Rebels Rising Read online

  Rebels Rising

  Shanna Swendson

  NLA Digital LLC

  Contents

  New York City, 1888

  New York City, 1888

  In Which My Every Move Is Observed

  In Which I Engage in Clandestine Correspondence

  In Which I Volunteer for a Task

  In Which I Must Avoid Carolers

  In Which I Must Watch My Words

  In Which I Am Put on Display

  In Which I Face the Perils of Christmas Caroling

  In Which I Set Out on a Very Long Walk

  In Which We Shed Some Light on the Situation

  In Which I Have a Startling Revelation

  In Which I Must Leave the City

  In Which I Return to the City

  In Which I Write the Story of a Lifetime

  In Which I Must Reveal the Truth

  In Which I Am Reunited with Family

  In Which I Make Difficult Choices

  In Which I Visit a New Land

  About this Series

  An Excerpt from A Fairy Tale

  About the Author

  Also by Shanna Swendson

  New York City, 1888

  GOVERNMENT ROCKED BY FINANCE SCANDAL

  WHERE DID THE MONEY GO?

  PUBLIC CALLS FOR RESIGNATION

  * * *

  BY ELIZABETH SMITH

  There has still been no public comment from His Grace the Royal Governor about reports that the New York colony’s treasury has been emptied. The approved newspapers have yet to mention the scandal, but sources inside the administration say the governor and his cronies are frantically trying to raise funds to restore the treasury before Crown auditors can arrive to review the accounts.

  What has been announced is a possible tax hike. Are colonists now required to pay for their government’s poor management, with no say on who makes up that government and not even a vote for the parliamentary representatives who choose the government? Calls for the resignation of government officials involved with this affair have come from all levels of society. The Lord Mayor of New York City has called for an investigation. Several nobles who wish to remain anonymous say they believe a break with Britain is in order.

  New York City, 1888

  SECRET POLITICAL PRISONER ESCAPES TRANSPORT TO ENGLAND

  * * *

  BY LIBERTY JONES

  A high-ranking political prisoner held without charges or trial disappeared recently from the holding cells of the West Battery Fort, on the eve of transport to England.

  The titled nobleman was arrested on suspicion of treason, but he was never brought before a judge. His family’s solicitor was not allowed to see him or speak with any official about his case. Sources say the prisoner was to be sent to England in order to keep his case out of the public eye to avoid scandal being attached to his prominent family.

  Military officials are baffled as to how the prisoner managed to escape. Guards found his locked cell empty. No unusual activity was noted at the fort.

  If the government is persecuting titled magisters, is a crackdown on other rebel groups imminent? Some members of the magister class see this arrest as evidence that no one is safe. Rebel magisters have begun talks with other rebel groups, including the Rebel Mechanics.

  Rebel groups claim no knowledge of the whereabouts of the missing political prisoner.

  In Which My Every Move Is Observed

  I was completely surrounded by the enemy. At least, that was how I felt. It was an odd feeling to have at a ball, but all the other guests were high-ranking magisters, members of the magical ruling class. I was there as a chaperone, so I was more or less invisible, but I couldn’t help but wonder what these people would think—or do—if they knew what I really was.

  For one thing, I was a magical half-breed, a person whose very existence was illegal. For another, I was affiliated with the Rebel Mechanics, as well as a rebel group among the magisters. I wrote for the unauthorized radical newspaper under a pseudonym. I was a spy who used my position in a magister home to gather intelligence on the government that I passed to the rebels. I’d helped a prisoner accused of treason escape, which meant I would be considered a traitor, as well.

  And yet, all these people walked right past me, barely acknowledging my existence, entirely unaware that I was working to bring down their society. I hid my smile behind my fan.

  My charge, Lady Flora Lyndon, returned to her seat and gave a not very encouraging smile to her dance partner, who was clever enough to read the signs and leave her be rather than pushing his case. “How much longer do you think we must stay, Miss Newton?” she asked me. “These men are all so very shallow.”

  A few weeks ago, I’d never have believed that Flora would become my only ally in a situation like this, but she’d taken on the rebel cause with great enthusiasm, and I was beginning to believe that it wasn’t merely because she’d met a rebel she found appealing. Now, it was all I could do to stop her from wearing a Rebel Mechanics insignia and shouting revolutionary slogans at society functions.

  “Perhaps two more dances would give you an excuse to plead exhaustion,” I said. “We really must keep up appearances.” That wasn’t merely about social status now. Across the room were the two men I’d come to think of as Inspector Stout and Inspector Tall, who’d been watching us ever since Lord Henry Lyndon, my erstwhile employer and Flora’s uncle, had disappeared. I saw them outside the house, lurking on a street corner. One of them followed whenever I went out with the children. Now they were at the ball, dressed in military uniforms. There was a third man I thought of as Inspector Nondescript because he did a much better job of blending in. I imagined he was watching the house, ready to catch Henry sneaking home.

