Dizzy? We’re going to pinch the Gladstones’ invitations!" Mr William Gladstone and his wife, Mrs Catherine Gladstone. A British couple that even my father did not like. Mr Gladstone was a politician who, during his time in the parliament, always looked down on Mr Disraeli and the feeling was mutual. They were rivals. Many people believed that Mr Gladstone would remain a bachelor for the rest of his life, because of his arrogance, but he eventually married a woman named Catherine Glynne. And, by the way, the streets of London were full of gossips about Mrs Gladstone’s secret affairs.

" Thank you for volunteering me, sweet sister!"

"Oh, a pleasure, brother dearest!" the twins exchanged words with each other. Mr and Mrs Disraeli didn’t even notice that Evie and Jacob were annoying each other. They were laughing so much, but soon they were tired. Moments later we said goodbye to them, then we left the Disraeli House. As for the location of the Gladstone’s residence, we got the exact address before our departure. As soon as we stepped out onto the street, I could already feel the tension between Evie and Jacob. The man gratefully thanked me for my help, asked me to return home, then went to the Gladstone's residence to steal their invitation cards. When he was already far away, I was still admiring the sun as it was approaching the western horizon, and soon Evie’s gentle voice broke the silence. "It will take time for my brother to get those invitation cards, so I'm in no rush. Come, let me take you home!" she offered her company, and a few minutes later we were already sitting in a carriage on the way to my home. Evie was lost in her thought. We were close to the Lanchester House when I took a deep breath.

"Evie..."

"Hmm?" the young woman looked at me with her ice blue eyes. All of sudden, I lost my courage, but my curiosity gave me strength.

"After the rule of the British Templar Order ends and London finally get its freedom, will you and your brother really go your separate ways?" hearing my question, Evie’s facial features changed.

"Sometimes Jacob acts very recklessly. He is out of my control! He has an extremely quick witted mind, that’s true, but he never considers the consequences and never realises the chaos he leaves behind..." she grumbled. Accidentally, but Evie glanced into my eyes and then I saw that she was not really angry. She was disappointed and sad. She remained silent for a while, then continued. "In our father’s eyes, I was always the perfect child who did everything to one day follow Ethan Frye’s footsteps, while Jacob wished for an entirely different life... Even our mother could not be there for him. We didn’t even have a chance to meet our mother, as she died on the day we were born, and our dear grandmother passed away when we were only eight years old... No one hugged Jacob when he cried because our father did not let him play with the other children. He even ran away from our home once... My brother’s heart wished for love and care, especially when he was a little boy, but all he got from our father was strictness and discipline..." she told me. I was staring at my emerald ring, so Evie would not notice that tears were welling in my eyes. Her words were daggers in my chest. Knowing that the man I love was treated so badly by fate made me so sad. "And, as for me... Jacob needed me, his twin sister. He never said it in words, yet I know it was so, but I was so blind... I followed the Creed, I followed the teachings of our father. I wish I would have followed my heart as well..." the tears were flowing down my cheeks and I didn’t want Evie to say anything about that, so I continued our conversation.

"Let me see if I understand your words...  So, you think that your brother is not a good Assassin, am I right?"

"Jacob is an excellent Assassin! In his own way... But our father never once said this to him..." she added. Evie gave me some time to wipe away my tears, then she looked at me again. "Did my brother tell you why our father left England not so long after we were born?"

"Yes, he did. He told me that your father fled from grief." I answered. Cecily Frye died young on an autumn night when she gave birth to the twins. "Was there any another reason why he left you and your brother for six long years?" I asked her, and by then the bitter tears were already shining in Evie’s eyes too.

"He blamed us for our mother’s death..." she told me the whole truth. Evie added that as the time passed, their father realised that not his children were responsible for the death of his beloved wife, but the cruel and merciless fate, so he forgave them. "You asked me if my brother and I would go our separate ways after tonight. I wish I knew the answer, Adaline..."

"I sincerely hope that you two will reconcile! Jacob is your twin, your little brother. He needs his sister and her guidance... And as for your family, you are all he has."

"That’s not true!" she protested with an honest smile on her face. "He has you! I truly believe that you will give him the life he always wanted. You make him happy and he makes you happy. Trust me, Jacob loves you more than anything!" Evie’s words brought tears into my eyes again, but before I got too sensitive..."Perhaps, he will even praise your pear jam too..." she added, and her remark brought us laughter.

Soon the carriage stopped in front of the Lanchester House and the moment of farewell came. The Frye twins were about to face their greatest and most dangerous fight of their lives so far, and nothing guaranteed that they would succeed, nor that they would live to see the morning. The fate of my city was in their hands. It was up to them whether suffering or freedom awaited London. I wished them good luck, then I turned my back to the street and started walking towards the wrought iron gate. I barely took a few steps when something came to my mind and I hurried back to the carriage.

"Evie!"

"Yes?"

"Would you be kind to give this to Jacob, please?" I asked her, while I gently took my emerald ring off my finger and carefully placed it into her hand. Evie looked at the shimmering jewellery with admiration, but she did not really understand why I wanted to send it to her brother. "In ancient cultures, the emerald was considered the gemstone of immortality and people truly believed that the emerald brings them good luck and... A-and... And I..." I explained a little sheepishly, but Evie Frye had the special talent to read people’s minds.

"I will give your ring to him, I promise!" she gave me her word. I always felt that my grandmother’s emerald ring really brings good luck to me and this luck is what Jacob needs now.

After Evie wished me a good evening and left, I returned home. When the rays of the sunset was shining into my bedroom, I was already sitting on my bed. Wandering among my thoughts, gently stroking Rogue’s ash grey fur, while I was looking at the painting hanging on the wall. The colours captured a perfect moment on the canvas centuries ago, back in the Renaissance, yet the colours always come to life in the golden lights.

Chapter Text

One minute I was still admiring the details of the oil painting, the next minute I was already sitting at the dining table with my father. We were having dinner. I just tasted the fried cod, when the master of the Lanchester House cleared his throat.

"I haven’t mentioned it yet, but... This morning, your suitor exchanged a few words with me before he left our home." my father started, while I took a sip of the sweet drink made from orchid roots and cinnamon. "Adaline..."

"Hmm?"

"He told me everything."

"Everything?"

"Everything..." he answered. By now, my father knew that my suitor is not only the leader of a street gang who guarded the dreams of the innocents of London, but also a dangerous Assassin. He is one of those who were in war against the Templar Order, assassinating Templars who threatens our freedom. My father already knew about the powerful artifact that is hidden somewhere in the Buckingham Palace and he learnt that Crawford Starrick plans to steal it and eliminate all the heads of church and state tonight. In the possession of the Shroud of Eden, with the promise of eternal life. There was silence for a while. I pinned the roasted asparagus on the points of my fork when my father looked at me again. "Do you truly love him?" he asked me. At the same time, he had a tiny, yet honest smile on his face, because he knew very well what my answer would be.

"Yes, I do!"

"Jacob Frye is an Assassin with blood on his hands. He swore an oath to serve the free will of the innocent people. His duties are his priority. And he has enemies, so whoever is close to him have to walk in the world with opened eyes in every minute, because the danger follows him like a shadow... Are you truly sure that you choose this life?" my answer was obvious, yet I remained silent. Not because I had doubts, but because my thoughts were elsewhere. In snowy mountains where the mist covered everything with a silvery veil, and the snowflakes were still dancing with the breeze. " I can see that your thoughts are wandering..." he mentioned. I still remained silent, so he continued eating. There was something that did not left my  mind, for many days now.

"Before I regained my consciousness at the hospital, I saw something. An abandoned fortress that must have been hundreds of years old." I told him, while I recalled the echo that came from the distance with the breeze, then I looked at my father. "It was the Masyaf Castle, in the western edge of Syria. And I saw an eagle on a branch of a bare tree, yet that’s not the point. The point is..."

"The point is...?" at first, I hesitated, but finally decided to tell him the truth.

"I heard his voice, Dad... He spoke to me... And I know it was him, because I felt it..." I didn’t even have to say a name, yet my father knew exactly who I was talking about. His facial features changed. I presume this was not the answer he expected.

"Whatever you heard was just a dream, not reality."

"Aren’t dreams part of reality?" I asked, and with that my father put his cutlery aside.

"Adaline... How could you have heard him, anyway? Ezio Auditore has been gone for almost three hundred and fifty years."

"And yet, his legacy lives on in my veins..." I added, then he fell into his thoughts.

"Your destiny is in your blood..." he quoted his own mother, Isabella Grasso, while he was keeping his eyes on the silver candle holders. In the old times those candle holders brought light into the dining room of my great-grandparents, Margherita Fiore and Giovanni Grasso, in their home in Firenze.

"Did my mother know who we are? Did she know who I am? Or who you are? Did she know who my Italian grandmother, Isabella Grasso was?" I asked my father, then he shook his head. "We work in the dark to serve the light. We are Assassins..." I reminded him. This time my father remained silent and I waited with patience, then he decided to share his thoughts with me.

"To be truly honest, I have always hoped that you’d choose a peaceful life. Just like I did, just like your grandmother did..." he told me. Even then, he was keeping his eyes on the small flame of the wax candle. "I remember when you turned sixteen and I told you about our ancestors for the first time. You were fascinated by every moment of their history. Even then, the Creed had a great impact on you and their teachings left such a deep impression on you... Before you sailed with me to Italia for the first time, you were only a sweet little girl whose greatest sin was that you always licked the chocolate shavings off the top of the lemon cake..." he joked a little, and the unforgettable memory brought a smile to both of us. "Not so long after we arrived to Rome, I introduced you to the current Mentors of the Italian Brotherhood of Assassins and later they told you about Ezio Auditore da Firenze and his legendary deeds. After that, you changed, you became different... Much more confident, much more courageous, much more determined. I thought that by the time we got home to England everything would be the same as before our time in Italia... But, it is time for me to finally realise that nothing can change who you are..." he said. He took his eyes off the flame of the wax candle, then finally looked into my eyes and found the flame in them. "You are Ezio Auditore’s blood, you are his descendant... An Assassin..." I saw the tears in my father’s chocolate brown eyes, and the emotions were swirling in him. I didn’t dare to speak, because the decision I already made by then might have broken his heart. He was so worried about me. It has been many years since my father lost his beloved wife, and now he was afraid that he might lost me too. All of sudden, the bells of the Clock Tower of Palace of Westminster broke the silence in the distance, the clock struck eight in the evening. The ringing of the bells meant that the ball in the garden of the Buckingham Palace had begun. The blood in my veins urged me to leave the delicious vanilla cake as soon as possible, and hurry to the palace before it was too late. I was about to let my father know that if he disagree with my decision, even then, I will choose the path of Ezio Auditore. But before I could open my mouth to speak, his lips curled into an honest smile. "Go, Adaline! Hurry! The Frye twins need you, and so does London!" he urged me with his gentle voice. All of sudden, my thoughts and my emotions were confused. I wished to tell my father with at least a thousand words how much his support meant to me, but he was right, the clock was ticking. I returned his smile with tears in my eyes, then I hurried to my bedroom and opened my most precious chest. It was made in the city of Firenze. All these years, I kept it hidden under my bed, covered with shadow grey silk veil.  All the things that once belonged to Ezio Auditore were locked into this chest. And over the centuries, the chest and its key came to me. Ezio left these belongings to his firstborn, Flavia Auditore, as part of her inheritance. Later, Flavia gave her inheritance to her first child, and as time was passing, this chest was passed down from firstborn to firstborn. As the only child of Arthur Lanchester, I was the one who inherited the belongings of the legendary Assassin, on my sixteenth birthday. Ezio Auditore’s assassin cape, his sword, his pistol, his jewellery, his maps, his compass, and even his diaries and letters to his daughter were kept in this chest. Their sentimental value was priceless. I wish I would have known him...

