The Girl and the Clockwork Conspiracy: Clockwork Enterprises Book Two

by Nikki Mccormack

  There it was again, society and its obsession with propriety trying to back her into a corner. “To be honest, Sir, I’d gone alone for a ride in our coach. Father doesn’t mind that sort of thing as long as I don’t get out and I usually don’t. The driver told me to wait until things cleared out, but I got so dreadfully bored. It’s just a few more blocks after all.”

  The officer shook his head, disapproval of her unconventional behavior overpowering his suspicion. “It’s your hide, Miss. Best be on your way then. I’d escort you myself, but I can’t leave my patrol.”

  “Thank you, Officer. Have a pleasant evening.”

  He gave a cynical snort at that, though he did tip his hat when she smiled. Now if she could just get out of sight before her dancing nerves made her heave.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  As much as Maeko disliked wearing dresses, once she was away from the Airship Tower, the respectable attire did make it easier to talk a hansom driver into picking her up on his way back to the cabstands. She didn’t get any dubious glances or requests to see proof of payment before he accepted the fare. Just a quick smile and a ‘Where too, Miss?’ as he held the door open for her. Another unexpected benefit of wealthy living that she would miss along with having someone else to make excuses for her. Neither was worth the hassle of trying to be a proper young lady or the danger that she faced if Lucian was no longer himself.

  She had the driver drop her a few blocks past Ash’s house. It gave her a chance to scan the area for trouble before making her approach. Based on what the Lits said to Mr. Folesworth, they wouldn’t get to questioning Ash’s family before the next day at the earliest, but one couldn’t be too careful, not when another murder accusation was flying around looking for someone to land on.

  The house was dark and quiet, its occupants asleep she hoped. It would be easier to talk to Ash than to his parents, who might be less inclined to believe her story. How sure was she that they were all going to land on the chopping block? Sure enough to sneak out of the Tower with Mr. Folesworth’s cat in hand. That didn’t mean she couldn’t be wrong, which made it even more important to see a friendly face, someone who might at least listen to her wild tale before coming to their own conclusions.

  With the satchel over one shoulder and Macak’s case dragging down the other arm, she started toward the house, the black gentleman’s umbrella she had nicked warding off the rain. At their door, she stood for a long moment, pondering knocking. They all needed to know what they faced. She wasn’t that comfortable around the rest of Ash’s family though. They had been kind enough to her, but Captain Garrett treated her like a child and she needed someone to take her seriously right now.

  Macak’s plaintive meow told her he was growing weary of his cramped quarters. She tried the door. Locked. She dug out the lock pick set and made short work of the simple lock. After listening with her ear to the door for a silent count to sixty, she crept into the dark house. Setting her things by the couch, she removed the boots and padded back to the room she knew Ash and Sam shared.

  The bedroom door stood open a finger’s width. A soft snore sounded through the crack. The hinges squeaked when she pushed it and she cringed, waiting a moment to see if either of the boys stirred. Ash rolled, putting his back to the door, but didn’t wake. Samuel, his false leg on the floor by his bed, muttered something in his sleep. They weren’t street rats. The threat of a midnight Literati raid or of being robbed because you had to hole up in an unfamiliar place didn’t hang over their heads, forcing them to sleep light.

  That’s the life I’m going back to.

  She stood there, her hand on the knob, watching them sleep for a few seconds more.

  What if I’m wrong?

  The chill down her spine spurred her on. She crept in and leaned over Ash, touching his shoulder. His eyes opened and snapped wide when he saw her. She put a finger to her lips then pointed toward the door. He nodded.

  Assuming he might not be decent, she left the room and returned to the front. Macak made a small, desperate sound from within the crate. He probably needed out. She picked up the crate and satchel and carried them to the back door, passing Ash’s room as he was stepping out. He followed her out the back door and eased it shut behind them.

  “What are you doing here,” he whispered.

