“I don’t know how much of those tender feelings I crushed with my idiocy.” He wanted to believe he could mend what he’d broken. “I’m hoping I can convince Gemma to stay in London through your wedding. That’d give me some time to court her as I ought to have done from the beginning.”
Elizabeth’s brow pulled a bit. “We aren’t entirely certain when the wedding will be. With the Mastiff stepping up his efforts, things are growing chaotic. We’ve already had to wait longer than we wanted so Fletcher could establish himself in the circles that need to accept him for my school to stay open. The fact that he’s been willing to wait, that he puts in the effort even though it frustrates him, means the world to me. Life is often a struggle. There’s something beautiful about having someone who is willing to walk with you through it.”
He wanted to walk through life’s struggles with Gemma. If he had time, he might be able to show her that she could depend on him. If she grew to love him and trust him again, that was the future they could build together.
Chapter 21
The Charitable Authors League of London was staging another undertaking. Gemma would’ve liked to join in, but she knew it wouldn’t be safe out in the open like that. She wouldn’t invite trouble when CALL was trying so hard to do good. But staying hunkered down at the Donnellys’ flat day after day was beginning to wear on her.
It did, at least, give her time to visit with Vera, which Gemma appreciated. Vera was not yet strong enough to spend hours on end standing and carrying things.
“Do you think,” Vera said, “if we batted our eyes and looked a touch pathetic, Doc and Brogan’d take us to Richmond Park? It’s enough outside London to be quiet and safe but not so far that we couldn’t be there and back in the same day. And it’d be a deucedly welcome change to seeing only the walls of this house day and night.”
“I don’t know how you’ve endured it these past months.” Gemma shook her head. “You must be going plum out of your mind.”
She smiled. “A bit, oi. But I’ve been helping Brogan with his current penny dreadful, and that’s been a lark.”
“Has it?” Gemma wouldn’t’ve guessed. “His stories aren’t the light romps some of the other penny dreadfuls are.”
“No, but they’re a right riot to write.”
Gemma laughed out loud. “Try saying that at a gallop.”
“I’m not certain I could say it again at a crawl.”
Vera had said that remaining behind during CALL events wasn’t such a terrible thing. She was proving herself correct.
A knock at the door startled them both. They’d not been expecting anyone. Gemma met Vera’s eye and received a shrug in return.
“Guess we’d best sort out who’s disrupting our gab,” Gemma said.
“Best let me. The Kincaids don’t care a lick about me.” That was true enough.
Gemma walked with Vera to the door but tucked herself out of sight. She took her knife in her hand, just in case, and held her breath as Vera reached for the handle.
She inched the door open, peeking around it.
“Papa!” On that single word, Vera pulled the door open fully.
Mr. Sorokin rushed inside, holding the young girl Gemma had seen with him in the hiding hole. The little boy kept close to his side.
“What’s happened?” Gemma asked, eyeing the girl with concern. She was pale and listless.
His Russian accent more prominent than usual, Mr. Sorokin rushed through his explanation. “She’s had a fever for a couple of days. No appetite. Today, she grew so weak that she’s struggling to get about.”
“Lie her on the sofa in the sitting room,” Vera said.
“She needs a doctor.” Gemma reached for her coat. “I’ll go fetch Baz.”
“I can do it,” the boy said. “I can get word to him.”
“You oughtn’t put yourself in danger.”
“I ain’t meaning to. Doc Milligan, yeah? I know how to get word to him. No one’ll even see me about.”
“You’re certain?” Gemma pressed.
“Full certain.” He hopped out the door and was gone in a flash.