Ezio Auditore was born in Firenze during the Renaissance, as a son of a noble family. He had a happy childhood and lived a carefree life until his late teens. He was seventeen years old when his father and two brothers fell victim to a conspiracy and were mercilessly executed. Ezio, his mother and his sister were forced to flee to the town of Monteriggioni. There, at the Villa Auditore, his uncle, Mario Auditore told him about the Assassin Brotherhood and his heritage. Thanks to his uncle, Ezio got excellent training and became a great assassin of the Italian Brotherhood. He swore an oath to faithfully serve the free will of the people, and to take revenge against all those who harmed his family. It took so long time, but finally Ezio succeeded and fulfiled his revenge. In the meantime, he liberated Rome from the Borgia and the Templar Order, and thanks to him, also the people of Firenze and Venice won their freedom. He even thwarted the plans of the Byzantine Templar Order with the help of the leader of the Ottoman Brotherhood, Yusuf Tazmin. Thanks to Ezio’s efforts, many cities came under the control of the Assassins around Europe, and thus brought a Golden Age in the continent. Also, the man found some of the ancient artifacts, including one of the Apples of Eden. If what I heard is true, the artifact was hidden by Ezio somwhere in Rome and the exact location of the hidden vault was known only to a few people. Ezio was a deeply respected Mentor of the Italian Assassin Brotherhood, and his descendants were leaders of the Italian Brotherhood for centuries. Over his long lifetime, he travelled around the world. He visited Greece, Spain, Syria and the Ottoman Empire too, and he was seen even on the island of Cyprus. Furthermore, he had great friends, like Leonardo da Vinci. And he knew people like Christopher Columbus, Nicolaus Copernicus and Niccolò Machiavelli. Ezio had not only good friends, but lovers as well. Ezio spent pleasant nights in the bed of countless women, but the true love found him in the person of Sofia Sartor. Ezio retired as an Assassin, married to Sofia and the couple lived in a Tuscan villa. They had two children. A daughter, Flavia, and a son, Marcello. Ezio Auditore died in his hometown, in Firenze. By a heart attack, at the age of sixty five. My ancestor left the Land of the Living almost three hundred and fifty years ago, and yet, the Assassins all over the world are still whispering the legend of the Master Assassin, Ezio Auditore da Firenze...

I kept some of my personal belongings too in the chest. One of them was my assassin cloak, in the beautiful colours of silver grey and scarlet red. Another of them was a hidden blade in the inner side of a raven black gauntlet, sharpened not in Firenze but in Venice. Both were gifts from the man who paved my way for almost thirteen years now. Matteo Lastra was not only my true friend, but also one of the excellent leaders of the Italian Brotherhood of Assassins. He joined them as an archaeologist in his late twenties, and mostly he spent his time seeking and studying the artifacts of Those Who Came Before. As a Mentor and as a respecter of the legendary Assassin of Firenze, he felt it as his duty to take the descendant of Ezio Auditore under his wings and he did, but neither my father nor the Brotherhood knew about any of this. Matteo told me a lot about the history of the Assassins, he taught me the basic movements of self-defense, and I had the pleasure to enjoy the company of his falcon, Zephyrus, as we wandered in the city of Firenze. On my twentieth birthday he surprised me with a beautiful cloak made of expensive fabric, and I was twenty-five years old when he gifted me a hidden blade. If my father had seen the dangerous weapon Matteo had given me, then maybe he would have been angry, so I hid these belongings into the chest. Under my bed, I hid special musical boxes as well. I had twenty-two of them.

I put on my assassin cloak, which was decorated with tight buckles and silver buttons, later I adjusted the gauntlet on my left forearm, then finally I tightened the laces of my leather boots and I adjusted the shilling hanging around my neck. I would have already run to the Buckingham Palace, but I could not leave my bedroom without looking back at the oil painting hanging on the wall. Admiring the brushstokes that captured a perfect moment for posterity, I often talked to Ezio about what happened to me while I was away from home or what my thoughts were spinning around. I did, I talked to him, because I felt that maybe one day my words would reach him.

"E' il momento... Presto sarai fiero di me! Te lo prometto![1]" I made a promise, then I left. I hurried down on the marble stairs, heading towards the lobby, but as soon as I grabbed the knob of the double wing door...

"Whoa! Hold on a moment, young lady!" my father’s words stopped me. Not long ago he was urging me to hurry to the palace, but now he was holding me back. "Where did you get that weapon?" as I looked at him, I instantly noticed that his eyes were fixed on my hidden blade. Even though it was hidden, my father managed to catch a glimpse of it when I reached for the doorknob. Did he have some sort of eagle vision or was that his sixth sense? Either way, all of sudden, didn't know what to answer.

"Umm... Things happened in Firenze that you don’t know about." that’s all I said and I hoped that my answer was enough to him. Needless to say,  I was wrong. One of my father’s eyebrows started twitching slightly, and this happened whenever he caught suspicion.

"Does this weapon have anything to do with a man who happens to be a Mentor of the Italian Brotherhood of Assassins?" he asked me, and that certain ’I am in a big trouble now, aren’t I?’ expression appeared on my face. "Dio santo![2] Matteo..." he rolled his eyes, and if I wasn’t about to fight against the Grand Master of the British Templar Order, then I might not only smile, but maybe even laugh a little. My father did not continue his sighing. Instead, he nodded his head towards the door, reminding me that I was on my way to the palace, the he called me by my name one last time. "Adaline..."

"Yes, Dad?"

"If you do not return..."

"Hmm... Something tells me that you don’t entirely trust my abilities and skills." I joked. "But do not worry, I will return!"

"But in case if not..." he insisted on telling me what he wanted to say, right here and right now, because he might not have the chance later. "Please, tell your mother that I think of her every day." he asked me in his kind voice. Instead of words, I pulled him into a tight embrace. It’s been a long time since I’ve hugged him as tight as in those moments. I promised to myself that if I had another chance in the future, then I would hug him as many times as possible. Then, I let go of my father and walked out the door of the Lanchester House, perhaps for the last time.

[1] It’s time… Soon you will be proud of me! I promise!

[2] Holy God!

Chapter Text

My way to the palace started with a detour, because at first, I went to the station in the Westminster district. I reached the hideout train of the Rooks just in time, and with Agnes’s permission I took a few smoke bombs from its armory. I needed these, since the Buckingham Palace was guarded by armed royal guards and I could not just walk in. Even if I had had an invitation card and my clothing had not attracted too much attention, yet I still wouldn’t have been able to sneak my weapons in unnoticed. I approached the garden of the palace from The Royal Mews. The Queen kept magnificent horses there, Friesian and Lipizzaner stallions too, but I had no time to admire them now. My attention had to be concentrated, because there was a slight chance that the royal guards would notice me. However, standing in the shadow of the stables, I found that the ball was too quiet. The violin and the flute were silent, the guests was not waltzing under the starry night sky, and no one praised the expensive French champagne. The people gathered in the western part of the garden, at the shore of the lake. I took advantage of the mess and I rushed over to them.

"Please, stay calm!" the royal guards asked them, but the people were in despair.

"That’s awful! How could something like this happen here?"

" Someone do something, please!"

"Oh, my God! There must have been an accident!"

"We are in danger, I’m telling you!"

"Gregor, please, let’s go home! I don’t feel safe here!"

"What happened?" I asked one of the young ladies. It is true that she was also confused, but not as much as the older women. I appreciated that she did not start commenting on my appearance hich was unusual for aristocrats and nobels, nor that the hood of my cloak cast a shadow on my face did not cause her any fear. She readily informed me.

"We were right in the middle of the waltz when all of sudden we heard explosions from that direction." she pointed towards the other side of the lake, where the breeze was dancing with the leaves of the willow tree. The golden string lights were not shining in this part of the garden, so we didn't see much, and even though it was a full moon, the silverish rays hid behind the thin clouds. "We all hurried here, but no one knows what those explosions were... Not so long ago a few guards were sent there, but they haven’t returned yet. What do you think happened?" I wanted to be polite and say something, but my attention was caught by the crowd. Sometimes, my gaze got lost among the satin frills and the lacy silk fans, I even saw Maharajah Duleep Singh and the Disraeli couple for a brief moment, but not their faces were what I was looking for. I did not see Jacob Frye, or Evie Frye, or Henry Greene, or Crawford Starrick, and that could mean only one thing. They found the hidden vault that guarded the Shroud of Eden and their battle had begun. The Assassins were fighting to protect the artifact and the freedom of London, while Crawford Starrick wanted to sacrifice my city in exchange for eternal life and eternal power. Without hesitation, I broke into a run. I hurried to the shallowest part of the lake, crossed to the other side, then I disappeared among the old willow trees. I found the missing royal guards. They were dead, lying in the soft grass. And there were others, the symbol of the Templar Order was embroidered on their coats with red thread. The royal guards were slaughtered by the Templars, and the Templars were executed by the Assasins. Not so far from there, at the base of the tallest willow tree, I saw a marble crypt crushed into pieces. That was the entrance to the hidden vault beneath the Buckingham Palace, and the Templar Order blew it up right in the middle of the ball. Here and there, the fallen leaves on the ground were still smouldering and torches around the entrance showed the way in the darkness, but there was no real threat of fire. Being careful, I climbed down among the debris at a slow pace, then soon I already was following echoes.