  “Something’s happened. Wait a second.” She bent down and unfastened the crate. The moment it was open, Macak sprinted out and began investigating the small yard.

  Ash’s mouth dropped open. He shook his head at her. “You’ve run off with Mr. Folesworth’s cat? Have you gone mad?”

  “I don’t think he’ll be missing him.” She couldn’t speak for a moment, caught off guard by a twist of sorrow that tightened her throat. She and Lucian may have had their differences, but he’d taken her in and tried to make her life better. It was hard to see that opportunity destroyed, to know the man who had tried to give it to her was gone.

  Macak found a spot he deemed satisfactory and began to dig a small hole.

  “Maeko, what’s going on?”

  She took a deep breath of cool night air, letting it sooth the ache in her throat, and blinked back the moisture in her eyes. “Thaddeus’s airship exploded when it was leaving the Tower today.” She held up a hand to stop whatever he was about to say. She needed to get through this fast and get on her way. “The Lits said someone rigged it to blow up when the engines engaged.”

  His eyes widened. “Murder?”

  “Yes. Everyone who’s been in the building since the airship anchored there is suspect,” she stared hard into his eyes, “especially those of us who were up at the airship dock.”

  Understanding rose in his eyes and his face blanched, giving him a ghostly look in the pale moonlight. She could imagine all the trials his family had gone through when they were suspects in the death of Lucian’s wife and daughter were rushing through his mind. Her heart went out to him. That bollocks had only just gotten resolved. They’d barely had time to get back to normal life.

  “But, we haven’t done anything wrong. Dad and Mr. Folesworth are working together now. I’m sure he’ll clear this up.”

  She chewed at her lip and turned away, watching Macak pounce on something in the grass. What she wouldn’t give to trade places with the cat right now. “That’s the problem. I don’t think the right Mr. Folesworth was on the airship when it happened.”

  “I don’t understand.” The rising edge in his voice told her he understood more than he wanted to admit.

  She met his eyes again, making sure she had his full attention. “I think Lucian was on the airship. I think his twin brother Thaddeus is trying to take his place. The Mr. Folesworth in that flat now isn’t the same man I found hiding in the warehouse.”

  Ash shifted back from her, stubborn resistance turning his expression cold.

  Anger started to simmer in her gut. How could he not believe her after all they had been through before?

  But it wasn’t that simple.

  “I know they’re twins and Dad said Thaddeus was a disagreeable bloke, but I can’t believe he’s so awful he would kill his own brother. You’ve only been there about a month. You can’t know how Mr. Folesworth would react to his brother’s death. I’m sure you’re just reading things into his behavior.”

  “No, I’m not,” she hissed. “You weren’t there. He wasn’t acting like himself at all. And you didn’t see how jealous Thaddeus was of Lucian’s success. You didn’t see how much he disliked me. The man in that flat is not Lucian Folesworth. Even Macak was afraid of him.”

  His expression remained closed, resistant.

  He didn’t want to believe her. She couldn’t blame him. She didn’t want to either. Lucian had been kind to her and it hurt more than she cared to admit to think of him dead, but she felt in her heart that it was true. The certainty made her stomach do flips, but feelings in her heart and gut weren’t going to convince Ash.

  “After the airship exploded, I found signs of a struggle
in the flat and there was blood on one of the science journals. I think they had a fight. Thaddeus could have forced Lucian to leave in the airship or perhaps put him in it and sent it off somehow. You have to believe me. If I’m right, your family is in serious danger.”

  “I don’t know, Mae. I just—”

  “Please. All I ask is that you tell Captain Garrett what I told you. At least he’ll have some warning and can make an informed decision on how to handle the situation. Please.” She pleaded with her eyes and felt a small burst of victory inside when his shoulders sank and the resistance in his eyes broke.

  He nodded. “All right. I’ll tell him what you said, but, if this is all true, you can’t mean to go back there. Where are you going to go?”

