Curtsies & Conspiracies

Professor Braithwope whirled from where he was demonstrating entering and exiting a hive house with grace and concealed weaponry. He’d been using an arrangement of unstable top-hat boxes as steps and was not happy at being distracted. The act of whirling caused him to go through the side of one of the hatboxes in a manner most clumsy for a vampire.



“Sit down this moment, Miss Pelouse!” he barked.



“But Sophronia squirted steam up my drawers!”



Dimity let out an uncontrolled giggle. Everyone else in the class looked either surprised or amused, according to their nature.



“Whot, whot? I hardly see how she might have done that. She hasn’t moved.”



Monique sputtered. Then, knowing she could not defend herself to the teacher, she sat back down and hissed in Sophronia’s ear. “You certainly won’t be invited to my ball!”



Sophronia smiled. “My dear Monique, I never for one moment believed that I would.”



“Unnatural girl!” Monique turned to glare across the room at Dimity, who had one gloved hand pressed to her mouth and dancing eyes.



“And you! Why would I let you come either? Who are your parents? Nothing more than scientists who can’t decide which side they’re on. Not to mention the way you dress, like some market doxy!”



Dimity’s eyes instantly filled with tears, and she let out a whimper, mouth still hidden under her hand.



Sophronia sprung to Dimity’s defense. “As opposed to an eighteen-year-old girl who is only now having her coming-out ball, who failed to finish properly, and whose parents are quite probably in trade?”



All the girls in the room gasped. Even Professor Braithwope was rendered momentarily speechless by such cutting remarks.



The vampire recovered his power of speech. “Ladies! Manners, whot?”



Dimity mouthed “Thank you” at Sophronia, which earned her a harsh look from the vampire.



After that, class settled down, but something in the atmosphere had changed. As the class practiced walking up and down hatboxes, swinging skirts to conceal weapons in as elegant a manner as possible, Dimity came to stand firmly next to Sophronia.



Professor Braithwope noticed and was perturbed, but he continued the lesson. “Any vampire may be addressed properly as ‘venerable one.’ Alternatively, you may use his title, if an aristocrat. All queens have titles; they are given a baronetcy if not already holding, although that has not been necessary for centuries. Very few women survive being bitten, so rarely is there a new queen. This is why there are always fewer female drones than males.”



Sidheag raised her hand at that and asked, “Why bother?”



“Whot? Oh, to be a female drone? Well, the reward is unparalleled. Aside from immortality, if a woman survives metamorphosis, she is automatically a queen. But there are other reasons, before the bite. Drones are protected, fed, and cared for by their vampire. After a period of menial service, they are given patronage to pursue their own desires. Vampires tend to be wealthy and powerful, so they make very good friends, whot. There are drawbacks, of course.” The professor touched his own neck, hidden under the high collar.



After prancing up and down the stacked hatboxes several more times, Sophronia decided she could risk one more inquiry. “Could you tell us a little something about tethers, Professor?”



Professor Braithwope considered both Sophronia and her question. “Tethers, whot? Very well, I will indulge in a digression, but only because you’ll never understand vampire etiquette if you don’t understand our limitations. Queens cannot leave their hive house, and hive-bound vampires cannot leave the vicinity of their queen. How far they can go depends mainly on age, but it’s generally no more than a borough. Rove vampires usually have the range of an entire city, but they also remain tethered to their home. They will not stray into a hive’s territory unless invited and never enter a hive house unless they have petitioned for one of their drones to be bitten by its queen.”



Sophronia prodded further; she was wildly curious. “How does this work for you, Professor?”



“I am tethered to this ship, but I can leave it to walk around the moor.”



She pressed. “Are there other vampires tethered to airships?”



“No, we are social creatures, and mine is now such a solitary life. None have followed my example. Although you ladies make it interesting, whot.”



“What about your drones?”



“Ah, now, ladies. This brings us back to etiquette, and the purpose of this lesson. It is rude to ask after a vampire’s drones, either in courtesy or curiosity. Drones are a bit of an embarrassment. After all, you would not ask a lady about the nature and quality of her pantry, would you?”



All the girls in the class shook their heads emphatically.



The vampire turned cold eyes on Sophronia, his mustache stiff with accusation. “Anything else, Miss Temminnick?”



“What happens when a vampire goes beyond the limit of his tether?” Sophronia knew she was pushing the bounds of propriety.



Professor Braithwope paled and stilled. If a vampire could be said to go pale. Sophronia hoped never again to see a teacher whom she respected look so frightened.



The room hushed. Normally the vampire was such an easygoing teacher. Even Monique looked up, her coming-out ball forgotten for one brief moment.



Eventually he said, “Nothing good, Miss Temminnick.”



Class ended, and the girls gathered up their reticules, hats, parasols, and shawls in subdued silence. Dimity held back when the others left and waylaid Sophronia with a hand on her arm.



“Professor Braithwope, might I have a private word?” she asked their teacher once the room cleared. “Sophronia, please stay, this concerns you.”



“Yes, Miss Plumleigh-Teignmott. How may I help?”



“It’s this matter of our orders from Lady Linette. You’re aware of them?”



The vampire looked back and forth between the two girls and then nodded.



“Well, I’m not going to do it anymore. Sophronia is my friend, and it isn’t fair.”



“Intelligencers don’t play fair, Miss Plumleigh-Teignmott,” he replied.



“Well, then I’m no intelligencer of merit. You may send me down, if you like. I always felt I was ill suited to this lifestyle, despite my parents. I’d rather be loyal than right.”