"First you will fall, then the Queen!" I heard Crawford Starrick’s angry voice from the distance. "I admire your pluck, but there is little you can accomplish now. Like Jesus himself, I am immortal. Behold the power of the Shroud!" ruined, steep stairs and crumbling corridors led me beneath Buckingham Palace. "No amount of planning or might shall beat me! GET. OUT. OF. MY. CITY!" I was already deep beneath the ground, and water was flowing down the ruins when finally I reached the hidden location of the artifact. It was not a cave, nor a crypt, but an ancient cathedral. It was almost as beautiful as the Notre Dame, but it was not decorated with fragile rose windows. The light of hundreds and thousands of candles were shining around the stone sculptures, and the most beautiful of them depicted one of Those Who Came Before, a goddess.

"STARRICK!" Jacob’s voice pulled me back from my thoughts. The far side of the cathedral was bathed in light, and in the centre of it all stood Crawford Starrick. I froze when I saw the ancient artifact on his shoulders. The cruel man achieved his evil goal, somehow he took the key, as well as the shroud of the immeasurable power. The Shroud of Eden heals all wounds within moment, so its user can live for centuries, and now, this power has fallen into wrong hands. Jacob sank his hidden blade into Starrick’s chest, but the deep wound healed almost instantly and the fresh blood disappeared. Yet, Jacob did not give up the fight. He was fighting determinedly for the people of London. "Your reign is nearly over!"

"It has barely begun!" the Grand Master of the British Templar Order answered, then he grabbed the young Assassin by the throat. Meanwhile, I was already running towards them. I was so close and I could clearly see on Jacob’s face that he was suffering. He was in pain, getting weaker and weaker.

"W-what are you doing?" he asked angrily as he gasped for fresh air, but in vain.

"Exploiting! I drain the youth, the vital force, the life out of you! I warned you not to stand in my way, but you do not listen!" our enemy grinned. The Shroud of Eden was shining as brightly as if it had been woven from the stars of the night sky. Moment by moment, the artifact was absorbing Jacob’s life and gifted it to Starrick. I was really scared that the artifact would cause the death of the man I love, so I had to intervene before it was too late.

"ENOUGH!" I yelled with anger. My words were echoing in the cathedral for a long time, and as soon as the silence returned, Starrick finally let go of Jacob’s throat. My suitor collapsed, he seemed so weak. I was looking at him with so much worry, while my heart was pounding  in my chest like the hooves of the wild horses. Not so far from him, Evie was also lying in the dust. She was so dizzy, yet trying to stand up. No doubt that she already experienced the power of the artifact. Besides the Frye twins, Henry was also there, but he was lying unconscious. Seeing the slow rise and fall of his chest, I felt relief that he was still alive. Needless to say, my anger is did not faded, instead it has become stronger. "If you ever try to harm any of my beloved ones again, I will make sure that you suffer before your slow and painful death!" I warned Starrick and my threat was very serious. At first, he did not even blink, but eventually his lips curled into a shameless smile under his moustache.

"There is no point in hiding in the shadows, I recognise your voice! The spoiled brat who fancies herself a princess... Isn’t that true, Miss Adaline Lanchester?" he mocked. A small, yet honest smile appeared on my face. He did not see it, at least not yet.

"You are wrong, Mr Starrick! I have already told you... There is no royal blood in my veins, but something else that I am a thousand times proud of." I told him the real truth, and with that I stepped out of the shadows into the light. "My name is Adaline Flavia Lancehester. And I am not a princess, but an Assassin, a descendant of Ezio Auditore da Firenze." I introduced myself with pride in my heart. Everyone was looking at me and everyone was speechless. The Assassins all over the world respected Ezio Auditore, and his name was not unknown to the Templar Order. Even after his death, his efforts shaped our history and the some of the best leaders of the Italian Assassin Brotherhood were his descendants. My Mentor, Matteo Lastra often told me that I would be a great leader. His offer was an honour to me, but my place was here, in London.

"Do you remember what I told you the last time we had a conversation, Miss Lanchester?" Starrick asked me as I walked closer to him. Only a few steps remained between us. "Your name won’t be engraved on a gravestone..."

"No, my name won’t be engraved on a gravestone... I mean, not today." I corrected him, and with that we started fighting. I used all my melee skills against Crawford Starrick. I did not use any weapon, not yet, because it would have been useless against the supernatural abilities of the artifact. Now the intention was to somehow remove the Shroud of Eden from his shoulders, because as long as he was wearing it, neither daggers nor bullets could harm him. There was a brief moment when my attention got distracted, and it gave our enemy enough time to grab my left arm. I felt that the artifact begin to drain the energy out of me, so I had to act very quickly. Even though I was getting weaker and it was hard to stay on my feet, yet I tried to sank my hidden blade into Starrick’s shoulder. I intended my attack to be a distraction, but I did not expect what happened next. The man’s physical strength was beyond my imagination by now, so I was quite taken aback when he broke the thin blade off my gauntlet with his bare hand. He took a close look at my blade, then looked into my moss green eyes.

"As your dear ancestor would say, „Requiescat in pace...” [1]" he bid me farewell with Ezio Auditore’s words, then the blade pierced through my chest. The pain was unbearable. I fell on my knees as if I surrendered to Crawford Starrick’s reign and he rewarded me with a smug chuckle. "Do not worry! I promised that sometimes I will take a bouquet of snowdrops to you where you are underground." he reminded me. I still had enough strength left to look up at him. The man looked down at me with pity, but then he saw my smile. "What are you smiling at?" he seemed so annoyed.

"Abracadabra, asshole..." I answered. Our enemy did not really understand what I was talking about, but eventually he felt that something is missing. When he realised that the Shroud of Eden was what had disappeared, he became desperate. So soon, he spotted the artifact in the dust, it was lying at the feet of the sculpture of the goddess, but before he could reach for it...

"JACOB, NOW!" Evie shouted. Moments earlier she gathered all her strength and together with her twin brother attacked Starrick. Now, the man was defenseless against the Assassins. He had no weapon and the ancient artifact no longer protected him. The Frye twins ended his brief reign without mercy. They sank their blades into his flesh again and again and again and again, then finally one of them cut his throat. Starrick collapsed in front of them them. He was still alive, but not for longer. He had seconds left, or maybe less.

"L-London... London will perish without me! I would have created a paradise!" he groaned, drowning in his own blood.

"The city belongs to the people." Evie reminded him of the truth. The city belongs to those who live in it and to those who built it. "You are but one man."

"I-I... I am at the very top of the Order..." he whispered with his last breath, and with that the life of Crawford Starrick ended. He breathed out his soul, which had been rotten for a long time. Perhaps he won’t be welcomed in Hell either.

"You were, Mr Starrick. You were..." Jacob corrected. At that moment, London was free and the people of my city no longer had to suffer from the cruel reign of Crawford Starrick and the Templar Order. A better and more beautiful life was waiting for them, but I had no chance to see their future. I pulled the sharp blade out of my chest and it hit the ground with a loud clinking noise. The Frye twins instantly looked at me and only then they saw how serious my injury was. "Adaline?" Jacob called my name. He was standing in front of me, not that far from me, and yet, his voice was so distant. Meanwhile, his face features were shrouded in the gloom, because I could no longer see clearly. The smell of my fresh blood was intoxicating. "ADALINE!" I knew that Jacob was very scared. I was scared too, so scared. My journey ended here, while Jacob Frye’s journey went on. Without me, but in a free city. I felt his embrace, I felt every beat of his heart, and I felt his warm tears that fell onto my face. He was crying, begging me not to leave him. Not now, not like this. I wanted to apologise to him for the pain my death will cause, but I did not have the chance to say goodbye anymore...

[1] Rest in peace!

Chapter Text

Sitting by the crackling fire in the fireplace, I often read Ezio Auditore’s diary. Its pages enriched me with so many lessons, and on one of the yellowed pages he said, ’My story is one of many thousands, and the world will not suffer if it ends too soon...’. These words were echoing in the distance as the darkness kept changing around me. Tiny stars began shining everywhere. Up in the high, far on the horizon, and even under my feet. It was like walking on the surface of the peaceful sea on Midsummer’s Eve. Even time ceased to exist, I did not sense its passing. Maybe I spent a millennia here, maybe just brief moments. I wished to know the answer. I wished someone to show me the right direction...

"Flavia..." someone called my name with kindness. I instantly recognised the gentle voice, because I had heard it before. Once, in a dream of mine. And then, he was already there, standing in front of me. "My beautiful iris flower... "

"Ezio?..." as if the oil painting hanging on my bedroom wall had all of sudden come to life, but I quickly noticed a small difference. Ezio Auditore’s facial features were not perfectly captured by the brushstrokes, because the man in front of me was a thousand times more handsome, and his hazel brown eyes enchanted me. His dark hair and his beard showed signs of aging, just like one the oil painting, made in 1512 by Leonardo da Vinci. The oil painting, hanging on the wall of my bedroom. And, as a matter of fact, he spoke the language of England very well. Or was he speaking to me in Italian? I did not really know anymore. The boundaries between reality and imagination were so blurred. Maybe it was a realm where we all spoke one and the same language. According to the Christian Old Testament, such a world once existed. After the Genesis Flood, not so long before the Tower of Babel was built. Either way, I understood every word he said crystal clearly. "Am I dreaming?"

"Maybe... Maybe not..." he said with a smile on his face and I returned it. I wished to know what this beautiful place around us was, so I continued to ask.

"Where are we?"

"Between the Land of the Living and the Land of the Dead. " his answer came, and it reminded me what happened to me before I fell into the darkness. I found the hidden cathedral under the Buckingham Palace and by the time I got there the ancient artifact had already fallen into wrong hands. I remembered that I was fighting for the freedom of London, and I remember that we had victory, but my life came to its end. Or, maybe not?

"Wait! You mean I am dead?"

"Not yet, but you are dying..." he told me. What he said scared me a little, but he quickly chased my concerns away. "Do not worry, you will return to the Land of the Living within a few minutes." he let me know, then he came closer to me. I was lost in Ezio’s gaze and an indescribable feeling came over me. Many generations, about seven hundred and fifty miles, and almost three hundred and fifty years separated us from each other, and yet, now both space and time seemed to cease, as we met between the Land of the Living and the Land of the Dead. "London is free, thanks to you... I am so proud of you, Flavia! My blood is flowing through in your veins, and I see the fire of my soul in your beautiful eyes." I was so proud that the blood of Ezio Auditore da Firenze was flowing through in my veins, that I am his descendant, and knowing that it filled him with pride touched my soul. His words even brought tears into my eyes.

