Aeronaut Gone Read online

  Aeronaut Gone

  A Hettie & Ro Adventure

  Beth Byers

  Bettie Jane

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Sneak Peek of Bright Young Things & the Restless Dead

  Also by Beth Byers

  Chapter 1

  March 1923

  Ro watched through cracked eyelids while Hettie opened the drapes in what was becoming an all too familiar ritual. Ro braced herself for the lecture that she knew was coming. The pale, yet somehow jarring, wintry light of another grey London day would provide the perfect setting for a lazy scold.

  “Ro, you must get out of bed. I don’t care how much gin you drank to forget about Detective Truman, we only have this one party left before our adventures in Central America. This party was your idea, so I refuse to be the one who does everything.”

  In a futile act of rebellion, similar to her school days, Ro pulled the blankets over her eyes and groaned. “I cannot remember, Hettie Hughes, why am I so fond of you. It seems your only talents are waking me from the most peaceful of slumbers and dragging me around the world to get caught up in scandals.”

  “Hmmm,” Hettie quipped. “You love me because I love you. Regardless of fact or physics, ours is a bond that cannot be broken. Even when you are attempting to leave me to deal with this party alone. Get up or I’ll channel my mother. Apparently, we have a business party to host.”

  She frowned down at Hettie, scrunching up her nose. Hettie had already dressed and her red curls were as tamed as they could get. In her blue skirt, pink sailor blouse and sensible shoes, Hettie seemed quite ready to meet the demands of anything: business, shopping, an outing with friends, or even a long walk through Hyde Park. Given that Hettie had been trying to be a little more healthful since the start of the year, it was quite possible she had walked in the park, as well as drank unsweetened herbal tea for breakfast with a piece of wheat toast and something truly horrible – like a grapefruit.

  Conversely Ro’s resolution had been to luxuriate in bed, read more frivolous novels and never let anyone rain on her parade. If they hadn’t been through multiple murders together, it was possible their opposing resolutions would have hammered the nail in the coffin of their friendship.

  “You are inherently cruel.” Ro threw back the blankets and sat up, pout firmly in place. Her dark bobbed hair and dark eyes, along with her very slender figure, were just the thing for the fashion of the day. “Why do we have so many businesses again? What were we thinking? We are supposed to be living a life of leisure.”

  The two friends had inherited their husbands’ financial interests when a yacht sabotage murdered both their husbands along with so many others. Every time she thought about it, Ro shivered. Her brother-in-law’s greed caused him to murder his own kin.

  Very intentionally, she turned her thoughts back to their business interests. Beyond what they’d inherited from their husbands, they’d started companies of their own together. Cosmetics and textiles were the favorites of their endeavors. Hettie's main passion was Artemis, their cosmetics company, and she got giddy with every enameled powder case or brilliant red lipstick.

  Ro, on the other hand, loved the textiles (along with the resulting dresses) more than anything else. The trip to Costa Rica promised a marvelous return of authentic fabrics from Central America. If Ro had her way, they’d also be purchasing furniture and other trade goods. She thought the necklaces made from coconut shells and gemstones of unique colors would be a hit among the London elites.

  Ro deliberately avoided all mention of the Detective Inspector from Scotland Yard. Before their trip to Canada, Ro wouldn’t even admit to being intrigued by him. Since returning, however, he had managed to wile his way into her affections. If she did not speak of it, she could pretend that it was not happening.

  She’d sworn—to herself and Hettie—that she’d leave off of men after the disastrous ending to an even more disastrous marriage. Hettie had made the same promise but limited their swearing off to a year. Once a year had passed, they were required to trust the other’s opinion. The truth was, however, more complex. Hettie had become secretly infatuated with a doctor. Ro was refusing to succumb to the Detective Inspector. Their year had not ended and even if each of them liked the other’s fellow, could they trust each other on such a thing? They had both married snakes in the grass. They might need an arbitrary third party opinion. Perhaps some sort of judicious auditor.

  If Ro teased Hettie about the handsome doctor that she was in the process of falling for, then Hettie would never let up in her playful, however irritating, ribbing about the good detective. Ro really preferred to be the only teaser. This whole quid pro quo thing with ribbing was just unfair. There was nothing to do, for now at least, but to avoid all conversations about the men in their lives and focus on anything else.

  “I suppose you’ve forgotten your fervor for starting our textile business, so we could travel the world in search of beautiful fabrics? Is it ringing a bell yet or have you gone idiotic over the Detective Inspector?"

  Ro opened her mouth to counter and Hettie covered it quickly. “If you dare reference the Great Canadian Holiday Debacle, I think you should recall that going to visit my family in Canada was your idea.”

  Ro opened her mouth to object, but Hettie pressed harder, refusing to let Ro counter Hettie’s lies.

  “At the very least, I am certain that when I tried to back out of the trip, you insisted that we go.”

  Ro gasped behind Hettie's hand and her friend narrowed her eyes threateningly.

  “Some nonsense about seeing where our fictional heroes walked. As though they had ever walked anywhere, silly girl. They aren’t real.”

