Page 49 of A Game of Scandal

“And then he sent an entire greenhouse worth of flowers to the house,” I told them. “Wheeler has been practically bringing them in by the barrow load all day. Mother is in fits of delight. I, however, have developed a twitch every time the doorbell rings.” I narrowed my eyes. “Something else has happened, hasn’t it? That’s why you’re all up here.”

Izzy rubbed her forehead, a crinkle of concern marring her brow. “It seems that the bomb the Aviary received last week was no isolated threat. There has been another attempt, and only this evening we managed to trace the evidence back to one person…”

“Edward Laing.” I exhaled deeply.

Mrs Finch went on. “We were lucky that it was found in time for Winnie to deal with it. It was hidden in a delivery for the shop. There’s every chance it could have detonated downstairs.”

Another bomb. No wonder Izzy hadn’t been home.

“But no one was hurt?” I asked quickly.

“No.” Sylla turned to look out of the window and on to the darkened street below. “And as Winnie was able to defuse it this time, she could pull it apart and examine the pieces. It’s how we managed to find the maker, and through him, Laing.”

The shivery feeling that had haunted me since my conversation with the man intensified, and I rubbed my arms. It was true then, what everyone had suspected: Edward Laing was a dangerous man. I’d already known it, of course, but here was proof, incontrovertible.

“So Laing knows about the Aviary,” I said hollowly.

Izzy nodded, clearly upset. Sylla and Mrs Finch were much harder to read, though Sylla’s fingers had curled into a fist at her side.

“But do you think Laing knows about my connection to you?” I asked. “Does this explain his interest in me?”

“I don’t know,” Izzy said. “I keep thinking – it wasn’t as hard as it could have been to trace the bomb back to him. What if he wanted us to know? What if he’s letting us know he’s on to us. Playing with us.”

“What did he say to you, Felicity?” Mrs Finch sat in the chair behind her desk and pulled out a notepad and pen. “Let’s hear it from the beginning.”

I told them. I was fairly sure I remembered every word that we had exchanged, because it had felt so uncomfortable, so charged with meaning.

“He seemed … predatory,” I said in the end. “It was as if he had decided he was going to have me and therefore that was what was going to happen.”

“He may be genuinely taken with you,” Mrs Finch said slowly. “A man like Laing, perhaps there is something appealing about that wonderful mind of yours. He sees you as something rare, someone who can match him intellectually.”

“Like a brain in a jar?” I asked.

“Like a brain in a pretty package,” Mrs Finch said.

“I think he’s been watching the house,” I admitted.

“What?” Izzy snapped.

I explained my suspicions and the fact that Laing had turned up at my location several times.

“The man is a threat.” Izzy’s voice was clipped. “Even more of a threat than I thought. He knows about the Aviary; he knows we’re on to him. And now he’s taken an interest in Felicity.” She looked worried. “He realized that you played cards against him at the Penny. He’s sending things to the house. Whether he knows of your connection to the Aviary or not, it’s too much.” She gnawed her lip. “We should get you out of London.”

“I can’t leave London!” I exclaimed. “How on earth would we explain that to Mother?”

“Perhaps we could say you’re unwell,” Izzy mused.

“If you wish to leave London, it can be arranged without any need to concern your mother,” Mrs Finch said calmly. It was a fact, simply stated, and I believed it completely. I knew that somehow this capable woman would have my mother believing it was all her own idea that I’d abandoned both her and my long-awaited season.

“But shouldn’t I … help?” I asked. “I might be able to assist you in collecting more information about Laing.”

Sylla began to reply, but Mrs Finch stood and came towards me, taking my hand in hers.

“Right now it’s not your job to tackle Laing. It’s your job to protect yourself from him.”

“I’ll consider it,” I said reluctantly.

“You do that,” Mrs Finch said. “And remember: the Aviary is here to assist you. We take care of our own.”