The Lady Captain Read online

  “Right. Mae.” As soon as they entered her bedroom, he turned surprisingly maudlin. “No one cares about me, Mae. No one. Maybe no one ever has. My girlfriend certainly didn't.”

  “Tell me more, Mr. McCray,” Mae said as she shoved him into bed. A friendly chat was preferable to sleeping with him, so she needed to keep him talking.

  Kieran whimpered as he rolled into bed. “Carol!” he cried. “Carol left me! I even went to another country for her, and then she cast me aside like rubbish!”

  Mae cringed at his drunken rant. Kieran was so intoxicated, she doubted he would remember any of it. “Aww, you poor dear!” Mae sat beside him and gently patted his head. “I feel sorry for you, Kieran. I really do.”

  “I don't have anyone!” Kieran slurred. “I don't know anyone in his stupid cesspool of a country! My money's dwindling... and damn, Lyneah gave me a big reward too! How the hell did I spend it all? What am I supposed to do now?”

  “There there.” Mae moved his head to the pillow and continued to stroke his hair. The sooner she lulled him to sleep, the better. “Poor Kieran.”

  “You know...” When he studied her face, Kieran's eyes were barely open. “I think you might be an angel.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yeah. You're exactly what angels look like.” When Kieran smiled at her, his expression was dopey but content. “Will you stay with me, angel?”

  “I will,” Mae lied. As soon as he was asleep, she intended to pick his pockets and bolt.

  “Good. Excellent. Thank you, love.”

  Almost as soon as Kieran closed his eyes, he slept. Mae could tell by his heavy breathing. To be cautious, she watched him slumber for several minutes before she finally made her move. As carefully as possible, she dipped a hand into the pocket of his coat. In the first pocket, she found a ball of lint. In the second pocket, she found a few coins, a cigarette, and candy wrappers. She thought about keeping the coins, but since he was so down on his luck, she decided to return them. She did, however, claim his pistol for herself.

  Mae had to check his breeches next. It was a bit more intimate, but Kieran never woke. When she found his keys in the right front pocket, she nearly whooped with joy. Nico was well on his way to freedom.

  Mae ran from the room, closed the door, and sprinted down the stairs. Not wanting to draw attention to herself, she slowed her pace when she reached the pub. She marched straight over to Nico and covertly showed him the keys.

  “It was easy,” she whispered, “but you better get out of here before Kieran wakes up or Vee returns.”

  Nico glanced at the lone guard, Martell, who was bewitched by the woman of his dreams. Mae's friend Zita was already doing her part. “Alright...” As he rose from his hair, Nico captured Mae's hand. “But you're coming with me.”

  “No.” Mae's answer was depressingly adamant. “No no. I can't go, Nico. I know you want me to, but this is the only world I know. I wouldn't know how to live any other way!”

  “Then I'll help you!” Like a gentleman, Nico raised her hand to his lips. As his mouth brushed her knuckles, he said, “I promise, Mae. I won't leave you. Besides, I'm a prince. When we get to the palace--”

  “A prince!” Mae interrupted and rolled her eyes. “Do you really expect me to believe that?”

  “No, but it's true! And I'll be able to prove it once we reach the capital.”

  Her head was shaking rapidly. “No... I'm not going! I did this for you. And you better get going, or it'll all be for naught.”

  Nico tightened his grip on her hand. “I'm not leaving without you.”

  “I know you think you're saving me, but you're not! I'm happy here. I'm...” In the middle of Mae's sentence, a patron walked by, belched, and swatted her rear end. It was precisely what she needed to convince her how wrong she was. “Never mind. Let's go.”

  While Martell's eyes were glued to Zita's heaving bosom, Nico and Mae raced from the pub, hand-in-hand. One of the prostitutes witnessed their escape, but the woman was kind enough to keep it to herself. As soon as they were outside, they climbed onto Kieran's motocarriage, which looked like a standard black brougham, but without any horses. Nico was in the driver's seat, so Mae handed him the keys.

  “I'm... not sure what to do,” Nico confessed.

  Mae's heart raced as she glanced over her shoulder. She wanted to make sure they weren't being followed. “Figure it out quick, because I'm not sure how much time we have!”

