asleep at the slightest provocation as I used to think, but a fire starter. It gave me a kind of power, even if I couldn't control it. "I won't let men like Lord Wade intimidate me again."
"I know." He traced his fingertip down my knee and a spark shot onto my dress. He extinguished it before it did anything more than scorch the fabric, but I still felt the responding heat rise within me.
"Sorry," he said, bitterness threading the word. "I couldn't help myself." He rose and paced the room, dragging his hands through his hair. "I hate this, Hannah. I'm going to go crazy if I can't…you know."
It felt like claws raked my heart, leaving an exposed, throbbing wound. I wanted him to caress me and hold me, and I wanted to hold him in return, but there was nothing that could be done. Perhaps one day when I learned to control the fire, I could also control it during tender moments with him, but that day seemed a long way off.
I stood up in front of him, halting his pacing. "Jack—"
"Don't!"
He turned to the window and stared out at the lake and abbey ruins on the other side of the park. It was early afternoon. The muted light made the scenery look like a painting. We stood side by side yet far enough apart to avoid sparks and stared out at the winter quiet together. After a few moments I felt my face cool, my blood calm. I'd not realized how hot I was.
"We'll find a way," I eventually said. "No matter how long it takes."
He sighed. "Until then, I must go swimming. Lots and lots of swimming."
"It cools you down?"
"Oh yes."
Like almost everything he tried, Jack was an excellent swimmer. I liked to stand on the lake's edge and watch him glide through the water. It soothed me as much as it seemed to soothe him. He'd once asked me to join him, but I'd refused. I couldn't swim and had no intention of getting into a deep body of water. The hideous bathing costume Sylvia had shown me in one of her copies of The Young Ladies' Journal made the decision easier.
Besides, there would be no wandering near the lake or anywhere else while that demon was on the loose. Langley had given strict instructions that everyone was to remain inside. The gardeners had been given time off. Even Olsen took Jack with him when he tended the horses.
"I wonder where it is," I said.
"I wish I knew."
A piercing, unnatural scream answered us.
"Bloody hell!" Jack sprinted out the door and raced down the stairs.
I followed, but couldn't keep up. "Don't go outside!" I called after him.
He didn't answer. I heard the door unlock and crash back on its hinges. When I finally reached it, he was long gone. He was so fast that I didn't have a hope of catching him.
Sylvia rushed up to me and slipped her arm around my waist. "Has he gone after it?"
I nodded.
"Such a pig-headed fool! Why can't he let the authorities do it? It's their job after all."
"They'll have even less chance of catching it than he does." I believed what I said, yet I didn't like Jack being out there any more than she did.
Tommy joined us. He carried a piece of firewood as long and thick as his forearm and the smell of animal grease followed him. In his other hand, he carried a box of matches to light the grease that must be smeared on the end of the wood.
"Which direction did he take?" he asked.
"You're not going after him!" Sylvia declared. "It's much too dangerous."
"I can't let Jack do this alone."
Sylvia stood between him and the door.
"Move aside, Miss Langley."
She put her hand on her hip. "You will have to move me yourself."
He set the wood and matches down and, to Sylvia's horror, picked her up.
"Stop! Put me down!" She pounded her fists against his shoulder, but her blows had no effect whatsoever. "Tommy Dawson, I'm ordering you to put me down this instant!"
"As you wish, Miss Langley." He carried her to the staircase and set her on the bottom step. I rather think he enjoyed disobeying. He certainly looked too cheerful for someone about to venture outside with a
"I know." He traced his fingertip down my knee and a spark shot onto my dress. He extinguished it before it did anything more than scorch the fabric, but I still felt the responding heat rise within me.
"Sorry," he said, bitterness threading the word. "I couldn't help myself." He rose and paced the room, dragging his hands through his hair. "I hate this, Hannah. I'm going to go crazy if I can't…you know."
It felt like claws raked my heart, leaving an exposed, throbbing wound. I wanted him to caress me and hold me, and I wanted to hold him in return, but there was nothing that could be done. Perhaps one day when I learned to control the fire, I could also control it during tender moments with him, but that day seemed a long way off.
I stood up in front of him, halting his pacing. "Jack—"
"Don't!"
He turned to the window and stared out at the lake and abbey ruins on the other side of the park. It was early afternoon. The muted light made the scenery look like a painting. We stood side by side yet far enough apart to avoid sparks and stared out at the winter quiet together. After a few moments I felt my face cool, my blood calm. I'd not realized how hot I was.
"We'll find a way," I eventually said. "No matter how long it takes."
He sighed. "Until then, I must go swimming. Lots and lots of swimming."
"It cools you down?"
"Oh yes."
Like almost everything he tried, Jack was an excellent swimmer. I liked to stand on the lake's edge and watch him glide through the water. It soothed me as much as it seemed to soothe him. He'd once asked me to join him, but I'd refused. I couldn't swim and had no intention of getting into a deep body of water. The hideous bathing costume Sylvia had shown me in one of her copies of The Young Ladies' Journal made the decision easier.
Besides, there would be no wandering near the lake or anywhere else while that demon was on the loose. Langley had given strict instructions that everyone was to remain inside. The gardeners had been given time off. Even Olsen took Jack with him when he tended the horses.
"I wonder where it is," I said.
"I wish I knew."
A piercing, unnatural scream answered us.
"Bloody hell!" Jack sprinted out the door and raced down the stairs.
I followed, but couldn't keep up. "Don't go outside!" I called after him.
He didn't answer. I heard the door unlock and crash back on its hinges. When I finally reached it, he was long gone. He was so fast that I didn't have a hope of catching him.
Sylvia rushed up to me and slipped her arm around my waist. "Has he gone after it?"
I nodded.
"Such a pig-headed fool! Why can't he let the authorities do it? It's their job after all."
"They'll have even less chance of catching it than he does." I believed what I said, yet I didn't like Jack being out there any more than she did.
Tommy joined us. He carried a piece of firewood as long and thick as his forearm and the smell of animal grease followed him. In his other hand, he carried a box of matches to light the grease that must be smeared on the end of the wood.
"Which direction did he take?" he asked.
"You're not going after him!" Sylvia declared. "It's much too dangerous."
"I can't let Jack do this alone."
Sylvia stood between him and the door.
"Move aside, Miss Langley."
She put her hand on her hip. "You will have to move me yourself."
He set the wood and matches down and, to Sylvia's horror, picked her up.
"Stop! Put me down!" She pounded her fists against his shoulder, but her blows had no effect whatsoever. "Tommy Dawson, I'm ordering you to put me down this instant!"
"As you wish, Miss Langley." He carried her to the staircase and set her on the bottom step. I rather think he enjoyed disobeying. He certainly looked too cheerful for someone about to venture outside with a
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