Rebel Magisters (Rebel Mechanics #2)(27)

Once we’d stopped climbing and were drifting along far enough above the earth that I had less of a sense of speed, I managed to relax. It was quite peaceful, without the whipping wind I’d experienced on the Liberty. I might have enjoyed it, under different circumstances.

However, the presence of the governor was unsettling. Here I was, a rebel operative and a magical half-breed sitting just a few feet away from the person who embodied what we were rebelling against and who had the power of life or death over me. I’d been around him before when I chaperoned Flora at parties, and he’d paid brief visits to the Lyndon home, but now there were only a few of us in a relatively small space for the next five hours. I was afraid to speak, lest I accidentally reveal something incriminating.

On the other hand, I needed to do my job, which was the reason I’d been brought along, and now I had to do it in front of an audience, including my employer. “Olive, are you ready for some lessons?” I asked.

“Oh, yes!” she said enthusiastically. “I want to show Grandfather what I’ve learned.”

I got out her schoolbooks and had just opened the science text when Rollo came bouncing back from the control room. “It was amazing!” he said. “I got to see how they released the tow cables and controlled the ascent. Then they showed me the charts.”

“You’re just in time for your schoolwork,” I said.

His face fell. “Aw, really? In an airship?”

The governor chuckled. “I think perhaps we can postpone the schoolwork for the duration of the voyage. He can catch up later, once we’ve arrived.”

“Thanks, Grandfather!” Rollo said. “Can I take that tour, instead? One of the crewmen said he’d show me the whole ship.”

“I’ll need a report about it,” I said as sternly as I could manage when his enthusiasm was so delightful. “And your schoolwork must be completed at some time today. I’m not the one who made those assignments.”

“I believe your uncle has final say,” the governor said.

“Please, Uncle Henry?” Rollo begged.

“I don’t see why not, as long as you do your work in the evening, and you’ll owe Miss Newton a favor for making her work a longer day.”

“I don’t mind,” I said. “This isn’t going to be a particularly arduous workday.” Though, really, it was more difficult working under those circumstances. I could feel the governor watching us as I read along with Olive and quizzed her on her lessons. Fortunately, she was keen to show off, which made me look extremely competent.

Midmorning, the steward and maid brought around tea and pastries. At noon, the big table in the middle of the room was laid with fine china for a light luncheon. We were just finishing dessert when we began our descent into Boston.

There was only a slight jolt when we moored at the airfield. We exited down a flight of steps wheeled up to the nose of the gondola and boarded the carriages that waited for us. The younger children and I were in one carriage, while the governor, Henry, and Flora rode in the other.

“That’s the only way to travel,” Rollo said. “No bumps or jolts like in a carriage or a train. Maybe they should have smaller airships for traveling around town.”

“They’d block out the sky if there were too many of them,” Olive said. “Why couldn’t we ride with Grandfather and Uncle, like Flora did?”

“We’re just kids,” Rollo said, but he didn’t sound like it bothered him. “They couldn’t fit everyone in one carriage, and this way, we don’t have to act too nice.”

“Oh, really?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Aw, Miss Newton, you’re not like Grandfather. I may not act any different with you, but I feel like I’m acting better with you.”

The carriage brought us to a stately townhome that wasn’t quite as large as the governor’s mansion, but it was a palace compared to the Lyndon home, which I had considered palatial when I first arrived. Looking at the outside, I thought this building must be a hotel, but once we entered, I realized it was a residence, and it was all ours for the week. Did the governor really keep a house like this just for his occasional visits to this city? I made a mental note to look further into the matter for a possible article.

The children and I were assigned to rooms on one of the upper floors—away from the governor’s suite, much to my relief. I couldn’t tell where Henry’s room was, and there was no way to ask without looking improper. My room was much nicer than the one I had at home, which had clearly been designed for a governess. This room could have been for any guest. For a few days, so long as I was in my room, I might be able to forget my position.

Our bags and trunks were brought up, and while the housemaids were busy unpacking Flora’s belongings, I hung up my own dresses in my room’s wardrobe. When the maid entered, she startled me. “Oh, ye didn’t have to do that, miss,” she said, bustling in to take over. She was a sturdy girl about my age, with dark hair and dark blue eyes.

“I don’t mind looking after myself,” I said. “I’m only the governess.”

“But ye’re a guest in this house, miss.”

“There’s not much to do. I’ve done it already. Really, I don’t mind.”

Ignoring my objections, she picked up my bag and began unpacking. I tried to wrest it away from her, and something fell out of a pair of stockings, hitting the floor with a soft ting. I dove for the small gear with a red ribbon through it and hoped she didn’t see it. I knew it had been risky to bring the symbol of the Rebel Mechanics with me while traveling with the governor and staying in his house, but Colin had mentioned arranging meetings with the local Mechanics, so I’d thought I might need it.