Another shot rang out and I glanced up, afraid for Chronos and Gabe. But to my utter surprise, Willie stood holding a smoking gun, her face distorted with rage.

Sheriff Payne collapsed to the floor, bleeding from his leg and spitting expletives at Willie. Cyclops snatched the gun from him.

The room became crowded. Even Detective Inspector Brockwell was there, introducing himself to Gabe. Gabe, however, excused himself and came to my side. He put his ear to Matt's lips and listened.

Willie knelt down, her face ashen, her eyes huge. "India?" she murmured. "Is he…?"

"His watch," I said, unable to stop myself from crying. "It's broken."

Chronos scooped the watch up and brought the pieces over. It was mangled, the springs twisted and cogs dented. Even so, we placed Matt's hand over them. Nothing happened. It did not glow.

I spoke the extending spell, and still it didn't glow.

"It won't work," Chronos said heavily. "I'm sorry, India."

"What if Gabe speaks his spell into it too?" I said in a small voice.

"The watch is broken. It needs to be a functioning watch for the magic to work."

Willie curled in on herself and wailed into her hands. Duke put his arms around her and hugged her to his chest. His eyes glistened with tears.

I slumped over Matt's body, spilling my own tears onto his chest. That's how I heard and felt him breathe his last.

It was also how I noticed his watch. Not the magic one but the one he'd recently purchased from the Masons' shop. Payne had given it back to him outside Gabe's house when he realized it wasn't magic. Yet it was still Matt's watch. He owned it, just like he'd owned the original American one.

We had a working watch, a doctor magician and two horology magicians. Matt would not die today.

I scrabbled at the chain, pulling it out of his waistcoat pocket. Chronos realized what I was doing and ordered everyone to be silent.

"Gabe!" I said, flipping open the watchcase. "Speak the spell. Where is it?"

Cyclops found the piece of paper and handed it to Gabe. But Gabe shook his head.

"I can't," he said. "It's not right. He should be dead."

I slapped him hard across the face. But it wasn't that which changed his mind. It was Willie's gun pointed at his temple.

"If you don't do it, I will kill someone you care about." She had never sounded more deadly and more certain.

Gabe did not need any further urging. He took the paper from Cyclops and held Matt's hand as Chronos directed.

"India, hold the watch," Chronos said, placing Matt's lifeless hand over mine, the watch wedged between our palms. "Now both of you, speak the spell."

The room fell silent. Even Payne had stopped moaning.

Gabe read his spell and I recited the extending spell.

Nothing happened. The watch didn't glow.

"Why isn't it working?" Duke barked.

Chronos shrugged. "I don't know. I don't remember the doctor's part, only my own. Try again, but perhaps say the words differently."

"Differently how?" Gabe was shouting. "That's how they're written."

"It is," I said, glancing over the written spell. "But try something different. Anything!"

"Do not fail," Willie said darkly.

Gabe swallowed and tried again. Still there was no glow. We were running out of time! It had been several seconds since Matt's last breath.

"Again!" Willie shouted. "You got to get this right or he'll die!" Her voice pitched high and her accent thickened.

Her accent…

"Say it with an American accent," I told Gabe. "Do it!"

Cyclops leaned over Gabe's shoulder and read the spell, and Gabe mimicked him, word for word, inflection for inflection, in an American accent. I spoke the extending spell. We finished speaking at the same time.

The watch flared with heat and a blinding light hurt my eyes. I clutched the device harder, afraid I'd drop it as the heat surged from the watch up my arm. A purple glow lit up Matt's veins, disappearing beneath his clothes, then up his throat, across his face and into his hair.

His chest expanded. He breathed!

I sobbed.

Someone behind me murmured in wonder.

Gabe touched two fingers lightly to Matt's throat and bent closer to inspect the glowing veins. "My God. I've never seen anything like it. He's alive."

I pressed Matt's hand against the watch to keep it in place. The longer the magic had time to work, the better. Cyclops, Duke and Willie crowded in, despite Chronos ordering them back.

"Matt?" Willie whispered, dashing away the tears dampening her cheeks. "Matt? Can you hear me?"

The hand holding mine twitched. I pressed my lips together to suppress another sob but it escaped anyway.

Matt's eyes cracked open and the purple glow slowly receded until his veins returned to normal. "Don't cry, India," he said softly. "I won't be dying today."

My lower lip trembled. He let go of my hand and reached up and cupped my face. I smiled. He smiled back.

Then I flung myself across him, pinning him to the floor. He laughed softly in my ear.

"It's almost worth dying if this is the reaction I get," he said.

"Don't you dare," Willie scolded him. "Now get off him, India. It's my turn."

I tore myself away and allowed him to sit up, with help from Cyclops. The color had returned to Matt's face and lips, but his body trembled slightly. I could feel it in our linked hands.

A round of hugs followed. Even Chronos hugged him. Then I hugged Chronos. His arms tightened around me and he kissed my cheek.

"Why are you here?" I asked.

"It's a long story. I'll tell you later."

Payne grunted as Brockwell hauled him to his feet. His right leg still bled. "The watch works for him because it belongs to him," Payne said, nodding in understanding. "That's what you weren't telling me, Miss Steele." He indicated his wound. "You have my watch. Use it to heal me."

"No," came a chorus of voices.

"I hope you die from your injuries," Willie spat. "And if you don't, I hope you hang."

