The Steam Walker (Steam World Book 1) by Todd McCaffrey
Author:Todd McCaffrey [McCaffrey, Todd]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Publisher: Foxxe Frey Books
Published: 2019-07-07T00:00:00+00:00
Chapter Eleven
âStand still, Mary, or Iâll prick you with the needle again!â I warned as I lightly swatted the little girl on the shoulder to add emphasis to my words. âI know youâre excited, weâre all excited but if you donât stand still we canât finish your outfit and until we do that, we canât go Guising!â
They tell me that in the Colonies theyâve some strange celebration around Halloweâen where children dress up and go to doors looking for sweets but I canât imagine that itâs anything nearly as good as Guising.
Mary stood still and I went back to work watched by a worried Bessie.
âOh, come on, Bessie, everyone will be doing it!â I said in answer to her expression.
âBut not dressed as a boy!â Bessie complained.
âThatâs only me,â I reminded her. âYouâre dressed as the noble lady of the house.â
Bessie bit her lip to keep from speaking which is probably just as well or I would have hit her.
We needed to go Guising. Needed it more than Iâd let on. Iâm pretty sure that Bessie, who was in charge of our larder, had a suspicion of my sudden cheer over the traditional holiday where children prance about Edinburgh reciting verse or performing skits for the delight of households in return for sweets, apples, and other rewards.
Every little bit would help and â besides, itâd give me a chance to test my disguise. I was pretty sure that Bessie had tumbled to my plan but sheâd have to go along with it, particularly if no one recognized me when we went Guising tonight. If they did, then Iâd have to try something else.
âNow remember, for tonight Iâm Samuel Clarke just up from the next smithy.â
âYes, Mr. Clarke,â Mary chirped dutifully, perhaps wary of my hand with the sewing needle. She glanced down at her finery and her eyes widened.
Sewing wasnât my first love but I took pride in anything I put my hand to and this particular creation was coming along nicely. When I was done, little Mary would look every inch the princess while Bessie was already primped up to be a queen.
And I? I was dressed as a prince, naturally.
Our skit would be a play on courtly manners, neither obsequious nor insolent.
Good manners were prized in Edinburgh town where all too often it was all we had and courtly manners had come back into vogue with the arrival of Prince Charles.
One final stitch of frill onto Maryâs cuffs and...
âDone!â I said. âGo look in the mirror.â
âI never thought sheâd look so pretty,â Bessie admitted as we followed little Mary to the mirror and watched as she preened and pranced in delight.
âIâm a princess! Iâm a princess!â Mary squealed happily.
âA little less prancing, princess, or your costume will come undone,â I warned her.
Instantly she stopped, scrutinizing her garment with wide eyes.
âAre we ready?â I asked, looking to Bessie but it was Mary who turned and pointed to me in alarm.
âYour hat!â She said.
âYes, quite,â I agreed, turning back and
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