Nell Gwynne's On Land and At Sea by Kage Baker, Kathleen Bartholomew Read Free Book Online Page B

as mentioned before, quite a private one. The object of Mr. Pickett’s attentions neither screamed, struggled nor made any creditable attempt to resist him, and it was only his own sense of propriety which called a halt to the proceedings.
    “Why—why, my dear Miss Beatrice, what must you think of me?” he said, gasping for breath. “I do humbly beg your pardon! I’ll go down on my knees if you but ask. Only spare a poor mortal overcome by your radiant beauty!”
    Lady Beatrice favored him with an expression that managed to convey the trepidation of a wounded fawn mixed with passionate adoration. She had learned to avoid the instinctive movements of quickly smoothing her garments, rearranging her décolletage, and tucking her hair back into place; a single forlornly dangling tress had the power to break hearts when properly presented. “Oh, Mr. Pickett—dear Mr. Pickett—how can I tell you what I feel? But we must speak of this occurrence no further!” She raised her hands to her face, as in dismay. “And only think! Poor Mamma sleeps within.”
    Rueful (but not absolutely mortified), Mr. Pickett took Lady Beatrice’s arm and was gratified when she clung to him. “I will be your perfect knight, Miss Beatrice. Pray, let me escort you to the good lady.”
     

     
    As they made their way up the lodging house stairs, Lady Beatrice smoothed back her hair at last.
    “Well, I’ve certainly won an admirer,” she said, a trifle wearily. “I trust our absence proved useful?”
    “It did that,” said Mrs. Corvey. “Very interesting desk that man had, and I think the Gentlemen will want the matter pursued. I may have found a new cook, as well,” she added thoughtfully.
    “Splendid!”
    “Well, it’ll want some careful managing; wait and see. But we’ll see what flattery and a higher wage can do.”
    “A little unscrupulous, is it not?”
    “It’s a hard business we’re in, my dear.”
    They opened the door to their rooms to find Mrs. Otley seated at the table admiring something by lamplight, with the other ladies crowded around her.
    “—but it looks so very grisly,” Jane was complaining. “I really wish you had given it a proper burial.”
    “What’s all this?” Mrs. Corvey set her cane in the umbrella stand and approached the table.
    By way of response, Mrs. Otley turned the object that lay before her on the table and revealed it to be a skull.
    “Erato found someone’s head in Kents Cavern,” said Herbertina.
    “It’s a skull ,” said Mrs. Otley with some heat. “And I’m not at all sure it belonged to a person. It looks very primitive to me.”
    The others made room at the table and Mrs. Corvey and Lady Beatrice sat down to consider Mrs. Otley’s find. As skulls went (and Lady Beatrice had seen a few), it was certainly odd-looking. The skull was large, the teeth were remarkably long and the zygomatic bones were very broad. Although the cranial vault was high and wide, suggesting a large brain, there was evidence of a faint sagittal crest.
    Mrs. Otley pointed at this last item and said defensively, “I’m quite sure that this is an archaic feature.”
    “Perhaps you found a Druid’s head,” suggested Miss Rendlesham.
    “What a horrid thought!” said Maude.
    “Not to one of a scientific mind,” retorted Mrs. Otley. “I shall make a drawing of it and send it to Mr. Darwin. There was what appeared to be a grave or a midden there—I am quite sure I can unearth further specimens if I return. Perhaps it will turn out to be a find of great importance!”
    “No doubt, my dear,” said Mrs. Corvey, optics whirring as she examined the skull through different lenses. “Perhaps we won’t keep it on the table where we take our tea, all the same, eh? Charlotte, I believe you have a hat box you can lend Erato?”
    With a martyred air Miss Rendlesham fetched forth the box that had contained her ill-fated bonnet, and the skull was placed within. Such was its size, however, that the lid failed