  “Back where I belong.” Why did that answer leave a bitter taste in her mouth? Was it because she didn’t want to go back? Had she already become so accustomed to luxury or was it because it took Lucian’s death to make her accept that she didn’t belong in his world?

  Ash stared at her feet, resentment darkening his features. “Back to Chaff?”

  “Blast it, Ash, don’t do this right now. I’m going back to the streets. Chaff is brassed off at me right now anyway.” Maybe not as upset as all that, but Ash didn’t need details.

  “He is, is he?”

  “Yes. Now help me out of this dress. If I go wandering the alleys around Cheapside at night dressed like this Thaddeus Folesworth will be the least of my worries.”

  He stared at her, mouth hanging open. After a few seconds, he said, “You want me to do what?”

  She rolled her eyes at the flush rising in his cheeks, aware that a similar flush now crept into hers. “I can get out of these clothes without help if I have to, but it’ll take a lot longer.” With that, she put her back to him so he could undo the laces and she could hide her embarrassment. “Now would be great,” she said when nothing happened. “Please.”

  Ash was quiet. Almost a minute passed before she felt his fingers fumbling at the bow and the laces loosened. When it was loose enough, she directed him to help pull it up and off. He handed the dress around in front of her then she pulled off the camisole and set him to work on the corset laces. His fingers trembled so much they tickled her even through the corset. It was all she could do to stand still. Maybe she should have tried to do it alone, though it really would take a lot longer and probably look like a squid trying to escape a fisherman’s net.

  The flush rose hot in her cheeks now, despite the fact that the extensive ladies undergarments still covered most of her skin. His fingers brushed the back of her neck and the skin tingled in their wake.

  “Is that good?” he murmured.

  She nodded and made a small noise of affirmation. Odd that she should feel so much more lightheaded now that the corset was loose. “I can get the rest,” she said. “Turn around.”

  Rather than turn his back to her as directed, he took a step closer and the warmth of his body chased away some of the cold that nipped at her skin. His hands came to rest on her shoulders. Warm breath touched the back of her neck.

  “Maeko.”

  She froze with the dress clutched to her chest. How nice would it be to shift back into his arms and let him hold her, let him warm her and drive away the ache of sorrow inside, if only for a moment. If she did that though, she knew it wouldn’t stop there. Nor would Chaff consent to stay out of her thoughts now that they strayed towards intimacy with someone else. The confusion already starting to nag at her would only undermine her resistance to the hollow sadness spreading through her chest, a black pit that could swallow her down given half a chance.

  Ash pressed closer still and wrapped his arms around her, drawing her back against him. His breath brushed over her skin and it did feel good, and it did make the hurt inside grow. She squeezed her eyes shut against the fresh sting of tears and swallowed, fighting against the urge to lean into him and let him support her.

  “Please Ash, I can’t. Not right now.”

  She could feel his heart beat against her back, fast and hard. He didn’t let go for several seconds, then he backed away and the cold rushed in, raising gooseflesh on her exposed skin.

  “It’s not so bad to let someone else in.” There was pain and the tightness of unfulfilled longing in his voice. “When will you learn that you don’t always have to be the strong one?”

  Guilt twisted in her chest. I should have stopped him sooner. “When it’s true,” she whispered.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Ash was silent. When Maeko glanced over her shoulder, he had his back to her, his posture stiff. She folded the dress and set it on Macak’s carrier, then swapped out the rest of her clothing as fast as she could manage. The clothes Em had gotten for her fit well. Better, by far, than many of the ragtag clothes she wore during her years on the street. The woman had a good eye for size and had been thoughtful enough to include a wool jacket along with the trousers and shirt. Not only that, but she’d tucked some nice boys shoes and a newsboy hat in the package.

  By the time, Maeko had everything on and the dress clothes tucked away in the satchel, her heartbeat had returned to normal, the guilt faded to a distant nagging. She could only hope the time had cooled Ash down as well.

  “All done.”

  Ash turned around and looked her over. A subdued smile tugged at his lips. “You look adorable.”

