Charlie and Jack arrived at the Crystal Palace two hours prior to the opening. The crowds were already gathering, filling the park, clamoring to see the promised wonders of the modern world housed within the glass walls. Charlie and Jack were let in through a back entrance. They met with the rest of the team in a private area. All the Angels and their spouses were present, and standing with them…
With a cry of delight, Charlie hurried toward the couple. She exchanged kisses on the cheek with the dainty brunette, then clasped the paw-like hand of the large, dark-haired gentleman. She smiled fondly at her former butler and housekeeper, now the Duke and Duchess of Ryedale, noting the positive changes that marriage had wrought.
“What are you doing here, Your Graces?” she said.
“There’ll be none of that,” the Duke of Ryedale chided her. “We’ll always be Hawker and Mrs. Pea—Mrs. Reid, that is”—he cast a proud look at his duchess—“to you.”
“The Angels wrote us saying you were in trouble,” Pearl Reid, the Duchess of Ryedale, explained. “We came as quickly as we could. When we arrived this morning, your staff said you would be here. Glory spotted us, and here we are.”
Hawker sized up Jack, his expression thunderous. “Is this the bastard who laid hands on you?”
Charlie made to intervene, but Glory got there first.
“It wasn’t Mr. Granger who hurt Charlie,” she said hastily. “We, um, got it wrong when we wrote you that letter. As it turns out, Mr. Granger is Charlie’s, um, old friend.”
“Her fiancé, actually.” Jack bowed, winking at Charlie. “Pending a proper proposal.”
Charlie stifled a grin.
Hawker continued to look suspicious. Pearl, however, scrutinized Charlie, then Jack, and after a moment, she beamed.
“Congratulations to you both,” she said warmly.
“Thank you, my dear,” Charlie said. “But I am afraid a proper reunion must wait until after we defeat the First Flame. How are preparations going?”
“We removed all the articles supplied by Wilmer,” Fiona said. “The superintendent arrived and put up a fuss about what the bare spaces did to his design. Until Glory demonstrated to him exactly how bare the place would be if we allowed him to keep the banners.”
“I snipped off a teensy corner of a banner and put it in a large bowl before I set it on fire.” Glory shrugged. “It was quicker than arguing with him. Also, Livy had her uncle’s special powder handy.”
“Special powder?” Charlie quirked a brow.
“It is a formula Sir Kent developed to put out fires.”
It was Hadleigh who spoke, as his duchess was preoccupied. Livy was sitting in a corner, scribbling in a small notebook, muttering to herself. Earlier, the Angels had said she was “working on something,” and recognizing Livy’s look of intense concentration, Charlie knew to leave her be.
“Since Kent created the powder at the behest of his wife, he submitted the patent under the name,Tessa’s Friend.” Hadleigh smiled wryly. “He gave us his entire supply so that we may all have some on hand.”
“That is a relief,” Charlie said. “Even though we’ve removed Wilmer’s products, there are plenty of flammable objects around. If the First Flame succeeds in unleashing even a few vials, we will have a disaster on our hands.”
“Since you informed us that Isadora and Ellsworth Rigby are behind this attack, I’ve made sketches of them,” Pippa put in. “I’ve given copies to the mudlarks, guards, and police. Everyone is on the lookout.”
“Good work,” Charlie said.
“They will be in disguise, so everyone’s eyes must be sharp,” Jack said somberly. “And there will likely be multiple attackers, not just the Rigbys. The guards and police must be prepared to detain anyone who looks suspicious.”
“That is a tall order,” Hawksmoor said. “The crowd is larger than anyone anticipated. Upward of twenty-five thousand people.”
“C’est impossible.”Laurent shook his head. “That is too many to search.”
“We shall have to do our best.” Charlie chewed on her lip. “With its three stories, the exhibition occupies nearly a million square feet. It is too massive an area to monitor, even with our group and the police combined. Fiona and Glory, in your analysis, did you come up with likely areas for the First Flame to strike?”
“We’ve circled them on this map.” Glory unrolled a plan of the exhibition on the table, pointing to the places circled in red.
“We prioritized the areas that were most likely to draw a crowd,” Fi explained. “The Koh-I-Noor diamond, the Tableau of Exotic Beasts, that sort of thing.”
“We also included anywhere Her Majesty and His Royal Highness?—”
“By Jove, I’ve got it.”