"My dream about the Masyaf Castle... Was that reality?"

"Aren’t dreams part of reality?" he answered my question with a question, repeating with my own words and it made me laugh. The stories about him made no mention of his sense of humor. I wish I could have known this legendary Assassin in person, I wish I could have witnessed his victory over the Borgia, I wish he himself could have told me about his adventures.

"May I stay here with you?"

"No, not yet..." he answered firmly. "Your time has not yet come… London needs you, England needs you, our world needs you!" he was right. I had to think about those who were waiting for me in the Land of the Living. My family... My friends... The children... And Jacob Frye...

" Well, then... Arrivederci, Ezio![1]"

"Arrivederla, Flavia![2]" we said goodbye to each other, and with that we parted ways. For now...

I remained the prisoner of the darkness for a while, but eventually I started to feel my heart and its beating. Soon, my strength returned and by the time the tears that fell onto my face dried up, I opened my eyes. Jacob was still holding me in his arms, this time he looked down at me with an honest smile. Meanwhile, a pleasant heat and a slight tingling went through me, and only then I noticed that the Shroud of Eden was resting on my shoulders. The brightly shining artifact covered me and its power was healing me. I no longer felt the agonizing pain in my chest, nor the intoxicating smell of my blood, and my fear was gone.

"Thank you, my love..." the man I fell in love with whispered in a gentle voice. I looked at him questioningly.

"For what?"

"For coming back to me..." he answered, then greeted me with a sweet kiss. After our lips parted, he helped me stand on my feet, but he thought it was too early to let me really go. He wrapped his arms around my waist and looked at me with his golden eyes. "Tell me, how do you feel?"

"I feel wonderful! And look..." I showed him my right hand. "The ancient artifact even healed my old scars." a faint scar used to adorn my hand, below my little finger, but it was no longer there. There was no doubt that the scars on my right leg and my left upper arm disappeared too. "Maybe it even freed me from the slight headaches too for ever..." I joked, making the man laugh.

"Tell me something! When and how the bloody hell did you take the Shroud of Eden off Starrick’s shoulders?" he asked me as Evie joined our conversation. The eyes of the Frye twins were full of curiosity and I decided to tell them the truth. Even if they will think that the truth is a fairy tale.

"Robert Ignatius Tropping... The young man who is booking illegal bets at fight clubs across the city..." I started the story. "Before coming to London, he travelled with a nomadic circus. He is not a gem of businessmen, but he is a great illusionist! In exchange for a few shillings, he taught me a few tricks, including how to distract attention." that is all I said, but the brother and the sister wanted a detailed explanation. We were no longer in danger, so there was plenty of time for me to tell them the story. "Attention is like a spotlight on the stage, and that is why the illusionists dance in the darkness. The human brain is quite slow and it can’t multitask... You might think that I was thinking with my hands, but no. I was thinking with Crawford Starrick’s head... When I looked at my hand, he naturally looked there too in no time, and then I could get closer to him. And when I looked into his eyes, he looked straigh into mine. If you know how to distract people’s focus, then you can take whatever you want from them!" I came to the end of my explanation. I did not add the information that I taught the children too how to take almost anything without being noticed. As I expected, Jacob was certain that I was joking.

"Did you save London from chaos with a cheap magic trick?" Jacob asked the question with his sense of humor, but as soon as I started swinging his pocket watch on its chain in front of his eyes, the smile froze on his face. "What?! H-how did y-" by the time he realised what happened, I was already holding the silk handkerchief I had given him.

"So, do you believe me now?" I teased him, and with that Jacob smiled again and raised his hands into the air, surrendering.

"I do, I do! However... May I keep my waist belt, or do you intend to take it from me?" he teased me. As a matter of fact, I could have taken off his waist belt without being noticed quite easily, but I respected his request. Meanwhile, Evie was laughing, just like me, but as soon as the eyes of the twins met, the mood became a little colder. "Shame we won’t be partners anymore..."

"It’s for the best, isn’t it?" the woman asked him. Hearing their words, I felt sadness. It seemed that Evie Frye and Jacob Frye will really go their separate ways, perhaps forever. Seeing what a great team the twins made together to overthrow Crawford Starrick’s reign gave me hope that they will reconcile after the liberation of London. Sometimes I even prayed for them. They needed each other, even if they did not see it.

"What will happen to the shroud? You gonna wear it and run London?" Jacob asked, then Evie shook her head.

"Whatever it gives, it takes from someone else... You’d continue to age without me. You’d become like Father."

"A faith worse than death!" the man murmured and this made his sister chuckle as well. Even I let out a chuckle, a little bit.

"Will you wear it?"

"After you sorted out the boroughs? The chaos I caused? I couldn’t compete..."

"Jacob Frye stepping back? Who’s blackmailing you? Is it George?"

"He wouldn’t dare!" they joked. This time, about a British Assassin, an old friend of the twins’ parents, George Westhouse. There was silence for a brief moment, then finally it was Jacob who broke it with serious words. "I’ve missed you!"

"Me too!" the twins revealed their feelings. Both of them felt the emotional distance between themselves, which over the time almost entirely tore them apart, but in the end their pure love for each other won. "Would it be possible to continue where we left off?"

"I’d love nothing more!" Jacob answered with sincerity. I was so happy. Finally, My city was free, the reign of Crawford Starrick and the British Templar Order was over, thanks to the Shroud of Eden I got a chance to continue my life, and the Frye twins reconciled.

"And what about you, Adaline?" Evie addressed her question to me. "You are the descendant of a legendary Assassin... You deserve this power!" I got lost in my thoughts, admiring the beauty of the artifact.

"The Shroud of Eden offers eternal life and I could protect my city forever." if things would have been different, then maybe I would have accepted the power of the artifact, but fate had a different path for me. "But no... I desire for a mortal life full of happiness. With Jacob..." I said firmly, as the the man my heart chose embraced me.

"I’m starting to think Father didn’t know everything about everything..." she admitted. Their father believed that personal emotions made people weak, but now Evie realised how wrong Ethan Frye was. Our emotions make us strong. The Shroud of Eden was still healing me. I took the artifact off from my shoulders and folded it carefully. Then, I walked over to the many thousands of years old container, which was created for the artifact, by Those Who Came Before, by an extremely advanced technology. Those Who Came Before had infinite knowledge and they often looked into the future. Meanwhile we, mortal humans were dreaming of flying through the sky.

"Our world is huge and London is in its centre..." I said as I locked the container.

"Perhaps not the very centre..." Evie added. I was about to ask the woman if she would like to be the keeper of the key to the container, but someone started whining in slight pain. Shame on us, but only then we remembered that there was someone else here besides us. "HENRY!" Evie hurried over to the Indian Assassin. We’d almost forgotten about him. The man sat up slowly and carefully, then looked around quickly. Henry arrived to the cathedral not so long before me, and he tried to confront our enemy, but in vain. In his defense, Jacob once mentioned that fieldwork is not really the speciality of our friend.

"I came as soon as I could! I-I’ll... Did I jeopardize the mission?" he asked shyly. According to the detailed plan, Henry was supposed to stay at the side of the Maharajah, but his instinct told him that the Frye twins needed all the help they could get.

"Henry, you saved it! And I think you belong in the field. With me..." Evie answered, then their journey together began with a soft kiss. It was a moment fit for romantic novels.

"Miss Lanchester..." Jacob called my name after stepping closer to me. He almost whispered, so his words did not disturbed the lovebirds.

"Yes, Mr Frye? What is it?"

"Tonight’s ball is not over yet... If I convince the musicians to play a beautiful song for us, then may I have a dance with you?" my suitor asked me and I happily said yes. Needless to say, I thought that Jacob was just joking, but soon I found out that I was so mistaken. When the fluffy clouds of night left the sky above London, I was already dancing under the stars with Jacob Frye. The man who was my destiny...

[1] Goodbye, Ezio!

[2] Goodbye, Flavia!

Chapter Text

Under the cover of night, the wind of change swept through the streets of my city. By the time the bells of the Clock Tower began ringing at noon, everyone knew that Crawford Starrick’s reign is over. Only a few people knew who liberated London, and that was the right way. We were walking among shadows, working in the darkness, serving the light. And, as for the light...

Golden rays were dancing on the walls of the Buckingham Palace. Not even a day had passed since our victory when Sergeant Frederick Abberline asked us to come here. Evie, Jacob, Henry and I.

"May I ask why are we here?" I asked with curiosity, as we were waiting patiently, enjoying the fresh air in the garden of the palace.

"We don’t know, but I presume that Mr Abberline asked us to come here for a good reason." answered the great nephew of the  Maharaja. Only a minute passed when a fabulous royal carriage approached us and Sergeant Abberline was sitting on its driver seat. As soon as the beautiful Nonius stallions stopped in front of us, the sergeant hopped off the carriage, opened the door of it and then politely helped Queen Victoria out. We were all speechless for a while.

"Your Majesty!" I greeted her with kindness and the queen smiled.

"Miss Lanchester..." she returned my greeting, then looked at the young woman who was standing next to me. "And Miss Frye..." Evie smiled too, like a little child on Christmas morning. As for her brother, Jacob glanced at the young woman in shock and he couldn’t stop himself from voicing his thoughts.

"You’ve met before?"

"Didn’t I mention?" the twins whispered to each other, but soon both of them realised that it was inappropriate, especially in the company of the Queen of the British Empire. Fortunately, Her Majesty did not take their behaviour as an insult.Quite the contrary, her lips curled into an even wider smile.

"Mr Abberline informs me that you four are responsible for saving my life. Is this true?"

"It is, your Majesty!" Henry answered shyly. After hearing the question, he was the only one of the four of us who dared to speak.

"Adaline Flavia Lanchester and Evie Frye, step forward!" the queen commanded us. We did, both of us stepped forward, and then the queen glanced at the men. "And you..." this time Jacob was the braver. He stepped forward as he has been told, and with that Evie said...

"My brother, ma’am! Jacob Frye..." she proudly introduced his brother, then gestured towards Jayadeep Mir. "And this is Henry Green." still shyly, but the Indian man stepped forward too. Her Majesty was looking at us for a while, then she did something that we would not have thought of even in our wildest dreams.

"Miss Lanchester, Miss Frye, Mr Frye, Mr Green... Kneel!"

she said, and we did as we have been told. We got down on one knee in front of the Queen of the British Empire. Then, Her Majesty knighted us as a reward for our loyalty to the crown and the British Empire. She knighted first the women, then the men. It was a great honour that Queen Victoria found us worthy of being members of an order of chivalry. "Arise!" she commanded us. We all stood up with pride in our heart, from now on in the service of England. "I invest you all in the Order of the Sacred Garter."

