Excerpts from The Book of Stones
Stella riddled with guilt
For the first several miles, she followed Morton and Lewelyn, who, from what she’d gathered, had returned to the warehouse and then the docks when she and Beckworth never arrived at the meeting place. They said nothing. What was there to say?
Her gaze kept falling on Beckworth’s riderless horse that trailed behind Lewelyn’s horse. The sight was a constant reminder of her failure. If she’d paid more attention when running for the meeting spot. If she’d been able to get out of the man’s grasp before the second one arrived. If. If. If. Unable to stand it anymore, she kicked her horse faster until she rode next to them and asked if they couldn’t ride ahead and let Hensley know they were coming.
“Finn already sent Fitz ahead.” Then Morton noticed her staring at Beckworth’s horse, and she caught Lewelyn’s nod. Morton squeezed her hand. “Of course. We’ll be waiting for you.” And without so much as a nod in Finn’s direction, they took off.
If Finn wondered about the exchange, he never said a word. AJ rode alongside her for a while, but Stella couldn’t look at her. She finally understood the wordless days AJ had spent on the back deck of the inn, staring out to sea, wondering why Finn hadn’t followed them home. Had she spent those days kicking herself for leaving or not doing more?
When the sight of London appeared, the city still several miles away, she didn’t see it with the same excitement as that first time on the knoll. Her chest ached, remembering how Beckworth had waited patiently, watching her emotions as she’d taken it all in. He’d wanted to hear her first impressions.
The city didn’t look the same. Instead of the bustling metropolis she’d originally seen, now she only saw a monstrosity harboring the poor and sick while the rich went to their parties. It was wrong to be looking at it now without him. She closed her eyes. He couldn’t be dead. Gemini had plans for him. If there was only one thing she was grateful for, it was the spiteful woman’s personal interest in him. That alone would keep him alive—for now.
AJ talks with Mary
Mary sipped her tea and gave AJ a wicked smile. “You should have seen the men gawk when she walked into the room for dinner.” She chuckled. “I suppose the women as well, for that matter. Of course, Teddy kept her by his side the entire evening until Elizabeth stole her away at dinner.”
AJ considered that. There could be several reasons why Beckworth kept Stella by his side. The first one that came to mind was ensuring she didn’t talk her way into trouble. But was it more than that? AJ finished a tart and selected a slice of spiced bread. “I can’t say I’ve ever seen Beckworth with a woman at a party.” Not that she’d seen him at any social gathering other than her first stay at Waverly, and she didn’t count that.
“We hadn’t, either, but even Hensley commented on Stella’s hold on the man. You know he paid for both her dresses, including the fittings. And if that wasn’t enough, Agatha was speechless when she noticed the opal necklace and bracelet Teddy had given her.”
AJ’s cup rattled in its saucer, and she almost knocked over her plate. He’d bought jewelry for her? The dresses were one thing, but jewelry?
“I think those two have a very special relationship. He took her all over London. From what I hear, Eleanor adores her as well.”
AJ sipped her tea before she choked on spiced bread. Sebastian hadn’t mentioned they’d stopped at Eleanor’s. But that would make sense if Waverly was being watched by Gemini’s men.
“She must truly be heartbroken without Teddy.”
The statement startled AJ out of her musings. “I think she feels responsible.”
“That’s only natural in these circumstances.” Mary refilled their teacups and glanced out the window. “I think the lilacs will be glorious this year. Teddy took Stella to Whitechapel to visit the flower vendors.”
“Whitechapel? Isn’t that a dangerous area?”
Mary shrugged. “It can be, but Hensley says that’s where Teddy’s old friends live, so I imagine he felt it safe enough for Stella.”
AJ pulled out her fan and waved it fast enough to lift the edges of her napkin. Had Beckworth taken her to meet his old crew? Boardinghouses and the East End. What the hell had he been thinking? Someone had some explaining to do.
Stella and Beckworth share a moment
“I think they know you better than you think.” Beckworth’s eyes warmed, and Stella’s cheeks heated. He took her hand and turned it over, running a finger across her palm. “You took a great risk riding to the East End.”
She’d wondered if he’d heard about her going to Chester. It was just a matter of time. “A risk worth taking.”
“I owe you my life. Based on where they found the ship, it could have been weeks before Hensley’s men stumbled across it.”
“I owed getting you out of a spot you wouldn’t have been in if it wasn’t for me.”
He didn’t say anything but opened her palm farther as he traced a line. “You have a long lifeline. It’s strong and bold, just like you.” When she tried to close her hand, he forced it open. “There are tiny crosshatches all along it. Some say they’re challenges you’ll face, others refer to them as unexpected events. I like to think of them as adventures. We all take risks. I admit I’ve taken more than most, and I don’t have to tell you the stones are a combination of all those things. I’ve learned they also bring great rewards, but not in how most think of it. I don’t mean riches, power, or great knowledge, though all those could be achieved. It’s taken me a long time to understand there are rewards much more valuable than those trivial items.”
“And are you willing to share your wisdom?”
He lifted his gaze to hers. “The rewards are deep and lasting friendships. Friends who’ll risk everything for you. Those that fall never to rise, those who are injured, those captured, and those that risk all to save them. We’re a true team, and you’ve proven yourself to be as worthy as the rest of them. There’s never anyone to blame for anything that happens with the stones. You need to put your guilt behind you. Isn’t that what you preach to me?”
She lowered her gaze and blinked rapidly. “I’m finding it much easier to give advice than to be on the receiving end.”
His laugh was loud and warm. “Don’t we all.”