Purchasing the special license took a matter of minutes, but waiting for the clerk to laboriously inscribe the names on the license took a great deal longer than Octavius thought necessary. He shifted his weight from foot to foot, checked his pocket watch, and managed, with great restraint, not to fidget with his cuffs. At last it was done—the names had been written, the ink was dry, the precious piece of paper was in his pocket, and he could move on to the next thing on his list. The next very important thing on his list.
Octavius took the stairs two at a time down to the street and hailed a hackney. Twenty minutes later, he was in Hanover Square. He stared up at the palatial residence his parents inhabited, took a deep breath, and climbed the stairs to the towering front door. “Are my p
