Clockwork Dream

vi Lessons in Deception

It some ways his elaborate scheme was brilliant. In other’s it just seemed suicidal. Either way it wouldn’t be her problem much longer.

The three men started up a long winded conversation about politics and business and she smiled and nodded when appropriate, a pretty decoration. That thought made her want to pull her hair out but she kept quiet. Jinx, however, seemed to notice her growing impatience.

He turned towards her suddenly. “My dear, it’s been so long since we’ve attended a ball and we have yet to dance once yet. If I may excuse us gentlemen.”

“Of course, go right ahead. You young people should enjoy yourselves while you can,” Randolph replied.

Jinx swept her out to the open center of the room where other young couples were already whirling around in the middle of a song.

“I thought I was supposed to be in poor health?” She asked, “not trapezing across the dance floor.”

“What ,”he replied with a half-smile, “Can’t dance?”

“Of course I can dance!”

“We’re infatuated with each other, remember?”

“Of course, how could I forget?” She rolled her eyes as they were carried into the crowd of spinning bodies. She was suddenly aware of how close they were. The Waltz had once been considered obscene because of how close it require a lady and gentleman to stand to one another. Even through layers of clothing she could still feel the heat rising up from his skin.

They danced in silence, her feet picking their way across the ground automatically in time to the beat. She kept expecting Jinx to say something sarcastic about it but he kept his mouth shut for once.

The final notes faded into the cloud of chatter as the song drew to a close. If her cheeks weren’t coated with so much powder she was sure they would have been flushed red. “I told you I could dance.”

“Yes, you did,” He replied. There was something off in his tone, his gaze fixed on some distant point.

She almost asked him about his sudden change in behavior when he started to speak again. “So, how long has it been since you last came to a gala like this one?”

“I-” She stopped.”What are you talking about?”

“You’re a better actor than I gave you credit for. That, or I’m losing my touch. I’m normally better at telling when someone is lying to me you see. I had guessed your name was a fake, and that you were a runaway. I just didn’t realize that you were one of them.”

“I’m not-” People had started to stare at them. She lowered her voice to a whisper. “I’m not one of them.”

“The way you held yourself, no chance you’d grown up on the streets, particularly not with that tongue of yours. It was the accent that got me I think, It had me thinking merchants daughter.”

“I said I’m not one of them,” She snapped, “Not anymore at least. What does it matter to you anyway, I’ll be gone by tomorrow?”  

“You’re right, It doesn’t matter anymore, I’m just regretting some of my previous actions.” He pulled her sharply into a less visible corner.

“Oh what, am I suddenly a different person than I was five minutes ago?! I’d rather be a princess dresses as a pauper than the other way around. What right do you have to talk anyway? You slip into disguises so easily I doubt anyone knows who you really are.” Alice knew she wasn’t helping but she couldn’t stop the words or the snappish tone that accompanied them. How dare he just assume that he knew her because of one little detail. How dare he assume he was better than her because of it.

“You’re right, I shouldn’t have said anything. It’s none of my business anyways.” The harshness had left his voice but the warm easy going air between them had dissipated entirely. Even if he’d agreed with her, she’d lost the argument.

They made their way back to the German pair without another word.

“Back so soon I see. Do you want to step outside for a smoke, I was gifted some excellent cigars in Austria. Finest in the west.” Randolph called out.

Soon the the pointless conversation resumed. Alice kept getting into staring matches with the smaller one, Sabine, who never seemed to blink at all. It wasn’t very ladylike and Jink didn’t approve of it, but what better reason to do it? She couldn’t figure him out and that annoyed her. She always liked to be able to read people. Well, it seemed that she and Jinx had that in common.

What had made him react so strongly? He surrounded himself with the rich and snobby willingly all the time, even if it was to trick them out of their valuables. Was he really so shallow to think that she was going to give him away just because of where she was born?

“Are you feeling all right My Lady?” Sabine finally spoke up, his voice quiet and unassuming with  a raspy edge. His tone was polite but she got the impression he wasn’t asking out of concern.

As the other two men turned to look at her she realized she was scowling and pried her clenched fists open, plastering a smile onto her face. “Of course, all this excitement has just worn me out a bit.”

It was Randolph who spoke next, sounding more genuinely upset. “You should have said something sooner. I would have-” He stopped and gulped for breath, “have-”

“Sir?”

He brought up a hand to grip his chest, “I think-” he wheezed, “to sit. I should-” He turned to walk inside but one step and his knees gave out under him. He collapsed in a heap on the balcony.

Sabine was down besides him before anyone even had time to blink. Jinx or ‘Lord Blackthorn’ was the second responder. The mans body convulsed, curling inwards on itself as he groaned. A sheet of perspiration began to decorate his skin. His mouth opened and closed soundlessly as he tried to finish his sentence, unable to get enough air into his lungs to form words. His chest spasmed uncontrollably.

“He’s having a heart attack! Someone get a medic.” Jinx shouted at at the crowd.

For half a moment they all stood frozen in bewildered shock. Then the stillness dissolved into a flurry of activity. One woman dropped her glass in the frenzy, shards of crystalline dancing across the floor. As Alice watched them all the noise and light faded away. The only thing she could hear was her fathers voice whispering in her ear

“He was stupid for using such an obvious poison…” and again “ There are so many more subtle ways to make a death look natural. If he was in that much of a hurry to be rid of them he could have at least made it look like a heart attack.”