"Thank you, your Majesty!" Evie was so grateful, so do we.

"If you are as adept as Mr Abberline implies, I may call on you."

"Sergeant Abberline tends to exaggerate, your Majesty." Jacob remarked and his words made everyone chuckle.

"We shall meet again! And Miss Lanchester..."

"Yes, your Majesty?"

"I saved you some lemon cake from the ball." the queen informed me, making me smile again. At every ball at the Buckingham Palace, I had the chance to chat with Her Majesty and I often remarked to her that the lemon cake was so delicious. Last night I devoted every minute of mine to protecting London, and later I only had time for one dance, so I didn’t even get close to the sweetnesses. However, thanks to Queen Victoria, in the end I did not miss the delicious lemon cake either. Her Majesty thanked us once again for all that we had done for our homeland, England, got back into her fabulous royal carriage, and soon we four were the only ones left in the garden of the palace.

"Father would be proud of you!" Evie smiled as she placed a hand on her brother’s back. It seemed that Jacob no longer minded when his sister mentioned their father and this meant that he had finally let go of the past and no longer resented Ethan Frye.

"Dame Evie Frye..." my suitor said aloud the noble title, which he thought sounded very beautiful. I agreed with him.

"Sir Jacob Frye..." the older twin returned the kindness. Both of them were proud of themselves and each other. Besides, they also found it a little humorous that the things turned out this way. Since, who would have thought that the queen would reward our deeds with a knighthood. Later that day, we didn’t have anything left to do, so finally we could take some well-deserved rest. I wished to end the day enjoying the sunset with Jacob, while Evie had quite different plans. "Henry..."

"Hmm?"

"Race you to the train?" she asked the man, but before she got an answer she was already running towards the station in the Westminster district. Henry followed her without hesitation. Perhaps he was driven only by the spirit of competition, but perhaps he followed his sweetheart in the hope that later on the train they could spend pleasant hours together, in private. They were already far away when I took my eyes off them.

"So, Flavia..." Jacob called me by my middle name. Instead of words, I took his hand and then we started to walk with slow steps on the soft lawn. We were already sitting on the shore of the lake, under the willow trees, when I continued my conversation with him.

"Yes, it is my middle name. It was my grandmother’s last wish. Flavia... It means golden and Ezio Auditore gave this name to his daughter..." I informed Jacob. I was about to tell him the brief story about why my parents gave me the name Adaline, but instead I apologised for my secrecy. "Please, forgive me that I didn’t tell you who I am sooner! I-I just... When I learnt that you always wanted an entirely different life than the one you have now, then I got really scared. I thought that if you found out that I was born an Assassin too, then I would disappoint you."

"Why would you disappoint me?" the man looked at me questioningly.  Even as a child, Jacob dreamt that one day he might have a chance to live an ordinary life, but not so long ago it turned out that the woman he loves with all his heart is not really ordinary. I was not a fragile iris flower, but a dangerous Assassin. Although, I was not yet officially a member of the Assassin Brotherhood, because I did not get a proper training, so I was not allowed to swear the oath, but that did not change the fact that the blood of a legendary Mentor of the Italian Assassin Brotherhood was flowing through in the veins of mine. Also, in the veins of my father, Arthur Lanchester, and in the veins of my grandmother, Isabella Grasso, but both of them chose to live a peaceful life, while I wished to follow the path of Ezio Auditore da Firenze.

" You want a peaceful life, don’t you?"

"I want a happy life, Adaline! With you! And this so long desired life already began that spring evening when I met you for the first time." his sincerity brought tears into my eyes. "The question is, what do you want?"

"You know my answer..." I whispered as my fingers gently touched his cheek. What we were feeling for each other was true and eternal. What did I want? I wanted the very exact thing what Jacob Frye wanted too. To have a long and happy life, together. "Besides, as long as the Templar Order exist across our world, we need Assassins who serve the free will of the people."

"This is true!" the man agreed with me. "And, if what I heard is true, then Evie and Greenie will continue their lives in India. In other words, soon there will only two Assassins be in London. You and me..."

"And that is enough! For now..." I answered. Soon, the last rays of the setting sun left the western sky and the first stars started shining on it. Those were the moments when the new chapter of our life began, and we waited with curiosity to see what our destiny had in store for us...

Chapter Text

Only a month has passed since the fall of the British Templar Order, and yet the change has already been seen in so many things. Sometimes the fresh milk and the crispy bread could satisfy even the appetite of the poor. The poisonous factories of the Starrick Industries were closed, so its tired workers had a chance to find a different way to earn a living. There were those who provided a good life for their children as musicians or painters, while some of them worked as fruit vendors or printers. And I heard of those people who moved to the countryside with their families and continued their lives there. As for the children, the working conditions for them were improved. And, to my surprise, the Lambeth Asylum did not close its doors either. Instead, it started becoming a proper hospital. Furthermore, these days there have been less complaints about the economy and politics. In short, the wind of change has reached everyone...

It was the twenty-fourth day of June, a special morning greeted me. Today was my birthday, the twenty-ninth. Rogue purred to me since dawn, making me smile, and Aunt Martha brought me my breakfast in bed. On the silver tray there were mushroom omelette, bacon, a few slices of cheese and a bunch of fresh grapes. I got a cup of Darjeeling tea and two slices of peach pie too. My father did not wait too long, he handed me my gift already in the morning. It was in a box, decorated with a silk ribbon. Hidden in the box, there was a beautiful grass green dress, and later I wore it at the family dinner in honour of my birthday. My father remembered how much I cried over my dress that was burnt by the flames in the burning building of the Alhambra, so he knew how much joy it would cause me if I could wear the colour of the Rooks again. I only had to wait one hour for the guests to arrive, when a gift arrived to me again, this time from faraway Italia.

"There you are, sweet pea! This package and this letter came to you, from Florence." Aunt Martha informed me as she handed me the package and the envelope sealed with a silver grey wax seal. I was about to open them when I saw that our housekeeper was hiding something behind her back. She was about to leave me alone in the lounge, but I managed to catch a glimpse of the envelope in her hand. It was sealed with a silver grey wax seal.

"Whoa! It seems that the Italian stallion sent you a letter." I teased her, then she looked at me in shock. She was blushing, and at first she did not even know what to answer.

"Umm... I am pretty sure that Mr Lastra only asks me about the seeds of the bougainvillea..." her firm answer came, but she still did not dare to look into my eyes.

"Pretty sure, eh?..." I repeated her words. Seeing my wild grin, Aunt Martha left the lounge in a hurry, saying that she still needed to make fresh orange juice. After sitting down on the sofa, I read Matteo’s letter, then I opened the package too. The library at my home was enriched with four rare novels in Italian, while I was enriched with a beautiful silk fan. Based on what I read in the letter, my dear friend visited the Far East not so long ago, and his gaze was captured by the accessory. The soft silk was not fake. The midnight blue fabric was made from the cocoons of Chinese silkworms.

A few minutes before the clock struck noon, all the guests arrived to the Lanchester House. First, my Uncle Archie, my Aunt Elizabeth and their daughter, Clarissa wished me a happy birthday. Later, Henry and the Frye twins showered me with good wishes and gifts. As for the lunch, the tastes were wonderful, thanks to Aunt Martha. The women praised the blackberry pie, while the men praised the roast lamb with rosemary. We talked and laughed a lot, and our guests got to know each other. Evie asked my Aunt Elizabeth about her oil paintings, my Uncle Archie asked Henry about the culture of India, while Eleanor talked with Jacob. Yes, Eleanor joined us too. But only for an hour, because not only her husband and her two sons were waiting her to come home, but also her newborn daughter, Eloise. Her little baby was six weeks old. On the occasion of my birthday, my father opened a bottle of Tuscan wine, and made a speech before we clinked our glasses. Later, I cut the white chocolate coffee cake, but the celebration was far from over. The women were talking about the recipe of the perfect Windsor soup, while the men were playing chess. First, my Uncle Archie played with Henry, then my father played with my suitor. At these moments, I walked up to my bedroom with a glass of wine in my hand, then I stood in front of the oil painting from the Renaissance.

"Ti auguro un buon compleanno, Ezio![1]" I raised my glass. My ancestor, Ezio Auditore was born on this day, four hundred and nine years ago. For a while, I got lost in the beauty of the brushstrokes, but soon someone knocked on the door.

"Adaline... May I come in?"

"Yes! Come in, Evie!" I answered, then the young woman opened the door and joined me.

"Why did you disappear? Is everything all right?"

"Of course!" I reassured her, as she glanced at the oil painting. "I just wanted to wish him a happy birthday. Although, he has been gone for a long time, but he was born on this day in Firenze."

"He means a lot to you, am I right?"

"I am who I am and I am what I am, because of him...." I reminded Evie of the family bond as I smiled. I have never told anyone what happened in the cathedral when I was between the Land of the Living and the Land of the Dead. I protected this secret, as did Ezio Auditore. "Do you want to know a secret?" I asked her, remembering another secret of mine.

"I am all ears!"

"In London there is not one, but two artifacts." I told her, then I saw a spark of curiosity in her ice blue eyes. "The other arifact is a technologically sophisticated battle suit. Said to have been worn by a goddess called Minerva, one of Those Who Came Before. Her armor encouraged the human belief that she was a goddess of war and maybe it is true... The artifact was found in the city of Bath and now it is hidden in an underground vault in north London. For many years now..."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute! You mean that you found a hidden vault that holds a Piece of Eden?"

"Well, I found the hidden vault, but I have not opened it yet."

"And why not?" she looked at me questioningly, then I continued the story.

"The vault was built under the orders of a British Assassin, Michel Reuge. The keys of the vault are thirty-two circular metal discs. Michel Reuge marked them with the Assassin insignia, placed them into musical boxes, then hid the musical boxes across London." I told her. I learnt about the vault and its keys only a few years ago, after I found enough information written in one of Michel Reuge’s journals. The journal came to me quite by accident. I found it in one of the libraries of Westminster. The journal was covered in dust and no one but me realised that it was not a book of poems. Those poems were the keys to the keys of the vault. And how did the journal end up in a library? I wish I knew... "I have already found twenty-two musical boxes over the years, and I am still looking for ten."

"And what will you do when the collection is complete? Will you open the vault and put on the battle suit worn by the goddess of battle in an ancient war?" Evie asked me with curiosity. We smiled at each other, then I told her that her hypothesis was wrong.

