Page 70 of A Slipper in the Smoke
“Susan,” Pip said, “can you find out when the next train to Navarra leaves?”
Finally, Elena’s convalescence at the palace came to an end. Pip escorted her to the lifts himself, not smiling, his face set and stern. Elena wondered if she’d done something wrong, if she should have invited him back to her chamber that night like she so desperately wanted to.
No,she told herself,Pip isn’t like that. And if he was, he would not be worth your affection.
And he was, he was worth that and so, so much more.
“I wish you were staying longer,” he admitted, erasing her doubts as swiftly as they came. “I’ve liked having you around. Rather immeasurably, actually.”
Elena nodded. “I like being around you, too.”
He took her knuckles, and kissed her hand. “Tomorrow, then? Our usual time.”
Elena looked around her for any prying eyes, and, finding none, leant across to kiss him. “Tomorrow.”
Unwilling to go back to the Baroness’ apartment, and eager to see Snowdrop and report what little she knew, Elena headed straight for the outer ring and back to her garage. As suspected, the Baroness had left a heap of projects for her to complete, but refreshed as she was and eager for a distraction, Elena set to them right away. Most of them were simple, easy fixes—replacing a spring here, a gear there—nothing hard.
She had no way of contacting Snowdrop without banging again on all of the doors. She couldn’t quite remember which one it was, and she was in no mood to cause a spectacle again. She’d give her a few hours before doing anything drastic.
The clockwork mouse warmed in her pocket. For some reason, Elena hadn’t been able to part with it. She wished she could say it was because she believed it held some secret piece of information, but she didn’t think that was true. She simply felt this strange need to have it beside her, to make it work again.
There is a reason for this,she told herself.I believe. I believe.
It took a long time to untangle the snared gears, and even longer to prise the melted cogs from the shell. Then began the more complicated task of reconfiguring and replacing everything. Elena knew by now how most mechanisms slotted together, her fingers sliding in gear after gear before her mind even fully comprehended what she was doing. There were still unknown variables, like the precise size of the cogs and springs she’d need, and the process of elimination was long and arduous.
Finally, though, the mechanism was finished. She pressed everything back into the body, closed it shut with a bit of scrap metal, and wound it up.
It buzzed back to life, darting straight for the side of the workbench and almost skittering off the side. Elena laughed, picking it up only for the little creature to squirm out of her grip and whizz over her arms, as skittish as a real life mouse.
“You’re a lively little fellow!” she said, giving it space to move around. “I think I shall call you BeeBee.”
BeeBee—after the initials stamped on it. She might never be able to locate the original owner, but at least a part of them could survive in the name she gave their mouse.
“You certainly seem to have your hands full.”
Elena looked up sharply. Snowdrop was standing in the doorway.
“Snow!” Elena stood up, and before she was even fully aware of her actions, she’d bolted across the room and thrown herself around her. “You’re still here.”
“OfcourseI’m still here. Where have you been? Someone posted a note—”
“I was taken ill at the palace,” Elena said. “I just got back today.”
“You’re all right?”
“Never better.”
Snowdrop paused, a smile twitching in her cheeks. “You seem happy.”
Elena grinned, blushing deeply, and told her all that had happened. The sudden illness, Pip looking after her… even a bit about the midnight feast.
“I’m sorry I didn’t learn anything,” she said when her story was done. “I did try to sneak into General Bestiel’s chambers, but, well… I didn’t find anything useful, and I almost got caught.”
“Almost?”
“Prince Nero saw me, I think, but he didn’t tell General Bestiel. I actually think he helped me sneak away.”
Snowdrop snorted. “Unlikely. He probably just didn’t see you.”
