A Clockwork Heart Read Online Free PDF Page A

she said over her shoulder as she went into the house.
    Elle flung herself into the leather Chesterfield in the library with a sigh. “Oh, it’s nice to be home. I could murder a nice cup of tea right now. Ring the bell, would you?”
    â€œWell, what is it?” Marsh said as he rang the bell-pull and sank into one of the wingback chairs opposite her.
    The fire had burned down in the fireplace, but the room was lovely and warm after the crisp cold of the February afternoon. The library was one of Elle’s favorite rooms in the house, mainly because it was so utterly dominated by Marsh.
    She smiled at him with glee. “I got a new ship.”
    Marsh frowned. “How on earth did you do that?”
    Elle sat forward in her seat. “I won her in a card game. The same game we played with Loisa when we visited on the way back from the honeymoon.”
    â€œYou gambled?” She watched her husband’s expression darken. “I knew I should have come with you. What if you had lost?”
    â€œI wouldn’t have. The captain of the ship was cheating. He had an amulet around his neck, which made him able to see what cards the other players held. But I stopped him from seeing my cards. When I had a good enough hand, I made him think I had worse cards than I really had and so I won. Serves him right for trying to cheat,” she said in one excited breath.
    Marsh’s frown deepened. “Shadow magic,” he said. “What if you had been discovered?”
    â€œOh, don’t be such a worry ninny. I was very careful and the captain of the ship didn’t guess who—or should I say what?—I am. Besides, I bumped into Ducky in Amsterdam and after I won the ship, I hired him to pilot her home. He’s busy berthing the Iron Phoenix in Croydon as we speak. We need to book her into Farnborough for an overhaul though. She’s a bit rickety.”
    â€œEleanor!” Marsh thundered.
    Elle jumped. Marsh only called her Eleanor like that when he was angry with her and they were about to have an argument.
    â€œWhat?” she said, squaring her shoulders.
    â€œI will not have my wife gambling with ruffians. Do you not understand how dangerous that is? You promised you wouldn’t take any unnecessary risks.”
    â€œThey were not ruffians. Well, not terribly bad ones, if you have to be completely precise. But it was only an innocent card game in the pilots’ mess. I told you I wouldn’t leave the airfield, and I didn’t.”
    Marsh ran his hand though his dark hair, worn slightly too long for society. “Innocent card games do not end up with people losing their ships to one another.”
    â€œDon’t you think you are overreacting ever so slightly?” she said sweetly.
    He strode up to his desk and grabbed the newspaper that lay neatly folded on its broad leather-topped surface. “Look!” he thrust the newspaper at Elle.
    She took the paper and opened it.
    â€œThere.” He jabbed at the news report in the right hand corner of the page, right underneath the headline that spoke of the trouble between Russia and Japan.
    The heading read: SKY PIRATES SPOTTED OVER THE ENGLISH CHANNEL .
    â€œI have been pacing up and down all day worrying and waiting for you to come home safely.”
    â€œOh,” said Elle. “But we saw no pirates.”
    â€œThere could very well have been. I can manage the thought of you flying the Water Lily because she is small and not worth bothering with. But with two ships you are a—a fleet!” he spluttered
    â€œOh Hugh, you are being ever so slightly ridiculous.” Elle said.
    Marsh sighed. “I love the fact that you are so utterly bold and fearless, my darling, but you really do need to be more careful.”
    â€œBut I was careful,” she said. “Hugh, you can’t wrap me in cotton wool. I need to take risks if I am to turn this charter company into a