  Ro’s gaze narrowed on Hettie. If she kept this up, Ro would be forced to lick Hettie’s palm. Her friend was quite incorrect if she thought Ro was too mature for such antics.

  “What was it you said?” Hettie demanded. “It was some nonsense about being bosom friends and touring Prince Edward Island. Besides, I cannot be held responsible for the actions of anyone beyond myself. So, the murder on the train must have been your fault.”

  There was nothing for it; Ro licked Hettie’s hand. Ro ignored Hettie’s gasp and decided to avoid the obvious rebuttal that it was Hettie who had planned the trip to Canada. And Hettie who had sold the trip with the benefit of Prince Edward Island. “Oh, Hettie. Why must you be so negative?”

  Hettie growled and smacked at Ro, but she practically leapt out of bed. “We’ve got a party to attend. Do cheer up, won’t you? And no more mention of men. We do not have time for such fancies. We are professional women, if you recall.”

  Hettie’s narrowed gaze and dark look were just what Ro needed to push past the burgeoning headache. Ro pulled Hettie into a sideways hug and refused to let go when Hettie tried to wiggle out of it. “Swear you will stop talking of men, Hettie, or I will not let you go.”

  “Me?” Hettie demanded. “I think you’re the one.”

  “I believe I heard you calling Doctor Hale, Nevi.”

  “I didn’t,” Hettie lied.

  “Lies!” Ro snapped, eyeing Hettie cruelly. “Swear it, Hettie. Swear on our trip to Paris and all your hopes for the best cosmetics.”

  “You promised, Ro. If we went to Costa Rica for your
textiles, then we would go to Paris. You cannot take that back. Artemis is my favorite and I don’t care nearly as much about dresses as you do.”

  “I can if you continue to prattle on about the men. Swear it.” Ro squeezed her tighter and moved to tickle her.

  They both knew that Paris was happening, but Hettie put her hands on her hips and gave Ro a dark look. “Fine, I swear it. I swear on Paris to stop talking about men even though the good detective has eyes only for you. Although, he also clearly has eyes for your lovely legs, your bosoms, and the turn of your neck. And when you wore that dress with barely any back, he looked gobsmacked.” She let out a huff and squirmed out of Ro’s loosening grip. “See, I can be good.” Hettie’s wicked grin matched Ro’s. “You are impossible, Ro Lavender. I cannot even recall why I love you.”

  “Fact and physics, darling,” Ro laughed, letting Hettie go. She skipped to the bath before Hettie got in the last word. After all, there was a party to host and international travel ahead.

  Hettie frowned at the door where Ro had turned to relax in the bath. Someone needed to check on the things for the party, and she could just bet that it would be her. Ro seemed almost determined to be frivolous lately. Hettie wouldn’t normally mind, but she was a little concerned about their upcoming trip. It was a thing of pure fancy to take a steamship to Costa Rica, hire an air ship, and tour over the jungle there.

  Things could kill you in the jungle. There were those big cats with their big claws and snakes and even—if one could believe everything they read—poison frogs. Who had even heard of such a thing? Hettie wanted nothing more than to see the monkeys in the wild, to discover exactly what a sloth looked like (since surely the sketch she saw couldn’t be right), and to swim in water that was warm.

  Those were reasonable goals, really. Frivolous, fun, and reasonable. She was a little afraid, however, she’d get dragged up the side of a mountain and handed something simply mad—like a…a…parachute and told to fly off the side.

  What Hettie needed was a steadier mind. In fact, though Hettie hated to think it, what she and Ro needed was some sensible friend who kept them from diving into their adventures so deeply that they ended dead, lost on the side of a mountain, or living with gorillas in the jungle.

  For a moment, Hettie snorted at the idiocy of her thoughts, but then her thoughts turned just a little evil and an idea struck her that would certainly lose her the trip to Paris. Hettie shrugged, it wasn’t like Paris was going anywhere, but dying in a jungle would curtail that trip as easily as Ro being obstinate. Hettie nibbled on her thumb and wondered just how she’d get what she wanted—two reasonable gents who could probably help them survive the jungle. It wasn’t their sex that interested her. It was their steadiness. Steady people adventured and survived. Two gents and a buffer, and they just might survive an airship over the jungle.

  Chapter 2

  Ro looked around at the party which was in full swing. For weeks they had planned what they hoped would be the talk of London in the right circles. The party was the planned announcement of the building they’d purchased that would house their textile business. She’d been a bit nervous, to her surprise, about making the announcement. Elite society could be too haughty for their own good and they did love to doubt if women could do what men could. The announcement, however, seemed to go over well.

  Ro had to admit the good feeling might come from the waiters delivering cocktails and champagne on roller skates. Or, it might have been the tables full of candles that made the room seem as though it had appeared from the faerie court. The magical effect of candles in a world of electric light provided just the right vibe that Ro was seeking.

  Maybe the idea that they’d be successful at this was assisted by the brilliant blue dress Hettie was wearing. Hettie was a woman who disparaged her looks, but she was beautiful. It was just that her body (which was a curvy delight) didn’t match the fashion of the day. The blue dress drew attention to her peaches and cream skin, the light smattering of freckles on her nose, and her brilliant ginger hair. Combined with the Artemis cosmetics showing how big and lovely her eyes were, Hettie looked amazing.

