The Steam Spy (Steam World Book 2) by Todd McCaffrey

Author:Todd McCaffrey [McCaffrey, Todd]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Publisher: Foxxe Frey Books
Published: 2022-10-31T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

I left her when I was certain that I could do no more. Mrs. Norris followed me down as Bessie assured us that she’d call if there was need.

Downstairs, we met Marie. “There’s a dead man outside!” she said. “And a horse!”

“We know,” I told her. “Danni killed the man and the man rode the horse to death.” I waved vaguely outside. “They’re dealing with it now.”

Marie jerked her head toward Mrs. Norris and back to me, her face scrunched in dismay.

“Mrs. Norris knows about Danni,” I said to put her at ease. “I guess now everyone knows.”

“I didn’t know about the Great Stomp,” Mrs. Norris said. “I could tell that she was trying to be a man, so I didn’t say anything.” She made a face. “Life’s hard enough without adding to someone’s woes.”

I patted her and she nodded, taking my hand. “You’re a good one, Miss,” she said. “You keep an eye on her.”

“Yes,” I promised. I went out the front door, searching for the others. I found them near the cemetery, just filling in a huge hole in the ground, outside the graveyard.

“We’re burying a horse,” Mapes said to me. He grinned as he added, “Might have dropped something else in there.”

“Did you check his things?” I asked.

Mr. MacArdle gestured to his shoulder where I noted some leather saddlebags. “I haven’t had time to look at them — and there’s the tack and saddle, but I thought you might want to bring these to our girl when we get her upstairs.”

Meara turned to spit on the nearly-full hole. I smiled at her and hawked up a great big gob to add to hers. Mapes laughed and beat me with an even bigger spit.

“Ach! You’re all terrible, just terrible,” Thomas said, shaking his head and coughing hard, spitting the largest gob the farthest into the hole. “There, that’s the way to do it.”

Meara came up to me with a worried look. “Bessie… you know what he did to her?”

“Enough,” I said.

“Do you think,” she began nervously, “I mean… will she ever recover?”

I shook my head. “I can’t say. It depends on her.” I pursed my lips. “And, I suppose on Mr. Cattan. A person gets shy after something that horrible.”

Meara’s hand went up to her face and the scar down her cheek.

Mapes must have heard for he ran over to her, circled behind, wrapping his arms around her and gently pulling her hand away. “Don’t you ever doubt,” he told her ardently, “that you are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

“He’s right, you know,” I added.

“But, you —!” Meara protested. “Your hair, it’s so bushy!”

I waved her flattery away, not believing it for a moment. She was being nice. The way Mapes looked at her, I could see that she had a sweet soul.

“Come along, now!” Mr. MacArdle called to us, marching toward the back door. He nodded to Mapes, “We’ve still to get Her Nibs in her own proper bed.” He shot me a glance.

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