  Flora paled ever so slightly. I’d managed to keep the younger children from noticing the followers, but Flora was well aware of them. “Of course.” She turned a dazzling smile on the next man who passed, and soon she was sweeping around the ballroom in his arms. In order to allay suspicion, we made every effort to behave like carefree girls, which meant that we’d attended far too many balls, luncheons, and tea parties for my taste lately. Even Flora, who usually enjoyed socializing, was wearing out.

  “Excuse me, Miss Newton, is it?” I glanced up to see a young man looming over me. He actually knew very well who I was, as he was one of Lord Henry’s close friends, Geoffrey, Viscount Hayes. “I don’t suppose I could get you to plead my case with Lady Flora.”

  I had to struggle to keep a straight face because Geoffrey was extremely unlikely to be interested in Flora. “I’m not sure how much good it would do you, as she seldom listens to me,” I replied.

  “Even so, you have more of an opportunity to talk to her than I do.” He took Flora’s vacated seat next to me and leaned over to whisper, “Have you heard anything?”

  “Nothing,” I replied. “But we’re being watched, so I’ve made no effort to get word.”

  “Ah, I’m afraid I’ve been doing the same. I must admit to being somewhat worried.”

  “We surely would have heard if anything had gone amiss.”

  “I hope you’re right. We’re still meeting, but we’re being very cautious who we let into our circle. We can’t risk another betrayal.” He stood and bowed slightly. “I appreciate your assistance, Miss Newton.”

  “Here’s Lady Flora now, if you’d care to dance with her,” I said, unable to resist the temptation. Flora batted her eyelashes at him and allowed him to lead her to the dance floor. He looked like a man being forced to bite into lemons. I couldn’t help but grin. This was the most enjoyment I’d had since I’d said farewell to Henry.

  I turned to notice another man standing next to me, Philip Spencer, who was also a part of Henry’s circ
le. “You really must dance with me, Miss Newton,” he said with a gallant bow. “I don’t consider it a successful ball unless I’ve danced with every eligible young lady present.”

  “I’m hardly considered eligible,” I demurred.

  “Well, you’re young and pretty, so you must dance with me.”

  I suspected that what he really wanted was to talk to me, so I reluctantly acquiesced and took his hand. Just as I thought, as soon as we were dancing, he whispered into my ear, “So, Verity, have you heard anything from our friend?”

  “Nothing at all,” I murmured. “Which is probably good news.”

  “Do you think it’ll be safe to meet up with your other friends anytime soon? I’m feeling awfully cut off, and we need to get things moving. It’s getting interesting in our world.”

  “It is?”

  “Oh, yes, by golly. That news about the missing colonial funds really shook things up. There have been calls for the governor to resign. My father said that it even came up on the floor of the Assembly, and what’s really surprising was that my dear father didn’t seem to think it was a bad idea. You may have noticed that flock of swine flying over the city.”

  I wasn’t sure whether the governor resigning would be such a good thing for our cause. As it was, he was the grandfather of the children I taught and chaperoned, which gave me access to his inner circle. I’d gained much valuable intelligence from my position. We wanted to topple the government, not merely get new leadership. I said as much to Philip. “What we want is a governor we elect to rule our own nation. It doesn’t help if we merely get a new one appointed by the Crown.”

  “Baby steps, Verity. Get them opposed to this governor, and they get used to the idea of opposing the government. We’ll get there someday.”

  The orchestra ended the song, and we had to stop talking. He escorted me back to my seat, where Flora had already retreated after dancing with Geoffrey. “Now may we go?” she asked.

  “I believe we have—” A fanfare cut me off. Everyone in the room stood and faced the entrance.

  “Oh, bother. That’s Grandfather arriving, isn’t it?” Flora said. “Now we can’t leave. It would look rude, and I’ll have to greet him.”

  Looking rude didn’t appear to be a concern for everyone. The applause at the governor’s entrance was weaker than I’d ever heard, and as soon as he’d acknowledged it and taken his seat, the crowd on the dance floor thinned dramatically. A good third of the guests departed, none of them paying their respects to the governor before they took their leave. I barely caught myself before I asked Flora who they were, and then I remembered that while she was aware I had rebel connections, she didn’t know the full extent of my involvement. All I could hope was that Philip and Geoffrey made note of those who might be potential sympathizers.

  As Flora and I made our way across the room to the governor so she could greet her grandfather, I couldn’t help but overhear snatches of conversation along the way: “Do you think he’s responsible?” “He knows exactly where that money went.” “You have to wonder what else is going on that we don’t know about.” “That’s what happens when your officials are accountable to no one.” I barely stopped myself from turning around to see who’d made that last statement. It sounded like someone who might harbor revolutionary ideas.

  The crowd of well-wishers and sycophants around the governor was smaller than normal. I almost felt sorry for the man. My guilt was somewhat exacerbated by the fact that the intercepted letter that had revealed the whole scandal was currently tucked away in a secret compartment in my desk, and I was the one who had revealed its contents to the world. He’d never been anything but kind to me, and sometimes I had trouble reconciling my beliefs about his position with my feelings for the man.

  He looked genuinely glad to see us when we approached, which made me feel even guiltier. “Flora, Miss Newton,” he said, rising and moving to greet us. He kissed Flora on both cheeks and nodded to me. “Are you enjoying the ball?”