"He will," Matt said. "For Bryce's murder."

"And the attempted murders of yourself and Miss Steele," Brockwell added. "You won't be seeing American soil again, Sheriff."

Payne curled his lip in a snarl. "And what of his crimes? Glass has lied to you. He has duped you and others, here and back home, he has committed theft and countless other crimes. Arrest him."

Brockwell pushed him toward the door. "It seems Mr. Glass lied because I wouldn't believe him if he told me about his watch and…magic."

"And do you believe now?" Chronos asked.

"I believe in what I can witness with my own eyes. In light of what I just saw…I suppose I have to. Go on, Payne, move." He marched a limping Payne out just as two constables pounded up the stairs, both puffing hard from exertion.

"What's going on here?" asked one. "We have a report of a gunshot."

"You're a little late," Brockwell said, punching out each consonant. "Help me get this man into custody. He's a slippery cur."

Matt took my hand and squeezed. "Are you all right, India?"

I nodded and blinked up at him, my eyes and heart full. "I am now. I was a little upset before."

"Only a little?"

"British understatement."

"Ah, the famous stiff upper lip." He skimmed the pad of his thumb along my top lip. "It's selfish of me to want you to be devastated over my death," he murmured. "But I find I can't help it."

I smiled. "You're allowed one fault, Matt."

He chuckled and drew my hand to his lips.

Chronos cleared his throat. "I don't expect you to stand for this sentimentality, Willie," he said.

"Matt died," she shot back. "He's allowed to get sentimental. We all are." She threw herself at Matt, flinging her arms around him.

He managed to catch her and steady her, proving he had regained his strength. She could be a fierce little whirlwind when emotion propelled her.

"I think it's time for answers," I said, ready to hear them now that the watch's magic seemed to have worked. Matt had already tucked it back into his hidden pocket. Tomorrow he would purchase another spare from the Masons. I hoped he would never have to use it for anything other than telling the time, but it was a comfort to know it was there as a backup if needed.

"We haven't been properly introduced," Matt said, plucking Willie off and extended his hand to Gabe.

They introduced themselves and I introduced Gabe to the others. "Thank you for saving my life," Matt said. "I know you feel uncomfortable with your role in keeping me alive, but I want to assure you that I'll give you no cause for regret."

Gabe nodded but looked unconvinced. "So what now? Do I return home as if nothing happened?"

"If you like," I said. "If you need anything, we can be found at number sixteen Park Street, Mayfair. You'll always be welcome."

"Always," Matt assured him.

Gabe eyed Willie carefully.

Willie scuffed the toe of her boot on the floor and placed her hands behind her. "I weren't going to really kill someone you loved."

"I'm glad to hear it."

"We'll drive you home," Matt said. "My carriage is waiting."

I finally had my explanations as we drove Gabe to Pimlico. Payne had only wounded Matt in the shoulder, but because of his desperate need for healing magic, he'd been in a "bad way," according to Chronos. Matt had hailed a hack and driven to Chronos's lodgings, and they both traveled to Mr. Gibbons's house in order to find me.

I crossed my arms. "And how did Matt know where to find you?" I asked Chronos.

"I left him a letter the day I departed," he said. "In it was my new address."

"Why didn't you give it to me?"

"It was best that way. I knew he'd only come if it was an emergency."

"Best for whom?"

"Let's not start this again, India. Can you not simply be happy that you have him back? You don't want me around too. I'm old and crotchety. Some would call me mad." He shot a smile at Gabe. "If I am mad it's because I've spent a lifetime looking for you."

Gabe leaned back a little and blinked wide eyes at Chronos.

"You are not to go near him ever again," I told Chronos. "Is that understood?"

"Do you know where my parents live?" Gabe asked Chronos.

"No," Chronos said.

Gabe blew out a breath. "Well then, I won't be helping you bring anyone back to life."

Chronos held up a finger. "You can't bring someone back to life if they're dead, only extend their life if they're dying. Matt stopped breathing in that room today, but there must have been enough breath left in him to keep him alive until the magic worked."

"A few seconds longer would have been too late," Gabe agreed.

My stomach rolled. Matt had come close. So very close.

"It was clever of you to remember about the accent, India," Matt said.

"My granddaughter is smart. I'm proud of her." Chronos's words brought tears to my eyes again. I looked away, not yet prepared to acknowledge that I'd wanted to hear him say those words ever since meeting him.

"So, tell me," Gabe said, "who is Mr. Gibbons and how did he help you find us? And why was it necessary to have Mr. Steele with you?"

"Gibbons is a mapmaker magician acquaintance of ours," Matt told him. "India discovered that a cartography magician can draw a map that reveals the location of a magical object if another magician joins his magic to the process. You had my magic watch," he said to me. "Not only did it have Chronos's original magic in it, but it also had yours. All I needed were the right magicians to find it."

"I chanted my spell while Gibbons chanted his and sketched," Chronos said. "He claims you don't need a spell but simply hold the map edge, India."

"Remarkable," Gabe murmured.

Matt watched me from beneath lowered eyelids. "Yes. She is."

"The problem was, it kept moving," Chronos said. "The watch, that is. We thought we had it in one location and were just about to go there when it moved slowly away."

"That must have been when Payne left," I said. "He went to find a sick person to see if the watch would heal them."

"He wouldn't believe India when she told him it only worked for you, Glass," Gabe said.