"The artifact can’t fall into wrong hands and it would not be safe with me. My intention is to collect all the musical boxes and when I next travel to Italia then I will hide them across the country. In Rome, in Firenze, in Venice, in Naples and maybe even in Verona... I will write new riddles in the form of poems into a new journal, and then I will hand it over to my Mentor to be protected by the Italian Brotherhood. It’s for the best!" Evie did not argue with me, she agreed. "Michel Reuge wrote thirty-two poems in a journal, those are actually riddles. Soon I will solve all of them, then I will find the musical boxes. I found the first one in the Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster, behind the clockwork." I added. With the special permission of Mr Disraeli, I entered the tower and climbed three hundred and thirty-four steps, but that was the price of getting one of the musical boxes.

"Jacob mentioned that you are not officially a member of the Brotherhood yet..." Evie started, smiling again. "Would you like to be officially one of us?"

"Well, now that London is free, I have a lot of time. So yes, I would like to officially follow in the footsteps of Ezio Auditore!" I answered firmly. "My Mentor, Matteo Lastra, has offered me many times to travel to Italia where I can get an excellent training and take the oath. The Italian Assassin Brotherhood is still waiting for me and they promised me that I won’t be far away from England for too long. About twelve months, perhaps a few months more..."

"I think that the British Assassins could teach you the basics, and then about a half of a year in Italy would be enough." she advised and I got lost in my thoughts for a moment.

"You mean that I should move to Crawley temporarily?"

"No, of course not!" she said with a tiny chuckle. The headquarters of the British Brotherhood of Assassins has been in the town of Crawley for more than a hundred years now, and I thought that the British Assassins would stay there for a while. "Jacob could teach you the practical knowledge and improve your combat skills, while I could teach you the theoretical knowledge. What do you say?"

"Wait a moment! I thought that you and Henry will continue your lives in India. Did you changed your mind?" I asked her.

"No, but we will stay in London for a while. We will leave England at the end of the autumn..." she informed me, then her eyes told me that she is about to ask a question. "Adaline... May I ask you something?"

"Sure!"

"Before my brother told you about us, you really did not know that Starrick was the Grand Master of the British Templar Order?" she asked me and I answered her honestly.

"I had a suspicion that he might have something to do with the Templar Order, but I had no proof. Templars are always cruel people, but cruel people are not always Templars... I always know exactly what is happening in Italia, especially in the capital and in Firenze, because my Mentor, who is also an excellent leader of the Italian Brotherhood of Assassins, informs me every month. But, as for England, well... I didn’t know that the headquarter of the British Brotherhood of Assassins is currently in Crawley. I didn’t know that Edward James Kenway was also an Assassin. I didn’t know that Dr John Elliotson and Mr Philip Twopenny were members of the British Templar Order. I didn’t know that London hides two artifacts. And I didn’t know that London was not entirely abandoned by the Assassins. If I had known who the owner of The Curiosity Shop really was, then maybe I would have learnt about everything sooner. And instead of one, I would have been two or even three steps ahead in my fight for the justice..." I told her, ending my words with a deep sigh. I wished that I had some help in my fight over these years. Maybe I could have freed more children from poisinous factories, maybe I could have protected more defenseless people from the dangerous streets of the slums, and maybe more bastards would have been punished for their crimes. "I know that my ancestors were Assassins, I learnt that when I was sixteen, but I knew nearly nothing about the British Assassins until the spring of this year. I mean, literally nothing..." I corrected. "The Blighters were my enemies, but not as the pathetic puppets of the Templar Order, but as a violent street gang. Crawford Starrick was my enemy, but not as the Grand Master of the British Templar Order, but as an arrogant bastard who harmed the innocent people, especially the children. And, as for Maxwell Roth... He was old fashioned, but I never thought that he was a dangerous criminal. The streets of my beloved London soaked in blood because of his commands..." I said, remembering an old memory. I was almost twenty years old, enjoying a pleasant evening in the Alhambra Music Hall. After one of the shows, Mr Roth chatted with some guests in the bar of the building, and thanks to a glass of champagne, I was one of those lucky guests. Mr Roth came closer to me with quick steps, and he bowed politely as he thanked me for honouring the Alhambra Music Hall with my presence. After that, I congratulated him on his shows and then, feeling a bit shy, but I told him that the Alhambra holds a special place in my heart. Hearing my words, Mr Roth informed me with a proud smile on his face that he glanced at the audience from behind the scenes quite often, and he saw me and the flames of admiration in my moss green eyes. He said that he already knew even then that this young lady really holds all the memories that the Alhambra Music Hall had given her in a special place. ’Even now I can see the flames in your eyes. You are a truly special flower, Miss Lanchester! A beautiful fire lily, I dare say...’, the man praised me. Soon the memory faded away, and then I remembered a lady who was just a few years older than me, yet she left our world not so long ago. "In the person of Miss Pearl Attaway, I got to know a kind and intelligent businesswoman, with whom sometimes I chatted at Queen Victoria’s balls. I barely knew her, but I heard many good things about her. Once she invited me to her home for a cup of chamomile tea, and on that sunny afternoon we talked a little about our ambitions... And as for Lucy Throne, I knew less than nothing about her..." I added with a scornful grimace on my face. The deceased Lucy Throne would certainly have slapped me for my grimace, and maybe even gutted me for my disrespect. "But that is all in the past now! London is free, I already know where the British Assassins are, and the most handsome of them is courting me, so I have no reason to complain..." I joked, then we both laughed. Soon Evie continued our conversation.

"As for Crawley... Your Mentor is a member of the Brotherhood, so he certainly knew where to find us. Why didn’t you ask him?"

"Oh, I asked him! At least seven times..." I answered with a smile as a small sigh left my mouth. "But Matteo is overprotective of me... He thought that it is for the best that the British Brotherhood of Assassins remain hidden from me until I exercise my birthright, and ask for and get a proper training. On the outside, Matteo is a fearless Assassin and his emotions are hard to read on his face. The other leaders of the Italian Brotherhood believe that Matteo would never put his personal feelings before his duties, but I know what is hidden deep in his heart..." I told her the secret, and by then my smile was less honest. For Matteo Lastra, there was something that was more important than anything else, even more important than his duties. Those people who were dear to his heart. Like me, like my father, or like Aunt Martha... Long ago, Matteo had a younger brother, Gabriele. They joined the Brotherhood together. Matteo spent most of his time seeking and studying the artifacts, while Gabriele was perhaps one of the most reckless Assassins of Italia. Almost fourteen long years ago, Gabriele travelled to the city of Naples to assassinate some of the enemies of the Brotherhood. He asked his brother to join him and complete the mission together, and Matteo would have gladly fought by his brother’s side, but in the end he said no. The Brotherhood meant everything to Matteo and he believed that if he and Gabriele would complete their missions without each other, then they could prove their aptitude, showing their unique skills and their intelligence. So, in the end, Gabriele travelled to Naples without his brother, but he never returned home, he lost his life. Since then, Matteo was blaming himself for the death of his little brother, Gabriele Lastra. He swore on his soul that he will always listen to what his heart whispers to him... I felt that soon tears would come into my eyes and there was silence for a long time, so I continued the conversation. "I was twenty-five years old when I told him in a letter of mine that Rexford Kaylock had attacked me and wounded me with a pocket knife. Matteo wanted to rush to London without hesitation, to make sure that I was alright and to kill that bastard himself, but I informed him in my letter that a few days later I will be on my way to Italia, with my father. That month I got my hidden blade from him, but he still refused to give me any information about the British Assassins. As for my weapon, only my blood soaked its blade. And it almost ended my life... I kept it in my chest for years, hoping that one day I would be worthy to use the weapon of the Assassins."

"You are worthy, Adaline! That’s not a question!" Evie said honestly as she placed one hand on my shoulder. Although, the hidden blade that was a precious gift from Matteo broke during our fight against Crawford Starrick, but I was not worried. I intended to have a new blade the next time I travel to Italia. "And Ezio Auditore would be proud of you, I’m telling you!"

"I know." I answered. Ezio Auditore da Firenze was proud of me, I knew it very well. Ezio himself told me when we met between the Land of the Living and the Dead. "And Evie..."

"Yes, what is it?"

"I would like the Frye twins to start training me within days." I said, then someone knocked on the door all of sudden. No doubt that it was Aunt Martha.

"Let’s meet the day after tomorrow at noon on the train, we will discuss the details there!" Evie whispered, then we apologised to Aunt Martha for our disappearance and we returned to the others.

Soon the evening arrived and we sat down at the dining table again. The dinner was so delicious, especially the vanilla cream with fresh raspberries. Meanwhile, we really enjoyed our conversations.

As the time passed, it was getting late. Only an hour left of my birthday, so the time has come to our guests to leave the Lanchester House. I dare to say that even in the Devil’s Acre I haven’t had as much fun as I had in my home today. Today was an eventful day, but I did not want it to end yet, so I stayed awake. As a birthday gift, Evie gave me a silver brooch shaped like an iris flower, decorated with tiny quartz crystals. I was admiring it when there was a knock on the door of my balcony. I knew very well who was waiting for me on the balcony, so I didn’t mind at all that I was wearing only my white nightgown.

"Mr Frye! To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit at such a late hour?" I asked him, smiling as I walked closer to him.

"I wouldn’t be a true gentleman if I let my sweetheart spend the last minutes of her birthday alone."

"As a matter of fact, I have company..." I teased him, and at that very moment Rogue joined us on the balcony. He looked up at me with his amber eyes and he seemed sleepy, but as soon as he saw the man he lost his mind all of sudden. He was purring loudly, snuggling to Jacob’s boots, then he stood on his hind legs and meowed softly, hoping that my suitor would pick him up. Looking into his amber eyes, I saw that he was almost begging. His behaviour really surprised me, because Rogue was never friendly with strangers. To be really honest, he usually avoids also my father and our housekeeper. Before I could say anything, Jacob already was holding Rogue in his arm, pampering him with gentle caresses. I thought that Jacob  would be bothered by the presence of the cat, or he would say that he is allergic to its fur, but I was so wrong. The man adored Rogue and the feeling seemed mutual.

"Who is this cute furball?"

"He is Rogue." I answered. Although, I was smiling, yet I was feeling a little betrayed. I took in this cat, I fed him, and I cared for him, yet he rarely expressed his gratitude to me, but now he was purring so loudly to my suitor that he might have woken up our neighbours.

