Winter of the Passion Flower (The de Vargas Family) (5 page)

Walking through the Grand Entrance Hall,
Indigo waggled her fingertips as she bid farewell to the speechless guests.

Looking down at her with admiration as they
passed through the castle entrance, the captain appeared most impressed. “By
God, Madame, you should be on the stage.”

She nodded at him briefly, her heart still
pounding from their kiss. His taste lingered on her lips and Indigo’s nipples
tightened as his eyes locked with hers. It was too soon, much too soon.

There was no time for dalliance. Not
yet.

 Her flirtatious demeanor disappeared
and she responded impatiently as they entered the scarab.

“You can drive.” She sat back, waiting
impatiently for the vehicle to move. Pulling out three brass stops on the
dashboard before the vehicle rose, the vehicle flipped on its side and teetered
over the edge as it roared across the suspension bridge.

“Jesus, man,” Indigo yelled above the roar
of the steam, “Are you trying to kill us?”

“I’m a submariner, not a landlubber.” The
captain laughed, fiddling with the brass speed stops. The vehicle left the
bridge and rose, gaining height, and flew above the road at a great speed.
Approaching the manor, Indigo reached over and pulled a lever under the
dashboard. A camouflaged door rose vertically in front of them and Zane steered
the scarab through the entry with a whisker to spare on either side.

* * * *

Indigo’s expectation that the Grimoults
would be ready to leave on their return received a setback as she followed Zane
from the vehicle storage room. Mr. and Mrs. Grimoult sat in a small salon at
the end of the corridor, drinking tea. When she strode across to the table,
Zane caught her arm, pulling her back.

“Now, don’t go off half-cocked before I
explain to you what is happening,” he said.

Indigo glared at him, shaking his hands
away angrily. Her anger grew as the Grimoults smiled at each other.

“Before
you
explain?” Her voice was
ominously quiet.

“Yes, there are things that must be said
before we embark on this voyage. If you want the expedition to succeed, sit
down and pour yourself a cup of tea while I explain,” said the captain.

Mrs. Grimoult hurriedly picked up the
teapot, pouring a cup of fragrant tea for her mistress. Zane pulled out a
chair, placed his hands on Indigo’s shoulders and pushed her down onto the
chair, none too gently.

 “Stop the mouthing. I know that the
visit to the castle gave you the information you were seeking. Now it’s time to
share everything, both ways”

“Just who are you?” Indigo spat the words
at him as her bottom hit the chair.

“I am Captain Zane Thoreau. That is my real
name. I am an excise man, working for the government seeking illegal traders.
The Comptroller General has information about the flowers in your complex. You
are under investigation for illegal importation.”

“Get out.” Indigo screamed at him and rose
from the chair, lunging at him, her fists balled.

“Madame,” Mr. Grimoult interjected. “Please
listen to the captain.”

She paused, turning to her two faithful
retainers with a look of dismay. “Please don’t tell me you already knew this?”

“Would you please listen to me?” Zane ran
his hand through his hair. “I will explain and then you can decide if you want
me to leave or navigate your vessel. It is to your advantage I pilot your
vessel. It does not affect me one way or the other.”

Indigo sat back in her chair and reached
for her teacup, her hand shaking with rage. Her eyes locked onto his, all
thoughts of passion gone in an instant.

“You have five minutes, captain. Be warned,
I do not like deceit.”

The captain spoke quietly. Indigo calmed
and her confidence returned, her heart resuming a normal beat. Sitting back,
she sipped her tea and listened intently as the captain explained why he had
come to her door last evening.

After leaving the merchant navy, Captain
Zane Thoreau joined the government as an excise man. Most excise men
traditionally came from the constabulary, this being the policy of the
Comptroller General of the coast guard.

“My retired friends in the mariner
community use their local knowledge for smuggling. My ideas on keeping rural
order have changed. I have become indispensible and I feed them much
information to keep them safe. I hate the thought of Duke Lorca and other upper
class leeches making even more money from their workhouses to the ill of the
society. Mass production, elitism, social climbing. Pah!” He thumped the table
with his fist and the fine porcelain teacups rattled in their saucers. “That
soiree tonight is a perfect example of the wasted wealth that occurs in the
upper echelons of our society.”

Indigo smiled, regarding Zane with a new
respect. It appeared he shared her social philosophy. “And what exactly do you
know of the
Artemis
and my expeditions?” she asked.

“You are importing the plants in your
biomes from South America. Duke Lorca has been keeping the government informed,
and becoming more vociferous each day. I have been sent down here to conduct an
immediate investigation.”

Indigo opened her mouth to protest but Zane
raised his hand.

“Wait, hear me out. There is no evidence.
It was commonly believed that your pier is for the transport of your tourists,
and the existence of your vessel was unknown.”

“What do you mean…was?” She narrowed her
eyes.

“I was on the pier yesterday afternoon when
the
Artemis
surfaced. I recognized your emblem on her side. I have now
instigated a plan to close the investigation once and for all. It will show
Duke Lorca to be nothing but a jealous fool, who has become malicious since
your refusal to combine your enterprises by his proposal of marriage.”

Pushing his chair aside, the captain moved
around the table to Indigo. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he reassured
her. “We have transferred the botanicals to a safe house.”

Indigo frowned at Mr. Grimoult, even as the
warmth from Zane’s hands moved from her shoulders down to the pit of her
stomach.

“We? You were involved in this, Mr.
Grimoult?”

The old man hung his head. “I thought to
have only a quick nap. However, this all ensued whilst I slept in the underskin
bunk.”

