Aeronaut Gone Page 3

  Grandfather Longmont continued, “The birds and the monkeys, there’s not a sound like it on the earth, at least not that I’ve heard in my years. They screech and howl and banter back and forth and the noise of it will wake you from a dead sleep. You just wait and see. You think that the hustle and bustle of a city is loud, wait until you wake to the sounds of the jungle coming to life.”

  “Tell us about the sloths, Grandfather. Daisy, don’t you have a special fondness for the sloth?” This was the other twin, Douglas. He was standing near his mother who didn’t seem to be listening at all. She had made it clear before the steamship had even departed that she intended to remain aboard the airship regardless.

  Daisy nodded excitedly and scooted forward in her chair while Grandfather Longmont indulged his grandson’s request. Douglas’ wife, Betsy, wore a near permanent frown and squirmed uncomfortably at the stories. She was beautiful, there was no question. If Hettie had to guess, she’d wager her fortune that Betsy preferred the shopping districts of London to the upcoming wilds of Costa Rica. It would be fascinating to watch these city slickers—of which she was one—become acquainted with the jungle.

  “The sloths live high up in the trees, difficult to see without binoculars. They move very slowly….mere feet in an entire day. They have three toes and are unlike any other animal I’ve ever seen.” He turned to Daisy. “I think you’ll be quite pleased with your experience, young Daisy.”

  “I didn’t think those could be real,” Hettie told him, and he laughed, slapping his knee.

  “Oh, they’re real,” he said, coughing after that long laugh. Neville stepped forward and lifted a cup of tea, calmly handing it to the man. He sipped, cleared his throat, and continued his stories while Daisy continued to glow at the telling of his adventures. Daisy grinned widely at Jade and then glanced back to see who else was excited. Hettie almost raised her hand. She couldn’t wait until she saw a sloth. They might be difficult to see without binoculars, but Hettie had bought four pairs for herself, Ro, and the boys. Hettie thought she might enjoy the young woman’s company if Daisy was excited as Hettie.

  Chapter 4

  Hettie glanced down. She was wearing nothing more than her underthings while she stared at her clothes. The fan overhead was spinning with a tired chug, the sheer curtains were letting in a breeze off the ocean, but she had to admit she felt as if she might die. She had this idea that she’d wanted to be warm. She’d wanted to go somewhere with blue oceans and blue skies and swim without freezing. She had this idea that being warm was what she wanted. She wasn’t just warm, however, she was warm and wet. Warm, in fact, was too mild of a term. She was hot, burning even, and she wasn’t sure what to do about clothes.

  Did she go full adventurer? The stories of all the things that could kill you in the jungle had haunted her sleep. What if one of those terrible snakes slithered down her shirt? She shivered. It was hot she repeated to herself. Hot, hot, hot. She was damp and she’d taken a bath, dried off, and then found herself dabbing herself off. She could go back for her towel and use it again as if she’d just stepped from the tub.

  Thicker, protective pants? A long sleeved shirt? Perhaps a kerchief about her neck? Sturdy boots? It sounded like dressing in a wool blanket. Or, she could wear a light weight dress, lose her stockings, and pretend her legs weren’t bare?

  She frowned, feeling as though she needed to be careful about the jungle. The stories from Grandfather Longmont were enough to have her afraid to go at all, even though she and Ro had done what research they could.

  Hettie ran her fingers through her hair and then decided to compromise. She ditched her stockings without regret but added a pair of socks to protect her feet from her adventurer boots. She added a light weight dress with a kerchief about her neck to use for swabbing off the gallons of sweat and then considered her cosmetics. She loved her and Ro’s company Artemis and all their endeavors, but the jungle was no place for powder or kohl liner.

  Hettie flippantly decided that it was time Nevi saw her without her powdered armor and she plonked a hat on her head that would protect her skin from the sun before examining herself in the mirror. For their day trip to see sloths and monkeys, Hettie was wearing a simple cotton dress that just reached her knees with boots underneath. If her mother could see her now, she’d be shocked speechless. The realization added a level of joy to Hettie’s mood and her green eyes sparkled in the mirror.

