The Girl and the Clockwork Conspiracy: Clockwork Enterprises Book Two

by Nikki Mccormack

  A grin tugged at her lips, but it wasn’t enough to lift her mood. “Too bad Mr. Folesworth didn’t find it so amusing.”

  Ash controlled himself and grinned at her. “He’ll get used to you.”

  “Maybe,” she replied, wondering if that would ever happen. Probably about the same time she got used to him she supposed. The far side of never perhaps.

  “You want to go inside the Mariah?”

  Maeko struggled to hold back the laugh bubbling up from her gut. “Mariah? Isn’t that a rather dainty name for that bulky thing?”

  “Hey, be nice,” Ash chastised, winking to show he wasn’t serious. “The old girl’s sensitive and she’s been in a huff ever since we anchored next to this thing.” He gave the new airship a sour look as he led her around it.

  The Mariah wasn’t sleek and shiny. It wasn’t carpeted and refined. It was patched and scarred and the inside burst with the smells of grease and bare metal. Garrett’s band had etched their logo and their names in the front control panel and various playbills for their performances plastered the walls, set at all angles. Sharp edges abounded, waiting to prod a careless crewman into line.

  Two of the Pirate band members sat in mismatched chairs in the gondola smoking and joking. Jack, the younger dark haired chap with his fastidious grooming appeared oddly out of place in the haphazard interior. The other was Warren, a long, skinny older bloke with his mostly bald pate hidden under a tall top hat.

  The two men welcomed Maeko into the airship. They teased her about her tussle with the thief when Ash explained her injuries, but the teasing held a glimmer of admiration for her daring that she appreciated. She settled into the airship to chat with them while Macak wandered around, poking his nose into every corner of the gondola. It was comfortable there. They didn’t treat her like a proper lady or expect her to behave like one and their presence kept things from getting awkward with Ash again.

  Ash commented once on how it was a bit too warm in the gondola and she disagreed, thwarting an obvious attempt to get her alone. She wasn’t ready to discuss the two of them. He didn’t try again.

  Eventually Garrett came out and she made her quick goodbyes, catching a glimpse of frustration in Ash’s eyes as she hurried off. Constance was waiting in her borrowed room when she got there, ready to help her out of her clothes.

  “Where are Lucian and his brother,” Maeko asked as she wriggled out of the dress.

  “They retired to Mr. Folesworth’s study.”

  Opportunity was passing her by.

  Maeko tried not to fidget while Constance helped her out of the rest of her clothes and she donned a nightdress. As soon as the maid turned out the lights and left, Maeko slipped into her robe and crept down to the end of the hall, careful not to make any noise that would alert the two women cleaning up in the kitchen or the men in the study. She crouched down in the shadows and put her ear to the edge of the door, holding one hand out to Macak who trotted down the hall, his leg whirring and clicking, to join her.

  “I will not send her away,” Lucian snapped. When he continued, it was in a calmer voice. “I’m thinking about making her my legal ward.”

  Maeko’s chest tightened. There was only one‘her’ they could be talking about and the idea of being legally bound to Lucian terrified her. This lifestyle was proving to be something she simply didn’t have a knack for. What would he expect of her in return for making her his legal ward? Would he expect her to fill the place of his dead daughter in his life?

  “That’s a fool’s fancy, Lucian. She’s a creature of the streets. When you’ve had time to come to terms with your losses, you will realize that. Taking that girl in is a mistake.”

  “You said that about the cat as well.”

  Speaking of the cat, Macak forced his way into her lap and curled there, content to nap and purr while she eavesdropped.

  “The cat that follows her everywhere? They’re kindred beasts. Feral creatures recognize their own kind.”

  Lucian was silent.

  “Besides, if I had known you meant to use that mangy stray as a test subject for a prototype I might have been more understanding. I don’t suppose you have similar plans for the girl. Something that would improve her attitude. A clockwork brain perhaps.”

  Offensive lout.

  “Thaddeus, don’t be vulgar. That girl saved my life.”

  “Yes, and that hasn’t worked out in her favor at all.”