“Mr. Grimoult awoke whilst the crew was
moving the cargo. Luckily he left before the excise men arrived,” Zane
explained. “We were not even aware he was on board. I did not board the
Artemis
.
She looks to be a fine vessel. After your captain advised me of the removal of
your cargo, I called in my excise men to search the vessel. They are satisfied
there is no smuggling. The rest of your crew are in the lock up in Tin Town.”
Lifting the golden chain holding his timepiece, he smiled. “No, by this time,
your crew should be drinking ale at The Rattling Cat.”

“Ah, The Rattling Cat.” Mr. Grimoult
laughed. “Legend has it that the bones of excise men were tied to the collars
of the cats and when a stranger came to town the rattling of the bones would
alert the smugglers.”

“Enough.” Indigo slammed her hand on the
table. “This is all well and good, however, we still have another voyage ahead
of us. We do not yet have enough of the blooms to complete our quota for the
Great Exhibition.” She turned to the captain. “I am appreciative of your work
protecting my enterprise and I thank you. It is obvious that we cannot take the
crew on an immediate voyage, as they will be under surveillance.” Indigo stared
at him for a long time before continuing. “You have shown me that you are
trustworthy. Now, I will tell you of my venture.” Mr. and Mrs. Grimoult both
nodded their little heads enthusiastically.

“Whilst I have a highly successful
enterprise where the wealthier members of society indulge themselves in the
winter, it also provides a lot of employment, as well as pleasure, for the local
people and improves their living standards. I do not profit from the activity
at all. It all goes back into the pockets of those who help me.”

The captain’s face lit up with a smile. “I
am pleased to hear we are of a similar philosophy, Madame.”

“However,” she continued. “You are
obviously are not aware of my main business.”

“Your main business? The biomes?” Zane
looked at her, a surprised frown on his face.

“No, the real industry I have developed,
despite government regulation. The scientific community is highly possessive of
their laboratories and the development of pharmacologicals is slow. There are
ridiculous levels of regulation. I have a laboratory, hidden from prying eyes,
which produces pharmacologicals, cosmecuticals and hallucinogenics. That is the
purpose of our voyages. We collect more specimens from the Amazon. The holiday
biomes provide a cover for my scientific activities. It is commonly believed
the propagation of blooms in my conservatories is only for the pleasure of the
guests.” Indigo paused, taking a deep breath. “That is nowhere near the truth.
We must hurry as time is of the essence. I am unveiling my true enterprise at
the Great Exhibition in May. Tonight, Mr. Henry Cole has provided me with more
time. He has agreed that I may create my actual display, without need for a
prototype. Duke Lorca will not be given my exhibition space.”

Zane reached down, taking both her hands
between his. Dark, brooding eyes locked with hers and Indigo could not tear her
gaze away from those black depths.

“That is excellent news, Madame and I
pledge my unerring support to you. However, I have one more request. Before we
embark on our voyage tonight, may I see your complex?”

* * * *

A strong wind buffeted the scarab on the short
journey to the biomes. Drifts of snow covered the fields beneath them, the wind
pushing the vehicle off course. The blade flicked across the glass as the snow
iced up around the glass. Zane leaned forward to touch the other levers on the
panel in front of him and Indigo pushed his hand away impatiently.

“You will have us upside down,” she snapped
as her heart raced from his proximity

Indigo parked the scarab in a low tunnel
behind the complex, before leading Zane to a door at the back of the beach biome.
They entered the huge dome through a series of doors, circled by cogs with
levers on each side. The happy squealing of children muffled by the soft whoosh
of waves greeted them as the final door slid closed noiselessly behind them,
camouflaged behind a large sign. Stepping onto a wide esplanade, Indigo stood
back with a satisfied smile, watching as Zane’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Children built sandcastles with buckets and spades on a beach bathed in
sunshine. A panorama of seaside activities stretched along the esplanade.
Donkeys, roundabouts and a Punch and Judy show added to the noise of gulls
screeching overhead. Parents strolled with their children, eating fish and
chips, fairy floss, and ice cream.

“Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine
something like this could exist.” Zane turned to Indigo, eyes still wide as he
took in the vista before them.

“How is it daytime?” He pointed at the
brilliant blue sky above them and brushed the rapidly melting snow from his
shoulder. “Where does the sunshine come from? It is midnight and snowing
outside.”

“You have many questions. It is satisfying
to see the wind taken out of Captain Dogooder’s sails.” His interest pleased
her greatly and she smiled at the unintended pun. “I will quickly show you the
other biomes. Then we must embark on our voyage. You have many more surprises
in store this evening, Captain. Are you up to the challenge?” The desire in his
expression as he held her gaze sent a shiver skittering down her spine and
Indigo was the first to look away. They re-entered the scarab and made the
short journey through the tunnel to the next biome.

Indigo turned to Zane and placed her hand
on his arm. “There is one question you may have that I am unable to answer at
this time…but the time will come.”

Entering the biome through a similar
sequence of sliding doors, the last metal door was overlaid in the familiar
pattern of their tattoo. Indigo pushed the door open slowly, inhaling with
pleasure as the sweet smell of exotic blooms hung in the air around them. She
passed the captain a pair of dark glasses and donned a similar pair to protect
their eyes from the intense blue of the sky. The humid warmth of the biome and
the deafening screech of multi-colored birds darting through the treetops
surrounded them. Indigo led the way past rows of high benches, containing
hundreds of blooms at various stages of growth.

 “They are all the same?” asked Zane

Indigo spread her arms wide. “Captain, this
is the reason for our next voyage. The blue passionflower.”

Zane removed his jacket as the heat became
unbearable. He rolled back the linen cuff of his shirt and held his arm in
front of her, looking at the tattoo of the blue passionflower replicated in the
thousands of plants around them.

“Madame, I know we are somehow connected
through this tattoo, but the memory of it keeps slipping from my mind. It is
elusive and I cannot hold it. Tell me.”