  Flora gave a languid sigh. “I suppose so, though it’s not the most stimulating entertainment. We were just about to leave.”

  “You’re starting to sound like your aunt,” he said with a hearty laugh. Lady Elinor, the younger sister of the children’s late mother, was an invalid who seldom left her bed. Since she’d stepped in as guardian to the children in Henry’s absence, I’d learned that she was in perfectly good health, aside from getting a headache at the thought of dealing with society. She played the invalid to avoid having to take on the role of her widowed father’s official hostess.

  “My aunt can be very wise,” Flora said.

  “I hope you aren’t planning to leave now that I’ve arrived,” the governor said, taking Flora’s arm and escorting her to the chair next to his. A footman moved to unobtrusively situate a chair behind hers for me. It seemed that we were trapped for the time being.

  Flora being seated next to the governor brought renewed attention from the male guests, and soon she was being escorted to the dance floor, with a plaintive look at me. I wondered how long I needed to wait before I could claim a headache that would make Flora insist she needed to get me home. The governor went to dance with the hostess and some of the higher-ranking ladies, leaving me alone.

  Although most of the people who remained at the ball were apparently supporters, not all of them held the governor in good opinion, and they didn’t seem to notice me when they talked about him in his absence. I forced myself not to react in any way that might remind them that I could hear what they said as I eavesdropped on the conversations around me.

  “I can’t believe he’s showing his face in public, under the circumstances,” one lady said.

  “What would you have him do?” a man asked.

  “After what happened in the Assembly this week, I must say that I’m shocked, as well,” another man said.

  “What happened?” the lady asked.

  “There was a motion made to call for his resignation.”

  “And the vote was in favor,” a third man said. “It’s nonbinding, of course, but it does put the government in an interesting position.”

  Yet another man said, so softly I had to strain to hear, “It won’t matter, as he’s going to disband the Assembly.”

  “He can’t!” the woman said.

  “The Crown can,” the man said. He was behind me, but I imagined him shrugging. “And they wonder why there’s talk of revolution. The Assembly is the only voice we have in our governance. Without that, it all comes from the Crown.”

  “And Parliament,” one of the other men said.

  “For which we have no vote.”

  I fanned myself furiously, hoping my face hadn’t grown as red as it felt. Disbanding the Assembly? That was huge news, and the best thing was, it would be perfectly safe for me to be the reporter to break it, as it would be the last thing a governess should be expected to learn. I usually had to be careful with what I reported, lest anyone be able to plot my whereabouts against the intelligence reported by my alter ego. The problem would be finding a way to get the news to any of my rebel contacts while I was being closely watched by the authorities.

  I scanned the crowd for those I knew to be among the rebel magisters. They might be able to relay word to some of the other rebels. But, alas, I’d already danced with Philip, so he was unlikely to approach me again, and Geoffrey had stayed just long enough after the governor’s arrival to avoid the appearance of rudeness.

  When Flora returned from the dance floor, she regarded me, then gasped. “Why, Miss Newton, you look quite pale. Are you feeling ill?” Her wink wasn’t at all subtle, but no one around seemed to notice.

  “It’s only a little headache, but I’ll be fine. There’s no need for you to interrupt your evening on my behalf,” I said, allowing myself to sound weary.

  “Nonsense! If you remain much longer, your headache will only grow worse, and then you might not be able to carry out your duties tomorrow.” I thought that was a particu
larly clever touch on her part, as she wasn’t known for being overly fond of me. Her concern for me being able to do my job made the charade more believable. She whirled to face her grandfather, who’d just returned from his obligatory dances. “Grandfather, I’m afraid we must leave immediately. Miss Newton is developing a headache, and if she’s to be able to work tomorrow, she needs to get home and rest. I hate to abandon you like this.”

  “There’s no need to leave on my account,” I said weakly.

  “I insist.”

  “I’m sorry to hear you’re unwell, Miss Newton. Flora is correct. You should go home and rest,” the governor said, and I was surprised by just how concerned he did look.

  Flora helped me to my feet and supported me toward the cloakroom, where we gathered our wraps. Our carriage waited for us in front of the mansion, and Flora assisted me down the steps. Once we were inside the magical horseless carriage and on our way home, Flora burst into a fit of giggles. “I can’t believe I kept a straight face through all that, and you played your role perfectly,” she said.

  “You’re becoming quite the clandestine operative,” I replied. “You were utterly convincing.”

  She settled back in her seat. “I believe I can get Grandfather to believe anything I tell him. He’s always favored me, though he doesn’t take me at all seriously. He never agreed with Henry’s insistence on my being educated. I just hope he doesn’t get any ideas about sending me to finishing school abroad now that Henry’s away. I could never abide that.” Her eyes narrowed and her voice hardened. “I’d run away first.”

  “I doubt it will come to that,” I said. If it did come to revolution, I thought she might be safer abroad, but I doubted she’d see it that way.

  “Did any of Henry’s friends have news of him?” she asked.