Matt took up the story again. "When the watch appeared to be returning along the same route, we decided to head to the original location where it had been located an hour before."

Chronos pointed his chin at Matt. "He wouldn't wait any longer."

"If he had, he might be dead," Gabe said.

"If I had, India might have died," Matt added darkly.

"And what about Willie and the others?" I asked. They were currently outside with the coachman and on the footman's seat at the back of the carriage since we couldn't all fit in the cabin. "How did they know where to find us?"

"Once we'd pinpointed the watch's location, Miss Gibbons, Mr. Gibbons's daughter, fetched them. She had them collect Brockwell from Scotland Yard first, upon my instruction."

Gabe dragged his hand through his hair and huffed out a disbelieving laugh. "I have learned more today about magic than I have in my entire life."

"You are a unique magician," Chronos told him. "If there is another like you, I am yet to find him or her, and believe me, I have searched."

The more earnest Chronos became, the more Gabe looked appalled and uncertain. "I won't combine my magic with time magic again, sir. Do not ask that of me."

"He won't," Matt assured him. "If he bothers you, contact me."

Chronos threw his hands in the air. "What's the point of all that magic if it's not used?"

"He can use it," I said. "He can cure minor ailments as he always has. It's combining that magic with yours or mine that is the problem."

"It's not a problem, it's a gift." Chronos slouched into the corner with a pout on his lips.

Thankfully he said nothing more and we were able to have a pleasant conversation with Gabe for the remainder of the journey. He inspected Matt's shoulder wound and instructed him to simply clean it when he got home. The magic had almost healed it completely. He really was a kind man—and dedicated to his work at the children's hospital. He was keen to get there and complete his afternoon shift, although it grew quite late.

"I also think I'd better visit my parents." He gave me a sheepish smile. "I'd like to thank them for their love and kindness over the years. I owe them."

"I doubt they'll see it as owing," I said. "Perhaps you could also send Sister Bernadette a letter telling her how you are. Saving you cost her, in a way, and she deserves to know that it was worth it."

We arrived at his lodging house and thanked him again. He was heading up the front steps when Willie called out, "Wait!" She jumped down from the coach and threw herself at him. The poor man staggered under her weight. She spoke some quiet words and kissed his cheek.

"Duke may have a rival," I said, smiling.

"Chronos, you could do with some fresh air," Matt said. "Why not ride outside with the others?"

"No." Chronos crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm not leaving you alone to take advantage of India. Not until I see something in writing that states you'll take care of her for the rest of her life. Mark my words, India, get an agreement first. You've got your future to think of."

Matt looked as if he would argue but thought better of it. He simply gave me a sad smile, reminding me of the situation his uncle had forced him into with Patience. I tried not to think about that. Matt was alive and that was all that mattered for now.

Bristow met us at the door with a beaming smile. "I am very glad to see you looking in such fine health, sir," he said to Matt. "Very glad indeed. On behalf of all the staff, may I say welcome home."

"Thank you, Bristow. I'll thank the staff personally after I clean up." Matt looked down at his bloodied clothing. "If this doesn't come out, salvage what fabric you can and donate it. Otherwise, burn all of it."

"It will come out, sir. Between Mrs. Bristow and me, we've not met a stain that could best us."

"Is my aunt all right?"

"In the sitting room, sir." Bristow leaned in. "She hasn't been herself ever since Miss Gibbons came with your message and the others left. Polly has been sitting with her."

Matt and I headed upstairs to the sitting room, Chronos, Willie, Duke and Cyclops following. They didn't seem interested in going their own way, perhaps because none wanted to let Matt out of sight yet.

"Aunt Letitia?" Matt said gently, sitting down beside his aunt on the sofa.

"Thank you, Polly," I said to the ladies' maid. "We'll keep her company for a while."

"Aunt Letitia, can you hear me?"

"Of course I can," his aunt said, turning glassy eyes onto Matt. "Where have you been, Harry? I've been waiting and waiting." She clicked her tongue. "Look at you; you're filthy. Go and clean up for dinner or Father will be cross."

"I'll go now."

"I'll take you to your room, Miss Glass," I said. "We'll get you ready for dinner. Tonight is a celebration."

"Celebration?" she echoed, taking Matt's hand. "What are we celebrating?"

"Life and living."

She nodded solemnly. "Come along then, Veronica," she said, calling me the name of her maid from years ago. "I want to wear something colorful. I don't know why I'm in this dreary black. Mama has been gone long enough; it’s time to wear something other than mourning."

"And you all call me mad," Chronos muttered.

I shot him a glare and followed Matt and Miss Glass up the stairs. He opened her door for us and directed her inside, but stopped me with a hand on my arm. His thumb caressed my elbow. His gaze searched mine, but I wasn't sure what he was looking for. He didn't look as happy as a man who'd escaped death ought.

"India," he said but did not go on.

"How do you feel?" I asked. "Do you need to rest now?"

"I feel better than I have in a long time. A very long time. No resting required."

"So it worked. It really worked." I would not cry again. I would not cry again. I managed to keep the tears in check but my eyes watered.

Matt stroked my cheek with his knuckles. "Thank you isn't enough, but it's all I can offer, for now. Thank you, India. You saved my life. Again."

"You rescued me, and Gabe too. We're even."

