The Heir

Chapter 15

Ch. 15

The doctors wanted to keep Mr. Cunningham in the hospital for at least a week, but he would have none of it. My uncle wanted to leave after one day. The inactivity and constant influx of nurses poking at him drove him batty. I convinced him to stay by telling him our travel arrangements weren't ready yet. He grumbled and huffed about how he was fine and didn't need mollycoddling. He reminded me of my father whenever he got sick. Silent suffering wasn't in their nature.

Departure day arrived. I dispatched Mr. Tanner and Malcolm to bring Mr. Cunningham from the hospital to the train station while Mary, Ingrid, and I ensured everything made it to the train. It was a chaotic morning of porters and trunks moving every which way. Our home looked completely different. Every window was shuttered. The furniture sat under large white sheets. Stacks of trunks containing the possessions we were taking with us lined the entrance hall. The scene reminded me of a military camp bugging out as the enemy approached. The Hamms had fired a volley through our front line and were turning tail to run. Live today, fight tomorrow.

Bristol wasn't a hiding place because everyone knew we were going there, but it offered us a chance to refuel and figure out what was happening. Uncle Cunningham could recover in peace, and the two of us could make a plan without the constant pressure to perform for the 19th-century masses. My hope was that we would come back from Bristol unbeatable.

Our caravan of belongings and people went through London to the train station. After much schlepping, everything was loaded on the train. Uncle Cunningham arrived twenty minutes before the train departed, looking cross. Mary, Ingrid, and Malcolm went to their compartment after Uncle Cunningham and I had taken our place in our private car. It was unlike any train car I had ever set foot in. I felt like I was in a Victorian living room, except it was long, narrow, and on wheels. There were two nicely furnished sitting areas with tables and gas lamps. I didn't understand why anyone needed a wood-paneled train car with padded leather seats. I reminded myself that I was from a different time.

Mr. Tanner stood on the platform to see us off.

I leaned out the window to say goodbye. "See you when we get back, Mr. Tanner. Keep us apprised."

He waved as we began to move. "I'll send word if I hear anything."

"Get your head back in this car, young lady," barked Mr. Cunningham. "Who do you think you are, a simpleton?"

I obliged but smirked at him. "Come off it, Uncle."

He railed on. "I will not. A young lady is always judged by her behavior. Your actions a moment ago-"

He stopped mid-sentence because I was laughing so hard. It took a moment, but he realized how silly he sounded and blushed. He reached for the newspaper as I flopped on a couch, trying to stifle my laughter. Within moments Uncle Cunningham was reading one of the cover stories with laser focus. He looked panic-stricken as he followed the story down to the bottom. I waited for him to explain his sudden duress. Once he restarted the article from the top, my patience ran out.

"What is it, Uncle?"

He did not respond immediately as he scanned the paper. When he did speak, anger made his voice rumble. "How do you explain this? Why didn't you tell me our incident made the paper? 'Society lady takes down infamous crook, saves uncle.'"

I had hoped he wouldn't see that article.

"Uncle, you are one of the richest men in London, I'm a society darling, and Jacobs is a notorious criminal. How does that not rate the front page?"

"You could have told me?" He shook the paper wildly. "We don't want this type of attention. Heirs are supposed to be like wallpaper: inconspicuous."

"Have you seen Victorian wallpaper? It screams, 'Look at me! I'm pretty!'" I sat up to explain what was going on. "All the coverage works to our advantage. We have the momentum now. The Hamms wanted to bring us to our knees, but we beat them because we're stronger in the public eye. We can't stop the press, so we might as well use it to make the Hamms uneasy. Don't worry, I've got this."