  Ro, next to Hettie, was the opposite. She wore a silver dress with fringe and beading. She was almost, but not quite, too much. The two of them next to each other reflected what they were capable of—flashy and dramatic or a little more conservative and capable of accentuating the best features of body and skin.

  Ro believed the materials they brought back from Costa Rica would be well-received if they could accomplish that same magic again. Especially if they were able to find curiosities from the country as well. A good artisan, something different than the other Bright Young Things had and they’d be all the rage.

  Now that the difficult portion of the evening was done, Ro could mingle with their guests. She enjoyed watching Hettie flit about the party, chatting with everyone and laughing with a merry chuckle. It was wonderful to see the smile on Hettie’s lips reach her eyes. That was a feat of impossibilities. Hettie, like Ro, had married a man who’d crushed her spirit for years. She’d lost hope and joy and it had been slowly returning during the months of their freedom.

  She, along with Ro, had trouble returning to her former self after her husband died. She’d nearly been back to normal, but after the dreadful experience they’d had in Canada—complete with a train murder and a family betrayal—Ro had been nervous that Hettie would not be able to bounce back. It seemed like after a person experienced too many traumas, their spirit just couldn’t recover.

  A few months passed since they’d returned to London and Hettie seemed as though she was essentially back to normal. Watching her laugh tonight set Ro’s mind the rest of the way at ease. Especially given the way that Dr. Nevi made Hettie’s gaze light up and her laughter turn into the sound of bells. It was, really, nauseating.

  The trip to Costa Rica should be just the adventure they both needed to continue moving forward. Hettie seemed pleasantly involved in a deep conversation with an older gentleman and his wife, Dr. Nevi on her arm. Ro’s eyes traveled over the crowd while she decided who to speak to next since Hettie was obviously doing nicely for herself.

  Ro’s stomach turned nervously in a mix of dread and excitement when she saw Detective Truman approach Hettie and the doctor.

  What in heaven’s name was he doing here? His presence was not helping her resolve to not think about him. She looked away but it was too late, he’d seen her and she could see out of the corner of her eye that he was crossing the room toward her.

  “Ro, lovely to see you. Congratulations on your textile business. It sounds interesting.” He said it as though he meant it, but Ro didn’t believe the things men said. It was their actions and the way they affected the world around them that mattered.

  “Thank you. How did you know about it? Have you been here all evening?”

  “Hettie told me. She said you were excited.”

  “What did I tell you?” Hettie planted herself next to Detective Truman and winked at Ro. That wicked smirk demanded Ro throttle Hettie as soon as they were out of sight. Paris was cancelled, if Ro had anything to say about it.

  “You sent an invitation to your soiree tonight. Congratulations,” Truman said.

  “Oh, yes, I sent you an invitation days ago.” Hettie winked at Ro as if to say this doesn’t affect Paris and Ro clenched her fists until her fingernails dug into her palms.

  Ro sighed and remembered her manners. “Thank you for coming, Detective. It’s lovely of you. How are things at Scotland Yard?”

  “Actually, I wouldn’t know. I have a few weeks off. Mandatory… some sort of investigation or audit. I’m a man of leisure.”

  “I’m sorry to interrupt your conversation, but Ro, Mrs. Davies has arrived. You wanted to meet her, and Algie Davies is eager to introduce you.”

  Ro turned, smiled in apology to Truman and then stepped away.

  Before Truman could escape her, Hettie said brightly, “Lovely evening.”

/>   “It is.” He eyed her suspiciously.

  It was the bright voice, Hettie thought. It was the kind of tone idiot children used when they were hiding the remnants of a broken lamp behind their back. She shrugged and decided to dive right in.

  “A nice long break sounds nice,” she said awkwardly.

  His suspicion intensified and Hettie found herself shifting guiltily. When she’d done nothing and was a murder suspect, she’d acted less guilty she thought. It was the fact that she knew Ro would at least pretend to be upset, and Hettie needed to pretend to be innocent. All the more challenging given her plan to just—Oh, she thought, just get on with it.

  “We’re going to Costa Rica,” Hettie announced. “Steamship across the ocean and then an airship over the jungle with some stops at the markets and a quest to find some excellent artisans.”

  His brows lifted and he eyed her with the same stark suspicion.

  “I’d like to survive,” Hettie said baldly. “You should come.”

  He blinked rapidly and Hettie waved over a waiter with a tray of cocktails.

  “Have a G&T,” she suggested and pushed back her hair. “I have every intention of lying about the details of this conversation until after Ro is excited about the change in our plans. If you counter me, I’ll scupper your chances with her.”

  “Do you think you have that much power?”

  Hettie’s mocking laugh was enough for him to lift a brow and take a drink.

  Ro had to admit that Mrs. Davies was a hero of hers. The woman was another female businessperson, and she didn’t let her sex or her standing hold her back. She grinned as she stepped away and told herself that she and Hettie would be as successful.