Someone knocked on the door. “Noli?”
“Come in, Jeff.” Noli continued weaving the red hair in the intricate pattern. “How did everything go?” They’d gone aloft awhile ago, presumably headed for Denver.
“Very good.” Jeff strode in and surveyed her handywork, hands behind his back. “Amazing what you did you this place. Where did the fabric come from?”
The burgundy fabric, only a little faded and dusty, had been draped about the walls along with the accompanying swags and ribbons. The effect was quite fancy, like living in a spice box.
Noli looked up at Jeff as she wove. “Is a soiled dove what I think it is?”
Jeff’s lips puckered. “Where did you hear that term?”
“Winky brought me a box of things that belonged to a soiled dove who once lived aboard. That’s a woman of ill-repute, right?” She marked her place with a cog so she wouldn’t lose her spot in her intricate weaving.
“Um, yes.” He squirmed in place, obviously uncomfortable with the topic. “And I should talk to Winky,” he muttered under his breath.
“I thought it was sweet, it was only a few baubles, the fabric, a hair brush …” Some very risqué novels she wouldn’t mention. “I’m not actually sure what this is.” Noli held up a cylindrical object about a foot long made of smooth, hard material.
Jeff snatched it out of her hand. “I’ll take that.”
Noli blinked. “But what is it? I’ve never seen anything like it before.”
A look of terror spread across his face as he tucked it in one of his vest pockets. “Um, I’ll let Vix explain that to you.”
Like she’d ever ask her. Her brother’s discomfort at the plain object seemed odd. What could it be?
“You like the room then?” Noli changed the subject. The sprite preened, quite happy with her decorating, given what they had to work with. Her books, tools, and few toilette articles shared shelf space with books and tools left by the previous occupants. Clothing had been stowed in her footlocker. The doll Jeff won her sat on her hammock along with her pillow and blanket.
Jeff took everything in, one hand rubbing his chin, which was in need of a shave. The other hand stayed behind his back. “How much did you manage to fit in that bag? A pillow and blanket, several dresses, books, hats … is that father’s tool box?”
Whoops. “I … I told you, it’s bigger than it looks.” She didn’t meet his eyes.
“I brought you a present.” He held out his other hand and presented a pot of tiny pink roses, each bloom a minuscule replica of what she grew in her garden in Los Angeles.
“For me?” She took the pot and inhaled their sweet scent. “Oh, Jeff, I appreciate this so much. When I asked you to bring me a plant, I didn’t think you’d bring me roses. I’ve never seen ones this small before. They look like doll roses.”
They are darling, the sprite gushed. Even the high queen doesn’t have tiny roses in her gardens.
Jeff beamed at her praise. “I knew you’d like them. I bought them off a Swiss merchant. The windows of his ship were full of them.”
Window boxes on an airship? What an excellent idea.
“They’re wonderful.” She sat them on the workbench next to her weaving.
“What are you making?” Jeff squinted at her project.
Noli repositioned the roses. So, so pretty. “A watch chain.”
“Oh, is that what it is?” He made a face as if he’d never seen hair weaving before—which he, being a boy, may not have. “Supper’s about ready. Asa isn’t a bad cook, he just prepares strange meals.”
She stood, smoothing the wrinkles from her dress. “I’m still wearing my work dress, should I change?”
Her cheeks warmed. How idiotic she sounded.
Jeff made a concerned face that was becoming all too familiar. “No, Noli, you don’t have to dress for supper here.”
“Of course, how silly of me.” Part of her wanted too. The sprite had slipped a couple of nicer gowns into the bag.
He offered her his arm. “Let’s see what strange concoction Asa made tonight.”
They strolled into engine room. Noli frowned and went over to the hybrid engines which were part inside and outside the back of the ship. The off-kilter hum filled her ears.
“Can’t you hear it, Jeff?” She put her hands out, not quite touching the large one in the center. “Something sounds wrong.”
Jeff shook his head. “I’m a pilot, not an engineer. If you think something’s wrong, I’ll make sure you get time to do your diagnostic.”
“That would be helpful,” she replied as they left the engine room. “I’d hate for something to go wrong with the engines when we need them most.”
“And some for little sister.” Asa put a spoon full of yellow stew on Noli’s plate then passed the bowl on to Thad. His face screwed up in distaste, but he plopped several spoonfuls on his plate anyway.
“What is it?” Noli took a piece of flat bread off another plate then passed it to Jeff.
Asa smiled at her, dunking his bread in his food. “Just try.”
She tentatively took a bite of the thick stew. The strange spices exploded across her tongue and she nodded. “This is delicious. Not like anything I’ve tried before, but very good.”
Everyone talked about their plans for Denver. Apparently they were docking in Denver for a few days. Excellent. First order of business, figuring out why the engines were unhappy.
After supper Thad brought out a bowl full of apples.
Vix eyed them dubiously, then took one. “Did hell freeze over?”
“I just thought I’d share. Got them in port.” He offered the bowl to Noli. “Little sister?”
Noli took one of the shiny red apples. “I appreciate your generosity, Thad.”
He passed around the bowl. Winky took his and retreated into the bowels of the ship where he spent most of his time. The captain bit into hers. Noli withdrew her knife from her boot, cut a piece off, and popped it in her mouth, savoring the sensation of the sweet, crisp flesh.
“Mmm, these are so sweet.” Noli cut off another piece and ate it. She realized everyone stared at her and squirmed. “Did I do something wrong?”
“You cut your fruit with a knife before eating it?” Vix sneered.
“Of course.” She didn’t see the problem, though she should be using a fork as well.
“She can cut her apple with a knife if she’d like.” Jeff squeezed Noli’s shoulder. “Every time I bite into a piece of fruit I can hear my mother lecturing me in my head.”
Noli chuckled, imagining her mother snapping Jeffery Cornelius Braddock, what sort of gentleman are you from across the table.
“That’s an exquisite knife. Where did you get that?” Jeff peered at the little knife. Green stones formed a pattern on the golden hilt.
“It belonged to Charlotte.” Noli sliced off another piece of apple.
“That is quite fancy,” Asa replied as he cleared the table.
“Eh, it’s a girl’s knife, so little and sparkly.” Thad took a swig from his flask. “Couldn’t even clean your nails with such a bitty thing. Not good for nothing but playing darts and slicing apples.”
Noli examined the bejeweled, filigreed knife about as big as her index finger. “Well, Charlotte was a girl, though she preferred cribbage to darts.”
After Charlotte had died, James gifted it to her, saying Charlotte had wanted her to have it. Noli loved it because it was Charlotte’s. The sprite liked it because it was shiny.
Also, wouldn’t an air pirate have a boot knife?
“We should teach her how to throw knives,” Asa replied. “So she can defend herself.”