"Hardly." The corner of his mouth lifted but quickly fell again. "We need to talk. It won't be quite the talk I had in mind—my uncle has seen to that—but your grandfather is right. We need to plan for the future."

A lump swelled in my throat. "Tomorrow. Tonight, I want to drink to your health." I wanted to be happy, and I had a feeling our talk would not end the way either of us wanted it to.

"India!" Miss Glass called from inside. "India, help me choose what to wear."

Miss Glass didn't need my help choosing an outfit, and once she was sure that Matt had left, she dismissed me. Thankfully she didn't scold me for having a quiet conversation with her nephew. I was in no mood for her lecture.

I headed to my own rooms, passing Matt's on the way. Bristow exited, carrying bloodied clothing. I caught a glimpse of Matt standing in his room, bare-chested and looking more masculine than I'd ever seen him. The sight sent quite a thrill through me.

Bristow caught me staring, and although he didn't smile, the brightness of his eyes gave away his thoughts. He was more mischievous than he let on.

---

I wore one of my best dresses to dinner, a pale cream silk with yellow spring flowers embroidered into the bodice. Somehow Mrs. Potter the cook had managed to put on quite a feast, considering the lateness of our return. To my surprise, Chronos had not yet left. He must be staying for the food.

Matt had dressed for the occasion too, wearing a double breasted waistcoat and white tie. Miss Glass wore her finest mourning, but everyone else wore the clothes they'd worn during the day. Miss Glass scolded Willie for it.

"Why don't you tell the men to change?" Willie said. "Why just me?"

"Because you're a lady," Miss Glass said.

"No, I ain't."

"Amen," Duke muttered.

Instead of arguing with him, Willie smiled and he returned it.

"You are Matthew's cousin," Miss Glass said. "Therefore you are a lady when you associate with him."

Willie answered by picking up a slice of rabbit pie and shoving it into her mouth. Thank goodness she didn't try to talk. Her manners were improving.

Bristow finished pouring the wine, and Cyclops told him to pour another for himself. At Matt's encouraging nod, he did so, and Cyclops lifted his glass in salute. "To your health, Matt."

"To your health," the rest of us chorused.

Bristow sipped before starting to make his exit. "Open a few bottles for yourselves," Matt told him. "Then take the rest of the night off. The cleaning up can wait for tomorrow."

"That's what I like to hear," Chronos said. "Does that mean you're drinking like a proper man now, Matt?"

"Just a glass or two," Matt said. "That hasn't changed."

Chronos rolled his eyes. "Willie'll match me, won't you, Willie?"

"Try and keep up with me," she said, and drank the contents of her glass.

She was drunk before dinner finished, but in true Wild West spirit, she refused to retire and continued drinking afterward in the drawing room. She even took to playing the piano, badly, until Miss Glass pushed her aside. They bickered until Duke suggested they play a duet. It worked out rather well, even when Willie decided to add her singing voice. It only began to dissolve into bickering again when she changed the words of God Save the Queen to a version I'd only heard drunkards bellowing.

"Oi!" Chronos added his objection to Miss Glass's. "You can't say that about our monarch."

"She ain't my queen," Willie said. "And she is aging and has a face like a sow. Look." She fished out a coin from her pocket and tossed it to him.

He did not catch it and it rolled into the corner of the room. "You should show some respect if you want to live in England."

Willie swung around to face Matt. "Speaking of which." She crossed her arms and swayed a little on the seat. "Now that you're better, when are we going home?"

"I can't go yet," Matt said.

"Why the hell not?"

"Language," Miss Glass scolded. "And he can't go because he's going to live here permanently, that's why. Aren't you, Matthew?"

Matt sighed. "I'm not discussing this tonight."

"Aye," Duke said with a glare for Willie. "Let the man have some peace and enjoy himself."

She turned back to the piano and muttered, "All right."

"Do you really want to leave yet, Willie?" Cyclops said. "Are you sure you've resolved all your personal business here in London?"

"Personal business, eh?" Chronos smirked. "Sounds intriguing."

"Don't you have somewhere to go?" Willie snapped at him. "And you, Cyclops, you oversized one-eyed so-called friend, you got personal business to fix here too. Catherine Mason don't deserve to have you run off on her without a word of goodbye."

"Miss Mason, eh?" Chronos chuckled. "Well, well, her father's in for a shock when he learns that."

"He's got nothing to worry about," Cyclops growled. "I ain't pursuing his daughter." He swallowed the remaining contents of his glass and thumped it down on the chair arm.

"That's enough," I declared. "Tonight is supposed to be a celebration. Miss Glass, please play something uplifting."

"Something we can dance to," Matt added.

Willie whooped and leapt off the piano stool. She helped the men push furniture aside to make space for dancing. Miss Glass played a fast, joyful tune that didn't require intimacy. I suspected she'd done it on purpose to keep Matt and me apart, but I didn't mind. The mood turned happier and there was no more bickering. We danced, drank, and played poker—without gambling for money—until the early hours.

Matt looked healthier and more awake than I'd ever seen him. I'd always thought him handsome, but for the first time since meeting him, he looked his proper age of twenty-nine, not ten years older. The lines that usually fanned from his eyes and scored his forehead had diminished, the color of his skin was normal, not gray, and a smile was never far from his lips. His eyes shone with good humor most of the time, although I occasionally caught him regarding me somberly.