  Maeko bristled at the insinuating tone. How she would love to give the pompous toff a taste of street discipline.

  “I doubt she risked her life on the unlikely chance I would take pity on her.”

  Thaddeus snorted. “You always were the gullible one.”

  There was a longer silence then and Maeko itched to know what was going on behind those doors. Why didn’t Lucian put Thaddeus in his place? Was he starting to doubt her now?

  “There may be some truth to that,” Lucian blew out a heavy exhale, “but I trust the girl and I do not believe that trust is misplaced.”

  “Don’t come whinging to me when she makes off with all your valuables.”

  “When are you heading back,” Lucian inquired, pushing the conversation in a new direction.

  Not soon enough.

  “Tomorrow perhaps. Maybe the next day.”

  From there they moved on to talk of a more political nature and Maeko settled back into the corner to pet Macak while she listened.

  There was a creaking of someone settling into a chair.

  “Who do you think did it?” Thaddeus asked.

  “The commissioner’s murder?” Silence in which Thaddeus must have nodded. “I can only guess. The Pirates blame the Literati, citing the rivalry between them and the Bobbies as motivation. The Lits are turning that back on the Pirates, accusing them of committing the crime in order to frame them and raise anti-Literati sentiment. There’s no way to know unless they find the one who pulled the trigger.”

  “It’s already led to some good.” Thaddeus paused, perhaps to take a pull of his cigar or a drink of whatever liquor they were certainly enjoying. “I hear two Pirates were killed in that shootout over in Southwark this morning.”

  “And a six year old girl who had nothing at all to do with it,” Lucian snapped.

  “Every war has its casualties,” Thaddeus returned, unruffled. “When did you become so sentimental? You know this conflict needs to be resolved. It will only get worse if the Pirates aren’t put in their place.”

  She could hear someone walking around the room and imagined Lucian pacing, agitated.

  “And what place is that?” Lucian asked. “No. Don’t answer that. I’m retiring. I’ve no head for this tonight.”

  That was her cue to leave. Maeko lifted the ball of fur curled in her lap and slunk back to her room.

  CHAPTER NINE

  As much as she didn’t care for Thaddeus Folesworth, Maeko wasn’t above using his presence to her advantage. When time for her meeting with Em drew near, she waited for the opportune moment to interrupt the two brothers. They had been sitting in the front room for a few hours. Their conversation, picking up from the previous night, escalated into a heated argument about Pirate activists, Lucian speaking somewhat in their favor and Thaddeus vehemently against them.

  She stepped into the room and cleared her throat, only to be ignored by both men. Louder perhaps? By the third try, they finally looked at her, faces reddened by the heat of their anger and perhaps a few too many sips of brandy.

  She offered her best polite smile. “Mr. Folesworth,” she began, fully aware of the special ambiguity the name carried at that moment, “might I be allowed to go down to the bakery and pick up bread for supper, to make up for yesterday’s mishap.”

  She clung to her smile, ignoring the sour smirk Thaddeus gave her.

  Lucian had already begun to shake his head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea after yesterday. Perhaps Miss Foster could go with you when she and Margaret return.”

 
; Maeko had counted on the fact that the two brothers argued over most everything and Thaddeus wasn’t going to let her down. He coughed into his hand. Lucian gave him a warning glare that might have kept most people silent. Thaddeus was up to the challenge.

  “In all honesty, Lucian, what are the chances of that happening twice in a row? You should let the girl stretch her legs a bit. If you don’t give a caged dog some exercise, it’s like to become vicious.”

  It was hard not to react to the cruel comparison, but she sucked back her rage. Em represented an opportunity, one she would likely lose if she failed to show up again. “Please. I’ll be careful,” she pleaded, keeping her eyes on Lucian to avoid succumbing to the intense urge to glare at his brother.

  Lucian still shook his head, not fully convinced, but he stood and dug some coppers out of his pocket for her. She held out the coin purse that matched her pale grey dress and he dropped them in before settling back into his chair.