  Hettie crossed to Ro’s door in their suite and opened it without knocking. She wasn’t surprised to see Ro with the covers over her head. It was, possibly, time to recognize that Ro simply wasn’t a morning person. The previous evening Ro hadn’t overindulged.

  They’d arrived at the hotel in the early afternoon. Neville and Truman had left them at their rooms and gone to find their own, and a few hours later they’d met in the restaurant. There were not many English or American visitors to Costa Rica, and the dining room smelled like exotic foods that served things wrapped in banana leaves or dosed in rum.

  Hettie and Ro had joined Truman and Neville while the Longmonts had their meals served in their rooms. If Hettie were truthful, the idea of inviting the Longmonts as a buffer against the gents was a mistake. The time on the steamship had revealed that Jade continued to be a gem but her cousins left something to be desired. Whereas the cousins’ wives, Daisy and Betsy, were out and out spoiled rotten females whose very existence was a poor reflection of what it was to be a woman. Daisy’s excitement for the jungle animals gave Hettie at least some hope for that one, but Betsy seemed quite irredeemable.

  It was possible that a long evening of dancing without the Longmonts and experiencing the quiet humor of Neville and the darker humor of Truman, of trying a series of Costa Rican desserts together and experiencing Costa Rican cocktails and wine had been out and out magical. To go back to days filled with the spoiled wives, the questionable twins, and the arrogant father made Hettie frown.

  Instead of diving onto Ro’s bed and torturing her, Hettie took off her hat and then plopped down next to Ro, keeping her boots off the bed. Hettie propped her head on her hand and poked Ro lightly. The only reply was a groan.

  “I’m going to apologize,” Hettie told Ro, despite the scrunched eyes and the sheet overhead.

  Ro cracked an eyelid and lifted an eyebrow.

  “I shouldn’t have invited the Longmonts.”

  Ro’s second eye opened.

  “It would have been far more fun with just Truman and Nev.”

  “Did you mean Nevi?” Ro asked with the kind of high-pitched insinuation that a schoolgirl would use.

  “Do you want the rest of my apology or not?”

  Ro propped up on her elbows, only then taking in Hettie’s wardrobe. “Where are your stockings?”

  “I sent them to the devil.”

  “You aren’t wearing kohl or powder.”

  “Yes,” Hettie said sarcastically. “I’m aware.”

  “I didn’t know we were going natural.”

  “You don’t have to.”

  “I need my eyebrows.”

  “So, draw them on,” Hettie said and then rushed out. “I have been afraid to believe that Neville is as good as he seems, let alone Truman, and I thought a buffer between us would help. I’m not convinced I was right. In fact, I’m quite convinced that I was wrong.”

  Hettie pulled the rest of the netting back from Ro’s bed and she shoved her friend off the bed. Ro’s horror-filled gasp followed by a ringing scream had Hettie leaping from the bed to help her.

  “Snake!” Ro screamed as she crab-walked backward away from the bed while Hettie threw pillows toward the snake. A pounding of fists hit the door and a moment later it opened with both Truman and Neville pouring through the doorway. Hettie grabbed Ro and was hauling her to her feet, mumbling apologies and dragging Ro after.

  “What’s wrong?” Truman demanded. His face was half-shaved, his sleeves rolled up, and he had no jacket. Neville was in similar straits, but he’d finished shavi
ng.

  “Snake,” Hettie told the men, hauling Ro onto the balcony.

  Neville’s brows rose and he rushed towards the friends while Truman followed Hettie’s shaking finger.

  “Did you get bit?” Neville demanded, taking Hettie’s hands in his and looking her over for a bite.

  Both Hettie and Ro shook their heads while Truman lifted the pillow off the snake. It snapped towards him and he dropped the waste bin over the top of it while Hettie let Neville wrap his arm around her shoulder. She’d have relaxed into his arms, but she had hold of Ro and was providing the same comfort to Ro that Neville was to Hettie. They were a bundle of hugs while Truman muttered to himself. Moments later, a maid appeared, followed by the English-speaking employee who took in the situation.

  He said, “It’s fine, it’s fine, it’s fine,” in a thick accent while Neville ushered them towards Hettie’s room.