At those moments, I smiled back, determined not to let the question of our relationship overshadow the happiness I felt at him being healthy again.

---

The following morning, I insisted Matt purchase a watch before he went anywhere else. We went directly to the Masons' shop, not the neighboring house, but Catherine was there anyway, showing a lady their range of feminine timepieces. She smiled when she saw me.

"Have you spoken to Abercrombie lately?" Matt asked Mr. Mason at the counter.

"No, but a guild meeting has been called for tonight." Mr. Mason set out a range of watches on the counter in front of me, not Matt. He seemed to do it without thinking, concentrating as he was on the conversation.

I picked out the same watch as last time, since it was the best piece there. "To discuss Oscar Barratt's article?" I asked.

"And all that it implies." He regarded me levelly, without suspicion or fear. He had never looked at me like that. When my father was alive, he treated me like a child, even when I kept house and ran the shop. After my father died and the guild grew suspicious of me, he treated me like a creature that might attack at any moment. It felt good to now be looked upon as an adult, and an equal at that. Very good indeed. "Did your grandfather really try to extend the life of Eddie Hardacre's father, all those years ago?" he asked.

"You would have to ask him."

He leaned over the counter and lowered his voice. "And can you extend another magician's magic?"

No matter how much I wanted to, I found I couldn't lie to him altogether. "It's a theory that only time can prove or disprove."

"India, Matt," said Catherine, joining us as her customer exited. "You do both look well. Particularly you, Matt."

He smiled. "I had a good night's sleep."

"And how is your family?" I asked before she or her father could question us further.

"Fine," Catherine said. "And your friends?"

"A little bored," Matt said. "You ought to visit. One in particular would like to see you."

Catherine flushed but fortunately her father didn't seem to notice as he wrapped up the new purchase.

I thought it a good time to steer Matt out of the shop before he created mischief. He seemed in that sort of mood. I chatted about the Masons and other safe topics until we reached the convent. Matt joined in and didn't attempt to turn the conversation into something more personal, for which I was grateful. Perhaps he wasn't ready yet either.

We spotted Gabriel Seaford as the coach slowed but did not hail him. He left the convent, his head bowed and pace slow.

"I'm glad he came," I said. "Sister Bernadette needed to see him. It's only fair she knows her actions achieved a good outcome."

"He looks contemplative," Matt said.

"A lot has happened in the last twenty-four hours. It'll take time for it to sink in, particularly the importance of his magic."

"And what he did for me," he said quietly. "I hope he comes to terms with it in the next five years."

"Why?" I hedged.

"I may have need of his magic again, if my watch slows down as it did last time. Hopefully this one will last longer, since your magic is stronger than your grandfather's."

Five years suddenly seemed far too soon. I had never wanted my magic to be strong until now.

Sister Clare greeted us in the sitting room a few minutes later with an uncertain smile and a glance over her shoulder. "I spoke with Sister Bernadette after you left here yesterday," she whispered. "She told me what happened to the baby boys, and how Mother Alfreda…" She touched the cross hanging around her neck. "She has answered to God for her sins. That is all that can be said about her now."

I didn't ask if she believed in magic, and she didn't offer an opinion.

"You look well, Mr. Glass," she added.

"I feel well," he said. "Better than I have in a long time. Will you give this letter to your mother superior, please? You may read it. It's a promise of a donation. My lawyer will contact you with the details."

She read the letter and gasped. "Thank you. It will help enormously."

"I'll send my friends around to assist Sister Bernadette with any repairs she can't do on her own. They're bored at home and getting under my feet, so I'd be grateful if she obliged."

She beamed. "Thank you. She will be pleased to hear it. She works so hard and her back pains her, these days. Why don't you tell her yourself? She's in the meeting room."

We knew where the meeting room was located. It was the room where the cross had fallen off the wall and almost hit me. We found Sister Bernadette standing before the cross that had been re-mounted back on the wall. She was deep in contemplation and didn't hear us enter. We waited until she crossed herself then turned away.

"Sorry to interrupt," Matt said. "We wanted to see how you were."

She smiled and extended her hands to us in greeting. "I'm well, as I see you are, Mr. Glass. You look much better."

"I saw an excellent doctor yesterday."

"So he told me. He was just here. What a remarkable young man he turned out to be. Mr. and Mrs. Seaford must be very proud."

"As you should be," I said, clasping her hand.

She nodded and blinked back tears.

"I see the cross is back where it belongs," Matt said, nodding at the crucifix. "I hope it stays there this time."

"As do I," she said. "I put in extra supports. Gabe—Dr. Seaford—helped me."

I wasn't sure that extra supports would stop it falling again if she used her magic to move it. There was no need to tell her that, however. She knew the power of her magic now and would be more careful.

"You come from a long line of carpenters, don't you?" I asked.

"On both sides of my family." She picked up her toolbox and walked with us back to our carriage.

Matt told her he'd send Duke and Cyclops to help her, and perhaps Willie too. "They need something to do," he said.

"And what will you do now, Mr. Glass?" she asked.

"I have an important matter to attend to."

"Ah, yes, you men of business are always busy."

"It's not a business matter, it's personal. Very personal."

With that pronouncement hanging in the air between us, I expected Matt to raise the issue on the way home, but he did not. Indeed, he had the coachman leave him at the top of Oxford Street and take me back to Park Street alone.

