He backed away to join the circle of Mechanics that came to loom at the top of the staircase. As I saw their decidedly unfriendly expressions, it occurred to me that this might be more like bringing a mouse into a group of cats.

In Which We Must Lighten the Load

IN WHICH WE MUST LIGHTEN THE LOAD

Alec stepped forward, gesturing for the others to stay back and, I hoped, not do anything rash. “What is this, Verity?” he demanded, his voice harsh. He seemed a very different person from the one I’d known. Henry wasn’t the only one who maintained a mask.

It was easier to face this near-stranger than the boy I’d been falling in love with, but I still fought to keep my voice calm so it wouldn’t betray my emotions. “The British are going to seize the machines. They’re searching the whole area door-to-door, quite thoroughly, and they’re closing in on you.”

He glanced at Henry, who stood silently beside me. “It must be easy for them if you lead them straight to us,” Alec said with a sneer. “Is this your revenge?”

“Don’t be stupid,” I snapped, forgetting my vow to keep my emotions in check. “This is Lord Henry Lyndon, and he’s here to help.”

“Help how?”

“Do you really think you can get your machines out of the city under the noses of the British troops without magical assistance?” Henry asked evenly.

“Let’s hear what he has to say,” Colin said with a shrug. “We don’t have to let him leave if we don’t believe him.”

Although he was in far more danger than I was, Henry stayed protectively next to me as the rebels escorted us to the table where they’d been gathered. Colin rushed forward to hide the papers that had been spread out on it. Alec gestured for Henry to sit at the head of the table, and then other rebels filled in next to him, with one standing behind him. I took an empty seat farther down.

If Henry was flustered by such hostile surroundings, he didn’t show it. This was, after all, the man who hadn’t reacted when the girl he’d encountered during a train robbery showed up to interview for a position in his home. He didn’t play the fool this time, though. This Henry was the Masked Bandit, only without the mask, regarding the rebels as though he was the one who had them at a disadvantage. Even in the dim light, his eyes showed icy blue.

“Now, tell us why we should believe you,” Alec said to him. “The soldiers were just here for the show. They’d think there’s nothing here to seize.”