The doorman opened the book in his hands, eyes settling somewhere on the page with a nod of approval. “Yes, he is expecting you. Come in, I will direct you to his study.”
Isaac lowered his head as he entered the establishment, removing his beaver hat and coat. The entrance hall was dark, decorated in deep red and dark walnut. Various portraits and animal heads of all varieties covered the majority of the walls.Dozens of glass eyes seemed to follow Isaac as the doorman led him toward the staircase.
Isaac was almost distracted enough by his purpose in being there to overlook the peculiar details of the specimens on the walls.
Almost.
On his way up the stairs, he noted an overstuffed owl, glass eyes far too close together, with a cravat around its neck. On the first floor, the doorman led him past a sitting room of sorts, and then through a long gallery flanked by rows of more deceased creatures than Isaac could count. Was Lord Blackstone a hunter? A collector? Either way, the assortment was impressive. And a bit unsettling.
Was Percy shamming him?
Had he recommended the club to Isaac for his own amusement?
It wouldn’t surprise him in the slightest.
His eyes traveled the length of the walls, catching sight of a few more peculiar specimens on the open shelves. A rabbit in riding boots, a marten holding a tiny violin, a fox in spectacles, another owl in a cap, and a goose wearing a string of pearls.
Isaac shook his gaze from the goose just in time to see Lord Blackstone stepping out from a door at the end of the gallery. Without his elaborate costume, he looked smaller, frailer, his grey hair sticking out more on one side than the other.
His large brown eyes widened when they settled on Isaac. “Could this be the mischievous fox from the masquerade? Your height betrays you, young man.” A chuckle escaped Lord Blackstone’s nose, his mouth still closed in a tight, but friendly smile. “I would recognize you from a mile away.”
Isaac didn’t know what he had done to earn himself the title ofmischievous, but Lord Blackstone seemed to have already adopted the description. Hopefully it was an endearment. “Youhave caught me, my lord. As it seems you have caught all these other magnificent creatures.” Isaac gestured at the walls. “An impressive collection.”
Lord Blackstone’s wrinkles deepened. “If you think I have hunted these dear specimens, you are mistaken. Each and every one died of natural causes. I ensure such details before I acquire any of my animals. It is a matter of principle, of course.” He clasped his hands in front of him, his eyes darting around the gallery with a gleam of pride. “Not only that, but I have refused to cage them with any manner of glass. As free in death as they were in life, I declare.”
Isaac’s voice evaded him for a brief moment. He hid his surprise and tried to think of how Percy would reply. “That is very considerate. I must say I experienced a deep sense of contentment from the specimens from the moment I entered the club.”
The viscount’s face lit up. “Did you, now? How remarkable.”
Isaac gave a thoughtful nod, pausing when his gaze collided with what looked like a mummified bat. A small plaque on the shelf in front of it read‘Beatrice.’
“To have such a sensitivity to the creatures, I would venture to guess that you share my love of exotic animals?”
Isaac didn’t want to lie as blatantly as his cousin, but since Lord Blackstone had opened the door for him, he would be a fool not to walk through it. “I do. The more exotic, the better.”
Lord Blackstone grinned, raising a heavy-knuckled finger. “Remind me to show you the billiard room after your interview.”
Isaac smiled back, nodding with enthusiasm, though his stomach knotted. It would depend on if the interview went in his favor or not. Lord Blackstone was sure to have questions about Isaac’s membership in other clubs—or lack thereof. He must have let his nervousness slip through his expression, because Lord Blackstone gave an amused chuckle.
“You have nothing to fear. For how much I enjoy the other Mr. Ellington of my acquaintance, I am already quite determined to acquire both of you.”
Isaac’s first thought was for the taxidermy gallery, but surely that couldn’t be the viscount’s meaning. He laughed through his discomfort. “You must allow me to die of natural causes first, my lord.”
Lord Blackstone’s wiry eyebrows shot up, and for a moment Isaac thought he had gone too far with his joke. But then Lord Blackstone’s lips parted, and a thundering laugh burst out. He rested a hand on his middle, tears pooling in his eyes. “A clever one, you are! And fortunate indeed that I share your rather morbid sense of humor.” His eyes gleamed with amusement as he caught his breath.
Isaac’s shoulders relaxed. Perhaps Lord Blackstone’s favor wouldn’t be so difficult to obtain. He wasn’t intimidating in the slightest, and he seemed eager to see the good in everyone. With a little more confidence, Isaac followed the viscount down the rest of the gallery until they reached his study.
“Please do have a seat,” Lord Blackstone said as he settled into his place behind the desk. On the wall behind him was a large portrait of a badger wearing a formal jacket. Isaac didn’t flinch. Nothing about the decorating choices could surprise him anymore.
Lord Blackstone lit his pipe, taking a deep breath through it before regarding Isaac seriously. “I do find these interviews rather difficult to conduct, but I ought to maintain at least a small degree of rigidity in the rules of my establishment.”
“I understand completely.”
“Good. Right then.” Lord Blackstone exhaled a puff of smoke. “Tell me more about yourself and your situation. Do you spend most of your time in London?”
“I have grown rather fond of Bath, my lord. I rent a townhouse there most of the time, besides when I visit my uncle’s estate in Yorkshire at Christmas. I don’t have any siblings, nor living parents, but I did inherit my father’s small cottage in Surrey and an estate in Cornwall from my grandfather.”
“Cornwall, you say? My dear Lady Blackstone has an estate near the Zennor coast. In fact, she resides there at this very moment, settling business with the steward before she makes her trip to London. I don’t expect you have heard of Lanveneth House?”