Detective Inspector Brockwell had made himself at home in the drawing room, presided over by Miss Glass. He contemplated a cup of tea in one hand and a plate with cake on the other, as if he couldn't decide which to consume first. He stood when he saw me and greeted me with a slight stutter. Was he nervous? About me? Perhaps he thought I'd use my magic to fling the clock at him.

"The inspector has just been telling me that the nasty fellow who calls himself a sheriff will go before a judge soon," Miss Glass said.

"It won't take long," Brockwell said, once again using a precise clipped manner of speaking. Now that I know he stuttered, I wondered if he spoke with such control to suppress it. "With so many witnesses of impeccable reputation," he went on, "the defense has no case."

"I'm glad to hear it," I said. "Is there any way to keep the element of, er, fantasy out of the proceedings?"

"I'm not sure that's wise. Hear me out, Miss Steele," he said when I began to protest. "Since I suspect Payne will mention magic as his motivation for the kidnap, purely to cause you difficulty, why not go along with it? Then it can be presented as fact that the magic didn't work."

"But it did. Matt's living proof."

"That part will be denied. We can say he was never ill to begin with, or merely had a fever that he overcame with bed rest. I'm sure Dr. Seaford will agree to such a diagnosis. What we can present is the fact that Payne tried to get the magic watch to work on an ill man, and it failed. I have some men searching for the poor fellow now, or witnesses who may have seen Payne attempt to cure him with the watch. Evidence of the experiment's failure will end rumor and speculation about medical magic once and for all."

"I suppose it's the only course open to us," I said. "As you say, Payne will mention it. It won't set him free, but he'll use it as a last ditch effort to cause Matt problems."

"I will be glad when he hangs," Miss Glass said, peering innocently at me over her teacup rim.

"It will cause a sensation, naturally," Brockwell said. "But acknowledging medical magic then refuting its power will dampen the enthusiasm The Weekly Gazette has drummed up. It's my belief that the public's enthusiasm must be dampened, for your sake—and Dr. Seaford's."

"I agree," I said. "You'll have our support in court."

He set down the teacup and considered the cake from all angles before biting off the corner. He took delight in eating it and did not speak again until he'd finished.

"I almost forgot to mention, in all the excitement," he said, not sounding the least excited. "Eddie Hardacre, otherwise known as Jack Sweet, changed his plea to guilty, so you won't be required to appear in court for his case."

I blew out a breath. "That is a relief."

"Excellent," Miss Glass said. "Perhaps now it will be easier for you to get your shop back, India."

"My grandfather's shop. But yes, I hope so."

"I must go," Brockwell said, rising. "Tell Mr. Glass I'm sorry I missed him."

I walked him to the front door where Bristow handed him his umbrella.

"I know you and I have not always found one another agreeable," I said to the inspector, "but I want you to know that I appreciate your honesty and determination to get to the truth."

His face fell. "I can assure you, Miss Steele, I have always thought you agreeable. Just because we do not see eye to eye on every matter doesn't make us enemies. Indeed, I found our conversations stimulating."

Then he was a better person than me.

"It hasn't been easy for you, bearing the burden of your secret and worrying about Mr. Glass's health," he went on. "He is your employer, is he not?"

"He is."

"Good. Good." He placed his hat on his head and gave me a curt bow. "I look forward to the next time we meet, Miss Steele."

It wasn't until he was gone that I wondered if his curious little smile had meant something more than simple politeness. "Why do you think he was pleased that Mr. Glass is my employer, Bristow?"

"I would not want to speculate, miss. But I'll be sure to tell Mr. Glass that the inspector made a particular point of asking."

---

Matt arrived home a little while later bearing gifts and a somber mood. He handed out the gifts to each of us in turn, and then disappeared to deliver some to the servants before we could thank him.

"Matthew, my sweet boy, come here," his aunt said when he returned. "Thank you for the tickets and necklace. I do love the opera, and now I will have something to wear with my favorite evening dress. You will attend with me, won't you?"

"Of course," he said. "That's why there are three tickets. India and I will both go with you. I doubted the others would want to attend."

"You know me well," Willie said, holding up her gift of a new leather gun holster. I didn't think it wise to encourage her to carry her weapon, but didn't say.

He'd bought Cyclops a new hat and a Baedeker's travel guide to northern France, since it was "easy to get to from London."

"You trying to get rid of me?" Cyclops asked.

"No, but I thought you might want to travel while you're in this part of the world. If I wanted to get rid of you, I would have purchase two one-way boat tickets."

Cyclops narrowed his good eye at Matt. "Two?"

Matt simply smiled.

He'd also bought Duke a set of pencils and a sketchbook since he used to enjoy drawing back in America. Matt even bought Chronos a gift, but he was nowhere to be seen. According to Bristow, he'd left while we were out after sleeping the night in the guest room.

My gift was a gold pocket watch with a moon face and chronometer. It would have cost a considerable amount. "I returned to Mason’s after I left you," Matt told me. "According to him, it's the finest piece he has ever made." He arched his brows. "Is it?"

"It's beautiful," I said, inspecting the back. "And I'm sure it keeps perfect time and uses only the highest quality parts. Mr. Mason is an excellent craftsman."

"Good, because I didn't want to give my custom to Abercrombie, but if you told me his watches are better—"

"They certainly aren't. He only has a reputation thanks to the patronage of princes, back in his father's day. If those princes had ever visited Mr. Mason, they would have purchased his watches instead." I rubbed my thumb over the smooth gold. "It's far too good for everyday use."

