“I’ll carry it, Belle.”
She frowned. “Where are yours?”
He gave her an affronted look. “Mine? I didn’t bring them. We’ll share yours. You don’t mind, do you? That would hardly be fair, as you’re only here thanks to my speaking on your behalf. You know they didn’t want you to come, don’t you? Your skin is too fair, your gait awkward, and, well, you have that vision problem. But I said, let her come this once. She’ll do her best.”
Her chin wobbled.
“None of that, or I won’t let you play.”
She sobered immediately, though, inside, her belly felt funny.
In the hall, Gaston glanced up and down, then seemed to have an idea. “How about we play a bit of hide and seek?”
“But…what about marbles?”
“What about them? They’ll keep. With everyone above, what better chance to explore below? Come on. I know where we’ll go.”
“But…who’s coming to look for us?”
“The other kids, silly goose. They already know. They gave us a head start.”
And off they’d gone to the metal stairs, and down.
“But we’re not allowed—”
“We are their betters. We do what we want.”
She had no choice but to follow, though climbing down the narrow steps while wearing a gown and soft slippers was quite hard, despite the handholds.
“Over here,” he said when she finally reached the wooden deck where the staff’s quarters were located.
Only Gaston’s head and shoulders were visible. He’d found some sort of hole that half his body had sunk into. She stood stock-still.
“It’s a hatch, with stairs,” he explained, sending her his glowing smile. “It leads to the engine room. Come on.” And he dropped out of sight.
She crept forward and peered down. “It’s so dark. And noisy,” she complained. She glanced behind her, hoping someone would come and stop her descent. She did not want to go down there.
“It’s perfectly safe. It’s the best of all hiding places. Don’t be a ninny,” he shouted up.
Theclang, clang, clangof his boots as he stomped each ladder rung into the belly of the ship rang in her ears. Still, she hesitated.
“If you don’t come, I won’t play with you, ever again, and I’ll tell everyone you’re not really my sister.”
He would.
She started down.
***
Sterling crested the hill and slowed his horse for the descent with the cart.
That odd compulsion he’d dismissed earlier, to find Annabelle and assure himself she was fine, was riding him harder now. Everything in him wanted to leap from the conveyance, abandon the cart and its cargo, and race back to the castle. Ridiculous, and he would do no such thing.
But he knew the moment he returned, he would give in to the urge.
A plaintive sound reached his ears. Rather like a bird singing, but off somehow. A wounded bird? Or…No. No, it couldn’t be. Not out here.
Och, but he didn’t have time for this.