  For the next few seconds, Nico was clueless and motionless, so Mae shoved him out of the driver's seat and took over. As soon as he was seated beside her, she turned the key in the ignition and crushed a pedal beneath her foot. The motocarriage departed at top speed, which wasn't terribly fast, but it was faster than they could go on foot.

  When they were a few blocks away from The Velvet Dame, Mae finally heaved a sigh. “It looks like we made it.”

  “Yeah. Looks like we did.” Nico kept checking behind them, but the road was empty. “And I couldn't have done it without you, Mae.”

  “Uh huh...” Mae sounded a lot less enthusiastic than he did. Her mind was swirling with mixed emotions.

  She was finally free.

  But she had abandoned everything and everyone she knew.

  Only time would tell if the “prince” would be worth it.

  Sixteen

  “You wanted to see me, Captain Featherstone?” Lettie called through the door. She rarely addressed him so formally, but she was trying to exhibit good behavior. If she was kind, she hoped it would inspire him to release her sooner.

  “Ah, Lettie! Do come in!” When Lettie entered Julian's bedchamber, he was lying in bed in his skivvies, and he made no attempt to cover himself.

  Lettie closed her eyes, puckered her nose and groaned. “Are you serious? Can you please cover yourself? I haven't even seen my fiance as naked as that!”

  “Really?” When he saw Lettie's nod, Julian covered himself with a blanket. He meant to put on his breeches hours ago, but he was feeling especially lazy that day. “Very well. No longer shall your innocent eyes be subjected to my bare masculine form.”

  “I feel scandalized,” Lettie told him, opening one eye. When she realized he was covered, her sigh of relief was immense. It was odd enough to see him half-naked, but the moment was about to get even more awkward. “Julian... what's that under your head?”

  “Oh, this?” Julian lifted the ragged stuffed rabbit, which he had been using as a pillow. “It's a bunny.”

  He answered the question too casually. He must have thought it was perfectly normal for a grown man to sleep with a fuzzy toy. “I can see that it's a bunny. I was wondering why it was on your bed.”

  “Why shouldn't there be a bunny on my bed? You seem awfully judgmental!” Julian pouted at her. “If you must know, it was a gift from a woman.”

  “Oh. I suppose that makes sense.”

  “Actually... no. I'm lying.” Julian suddenly chucked the bunny across the room, banishing it from his bed. “I've had it since I was a boy. When I'm not lucky enough to have a lady friend, I... like to cuddle it.”

  Lettie's eyes were wide with disbelief. “Uh huh.”

  “His name's Oscar.”

  “You named your stuffed animal?”

  “Yes. He's otherwise known as Oscoo, since I couldn't say it properly when I was small.” Without warning, Julian suddenly sprang from bed and hopped into a pair of breeches. He did it so quickly, Lettie didn't have time to turn away. “You can tease me all you want, but I have no shame in Oscoo!”

  “You have no shame, do you?” Lettie wasn't convinced. She pointed at Oscar, who was lying face-down on the floor, far away from Julian's bed. “If you have no shame, why did poor Oscar get tossed across the room?”

  Julian didn't reply. As he silently donned his shirt and coat, he looked a bit sheepish.

  “Does your crew know about Oscar?” Lettie asked. “Do they know their captain likes to cuddle a stuffed rabbit when he sleeps?”

  �
��No. And hush.” Julian pressed a finger to his lips, encouraging her to keep quiet. “Let's keep this between you and me, shall we? It can be our scandalous little secret.”

  “Alright, but I might end up using this for blackmail purposes,” she playfully threatened him. “If you don't let me off the airship soon, someone might tell your men about Oscoo.”

  “Do that, and I'll tell your fiance you saw me naked.” As he countered her threat, Julian plopped a gray top hat onto his head. As soon as he had his walking stick in hand, he was ready to leave the room. “I might even tell him you enjoyed it.”

  “You wouldn't!” Lettie gasped.

  “I might! I'm a wicked man, you know.” Julian motioned for her to follow him, which she did with an exaggerated scowl. He led her out of the room and onto the deck, where he explained, “We've arrived at the Featherstone estate. I thought you'd like to see it.”

  “Nope.” Lettie's head was shaking. “Not really, no.”

