Skyjackers: Episode 1: A Proper Nuisance (Skyjackers: Season One) Read Free Page B

Second-Cousin-Once-Removed Poleax doesn’t exactly
roll off the tongue, does it?” Misty said.
    “That’s plenty out of you, young lady,” said Gertrude.
    “I’m not quite finished, Mummy. Did you see how Vivian was swooning over young Captain Thorpe? I think she wants a bit of the old
slap-and-tickle from that fellow.”
    Vivian frowned. “Do not .”
    “Alright, that’s the end of it,” Benedict said. “Go to your
room.”
    “Who, me?” Vivian asked, mouth agape.
    “Not you, Viv. Misty… you heard me. Daddy’s going to be very
cross if you don’t do as he says.”
    “But I’m hungry,” Misty complained.
    “I won’t say it again.”
    Misty mimicked him under her breath as she stomped off.
    Caine collapsed into his chair with a sigh. “By all the gods
in the heavens… can this family spend one hour together without us all trying
to strangle one another?”
    “I’ve got to go change my pants,” Junior said, stalking off,
pearl earrings still dangling.
    “I’m off to find Mr. Mittens,” said Lily, slipping out of her
seat.
    Vivian found herself sitting alone with her parents, who
looked at each other and then at her, but said nothing. Father cleared his
throat. Mother took a sip of wine.
    “So, that Captain Thorpe is rather a nuisance. Wouldn’t you
agree?” Vivian finally said. “I think he’s dreadfully dull.” In truth, she’d
found him somewhat intriguing, if a bit too straight-laced for her liking. A
sky marshal was no sort of man for her to be thinking about, regardless of how
handsome he may or may not have been…
    Vivian’s parents exchanged another look.
    “You taught him a lesson, I trust?” said Benedict.
    “Yes, Dad. Only… a strange thing happened before we set
sail.”
    “What’s that, sweet peach?”
    “There was… an earthquake. The ground split open. And then… I
dare say, it started to fly.”
    Benedict’s eyebrows went crooked. “The ground?”
    “Believe me, it was every bit as strange as it sounds.”
    Caine rubbed his mustache. “I’ll have Parsons look into it
first thing in the morning. In the meantime, I want you to take the crown
jewels to Gil Hill and see what you can get for them.”
    “Yes, Father.”
    ***
    Later that night, Benedict was nursing a cigar on the
veranda outside the bedroom. He had just begun to doze off when Gertrude found
him.
    “You look sleepy, darling.”
    Caine twitched awake, dropping the cigar into the folds of
fabric over his belly, where he spent several seconds fumbling for it. “Sweet giblets .”
    Gertrude sat in the slatted lounger beside him. “Language,
dear.”
    “I do believe I nearly burned myself down,” he said, tossing
the cigar into the decorative green ashtray Junior had sculpted for him when
the boy was nine.
    “Oh, don’t be so dramatic. It isn’t my fault you’ve got the
hearing of a garden snail.”
    “What are we going to do about these children of ours,
Gertrude? They’re unruly. Churlish.”
    She looked at him. “They’re exactly the way we raised them.”
    “Bollocks. You’re right,” Benedict said, folding his arms.
“Who could’ve imagined it? They’re all perfect scoundrels. The world appears to
be coming apart at the seams, and so is the family we’ve created together. Oh,
Gertrude…”
    “The world may be coming apart, Benedict, but this family is
not,” Gertrude said. She softened. “So the children are squabbling. Let them
express their differences. It’s healthy for them.”
    “I’m not talking about that little tiff before dinner. I’m
talking about this new infatuation of Vivian’s.”
    Gertrude giggled. “Oh, Ben. It’s hardly an infatuation. She is getting to be that age, you know.”
    Benedict frowned. “What age ? I know of no such age in
all the world.”
    “She’s growing up, dear.”
    “Nonsense. I won’t allow it.”
    Gertrude smiled. “You’re a capable man, my darling. But
you’re not capable of stopping a girl from becoming a