"I want you to use it every day," he said quietly. "I want you to think of me every time you look at it. I know it will never replace the one your parents gave you, but I hope it will become special."

"Thank you, Matt. I'll treasure it."

He watched me with that intense stare of his, as if he were trying to learn something from me without asking a direct question. It was both unsettling and yet sent a thrill through me.

"What is it?" I asked carefully, unsure I wanted to know the answer.

"Something has changed," he said quietly. "I can see it in your eyes, the way you look at me now. Do I have reason to hope?"

I clutched the watch tightly in my fist. "If you ask…I won't say no."

His smile began as a small tug of his lips then it widened, but only briefly before disappearing. He sighed heavily. "I am not in a position to ask. Yet."

"Because you're supposed to be marrying Patience?"

He scrubbed his hand over his jaw and could no longer look at me. "I'll find a way out. A way that won't hurt Patience. I just need time."

"What are you two whispering about?" Miss Glass demanded. "I need to know."

"The weather, Aunt," Matt said with an attempt at cheerfulness that didn't ring true. "Just the weather."

Her lips flattened. She didn't believe him but she wouldn't challenge him.

"You English call this spring?" Duke said with a nod at the window. "It's raining again."

Bristow entered, carrying the mail. It included another invitation for me to dine with Lord Coyle.

"This time he has included you, Matt," I said, showing him.

He set aside his own mail to read it. "Perhaps he thought your previous refusal was because you didn't want to attend alone."

"Will you accept?" Cyclops asked.

Matt handed the invitation back to me without making a suggestion either way. He was allowing me to make a choice without interference. While I appreciated it, I would have liked his opinion. I was torn between my desire to leave magic well alone and being proud of my skill with timepieces.

"He probably just wants me to donate a watch to his collection," I said. "And perhaps ask me questions about my magic. Not all of which I will answer, of course," I added to reassure Matt who did not look entirely pleased with my response.

"Then we'll see what he wants," he said.

Willie suddenly crumpled the letter she'd received and raced from the room. Duke rose to go after her but thought better of it.

"Will you go, India?" he said. "She won't talk to me, but she might to you."

I hurried after Willie and found her lying face down on her bed, sobbing into the pillow. She quieted a little when I sat beside her but didn't acknowledge me for several minutes. I didn't speak either, just let her have a good cry.

Eventually she mumbled, "What do you want?" into the pillow.

"I want to see if you're all right."

"Well I'm not. I'm damned miserable. Go away."

"Was the letter from your nurse friend?"

She sniffed. "I said go away."

"I'm not going away, so you might as well answer me. A problem shared is a problem halved, as they say."

"You English have got a stupid saying for everything."

"Oh really? Even more stupid than 'beat the devil around the stump'? I heard Cyclops say that to Matt once, and I still don't know what it means. Or 'nailed to the counter'. I do know what 'hot as a whorehouse on nickel night' implies, but it hardly requires an active imagination."

She rolled over and wiped her sleeve across her red, swollen nose. "I sent her one final letter saying I'd never bother her again if that's what she wanted." She uncurled her hand and showed me the ball of paper. "She wrote that it's what she wants."

"Oh, Willie. I am sorry."

Her lower lip wobbled and I drew her into a hug. She cried against my shoulder.

---

I left Willie when her tears dried and went in search of Matt. We hadn't been able to say much to one another with the others around earlier, and I wanted to make it clear how I felt. I also simply wanted to be with him, alone.

I heard his voice coming from the drawing room and went to see who he was having a quiet conversation with. I paused outside the door when I heard Patience speaking.

"Don't try to deny it," she said with more vehemence than she'd ever used in conversations with us before. "I know my father is forcing this marriage on you."

I ought to leave but I could not. I wanted to hear their conversation very much. I would deal with my guilt over my eavesdropping later. For now, I stepped closer.

"I know you are in love with India," Patience added.

"I am."

My heart rose to my throat.

"And that she is in love with you."

Matt took a long moment before he answered. "Do you wish to be free?"

"I…I want to be married."

Did she mean that she didn't care whom she wed? That any man would do, and since Matt was on offer, she'd take him? I suddenly felt unbalanced and leaned against the wall near the door for support.

"I cannot refuse you, Matt, even though I know you don't love me," Patience said. "My parents have seen to that. My sisters will suffer if I do not agree to this union."

"Then you should agree to it. Don't give them any cause to be angry with you."

She sighed heavily. Clearly she was finding the conversation perplexing. I wished Matt would tell her what he'd told me—that he would find a way out, somehow.

Perhaps he didn't tell her because he knew he wouldn't find a way. My stomach rolled at the thought.

"I know there will be consequences if you fail to follow through with the wedding," Patience said. "Although I am not entirely sure what those consequences are."

There was a long pause and I wished I could see Matt's face, to try to understand his thoughts and emotions.

"Please say something," she added, sounding tearful. "I feel awful about this. It's not what I wanted but…but for my own selfish reasons, I will go through with it. I want to be free, you see, I want to get away from my parents and my sisters. I'm so sick of being teased and told how ugly I am, how pathetic and dull. And…and I know you will be kind to me, Matt, and I have decided that marrying a kind man who doesn't love me is better than living the rest of my life as a spinster under my parents' influence."