  “Nevertheless, we're here, and you're coming with me. As you can see, I've decided not to handcuff you today. I hope you appreciate my generosity.”

  “Oh, yes! I'm absolutely touched! You have such a big heart, Julian!”

  He must have enjoyed her sarcastic reply, because he turned around and winked at her.

  As they disembarked, Lettie spotted Jolly, who was glaring as she passed. The first mate hated her, and he made no secret of it. Julian could be frustrating—very frustrating—but at least he was kind to her. Conversely, Jolly's enduring enmity was starting to disturb her.

  When Featherstone Manor came into view, Lettie drew a sharp breath. The mansion was a magnificent yellow structure, flanked by marble pillars and smothered in red vines. It was bright, immense and inviting, with cross-shaped windows that gave it a unique charm. Meticulously trimmed hedges lined the path to the front gate.

  Lettie was so enthralled by the mansion's grandeur, it took her a moment to notice the dozen airships scattered across the lawn. Julian's front yard had been turned into a skyport.

  “Are these all yours?” she asked the captain.

  “Indeed.”

  “And did you steal them all?”

  “Not all of them. I'm filthy rich, you know. I bought six of them. The other six were... commandeered.”

  “You stole six airships? And mine!” Every time she started warming up to him, every time she started to think he was somewhat charming, Lettie was reminded of the truth. She had a very good reason to hate him. “So you're basically a pirate.”

  “I'm a gentleman thief,” he corrected her.

  “A gentleman thief... who happens to be a pirate.” Lettie scowled at him. “When's your birthday, Julian? I think I know what to get you: a big, black flag with a skull and crossbones on it!”

  “Aww. Did you want to get me a gift, darling? That's sweet of you! You know, I think our relationship is improving by leaps and bounds!” When she saw him puckering his lips, Lettie sneered. “Not to change the subject, Miss Jordan, but I should probably check on Gram.”

  “Gram? As in... your grandmother?”

  “Indeed. I return to the manor every now and then... to make sure she hasn't died. I care about the old bat, but I can only tolerate her in small doses. For that reason, we'll be leaving Featherstone Manor first thing tomorrow.” Julian pointed his walking stick in the direction of the garden. “If I had to guess her whereabouts, I'd say she's probably in the garden with tea. Will you accompany me?”

  “As if I have a choice,” Lettie grumbled as she followed him down the path. She wasn't handcuffed to him, but she might as well have been. If she tried to wander off, she doubted he would approve.

  “Ah, I love flowers!” Julian shouted when they reached the garden. “Not because they smell nice, and not because they're pretty... but because they've helped me win my way into the hearts of many, many women.”

  “Are women that stupid?” Lettie snorted with disgust. “Do they really fall for you because you give them flowers? If so, that's pretty pathetic.”

  Julian started to pluck a daisy for Lettie, but when he heard her scathing opinion, he retracted his hand and sighed.

  They happened upon Gram soon enough. As Julian predicted, she was sipping tea in the garden. Her skin was pale and shriveled, her hair was the color of day-old snow, and her eyes were sharp and thunderous. Gram's caretaker—a broad, stout, middle-aged lady—was sitting across from Gram. The woman's face was drawn and her eyes were vacant. Julian could guess the reason for her sadness: Gram had sucked the life out of her.

  “Good afternoon, Gram!” As Julian joyfully greeted her, he leaned down to kiss the top of her head.

  “Don't kiss me, you dolt!” Gram rolled up her newspaper and thwacked him three times. “I don't like anyone kissing me there!”

  “Not even me, Gram?” Julian stood in front of her, frowning.

  “Especially not you! I don't know where those lips have been!” Her newspaper swatted him a fourth and final time. “You're just like your father, you know! He was always traveling around, always swapping women. It's disgusting, quite frankly! When are you going to settle down?”

  Lettie thought about introducing herself, but she decided to stay well away from Gram. She didn't want to be mistaken for one of Julian's women.

  “Ohhh... I don't know?” Julian shrugged. “Maybe never?”

  “Well, if you want my opinion, you should settle down soon! Your face has gotten uglier!” Gram shook a liver-spotted finger at him as her tirade continued. “You look old now! And it's sad, because you were such a beautiful boy once!”