  “Would you look for snakes?” Hettie asked him as she nudged Ro towards the bath.

  He examined the bathroom first and Ro took refuge in there while Hettie returned to get her friend something to wear. She found Truman and the staff clearing the room, checking all corners.

  “It’s the jungle,” the man said, apologizing again. “It’s impossible to keep the wildlife out. Better a snake than a jaguar, eh?” He laughed, but Hettie didn’t think it was funny at all.

  “I feel like I’ve had enough wildlife for today,” Ro told Hettie who winced.

  She felt horrible about nudging Ro so hard that her friend tumbled off the bed. She felt worse that there was a snake there. She’d apologized about a hundred times, however, and Ro had wearied of hearing it, so this time Hettie bit back her apology. “But sloths.”

  Hettie handed over the binoculars she’d bought for Ro and then gave a pair to each of the fellows. They were taking a day trip into the jungle to get a feel for it. In reality, they were discovering which of the Longmont women were going to refuse the next stage of the trip. It was one thing to walk a bit into the jungle and quite another to board an airship and find the deep, untouched parts of the wilderness.

  Ro had followed Hettie’s suit in a similar wardrobe. Unlike the duo of friends, Jade Longmont was wearing stockings but was similarly attired with what looked like riding boots to her knees. Her cousin-in-law, Daisy, had not left the demands of fashion behind beyond a pair of ankle high boots. Betsy was wearing a ruffled and lacy day dress with silk stockings, silk gloves to her elbows, and a hat with a veil that covered her face.

  “Oh my heavens,” Ro said into Hettie’s shoulder, only lowering her tone enough to be heard by Hettie, Truman, and Neville. “She’s wearing jewelry.”

  Ro shook her head and then they turned as one to take in the final Longmont granddaughter. Daisy had taken the opposite route. She was wearing loose pants that were made of heavy fabric, a long sleeved shirt, a jacket, a hat, and not an ounce of makeup.

  “We have hit the gamut of wardrobe possibilities, I think,” Hettie told her friends.

  “Let’s go, shall we?” Truman asked, exasperated. Their hotel was a short walk from the entrance to the jungle and the first thing that Hettie noticed was those howls from the night before. She leapt at the noise and looked about, perhaps a little anxiously, and Neville pointed. Hettie’s mouth dropped open at the sight. A trio of monkeys were on a tree branch overhead, their mouths open and wide like opera singers, wailing out an aria.

  “Ohhhhh,” Hettie moaned.

  “Ohhhh,” Ro echoed.

  “I love them,” Hettie said. “I can see why my grandmother had a monkey when she was a young woman.”

  They were nudged ahead by their guides. At the head of the trail were the Longmont twins and their chubby cousin, Will. The trees were thick as they followed a slim trail through the jungle. It started with near cacophonous conversation overhead as they worked their way through howler monkey territory. After a long while, the noise slowly faded into something that was almost surreal in its quiet after the monkeys.

  They were approaching a part of the jungle that the guides told Truman was the mangroves. They were trees that lived in swampy water and the roots were woven together to anchor them. The trail ended as they reached rope bridges that were tied above the water. The guide in the lead was speaking to Truman but Hettie and Neville were too far back of the pack to hear what he was saying.

  “Look,” Hettie said, pointing as she leaned over the water. A small deer approached nearby, sidling forward. Hettie would have thought that the creature would have darted away at the sight of the humans, but instead its gaze was fixated on the water as it moved forward and then edged back.

  Hettie couldn’t help but lean closer, watching as the deer nosed towards the water.

  “Hettie!” Neville said as Hettie started to reach out. He wrapped his arm around her waist and yanked her back just as a mouthful of teeth exploded from the water. Hettie screamed as a monster exploded from the water.

  Her scream was echoed by Ro and then shrieks from the Longmont women that were worse than the birds that morning.

  “Are you all right?” Neville asked.

  She nodded, even though every inch of her body was trembling. She was lifted into a boat and handed to Truman. A moment later, Neville followed. He took her back from Truman even though Ro had both of her hands.

  “Did the deer get away?” Hettie demanded when she could speak.

