Priceless by Catherine Stein

Author:Catherine Stein [Stein, Catherine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: steampunk, steampunk romance, romance, adventure, fantasy, fantasy romance, historical romance, historical fantasy, historical fiction
ISBN: 9781949862232
Publisher: Catherine Stein, LLC
Published: 2020-11-27T05:00:00+00:00

21

Dahlia linked her arm through Violet’s, a huge smile splitting her face. The warm summer sun beat down on the small group as they made their way down the long gravel drive that led to Wechsler’s enormous home on the Belgian-German border.

“I’m so excited, I’m about to burst!” the navigator exclaimed. “I’ve never been in a real castle before. Thank you so much for inviting us.”

Vi couldn’t help but return the smile. “You’re welcome. It’s fun to have friends along.”

Not that fun had been her primary reason for asking Dahlia and Walton to join them. The lively American couple would keep attention off of herself and Tagget, allowing them to better scrutinize Wechsler’s home. Seeing Dahlia’s delight was an extra bonus. Vi would be certain to invite her on future outings that would be purely pleasure.

A cold feeling settled in her stomach. She might never see the crew again once her work was completed. There would be nothing holding her there. She wasn’t going to let Tagget parade her around like a trophy. She loved living on the dirigible, and couldn’t get enough of the thrills of his bed, but her imagination promised her impossible things, and repeated disappointment would be unbearable. This needed to be a fling and no more.

Breaking off the affair wouldn’t be difficult. She only had to look at him to feel a hot flash of anger. That and amusement. Her latest idea was delicious revenge. Since Tagget couldn’t fake an accent to save his life, Vi had decided to have him and Dahlia pose as siblings from New York, bringing their spouses on a once-in-a-lifetime European holiday. Violet had chosen clothes to make them look prosperous enough to get here, but not for fancy hotels or expensive restaurants. They looked like the people who had the bad seats at the opera.

She’d dressed Tagget in an ill-fitting tweed suit and a straw hat. He had uttered some choice words upon seeing the outfit, but had accepted the plan as sensible. He couldn’t stop fidgeting, tugging at the cloth and kicking at the ground with his less-than-shiny boots. Without his perfect clothes, he went from staggeringly handsome to unremarkable. The ugly hat obscuring his pretty face completed the effect.

Violet had to admit she didn’t like her own outfit any better. She had found herself a high-necked white blouse and a slim navy blue skirt that fell to her ankles. The clothes were as restrictive as they were boring. To accessorize, she had donned gloves and a big hat with a ridiculous number of fake flowers. Its sole benefit was that it allowed her to conceal a finely-honed, six-inch hatpin.

Dahlia’s eager bouncing made Fern giggle, and Violet couldn’t stop a smile from forming whenever she heard the baby’s laughter. Walton, too, was pleased by the outing. He grinned and walked close to Dahlia, looking every bit a proper, devoted father and husband.

“We have a lucky daughter, to be able to experience such things already at her age,” he said.

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