"Who is a good cat? Hmm? Who is it? Yes, you are!" Jacob was talking to Rogue and he continued purring after hearing his deep voice. The sight was so sweet, but I could not let the traitor steal all of my suitor’s attention. Oh no, I was not jealous of the furball, I just wanted to enjoy Jacob Frye’s company.

"Shall I leave you two alone?" I joked and they both looked at me. Jacob laughed as he put Rogue down, and fortunately my cat instantly understood that there were no more cuddle time tonight, so he left the balcony, leaving us alone. Soon we continued our pleasant conversation while we were enjoying the beauty of the eastern sky. I showed Jacob where the Pegasus constellation is visible and which is the brightest star in the Cassiopeia constellation. I was already telling him about the light years when I noticed that the man glanced at his pocket watch quite often. "Jacob..."

"Hmm?"

"Is everything all right?"

"Of course! Why would not everything be all right?" he said, then checked the time again.

"You glanced at your pocket watch seven times in the last five minutes." I told him. Hearing my words, Jacob put away the pocket watch, then finally looked at me with a smile on his face.

"I am waiting the passing of the midnight." he answered me, and with that the bells of the Palace of Westminster began ringing in the distance. The clockwork struck twelve, then the silence returned and it was broken only by the chirping of the crickets.

"So... Why were you waiting the passing of the midnight?" I asked with curiosity as Jacob turned to me.

"Yesterday was special because of your birthday, but I wish today to be special because of something else." he said. Meanwhile, his golden eyes enchanted me again. I was waiting with patience for the man to continue what he was saying, but instead of words, he took something out of the pocket of his waistcoat. It was my emerald ring. He had it for a whole month, taking care of it ever since the night London gained its freedom. It is true that I wore my grandmother’s ring every day since I was young woman, but to be honest, this time I did not miss it too much, because I knew that Jacob take great care of it, and the emerald had already proved to him many times that it really brings good luck. It seemed that the man decided to return the ring and the good luck to me. "Other men would either tell an emotional poem or relive the most beautiful moments of the past with a long speech, but I will get to the point... Will you be my wife?" he asked the question. It was so unexpected that I froze and maybe my heart skipped a beat. I didn’t dare to blink or take a breath of fresh air. Was it my imagination, or did Jacob Frye really proposed to me? "May I take your silence as a yes?" my suitor asked me, smiling at me. He was right. My silence meant yes, so I remained in deep silence and I kissed him. At first, I kissed him gently, then wildly and passionately, so that he could feel everything that I failed to put into words. Meanwhile, I wrapped my arms around his neck as he embraced my waist. Soon, my fingers were stroking the velvet material of his waistcoat and I slowly started to unbutton it... "Isn’t it the tradition that the engaged couple become each other’s after their wedding?" he broke our kiss, still smiling.

"Did you ask my father for my hand in marriage?"

"At this quite passionate moment my memories are a bit blurry."

"Then do not talk about the traditions!" I told him, perhaps a little impatiently. His gaze was full of love and lust, and that was enough for me to know that he wanted what I wanted. Right here, right now. By the time I lured him into my bedroom, his silky lips were dancing on my neck, while his fingers gently caressed my skin under my nightgown. The moon and the stars above London were witnesses that nobody has ever loved anybody as much as we loved each other on that wonderful summer night...

[1] I wish you a happy birthday, Ezio!

Chapter Text

The spring became beautiful flowers, the summer became warm sunshine, the autumn became golden leaves and the winter became frozen snowflakes. That’s how the years passed. So many things have happened to us, while the sun disappeared behind the horizon again and again and again and again. And, I engraved every beautiful moments into my memory for ever.

The love of my life and I were engaged for two months already, and soon the first morning of the autumn greeted us. I was only minutes away from being Jacob Frye’s wife. I was so happy. I was looking at the mirror, admiring my beautiful wedding dress, then my father’s voice broke the silence.

"You are so beautiful, my daughter! I wish that your dear mother could see you..." he whispered with tears in his eyes, and I smiled again.

"I truly believe that she can see me from the Heaven!" I shared my feelings with him. I really believed that all my deceased beloved ones could see me, including my dear mother.

"Are you sure that you want to wear that necklace at your wedding?"

"I don’t know how to untie the Jacob Frye’s inextricable knot, so yes, I am sure..." I answered. The silverish shilling I got from Jacob at the top of the Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster was still hanging around my neck. To be honest, I could have found out how to untie its knot, but I was very attached to his necklace.

"I have something for you. A precious gift, from your parents..." he said, then handed me a small wooden box that held the most beautiful hairpin in England. It was decorated with tiny sapphire stones, sparkling like the stars of the night sky. "This was your mother’s. She got this sapphire hairpin from her own mother, from your grandmother, Estelle, on our wedding day. My dear Alexandra always wished you to have it..." my father’s words brought tears into my eyes as well. When the family treasure was pinned into my golden brown hair, I needed a handkerchief. Soon our gaze met again, we both smiled at each other, then I took my father’s hands.

"Thank you for everything, Dad!" I whispered, then he had only one question left....

"May I finally escort my daughter to the altar?" soon I was holding my bouquet of lilies of the valley in my hand. In which Her Majesty had pinned a sprig of myrtle as the symbol of true love. I took a deep breath and finally the time had come for me to swore my eternal love to Jacob Frye in the presence of God. We held the ceremony in the St Etheldresa’s Church and so many people gathered on the first day of the golden autumn leaves. Evie, Henry, Aunt Martha, Miss Nightingale, Aleck and my little friend, Artie were sitting on the church pews too. My Uncle Archie, my Aunt Elizabeth and their only child, Clarissa were present as well. Eleanor and her family were invited to our wedding day too, as well as Mr and Mrs Disraeli. And my dear friend too, who came from the faraway Italia, he was sitting on the rearmost of the church pews. They all were smiling at me, some of them had tears of joy in their eyes, but the world faded away around me when I saw him at the altar. He was waiting for me with patience, and tears were shining in his eyes. I felt the purest emotions of existence in my heart. Love, happiness, joy, pride. As soon as my future husband took my hands, there was no one else, but the two of us. By the time the sun set, I was married to Sir Jacob Frye. However, on the first day of the autumn we celebrated not only our marriage, but also that we became Clara’s parents. As part of the ceremony, we adopted the little girl and from now on she belonged to the Frye family. To our family...

In the same year, we celebrated again on the ninth day of November. Not only the Frye twins’ thirty-first birthday, but also the marriage of Evie Frye and Henry Green. The two Assassins swore eternal loyalty in the Saint Margaret’s Church, and before the first snow had fallen, the couple travelled to India to continue their life there. We were not sad, because the distance could not separate us from each other...

Three years later, also on an autumn night, my long cherished dream came true and the Alhambra Theatre opened its doors to the public. Not only the first, but also the next thirteen shows were sold out, within a few hours. I opened the night and greeted the guests with my mother’s beautiful sonata and my performance was followed by cheering and clapping. I even blushed when a few gentlemen threw roses onto the stage, and some of them were wearing the grass green uniform of the Rooks. Later, actresses and actors, vocalists, musicians, ballet dancers and cellists enriched the show. And, before the night came to its end, I was standing on the stage again, because I had something important to announce.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Thank you so much for honouring the Alhambra Theatre and its enthusiastic company with your presence. Soon this night will come to its end, but before the moment of farewell, I would like to make an announcement..." I got the attention of the guests. "With the financial support of the deceased Maxwell Roth, we created an institute for the hidden treasures of London. The Alexandra Blackburn School... Our goal is to support the gifted children, and it doesn’t matter that their families are rich or poor. Whether these treasures wish to become poets or writers, musicians or actors, painters or sculptors, our school welcomes them all! The Alexandra Blackburn School will open its doors a month later, on Christmas morning." my words were followed by a thunderous ovation again, the guests were cheering and clapping with pure joy. I knew that within a few days my announcement will reach all the residents of London and I hoped that weeks later it will reach the countryside as well. "Besides, I am very proud and very happy to announce that the first student of our school will close this great night with a wonderful performance. A young lady who wish to become an excellent violinist and I really believe that one day her dream will come true... Ladies and gentlemen... Please, give a warm welcome to Clara Frye!" I introduced my daughter to the audience. Clara had been practicing her song for months, and now she was about to perform in front of hundreds of people. The title of her piece was "Hooded Allegro Vivace". At the beginning, Clara was shy, maybe even a little afraid, but as soon as she started playing her violin, the calmness began dancing around her...

In the spring of 1873, we decided to leave England for a little while. We boarded a ship and travelled to the faraway India, because we missed Evie and Henry so much. And not only Clara came with us, but also my father and Aunt Martha. And needless to say, also my cat, Rogue joined the adventures. We spent memorable weeks in India, we even saw the Taj Mahal, also known as Crown of the Palace, and then when the summer was approaching we returned to Europe. Although, not to England, but to Italia. We spent long months there. Thanks to the Italian Assassin Brotherhood, I got an excellent training, later I had to pass through several trials, and finally, on a night of October, I swore the oath of the Assassins.

"...And are you ready to walk the path of shadows?"

"I am!"

"Out of the dark, you will come into the light and from the light you will return to the dark... Never forget the tenets you have sworn to uphold! ’Stay your blade from the flesh of the innocent.’, ’Hide in plain sight.’ and ’Never compromise the Brotherhood.’... From this day forward you are an Assassin..." the last words of my Mentor were spoken, and with that I stepped on the path of Ezio Auditore da Firenze.

The first snowflakes already fell on the continent when returned to England, but before our return a joint journey began for two people who were truly dear to my heart. During our time in Italia, our dear housekeeper, Aunt Martha, and my dear friend, Matteo, often spent time in each other’s company. Sometimes they talked about the architectural features of St Peter’s Basilica, sometimes they talked about the fragrant flowers of the bougainvillea, but as the time passed, Aunt Matha and Matteo grew very close to each other. They always knew how to put a smile on each other’s faces, and slowly both of them recognised their tender feelings for each other. Matteo was fifty-two and Aunt Martha was fifty, and their youth was long gone, but that could not stop them from being happy for the rest of their lives together. They swore loyalty to each other in the presence of us at a small family wedding, and now continued to live as Signor and Signora Lastra in Firenze. Their story fit in a storybook and I was truly happy that they both found their happiness...

The summer of 1874 greeted London only a few days ago. In a peaceful evening, I was sitting on the porch in the comfortable rocking chair, listening to the chirping of the crickets. Meanwhile, the delicious scent of the blueberry pie permeated the Frye House. Not so long ago, I filled the dough with the fresh blueberries and then I was waiting for the pie to bake until crispy. I didn’t even notice that a few minutes ago I closed my eyes, and I began humming a beautiful lullaby. My mother often hummed to me this lullaby, usually on those nights when I had trouble falling asleep.