Professor Braithwope smiled, showing fang. “Very interesting way of putting it, Miss Plumleigh-Teignmott, and commendable courage, whot. We had thought you were not capable of independent action. You have, thus far, been rather dragged along in Miss Temminnick’s shadow.”



Dimity brightened. “My speaking out is a good thing? You aren’t going to report me to Lady Linette?”



“I didn’t say that, Miss Plumleigh-Teignmott.”



Dimity looked crestfallen. “Whatever you think is best, vulnerable one.”



The vampire only tilted his head at Dimity’s use of the recent lesson.



Sophronia put two and two together and looked at her friend. “You were instructed to ostracize me?”



Dimity nodded, clearly ashamed.



Sophronia narrowed her eyes at Professor Braithwope. Are you testing all the other debuts in the same way, or were instructions different for each girl? Is the ostracism also a test for me?



The vampire met her speculative gaze calmly. “Did you guess, Miss Temminnick?”



Sophronia knew better than to admit to anything. “I did think it interesting that they were all so eager to blame me for high marks and react in the same way. Even Dimity. And Sidheag, who doesn’t care for the machinations of girls.” A thought occurred to her. “Were my marks inflated in order to run this test?”



Professor Braithwope’s mustache fluffed in amusement. “You would think of that. No, they were not. But Professor Lefoux did emphasize your superiority in order to drive a wedge. Now, ladies, run along or you’ll be late for your next lesson.”



They exited into the hallway, and Dimity instantly linked arms with Sophronia. It felt good to have Dimity’s bubbling presence back at her side. They trotted down a hall crowded with fellow students. Agatha and Sidheag were waiting for them.



“Tell me,” instructed Sophronia, once they were all four gathered in one corner.



“It wasn’t our fault,” defended Dimity instantly.



Agatha nodded. She lowered her head, trying to hide her face under her bonnet. Sidheag was characteristically nonchalant. Sophronia could almost hear the taller girl’s thoughts: So we weren’t talking to Sophronia and now we are? Ho hum.



Dimity burbled, trying to explain. “You see, we were each taken aside individually, after our exams, and made to promise to ostracize whichever girl had the highest marks.”



Agatha whispered, “We all thought it would be Monique.”



Sidheag added, “She had taken the test before and had four more years training.”



“Exactly,” jumped in Dimity. “That’s what I thought, too. Lady Linette told each of us that this was the second half of our exam. That if we didn’t do as instructed our official records would be marked incomplete.”



“She said they’d send me down if I didn’t obey.” Agatha looked tortured. “I tried to keep Dimity in line, too.”



Dimity nodded. “Our continued presence at the school depended upon us not speaking to you.”



“Now we’ll probably all be dismissed,” said Sidheag brightly.



“Better than being disloyal! Besides, you two didn’t renege, I did.” Dimity had all the conviction of one who has taken uncertain action and now must justify the consequences. She fiddled with the glittery ruby-and-gold broach at her throat—paste and gilt, of course.



Sophronia chewed her lip. “What if I admitted you were with me last year for the record room break-in? What if they knew how well you did then? Do you think that would count in your favor?”



Dimity was skeptical. “You would have to confess to something that we got away with. And pinned on Monique. They might count an admission against both of us.”



“It’s all so convoluted,” said Sidheag, exasperated.



“It always is.” Agatha was philosophically despondent.



“I hated to do it,” admitted Dimity. “Well, right up until you scared off Dingleproops.”



“It wasn’t him, Dimity. Please believe me. I don’t know who it was or why they set you up, but it wasn’t him, I promise you that.”



Dimity looked nonplussed. “He said as much, but I thought I’d been the butt of some cruel joke. Who was it, then?”



Preshea came bustling up. “If you ladies are quite finished? Sister Mattie wants to know why you aren’t in class.”



The girls glanced around. The hallway was empty except for them.



Preshea said to Dimity, “I see you broke your word to Lady Linette.”



Dimity huffed. “It was going too far. We were going too far.”



“Far is where they will throw you.” Preshea turned away.



“I’ll take that over being mean to a friend,” said Dimity staunchly to the girl’s retreating back. “Not that you would ever understand that, Preshea.”



Sophronia let out a small breath of relief. She hadn’t realized until that moment how unhappy she’d been without Dimity’s friendship. She thought she’d been rattling along fine on her own, but now she noticed the knots in her stomach releasing and the undeniable sensation of wanting to cry from relief.



Sophronia’s little band had reunited just in time. Monique’s promises of ball invitations were causing social mayhem. Snide comments and sharp elbows abounded. It was all much easier to endure now that the four of them were together again. They heard nothing from the teachers as to the repercussions of Dimity’s staunch decision, and they avoided speculating on that, at least. Everything else was fair game.



Sophronia brought them up to speed on some of her private investigations.



Sidheag put it together without frills, as her werewolf-trained mind was prone. “I’ve been wondering about this. Captain Niall said the vampires might be involved with Giffard’s flight? Why?”



Sophronia said, “If Professor Braithwope can tether to an airship, so could other roves.”



“Yes, but why now? Presumably old Prof has been doing it for simply ages.”



“Perhaps this new ship of Giffard’s is more vampire-safe. Or perhaps it has to do with the new technology Giffard is employing. If it works, it’d be much faster than other airships. Perhaps the vampires want access to that speed. I don’t think they like to be limited.”



Dimity looked at her friend. “I thought you were a progressive.”



“Maybe, but I don’t know if it’s right. I mean to say, Professor Braithwope is nice, but vampires need to be kept in check, don’t you think?”