My involvement with a murderous secret society

I am rather suddenly involved with a murderous secret society:

The Brotherhood of the Seven Kings. 

Hmm. How has that happened? Well, I’ve just discovered a short story written by a Victorian author that I’ve just discovered: Elizabeth Thomasina Meade Smith (aka L. T. Meade). “At the Edge of the Crater” is the short story.

Below is some information about the author and her work; you will also find a link to the story. 

Elizabeth Thomasina Meade Smith (1844-1914) helped fill The Strand's need for detective stories with her medical mysteries, Stories from the Diary of a Doctor, co-authored with Dr. Clifford Halifax. Born in Ireland, Meade began writing at 17 and produced over 300 books and hundreds of short stories. Though she is supposedly "primarily known for her books for young people," what we have here is a selection of her more sensational works, including The Sorceress of the Strand and The Brotherhood of the Seven Kings, a tale of a murderous secret society in London. Many of her works were co-authored with Dr. Clifford Halifax or Robert Eustace. Meade was an avid supporter of women's rights - including, apparently, the right to be every bit as cunning, vicious and murderous as any male villain of Victorian literature!

The Brotherhood of the Seven Kings by L.T. Meade & Robert Eustace

The introduction to this series tells us "That a secret society, based upon the lines of similar institutions so notorious on the Continent during the last century, could ever have existed in the London of our day may seem impossible. Such a society, however, not only did exist, but through the instrumentality of a woman of unparalleled capacity and genius, obtained a firm footing. A century ago the Brotherhood of the Seven Kings was a name hardly whispered without horror and fear in Italy..." 

Read the story I’m reading via the following link:

I: At the Edge of the Crater  (The Strand, 1898A)

Read more about all of the above via this link.  

You can also find the story (and dozens of others) in the book that I’m now reading: