Captain Andrew's Flying Christmas by Heather Hiestand

Author:Heather Hiestand
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: steampunk, historical romance, historical fantasy, holiday romance, christmas romance, romance novella, steampunk romance, steampunk adventure
Publisher: Heather Hiestand

CHAPTER FOUR

More prayers. Sweat formed a moustache above Linet’s lip. But the guard passed by, with nary a hitch in his gait. Without waiting for more miracles, Linet dropped lightly to the ground and came up ankle deep in charred wood. She snatched the beetle from the grate and shoved it into her pocket, then peered out of the fireplace into a large, grimy room.

The sound of another nailed boot had her huddling back into the fireplace. From her position just inside, she watched as an old woman pushed a cart covered in dirty pewter dishes. Linet swore in frustration. They had started this operation a little too early.

By the time the woman had passed, Linet had her trajectory planned to the first cell. She felt a gust above her and saw the ladder going up the chimney. The crewmen must have felt her weight leave it and decided to pull it out.

Either that or they’d been spotted and had to leave the area quickly. Why hadn’t they discussed a contingency plan? Again, she wondered if Andrew had meant to leave her here all along. But this was no time for second guessing. She had to believe his kisses meant he cared for her. Time to move.

She stepped out of the fireplace and spotted her destination, the corridor leading away from the chamber, then broke into a silent run, reaching her sister’s presumed cell in the space of a heartbeat. The iron bars stretched from floor to ceiling between slimy brick walls and the door was locked. Behind lay a dark brick rectangle, smothered by gloom scarcely broken by a high window at the far end, but she heard quickened breathing.

Fingering the set of pick locks in her jacket pocket, she said softly, “Terrwyn?”

“What?” came a whisper.

She couldn’t be sure it was her sister, but there was no time. She could still hear the wheeled cart ahead of her, moving slower than she’d expected. She worked on the lock, grateful for the fingerless gloves that covered her sweaty hands. Thirty seconds later she was in, carefully closing the barred door behind her.

She heard heavy footsteps and fumbled in her trouser pocket for the matches. When she pulled a match from her American booklet and struck it against the black panel, she saw her sister, her chapped lips rounded in shock.

“Are you mad?” Her sister leaned forward and blew out the match.

Linet found one of the Christmas crackers. “We’ve no time.”

“I was going to try to get out in the middle of the night.”

“We weren’t sure you could make it. Turn your face to the inside wall. We need to move quickly.”

Her sister obeyed and Linet pulled a second match from her American booklet and lit it. She set the flame to the edge of the gaily swirled red and green paper, waited for it to catch and then threw the Christmas cracker against the bars high in the wall.

How were they going to get up there? She had no time for another thought, as the fire reached the powder.

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