Nero's Fiddle Read Free Page A

unpleasant about it and spreading rumours, she is quite ruined in the eyes of the ton .”
    “Hmm.” He made the noise deep in his throat, tickling her ear. “I’ll see to it that he stops.”
    A shiver ran down her spine, wondering what fate would await Sir John if he continued telling his tales about Amy. Perhaps he would be lodged in one of the soundproof cells far beneath the Lyons airship hangar. She made a mental note to extract the entire sordid story from Amy.
    Jackson stuck his head back around the door. “The Hellcat is coming in.”
    “Excellent.” Cara picked the linen napkin off her knee, and dropped it on to the table. “Amy was bringing up crates of fabric and wallpaper samples with her.”
    Nate narrowed his eyes. “No chintz.”
    A smile broke over her face. “But I hear it’s all the rage in London.”
    “No chintz .” He growled out the syllables.

    Cara tugged the fur-trimmed hood of her jacket tight around her face, to keep out the freezing wind blowing from the ocean. She dashed across the weed-strewn lawn toward the Hellcat, avoiding the sheep sheltering by the unkempt hedge. The sleek airship landed with the feline maiden bow figure pointed to the sea, her wooden locks strewn back across the prow as though she too fought the arctic gusts.
    Loki’s men tied the lines to the mooring bollards sunk in the lawn with heavy cast iron rings in the tops. The gangplank swung down and a figure wrapped in purple wool descended and rushed toward Cara with outstretched arms.
    “Oh, Cara,” Amy said as the two women met and embraced. “London is just horrid, but Captain Hawke rescued me and left their curtains twitching.”
    Cara smiled. “Come inside to the warmth and tell me all about it.”
    Amy stopped and stared. Her mouth hung open as her gaze roamed the dark house where nightmare creatures wrapped clawed hands around the downpipes and ledges. The blackened windows made the turret appear like a skull with sunken eye sockets hovering above the main building. “Oh, good grief, it’s hideous.”
    Cara laughed. “If you think this is bad, wait until you see the inside.”
    Amy turned wide eyes to her. “So you need my help to set fire to it?”
    “That was my first reaction, too.” The two friends burst into laughter and headed up the wide stairs to the warmth.
    Outer clothes were shed and handed to bemused staff before Cara ushered Amy into a small drawing room. The spiders here were smaller in size and the flock wallpaper had seen better days; but the overstuffed sofas, abundance of cushions, and roaring fire made it passably comfortable.
    Cara threw another log on the fire before taking a seat. “So you didn’t mind me sending Loki to fetch you?”
    Amy let out a sigh as she plonked down. “Oh Cara, Captain Hawke was ever so daring. He landed his airship right outside our house, in the middle of the street. He stopped all the traffic. I’m sure poor old Mrs Higgins from next door clutched at her curtains so tightly she pulled them from the rail.”
    “Made a bit of an entrance, did he?”
    A maid brought the tea tray and set it on the low table between the women.
    “Oh, yes. He swung over the side on a rope, just like a pirate on the high seas.”
    Cara poured tea while Amy told her tale of the dashing captain.
    “He waltzed up the front path followed by two crewmen and demanded I accompany him.”
    A whisper of concern flew through Cara’s mind. I hope Loki didn’t take advantage of Amy. The pirate often held court at Su-Terre as the Trickster, a man who gambled favours and usually won.
    “He was ever so gallant and gentleman-like. He let me hold on to the wheel and fly the ship.” Amy’s deep brown eyes shone with excitement, her troubles forgotten for the moment.
    As though summoned by her thoughts, the door opened and the captain appeared. “Everything all right with my two favourite ladies?”
    Amy blushed and held a hand to her chest. “Oh, yes thank you, Captain