“Simon,” Malcolm began to argue.
“No,” Simon said with an exhausted voice and held up his hand. “He is in danger, partly because he sought to protect me in the past.”
“You don’t believe any of that, do you?” Malcolm asked incredulously.
“I have to.” Simon leaned against the window, silhouetted in the moonlight. “Otherwise, everything could be a lie. And I won’t have that.”
Chapter 4
The next morning, Simon woke early and went out to his favorite coffee cart. He returned with a pot of coffee and a serviceable breakfast. Kate brightened as he entered the kitchen. Morning was her element. The dawn’s light illuminated the cherry tones in her hair until it sparked like fire. Her smile quickly faded as she eyed the lumps of greasy paper Simon pulled from the basket.
She abandoned her search of the cabinets and the pantry for any food to prepare. “I was hoping you’d just buy a few eggs and some bread. I could have managed with those.”
“No need. These are a popular favorite here.”
“Did you muck those off the bank of the Thames?” she asked, her nose wrinkling. “Now I know why Penny preferred to go to her own home last night. The fear of a Gaunt Lane breakfast.”
“Nonsense. She just wanted to continue her work on the key.” Simon pulled a gold chain from his waistcoat pocket and twirled it. It felt particularly empty because normally there would have been a special gold key attached to the end. It was his prized possession, even though he didn’t truly own it. “Ever since the key started working again, she works on it all the time. And why wouldn’t she? It is one of the greatest magical items ever created. Such a simple object having the power of instantaneous transportation around the globe is still so incredible. Just as incredible, Penny seems close to understanding the engineering concepts your father used to design it. She is confident that she’ll be able to replicate the construction and build working copies.” He spun the empty chain a few more times, then watched it fall limp in his hand. “Penny is ever the optimist. She keeps forging facsimiles even though she knows I can’t inscribe and empower them, as my father did to the original.” Simon tucked the chain into his waistcoat with a sigh. “Well, fortunately we still have that one marvelous key, and by some miracle, it still works. It has served us in the past, and no doubt will in the future.”
“If the key has reconnected to the aether, there’s no reason you won’t as well,” Kate said with practiced sympathy. “You were both drained by Ra at the same time. Clearly, there’s a limit to the persistence of the magic-eater’s power.”
“Clearly. Although we did destroy the mummy months ago. The key has come back admirably. Me?” Simon pantomimed removing a hat from his head and holding it out in front of him. He reached into the invisible hat, then drew out his hand with the flourish of a stage magician. He slowly uncurled his fingers to reveal that his hand was empty. “I can’t even pull a hedgehog out of my hat.”
“One day you will.”
Simon was grateful for Kate’s endless confidence whether she actually felt it or was just saying it to prevent his having a bout of self-pity. So he quickly unwrapped what appeared to be a pile of scorched crust. “These are delicious. It’s a meat pie.”
“I know what it is, but I don’t want to know what sort of meat.” Kate poised a fork over the pie before setting the utensil on the table with a sigh. “Simon, really, we’re not without resources. Can’t you arrange a servant to keep the house ready for occasional use?”
“No. Not with my interests. It’s too dangerous.” He was again almost unconsciously sketching keys and runes onto the paper bag.
“I have the same interests as you plus a preference for edible meals. I have servants at Hartley Hall, and my home is certainly as dangerous as yours.”
“Agreed.” Simon lifted the fork and slipped it back into her hand. “Here, you dropped this. I assume your father gave your servants to understand they were in for peculiar times. And you pay them many times the going rate.”
Kate prodded the pie listlessly while Simon seized one by hand and began to devour it. Malcolm entered the kitchen and, without a word, took up one of the doughy things and started eating.
“No Barker,” Malcolm said to Simon through a mouthful of meat pie. “So you came to your senses?”
Simon poured coffee for Malcolm. “No, he’s still asleep. He’s staying as long as he likes. We’re taking him on faith.”
Malcolm nodded with thanks and drank. “I know my judgment has no leverage after how I argued against Charlotte, but I’ll say it anyway. Nick Barker is a bad man. To my mind, there’s nothing admirable about him. There, I’ve said it. I’m done with the topic.”