"Why?" Willie asked. "We expecting guests?"
"No, but guests or no, your day clothes are not for evening wear. Honestly, Willemina, you're quite the cowboy. India will change, won't you, India?"
"If it's what you prefer," I said.
"Good girl." She patted my shoulder as she passed.
"'If it's what you prefer,'" Willie mimicked in a high voice once Miss Glass was out of earshot.
"What's eating you?" I asked. "You seem out of sorts."
"Nothing's the matter." She shot to her feet and strode to the window where she drew the curtain on the darkening street. "Nothing at all," she added, quieter.
"Nonsense. I'm not as blind to reading the signs as some people think. Has your man said or done something to upset you?"
She snorted as she drew the other curtain. "You got it wrong, India. I'm just frustrated. I ain't patient like some."
I sighed. "I understand entirely. Our lack of progress is frustrating me too, and Matt, although he pretends not to be affected. I know he's worried though, particularly with his watch slowing even more."
She plopped down on the sofa and buried her face in her hands. "God forgive me, I'm selfish. I've been so distracted lately, I weren't even thinking of Matt."
"Then what were you talking about?"
Duke and Cyclops entered, looking bored. "So this is where you two are hiding," Duke said. "Thought you were out, Willie."
"I got home a while ago. Where've you been?"
"Library," Cyclops said.
"You two? Reading? What's the world coming to?"
"Don't change the subject," Duke said. "Why'd you come home early? And why the long faces?"
She crossed her arms. "Ain't no business of yours."
"Your lover quit, eh?" He chuckled. "Got tired of you spouting off about this and that?"
She sprang up and ran at him, teeth bared. Thankfully she didn't make a sound to alert the servants. Duke caught her and, with Cyclops's help, held her at bay.
"Calm down!" Duke snapped. "It was just a lark."
She shoved Duke's chest and both men let her go. She stormed back to the sofa where she sat with a flounce and petulant frown.
"Stop it, the lot of you," I said. "You ought to be ashamed of yourselves. You're supposed to be friends."
Duke retreated to the mantelpiece, not taking his wary gaze off Willie. Perhaps he thought she'd charge again. "You're right. Sorry, Willie."
She looked up, surprised. "Accepted. I'm sorry too, but you got no right, Duke. I ain't putting up with your lip no more."
Cyclops caught my eye. He arched his good eyebrow in question.
I sighed. "Everyone is a little testy this evening," I told him. "It's the lack of progress that's doing it. I ought to warn you that Matt's nerves are stretched thin too. We continue to meet delays in our investigation. Indeed, the more we investigate, the further away from finding Phineas Millroy we get. At least, that's how it seems."
"You got to stay strong for him, India," Willie urged. "Be his anchor."
That was all well and good, but who was going to be my anchor? I felt all at sea, drifting further and further from shore.
"We all do," Cyclops told her. "Lumbering it all on India ain't fair, considering she and him aren't…" He coughed and looked away.
"Getting married," I offered. "No, we're not. I've made it clear to him, and I'd like to end any speculation and gossip here and now. Matt and I are not together and never will be."
"I'm glad," Willie said. "On account of him needing to go home to America when this is done. But does he know it? Because it don't always look like he does."
"I've told him."
She huffed. "Being told and knowing ain't the same thing."
"No," I said quietly. "They are not."
* * *
Dinner was a strained affair, and I was glad when it ended, even though most of us retired to the drawing room. Miss Glass went to bed early, easing the tension somewhat. Although she knew all our magical secrets, somehow it was easier to discuss them without her there. Nobody wanted to worry her more than she already was.
Matt poured brandies, and Willie pulled out a cigar from her breast pocket. She slid it beneath her nose and drew in a deep breath.
"You are not going to smoke in here," I said. "Miss Glass will smell it in the morning. Go to the smoking room."
She took her glass from Matt and stormed out without a word.
"Is it just me or is she upset about something?" Matt asked, watching her go.
"Her lover's had enough of her irritating ways," Duke said.
"You're the only one who finds her irritating," I told him. Everyone just looked at me. "You're right, that's not true. But I do think Duke is partly right and the problem is with the gentleman she's been seeing at the hospital."
Duke grunted and drank the entire contents of his glass in one gulp. "Another," he said to Matt.
Matt hesitated then obliged. "Did India inform you how our afternoon went?"
"Aye," Cyclops said. "You ain't getting far."
"We still have the priest to talk to yet," Matt said. "I think we'll learn a great deal from him."
"How?" Duke accepted the glass. "He ain't going to tell you what he heard in the confessional."
"We might be able to convince him."
"How?"
Willie strode back in, holding the unlit cigar and tumbler in one hand and a newspaper in the other. She thrust the newspaper into Matt's chest. "Bristow just got the evening papers. Read it." Her gaze slid to me.
That was enough to have me crowding around Matt along with Duke and Cyclops to get a better look. My insides tightened when I read the masthead—The City Review. A journalist from that newspaper had teamed up with the Watchmaker's Guild master, Abercrombie, and threatened to print an article demonizing magicians. While I hadn't forgotten their threat, I'd set it to the back of my mind as we searched for a medical magician.
The page was opened to the article in question. A quick scan of the first three paragraphs proved that they were not going to hold back in their judgment. "Evil," "sinful," and "un-English" they called magicians, drawing on their readers' religious and patriotic fervor to stir up hatred and fear.
"Lies," Duke spat. "All damned lies."
"They're drumming up sympathy for tradesmen and shopkeepers," Matt said quietly.
"'Depriving honest, hardworking people of their livelihood,'" Cyclops read. "'And starving their children in the process.'"