Again, he did not tell her he would look for a way out. He must feel some sympathy for her plight. I certainly did. She had nowhere to go, no means to supper herself. Marriage was her only means of escape. I, at least, had the cottage and the income its rent gave me, and I would likely soon be in possession of my grandfather's shop. I was not without means. Patience, despite all her family's wealth and privilege, had to rely on others.

I ought to walk away from Matt. I ought to do the right thing and stand aside so they could marry.

But I could not.

"Well," she said, rallying, "marriage between people like us is not about love, is it? Perhaps you and India can come to some sort of arrangement. I won't mind. People do it all the time."

My jaw dropped open. She wouldn't mind? People did it all the time? Perhaps people in her circle did, but not in mine. Sometimes, I wondered if we lived in the same world with the same rules.

Masculine footsteps thudded across the carpet then stopped abruptly. "Patience, let me explain two things to you." I had to strain to hear Matt, his voice was so quiet. "Firstly, I believe in the sanctity of marriage. When I do marry, I will not take a mistress. Secondly, India will be no man's mistress. Not even mine."

My chest pinched and tears burned my eyes.

"You would rather not have her at all?" Patience asked, incredulous. "Have you asked her what she wants?"

I thought he wouldn't answer, at first. "Her responses have been open to interpretation. I've been living in hope, more than anything, and trying to guess her feelings." He grunted. "As any man can attest, it's not easy to guess what is in a woman's heart."

But I told him I wouldn't say no if he asked me to marry him.

Oh. I was beginning to see his point. I'd been clear that I would marry him, but not that I loved him. To him, one did not equal the other.

"You don't deserve this, Patience," he said, "any more than India or I do."

"And yet it must be," she said heavily. "I will try to be a good wife. Perhaps, in time, you can accept me as a fair substitute."

"Christ," I heard him mutter then apologize for his language.

Fabric swished as Patience moved. "Thank you for seeing me, Matt. Perhaps the next time we meet will be at the altar."

I moved into the shadows behind a tall urn. Matt and Patience emerged, but instead of going to the front door, they went upstairs. I took the opportunity to sneak through the hidden door the servants used to travel between floors. I remained there, however, unsure what to do next.

A moment later, I heard both Lady Rycroft and Miss Glass, along with Matt and Patience. So the elderly sisters-in-law knew about this meeting. Indeed, they'd sanctioned it. I felt entirely on the outer and somewhat betrayed by Miss Glass. Although I knew her feelings on the matter, it still hurt that she chose Patience over me.

The front door opened and closed, and I heard Miss Glass tell Matt it was for his own good.

"No, it's not," he growled back. I'd never heard him raise his voice to her before. "Don't bring this up with me again, Aunt. I don't want to argue with you."

His footsteps raced up the stairs. I climbed the narrow service stairs to the floor that housed Matt's study. I knocked lightly on the door, only to receive a curt "Come in."

"Am I disturbing you?" I asked.

He slumped back in his chair and smiled. "I thought it was my aunt. Is Willie all right?"

I nodded and closed the door. "I have a confession to make."

He arched a brow. "Am I to be your confessor?"

I skirted the desk and stood beside his chair. He peered up at me through long, dark lashes, an uncertain smile on his lips.

"I listened in to your conversation with Patience."

The smile vanished. "India…" he purred, low in his chest. "I'm sorry you had to hear that."

"Why? Because now I know for certain that your uncle has forced your hand? Because I also know that Patience will accept you? Or because I know that you love me?"

He lifted a hand and stroked my jaw. "You didn't know? I'm sure I told you."

"It's not simply a matter of telling me you love me or buying me gifts. You told Patience that you would never make me your mistress. It may sound strange to most people, but it shows me that you love and understand me."

"I see," he said thickly. "So what happens now?"

Feeling brazen, I sat on his lap and cupped his face in my hands. "Now I show you that I love you too."

"You do? Love me, I mean?"

"Yes. Very much."

His eyes turned smoky. "And how are you going to show me?"

I kissed him, deeply and completely, and he responded by thrusting his fingers into my hair, dislodging the pins. My heart soared. I felt as though I would burst from my skin it was so tight and hot. We had kissed before but this time there was no hesitation, no testing or teasing, just unadulterated desire. I'd never felt more alive. This was how magic should feel, like my veins were glowing and I was alight from within.

We only parted when we both needed air.

"I am yours, India," he murmured against my lips, "and I will marry you."

I pulled away to look at him properly. He was flushed and rumpled and oh so handsome. Yet his eyes held a measure of sadness as he regarded me with an intensity that penetrated to my bones. "You'll tell Lord Rycroft that you refuse?" I asked.

"I can't do that."

"Because your uncle will confine Patience and her sisters to the estate? Are you worried she'll never have a chance to find a husband?"

He looked away. "She needs to escape her family." It wasn't the entire reason he was agreeing to the union. It couldn't be.

"I do feel sorry for her," I said. "But there's something else, isn't there? Something your uncle has threatened to do that's worrying you more than Patience's future?"

Still he would not meet my gaze. "I can't tell you that. Not yet. But I can tell you that I won't marry her. I will get out of this arrangement."

I sighed. "So what happens now?"

"I don't know yet." He finally looked at me. He smiled. "Perhaps another kiss will help me think of something."

Of course, I could not deny him.

---