  “I don't know, Gram. I know several ladies who would disagree with you.” Julian exchanged glances with Gram's caretaker, who looked as though she pitied him. Their pity was mutual.

  “And who are these ladies you speak of? Fools, that's what they are! Once upon a time, there was no one more beautiful than my boy Julian! You've been replaced by a troll!” Gram's nose wrinkled, as if she was looking at something repulsive. “Did your ears always stick out that much?”

  “Uh... yes.” Julian tapped on one of his ears. “They've always been like this, sadly. My hair used to be a bit longer, though. Maybe that's why you didn't notice?”

  “Then you should grow it out! You look ridiculous! If they were any bigger, they'd look like wings!”

  “Well, uh... it was lovely to see you, Gram, but I really must be going.” Julian was already sidling away from her. To the caretaker, he added, “Take good care of her, and... good bloody luck.”

  Before Gram could continue her squawking, Julian took Lettie's elbow and pulled her along the path. He wanted to flee the scene as quickly as possible.

  “Your grandmother. Wow.” As they sped away from Julian's Gram, Lettie was clenching her teeth. For the first time ever, she actually felt sorry for him. “For what it's worth, I don't think you look like a troll.”

  “Aww... Lettie! That was almost kind of you!”

  Lettie slipped her hands into the pockets of her coat and shrugged. “And it's probably as nice as you're going to get from me. Don't let it go to your head.”

  “So you think I'm handsome?”

  “I didn't say that.”

  “But you are thinking it?”

  “No.”

  “Yes. You are.” Julian linked elbows with her and led her toward the house. The interior of the manor was even more extravagant than the exterior, so he was eager to give her a tour. “You know, for awhile, I've been sensing a mutual attraction between us. Don't even try to deny it, Captain Jordan! I know it's true.”

  “Uh...” Lettie shook her head and grimaced. “But it's not true.”

  “Oh, but it is! You can deny it all you want, but I can see it in your eyes. A woman's face doesn't lie!” When they reached the door, he paused. “When we leave Featherstone Manor, I'm heading to the capital. I need to be there for the princess' birthday. Along the way, we're going to make one more stop. Where we're going, the women can't get enough of me. Bu
t if you say the word... if I know I have a chance with you... I promise I will be completely and utterly faithful to you.”

  “Don't bother,” Lettie quickly replied. “I have a fiance, remember? George. Besides... I don't really like you. You stole my airship. That's a little hard to forgive.”

  “So you wouldn't be upset if I was surrounded by other women?”

  She shook her head.

  “You wouldn't feel a twinge of jealousy in your chest if you saw me flirting with someone else?”

  Her head started shaking more vigorously. “Nope. Go for it.”

  “Very well.” When Julian opened the manor's door, his sigh seemed to go on forever. “Maybe one day you'll change your mind.”

  “Or maybe I won't,” Lettie quietly added as she followed him through the door.

  Seventeen

  As they approached Columbigo's imposing Black Palace, Lyneah reached for Tobias' hand. Six stories tall and littered with gargoyle heads and Gothic buttresses, it looked more like a prison than a palace. Lyneah felt a tingle on her spine as she soaked the image into her mind.

  “Do you really think your mother could be here?” Tobey asked as they approached the front gate, which opened as if by magic. In Columbigo, Lyneah was a visiting queen from a country across the sea. She was a very important guest.

  Lyneah spoke quietly as the guards ushered them into the palace. “I don't know, Tobey. Maybe, maybe not.”

  “It just seems so unlikely, though,” Tobey whispered as they waited in the foyer. “The last time we saw your mother, she had nothing but the clothes on her back. Do you really think she could get to Columbigo, meet an emperor, and get him to marry her in only six months?”

  “I don't know. It seems strange, doesn't it? But my mother is resourceful and tenacious.”

  “Like you, you mean?”

  Lyneah's nose wrinkled. While she wasn't thrilled to be compared to her mother, Tobias wasn't wrong. Loreina and her daughter shared a similar strength of purpose. “Right. Honestly, I'd put nothing past her. Two credible witnesses claimed they saw her here. I suppose it's possible that Empress Maria bears a striking resemblance to my mother. It's also possible they're one and the same.”