  She heaved a sigh. “Adorable wasn’t really the look I was going for.”

  He shrugged. “Sorry. You can’t help it.”

  She almost cried out when something landed on her shoulders, then Macak butted his head against her cheek and she sagged with relief.

  Ash did grin then. “See, he agrees with me. What are you going to do with him?”

  “I don’t know. I’ll figure something out.” She scratched Macak’s chin then kissed him between the ears when he went to push his head into her cheek again.

  “I see where I rate. Even the cat gets kisses.”

  She stuck out her tongue at Ash, figuring from the hint of playfulness in his tone that she could get away with it without offending him. He rolled his eyes and shook his head at her. The fondness in his gaze left a flutter in her chest and she looked away, sinking down to tuck Macak back into his carrier. Ash crouched down to help her. She closed the panel and their hands went to latch the buckle that held the door shut, his landing on top of hers. She hesitated and he closed his hand around hers, sliding his fingers into her palm.

  “How can I get in touch with you?”

  Why did bleeding boys have to make things so complicated?

  She tried to think of an answer that would appease him. There wasn’t one. “I don’t know.”

  His hand tightened on hers. He brushed the fingers of his other hand over her cheek, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “That isn’t good enough. I need to know that you’re all right.”

  She closed her eyes. Would it be this complicated when she saw Chaff again? If so, maybe she shouldn’t go there. There had to be somewhere else.

  I have to go there. I have to know Em kept her word and…

  And she needed to know that Chaff wasn’t still angry with her. She drew her hand away from Ash’s and latched the case, then stood. He stood with her, somehow ending up much closer than before.

  “I’ll find a way to get in touch.” She made herself meet his eyes, those lovely pale eyes. Trust me. The words became stuck in her throat. She swallowed.

  Ash stepped even closer, taking her shoulders in his hands. His warm lips touched hers in a light kiss. He drew back too fast for her to protest or respond in kind, or even consider which of those options she wanted to take.

  “I can’t stand the thought of not seeing you again. I care about you, Mae.”

  The need in his tone helped her find her voice. “Then trust me.” She met his searching gaze steadily and he finally nodded. “I’ll be in touch as soon as I can. I promise. Just be careful.”

  “You be careful too.”


  She backed out of his hands. Grabbing her things, she hurried through the house, snatching up her dress boots on the way back out into the cold, drizzly night. Eventually, she needed to figure this whole boy bollocks out or she would go barmy with it. Still, it would have to wait for a time. First, she needed to get somewhere she could hide out for a bit and gather her thoughts. Ash was in charge of his own family’s safety now. She’d warned him. There wasn’t much else she could do.

  *

  Getting to Cheapside proved easy enough. She ended up sharing a hansom with a gentleman far too inebriated to notice anything amiss about the young boy next to him. When Macak meowed, she’d feared there would be trouble, but the man just pointed at the case and burst into hysterical laughter. His top hat fell off and bounced into the street. He didn’t notice and she didn’t point it out. She had the driver pull off several blocks early to escape the irritating chap’s drunken humor, which wasn’t nearly as amusing as he thought it was, and walked a circuitous route to the hideout, handing off the umbrella along the way to a woman and two young children huddled alongside an ashbin.

  A trio of men watched her pass while they puffed at their cigarettes, but the coat hid her shape and she kept her face averted. They soon lost interest, not willing to leave the shelter of the overhang they stood under. The rain soaked coat began to drag on her shoulders and Macak made an irritated sound to protest the damp creeping into his crate.

  She tapped the top of the crate with a finger. “Hush, mate. We’re almost there.” He only needed to be quiet a little longer.

  She came around the side of the boarded up building and started to turn toward the entrance on that side when a sound caught her attention, a mournful desperate whine cutting through the patter of the rain. She stopped and listened. The whine came again. It sounded like a scared or injured dog. She didn’t need to be taking in any more animals, but she couldn’t just ignore it. It was coming from the alley around the corner.