"My wife doesn’t seem to be bothered by the mosquitoes." my husband joked. God knows how long it had been since he came out to the porch.

"Just so you know, the mosquitoes don’t come near lemongrass." I answered with a soft chuckle. The mosquitoes really hated the scent of the lemongrass, and recently its flowers started blooming on the porch of the Frye House, so the insects could not bother me.

"Are you all right?" he asked me, and this time I sensed some concern in his voice.

"I am! Why wouldn’t I be all right?"

" Nowadays, you get tired quite soon and this is very unlike you. I just want to know if you are all right!"

"Three days later, the premiere of the Romeo and Juliet will take place at the Alhambra Theatre and the preparations made me a little exhausted. But I am fine, Jacob! I have never felt better!" I reassured the man, still sitting in the rocking chair. "Did you hear the lullaby I was humming?"

"Adaline... I hear that lullaby almost every day now."

"Really?" I looked at him in surprise and he smiled at me.

"Sometimes I find myself humming it. It has a nice and catchy melody!" he said. For a while, I remained silent, then I asked him to hum me the lullaby. He was happy to grant my request. My husband’s deep voice calmed me, and as soon as the silence returned, I smiled at him.

"I love your voice!" I told him. "I think your son will love it, too..." I added, and by then my hands were resting on my belly.  At first, Jacob didn’t even understand the meaning of my words, then when his mind finally processed the information, he froze. He was lookin at me as if I were a ghost, but when I started rocking in the chair again I realised that my husband wasn’t looking at me. He was staring straight ahead into the nothingness. The unforeseen reaction brought me a tiny chuckle, but the man remained frozen. "Dio santo![1] The bravest man of London really froze..." I whispered to myself, then I stood up from the rocking chair and placed my hands on my husband’s cheeks. I caressed his soft skin gently, to see if my touch would bring him to his senses. "Jacob, my love... Look at me!" I asked him, but he didn’t even blink. He didn’t even dare to take a breath. "Jacob Frye, look at me!" I asked him again, but in vain. "This is getting a bit scary now!"

"What happened?" Clara asked me. She had been in the library of the Frye House all this time. She was reading a novel of Charlotte Brontë, but she might have heard that something is happening on the porch.

"Umm... I think that your father is in shock. Or something like that..."

"Dad... Dad!" our daughter for him, then she looked at me questioningly with her chocolate brown eyes. "What did you tell him?"

"Oh, I just... I praised his voice!" I answered, while I was trying to hold back my laughter. "Clara! Would you be kind to get me a glass of cold water, please?"

"As you wish, Mom!" the young girl was already laughing, because somehow she knew that I did not intend to quench my thirst. The cold water was about to fulfill a different purpose. Clara was already on her way to the kitchen when all of sudden my husband pulled me into an embrace from behind. As a result of the unexpected moment, I continued laughing even louder. Jacob wrapped his arms around my waist from behind, then placed his hands on my belly. Although, I could not see his face, because he was standing behind me, but I felt his tears of joy. I have been in blessed condition for almost three months, I found out about the pregnancy a few weeks ago and since then I have been waiting for the perfect moment to tell my husband that soon our family will grow. I couldn’t be sure if I was carrying a girl or a boy under my heart, but my intuition told me that it was a sweet little boy.

"I love you so much!" he whispered, and his infinite love brought tears into my eyes.

"I love you too, Jacob!"

Minutes became hours, hours became days, days became weeks, and weeks became months. Soon the snowflakes were dancing on the streets of London and when the seventh night of December arrived, our little boy, Samuel Frye was born. He was so beautiful and so little. We wished to admire his ice blue eyes for hours, which our little Samuel inherited from Jacob’s mother, Cecily Frye...

The new year arrived so soon and the spring was on its way. In a peaceful night, Samuel was asleep in his cot. Sometimes he yawned with his tiny lips.

"It is time for us to go to sleep too. It has been a long day..."

"Are you sure that we can leave him alone?" my husband asked me. I could see in his eyes that he was worried about our little one. "He is so tiny..."

"Jacob... Samuel is almost three months old. He will be all right!" I told him, but my answer didn’t really calm the man down. "We can leave the doors slightly open, so we will hear every little noise. What do you say?" I suggested with a smile. It was not easy for him, but my husband let the cot go, and we both went to sleep. It was about three o’clock and it was still far from dawn when I woke up. The Frye House was quiet, a little too much so. Jacob didn’t embrace me like he usually did, and when I turned over in the bed I realised that the other side of it was empty. I left the soft blanket and followed the dim light that led me all the way to the nursery room. I walked in on my tiptoes, and the sight that greeted me warmed my heart. My husband was sitting in the rocking chair by the dim light, humming a lullaby, while Samuel was sleeping on his chest. Jacob was embracing our little one gently, protecting him, guarding his dreams. He was admiring our little son with the gaze of a proud father as I walked closer to them.

"Thank you so much, Adaline!" Jacob whispered to me with pure and honest love in his golden eyes.

"For what?"

"For this sleeping little miracle..." that’s all he told me, and with that he continued the beautiful lullaby...

It was December of 1878. It has been ten years since London gained its freedom. The time passed so quickly, it never stopped. And Samuel, he was already a big boy. Recently, he turned four years old and I can’t tell you how energetic child he was. Not so long ago, the colourful crayons had to be hidden from him in the bottom of the drawer, the fragile vases from the far east had to be moved to the top of the shelves, and at night the door of our library was locked with key. Once, we played hide and seek with him in the house, we lost sight of him for a brief minute and that was enough for him to make a huge mess in the living room. Instead of hiding behind the armchair or the curtain, he went to the fireplace and scattered the ashes lon the expensive carpet, and with the black charcoal he showed us his impressive drawing skills on the caramel coloured walls. Thank heaven, on Christmas Eve he behaved like a little angel.

"...And we wish all of you a blessed Christmas!" I read the letter that we received straight from India. In this letter, Evie and Henry informed us that their children finally had been born. Twins, Nitara and Kiara. Two beautiful and healthy little girls. Later, I grabbed a fountain pen and put my thoughts on paper. I was about to seal the envelope when I heard my son’s cheerful laughter.

"Mom, Mom! I have a secret!" he ran to me. It must have been a big secret, because he whispered it into my ear. My heart was melting as I smiled at my little boy, but as soon as he told me the secret...

"JACOB FRYE! What did you promise to our child?!"

"I only mentioned to him that one day maybe he will be the leader of the Rooks."

"Nooo!" Samuel said, pouting with his tiny lips. "You said you are sure that I will be their leader."

" I said maybe."

" Nooooo!"

"Oh, no! My son won’t be a gang leader! More than enough that his father is." I stated as our son sat on my lap. Needless to say, my husband didn’t give up so easily. He put on his devilishly charming smile and tried to convince me.

"And who will take my place? Sooner or later, I have to retire. I am getting old..."

"Like hell you do!" I answered, covering our son’s small ears. Jacob turned forty-one not so long ago. He had excellent health, and he was strong and energetic.

"I’m serious!" he protested, pretending that his waist has pain. "Sometimes it is so hard to climb onto the roofs. Hell, even bending down."

"Well, last night I did not experience that..." I answered, and with that the Queen captured the Rook. Checkmate!

"Grandpaaa!" I heard Clara’s cheerful voice in the living room of the Frye House

"There she is, my favourite granddaughter!" my father said with joy, while my husband and I left the study with our son. "Mulled winter punch awaits you at the Lanchester House. With nutmeg and some red wine! Just as you love it, Clara..."

"You spoil our daughter, Dad!" I told him with a smile, while my father hugged the twenty-two-year-old young lady as if she were still a little girl.

"Of course I do! After all, what are grandfathers for?" he was looking at me with his chocolate brown eyes. He was right. So, I didn’t mention that I knew about all the sweets he put into Samuel’s pockets whenever I wasn’t looking at them. We exchanged a few more words about the past days, and then we all put on our warm coats. We always spent Christmas Eve at the Lanchester House, and this year was no different. We lived only a few blocks away from there, and the Christmas market was on the way, so we headed southeast on foot. The freshly fallen snow was crunching under our feet and the snowflakes were dancing gracefully with the cool breeze. The sweet scent of the cinnamon rolls and the gingerbreads could be smelled from far away, and the singing of the children's choir was echoing throughout the city. The vendors of the market greeted us with many kind of beautiful merchandises. Sunflower honey, vanilla bread, even roasted chestnuts. My eyes were captured by the nutcrackers, those were made by a dear married couple. Carved and painted by them. Delicious dinner was waiting for us at the Lanchester House, so I resisted the hot chocolate. ’Maybe later, on our way home...’, I whispered to myself. Even the anise scented cookies almost lured me, when I heard Samuel’s cheerful laughter. My husband was holding our little boy in his arms, giving him a locomotive carved out of alder wood. Samuel was so grateful for the gift that tears of joy filled his ice blue eyes. Meanwhile, Clara and her grandfather were standing next to the Christmas tree, enjoying its beauty, singing with the children’s choir. Golden coloured walnuts, dried orange slices, velvet bows, straw angels and fragile glass balls decorated the branches of the pine tree. And wax candles, symbolizing the stars of the night sky. I was admiring them with a proud, honest smile. They were my beloved family, they were my happiness, and this was my story...

* * *

Dear Grandma and Grandpa,

I truly hope that you enjoy your life in the countryside. I can’t wait to see your home in Norwich again. I miss the Frye residence, and I miss you two… And Dahlia, my beautiful Gelderland horse…

London is so quiet today, I haven’t even seen zeppelins in the sky since dawn. I’m thinking about sitting down in the armchair with a cup of tea and forget that the World War is going on, but I can’t. I have responsibilities and duties, and my city needs me. At these moments, my husband is fighting on the front line. For me, for us, for our country. My parents, Daisy Frye and Samuel Frye, were sent to Berlin by the Brotherhood to spy. Meanwhile, I remained in London. Needless to say, the efforts of the Templar Order complicate the situation, but I will not let them win. Not so long ago, I joined the service of Winston Churchill and, at the behest of him, I freed our city from German spies, but I still have work to do.

The war is still far from over, but one day the dawn of peace will come and its rays will chase away the darkness.

Until then, I work in the dark to serve the light. Because I am an Assassin…

With love, from your granddaughter,
Lydia Frye
23 October 1916

[1] Holy God!