  “Thank you. I won’t let you down.” She started toward the door, making as if to leave then stopped and turned back as if an idea had only just occurred to her. “Might I be allowed to stop by the coffee house as well?”

  Lucian grimaced.

  Thaddeus smirked and stood himself, handing her a few more coppers. “My treat, so long as you hurry off and let us continue our conversation in peace.”

  “Thank you.” May Macak bite your nose off while you sleep. The thought made it easier to smile at him before hurrying out of the flat. No sense giving Lucian time to reconsider or Thaddeus time to say something that would break the shaky hold she had on her temper in his presence. She knew he was baiting her, but knowing that didn’t make it any easier to ignore.

  Macak tried to slip out the door with her. She blocked him with her foot and clicked the door shut.

  Sorry mate, not this time.

  As soon as she stepped outside the lobby into a cold dreary grey that threatened rain, the young boy from the previous afternoon sprang away from the side of the building and trotted over to her. He held a trembling hand out to her. Wary of the desk attendant and guards who might be watching from inside the building, she guided the boy to the corner with a hand on his shoulder then crouched down to face him. He said nothing, only held out his closed hand again. She held her palm out and he dropped something into it.

  A set of lock picks. A knot unwound inside her, leaving effervescent giddiness in its place. She grinned. Perhaps she hadn’t worn out her welcome with Chaff after all.

  The boy stood shifting from foot to foot.

  Wants a reward for his trouble no doubt.

  Maeko dropped the lock pick set into her coin purse and dug out two pence. The boy snatched the coins from her palm and darted away. Still grinning with her coin purse held firmly in hand this time, Maeko trotted across the busy street to the coffee house.

  “What’s got you in such a disgustingly sprightly mood,” Em asked as soon as Maeko managed to weave through the press of customers to join her at a little table in the back corner.

  Despite the crowd, no one had tried to sit in the empty chairs near them. Given Em’s frosty glower, Maeko wasn’t surprised.

  She sat, warming her hands around the coffee she’d bought, and shrugged. “Nothing important.” Em didn’t need to know about her interactions with Chaff via the young boy, especially given her apparent dislike for him. “Lucian’s brother is visiting.”

  “Thaddeus is here.” Em tapped a finger on the table. “That’s interesting. Charming bloke, isn’t he?”

  Em sounded serious and Maeko could think of nothing to say that wouldn’t come across as rude, so she held her tongue. Thaddeus had hired Em to find his brother when Lucian went missing so the woman had met him, but she still couldn’t help wondering if they were talking about the same man.

  Em shifted close, lowering her voice. “Learn anything new?”

  Maeko told her about Captain Garrett working with Lucian then recounted the conversation she had heard in the study and what she’d heard of their argument that morning, skipping the part about Lucian’s idea of making her his legal ward. Em would probably support Thaddeus in that dispute and Maeko wasn’t sure yet which side she was on.

  The detective listened in tight lipped silence then shook her head. “There isn’t much I can use there. Though partnering with a Pirate activist on a project of this importance is worth noting as is his relative support of the Pirates in their cause.”

  “You know what I found interesting?”

  “No, but I’m sure you’ll tell me,” Em remarked.

  “Maybe I won’t.”

  Em gave her a hard look.

  Maeko relished the detective’s irritation for a moment, taking several slow sips from her drink before speaking again. “Not once when they were talking about the commissioner’s murder did Lucian mention that he’d met with the man the night he was killed.”

  Em stared at her for several seconds then her head bobbed in a slow nod. “You’re right. That is interesting. Whatever he was up to with the commissioner, he doesn’t even trust his own brother enough to speak of it. I would have thought they had a closer relationship considering the effort Thaddeus put into finding him when he went missing. How long is he visiting for?”

  “He’s supposed to be leaving tonight or tomorrow.”

  Em sighed. “Too bad. I’d like to learn a little more about that relationship.” She reached under the table and brought up a brown satchel. She shifted a little closer still and set it on the floor between them, then leaned over and spoke in a whisper. “The clothes I promised are in here. I need you to ask around on the streets. I believe the men who killed the commissioner were hired thugs. One of them had—”

  “You were there?”

