Mattie’s grin stretched wide, and Leo thought his overworked heart might actually stop this time. She looked so alive, so confident, so darn wonderful.
“You asked for it.” Mattie shot the car forward and laughed as the wind blew the fiery tendrils of hair that had escaped from her braid. Beside him, Vera’s dog snorted and then stuck her short muzzle into the air. Vera patted the spaniel’s back as Ruby’s ears fluttered behind her like two curly pennants.
The Duesenberg raced along the path, the grass and sedges flipping by like photos in a zoetrope. Mattie drove like she did everything else—fearlessly...and with little regard to the consequences. Even when the road climbed upward along the edge of the bluff, she still didn’t slow. She sped up.
Suddenly, the gravel road curved away from the lake, bolting toward the looming pink turrets of the huge house built in the Scottish Baronial style. Mattie entered the turn with a whoop. Gravel sprayed out behind them, but still Mattie maintained control. She had an uncanny knack for immediately recognizing distances and understanding angles and speed. Good thing, because she rarely took time to think through a maneuver before executing it.
Vera held on to her hat and laughed brightly. “You are a magnificent driver. Have you ever thought about racing?”
Mattie shook her head as she shifted gears. “Nope. I like soaring too much, although your Duesenberg is tempting.”
“We need to get you in a real race car,” Vera promised.
Leo lifted one of the hands he was using to brace himself and jammed it in his hair. “Don’t you think we should master our new flying stunts first?”
“Is he always such a wurp?” Vera asked, using the popular word for a wet blanket as she peered around him to address Mattie. Another common term wasbluenose, and Leo figured he’d be hearing that one next.
“This is actually him being mildly optimistic.” Mattie sent him a grin to soften her words.
“Well, Mr.Bluenose,” Vera said, “race cars are going to be part of the act.”
Leo froze. Although he’d predicted the first part of her sentence, he hadn’t prepared for the latter half. He should have.
“Are you planning to jump onto a plane from your Duesenberg or another roadster?” Mattie asked, her voice slightly higher than normal. Leo recognized the excited tone from when they were adolescents and had been about to embark on some madcap exploit with Alfred.
“Most definitely the Duesy.” Vera leaned back against the leather upholstery, as if soaking up the sun and the wind.
“I’ll be happy to be your pilot for that.” Leo made the offer as quickly as he could. If he didn’t, Mattie would volunteer instead.
“Actually, I had Mattie in mind.” In a gesture of pure freedom, Vera lifted her hands into the air, allowing the breeze stirred up by Mattie’s driving to whirl past her fingertips. “She flies absolutely divinely, and I want the first stunt focused on the women. It’s going to be the bee’s knees.”
“I’d love to do it,” Mattie said as she skidded to an impressive stop in front of the castle. It took everything for Leo not to bury his headin his hands. Vera and Mattie were just the fuel-and-fire combination that he’d feared.
“I knew you would, darling.” Vera climbed out of the car and bent to let Ruby down. Vera joined Mattie, and the two linked arms. Together they ascended one of the dual sweeping staircases that led to an intricately designed door. Instead of a forbidding medieval iron portcullis, the oxidized-copper art piece formed sweeping loops and lines to create two butterflies perching on intertwined roses. Additional stonework flowers bloomed over the lintel above. It was showy and theatrical...and entirely Vera.
“Welcome to my home, Fete Castle.” Vera gestured around the foyer with a flourish. Although Leo had seen art nouveau buildings when stationed in France, he’d never been inside a private residence of that style. Opposite the door and above the connecting balcony of another dual staircase was a large stained glass window of a dragonfly skimming above an azure lake. Green and blue light reflected on the shined, polished wood floor below. The staircases had a wrought iron railing, the metal forming delicate vines and flowers. But the true pièce de résistance was the lamp hanging below the skylight in the middle of the three-story atrium. More than a light fixture, it was a piece of art. Cast in fluid lines of bronze, a woman hung from a trapeze bar by her long bent legs. In her coppery hands, she held an illuminated piece of glass with a swirled emerald-and-cerulean pattern.
“My grandmother.” Vera jerked her chin in the direction of the stylized statue. “My grandfather had it commissioned for her on their fiftieth wedding anniversary. He first saw her when she was flying under the big top, and he said he instantly fell in love. He was always the romantic. They both were. This castle was built by them thirty-odd years ago, and they left it to me.”
“It is absolutely beautiful!” As usual, Mattie did nothing to hide the kaleidoscope of emotions flitting across her face. She’d tilted her head back to fully absorb the majesty of the entrance hall as she staredin unabashed wonder, her pink lips parted slightly. A flush of excitement glowed under her smattering of freckles, adding more color to her creamy complexion.
“Thank you!” Vera smiled. “It was very state of the art when built. It has running water and electricity. I’ve kept it up too. You’ll find every modern convenience at your disposal.”
Leo rubbed the back of his head. The first and only time he’d been in a grand home was when his squadron had been stationed in one during the war...and it was during that time period that Alfred had made his last, fatal flight. Leo jerked his head to the side as he tried to force the old memories away.
Mattie’s wonder, however, had only increased. And Leo focused on her face, wishing he could catch the excitement rolling off her.
“Does that mean you have your own power station?” Mattie asked excitedly. “This house was built over thirty years ago, so it must have had some way of generating energy if it was wired.”
Vera clapped her poppy-colored silk gloves together. “Oh, this troupe is just going to be perfect for each other! You know, you are now the third member to ask me that, and the question rarely comes up nowadays. We do have a generator next to the workshop that runs the lights and the servants’ call box.”
“I’m not the first to ask?” Mattie sounded surprised and cautiously excited. Her other brothers were never as mechanically minded as Alfred, and Leo suspected she’d missed talking to her sibling about articles she’d read inPopular Mechanics. Heck,he’dmissed those old debates, and he’d never had the vision that Mattie possessed.
“No, darling. Both Carrie and Sadie inquired about it. You’ll get to meet them and the rest of the team in about an hour. That will give you time to freshen up. I’ve put you both in the north turret. It has wonderful views of the lake and the field where we’ll be practicing. Mrs.Lewis will show you to your rooms.”
As if conjured by magic, a tall middle-aged woman appeared from one of the arched doorways. She wore a neatly tailored black dress with an apron around the middle. Smiling warmly, she greeted them and then led them through the house. As they walked, Mrs.Lewis told them about the history and architecture of the castle. Mattie, being Mattie, chatted amicably with their guide. Leo, though, hung back, feeling like an invader. He observed the small details as they walked—carved wooden scrollwork on doorframes, whimsical woodland creatures peeking out from banisters, and peacock sconces with each feather illuminated. Every turn and twist of the hallway revealed another stained glass window depicting frogs, grapevines, goldfish, or birds.
Finally, they entered a tight circular staircase. As they climbed, Mrs.Lewis kept talking. “Miss McAdams, you will have the top floor. Mr.Ward, you’ll have the one directly below.”