  Everyone said yes, but perhaps that was because she had started to leak reactionary tears.

  “Bloody hell,” Ro swore. “I need a drink.”

  Despite Hettie’s New Year’s resolutions, she agreed.

  Neville stiffened next to her and cursed. With a long arm, he reached out and flicked a frog off the back of Douglas Longmont’s jacket. He turned, eyeing Neville askance.

  “Dart frog,” Neville said in explanation. He pulled his glove off and set it carefully aside while the rest of their boat eyed him.

  “Dart frog?” Truman asked. “Didn’t old Longmont tell us about those?”

  Neville nodded. He pressed a hand against his chest and then said, “It’s possible I’m too British for this jungle.”

  “You just saved me from a monster,” Hettie told him.

  “A crocodile,” Truman corrected. “And mostly he saved the deer.”

  “And you just saved Douglas from that blue frog. The one that Grandfather Longmont said could fell a large man without a problem.” Hettie smiled softly at Neville who used his ungloved hand to wind their fingers together. “You need a drink too.”

  “Or five,” Neville said, laughing sickly. “Protecting all our hides from this Costa Rican jungle is proving to be a harder job than I’d hoped.”

  Chapter 5

  By some sort of miracle, they’d survived their first trip into the jungle and now Ro and Hettie were sitting in the restaurant near the hotel devouring a simple meal of chicken and rice. Frederick and Daisy sat across the dining area, but most of the others had opted for quiet meals served in their rooms. The twin and his wife looked to be arguing—about what Ro couldn’t tell. She was just grateful they had the grace to save it for when Ro and her friends weren’t forced to overhear every word. Even though, Ro had to admit, they’d happily discuss the details should they stumble over them.

  Ro glanced at Hettie who was more playing with her rice than eating it. She had a faraway look in her eyes and had nothing to say. Ro couldn’t blame Hettie; Ro was still not entirely sure how they’d managed to return unscathed, but much credit undeniably went to Nevi. Ro continued to grow used to Hettie’s pet name for him. It really did suit him.

  First, he’d saved Hettie from the jaws of certain death when he’d pulled her back from the water’s edge just as that massive crocodile broke through the surface of the water. The deer hadn’t been so lucky and although everyone assured Hettie the deer managed to get away, Ro was certain that Hettie knew it was a gentle and welcomed lie. For her part, Ro couldn’t get the image out of her mind of the crocodile teet
h piercing the skin of the deer and the sight of the frantic deer kicking its legs as it was pulled under the murky water. There was a terror in the deer’s eyes that Ro didn’t think she’d ever be able to forget.

  As a first introduction to the jungle, the crocodile attack had dampened the romanticized jungle adventure for both of them, especially since it only got worse.

  Once on the boat, it was Nevi to the rescue again when one of those wicked blue frogs found its way onto Douglas’s back. Nevi was cool as a cucumber, just removing the frog followed by his glove. It didn’t seem to phase him that one little touch of that frog would have killed any of them, or if it wanted to jump between them, it could have killed all of them.

  Neville’s coolness had spurred Douglas to laugh off the experience, but he hadn’t been able to hide his shakiness for the rest of the afternoon. Their boat drifted through the brackish water of the mangroves and onto the river, and he’d jumped at every odd shadow and strange sound. Given it was a jungle, ripe with life and creatures, he’d seemed palsied.

  A commotion across the dining room grabbed both Ro and Hettie’s attention.

  “I don’t want to go, Frederick,” Daisy snapped, in a way that made it seem she’d already made the declaration time and again.

  From her position across the room, Ro could see that her fists were clenched and her face was scrunched in a mix of fear and stubbornness.

  “It’s dangerous. More than I could have imagined. We only glimpsed the sloths in the tops of the trees and now that it’s dark, I won’t be able to see one at all.”

  “So?” Frederick said meanly. “You’re coming.”

  “I only care about the sloths. We brushed too closely with death on two separate occasions—in broad daylight—it’s terrifying to think of how many ways we could die in the dark. I won’t go. I don’t want to go tonight or on the airship. I’ll stay with your mother in the hotel.”