  Em scowled at her interruption.

  “Sorry.”

  “Yes. That’s how I got the wound on my neck. It’s a long story and it doesn’t matter right now. I didn’t get a good enough look at the individual I believe shot the commissioner, but there was another shooter on the rooftop. He was a big bludger with a limp, a hip injury from the way he moved, and he appeared to have what could have been a cast on his right forearm. He wore a long tattered coat and a wide-brim slouch hat. See if that description catches anyone’s attention. Don’t tell them why you’re looking. You might warn them not to go near him though. He may have a limp, but he can move fast enough.”

  Her mouth had gone a bit dry, so she took another sip of her drink.

  Ask around about an accomplice in a high profile murder. Nothing dangerous or potentially incriminating. “Is that all?”

  “For now. I have another case to wrap up. I’ll meet you again in three days.” Without any ceremony, Em snapped to her feet and strode from the establishment.

  Maeko stayed for a short time longer, sipping at her coffee and pondering ways to get the satchel into the flat without drawing attention. When she had an idea, she walked to the bakery for bread and returned to the Airship Tower. The attendant on duty was a young man with a goofy smile and big ears. He flushed every time she spoke to him, which she’d decided to take as a compliment of sorts. Today was no exception, his pale complexion brightened to pink before she even reached the desk.

  “How can I help you, Miss?”

  His voice cracked on the ‘miss’ and she had to swallow a giggle. She set the satchel on the desk. “Could you be a dear and hold onto this for me for a few hours?”

  “Of course, Miss.” He took the satchel and tucked it behind the counter. “Just let me know when you need it. It’ll be safe and sound till then.”

  “Thank you. You’re very sweet.”

  She turned to walk away when an explosion split the air. The sound jolted through her, setting her nerves on fire. She dropped the bread on the desk and sprinted to the front doors, stopping shy of running outside. Burning debris rained down alongside the building, falling into a street full of panicked pedestrians and horses. One pair of horses wheeled around so fast they ove
rturned their carriage onto a man running to get away from the plummeting wreckage. His cries added to the chaos. Maeko stared on, frozen in horror as another bolting horse left his discarded rider in lying in the street and collided with a woman running to safety. The woman flew through the air like a ragdoll and hit the ground several feet away. She didn’t move again. Burning material caught on the fleeing animal’s saddle and stuck there, flame billowing behind as it fled down the street and more people leapt out of its path. Chunks of metal fell into the fray, injuring more startled pedestrians.

  In seconds, the street was clear of all but the injured and the hail of burning rubble lessened to a few floating bits of fabric. Maeko stepped out of the building and looked around at the destruction. One large metal section had busted though the window of the coffee house she’d been sitting in minutes ago. People were heading back into the street now to help the injured, glancing up at the sky with nervous expectation. The guards from the Tower moved past her. A section of fabric, burning at the edges, floated down beside her. Red and gold brocade.

  Lucian’s airship.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Maeko’s gaze moved up the Tower to the rooftop landing. Two men stood at the rail staring down. One looked familiar. She sprinted back into the building, pulled off her shoes at the foot of the stairs so she could move faster and hurried up. At the top, she had to stop a few seconds to catch her breath, but it had still been faster than the lift would have been. Dashing through the flat, she burst out onto the airship dock and sprinted for the railing. One figure still stood there. The dock watchman was walking the rooftop, nudging debris around with his foot as if searching for something.

  Maeko walked up next to the lone figure by the rail. He gripped the railing tight enough that his knuckles were white and tears streamed unchecked down his cheeks, gathering in his moustache while he stared down at the wreckage below.

  “Lucian?” She touched his hand and he jerked it away.

  “Leave me.” His voice trembled, tight with emotion.

  She hesitated, trying to think of something to say, but what did you say to a man who had lost so many loved ones in such a short time. Wrapping her arms around herself against a sudden chill, she turned and trudged back down into the flat. Constance burst through the front door a few seconds after Maeko entered. She held the bread Maeko had forgotten at the front desk in one hand. Her eyes were wide and moist as they swept the room.