Miss Bramble And The Leviathan

By Kristen Painter

The last thing she planned to steal was his heart. 

When Pandora Bramble steps aboard the Company’s premiere airship Daedalus it’s not for the exclusive VIP tour. It’s to secure proof that the Company stole the regulator valve her father designed—even if it means tearing the engine apart. Foiled by the unexpected appearance of a handsome crew member, she despairs of ever getting another chance—until he kisses her. 

Captain Theolonius Hatch, sentenced to engine room duty for refusing to take part in the Company’s fleet week activities, never dreamed a woman like Pandora existed. Her brains match her beauty, a combination that adds up to more trouble than he ever expected. 

As Pandora allows Theolonius to sweep her into a whirlwind courtship, her wildest dreams come true. As do her greatest fears, leaving her to decide what matters most. Loyalty? Or love? 

The clock is ticking…

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kristen Painter
• Release date: May 31, 2016
• ISBN: 9781533709325

Book preview

Miss Bramble and the Leviathan

MISS BRAMBLE

AND THE

LEVIATHAN

A Steampunk Romance

Kristen Painter

The last thing she planned to steal was his heart.

When Pandora Bramble steps aboard the Company’s premiere airship Daedalus it’s not for the exclusive VIP tour. It’s to secure proof that the Company stole the regulator valve her father designed—even if it means tearing the engine apart. Foiled by the unexpected appearance of a handsome crew member, she despairs of ever getting another chance—until he kisses her.

Captain Theolonius Hatch, sentenced to engine room duty for refusing to take part in the Company’s fleet week activities, never dreamed a woman like Pandora existed. Her brains match her beauty, a combination that adds up to more trouble than he ever expected.

As Pandora allows Theolonius to sweep her into a whirlwind courtship, her wildest dreams come true. As do her greatest fears, leaving her to decide what matters most. Loyalty? Or love?

The clock is ticking…

MISS BRAMBLE AND THE LEVIATHAN:

A Steampunk Romance

Copyright © 2016 Kristen Painter

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without permission in writing from the author.

This book is a work of fiction. The characters, events, and places portrayed in this book are products of the author’s imagination and are either fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real person, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

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NEWSLETTER.

Chapter One

I respectfully decline. Captain Theolonius Hatch kept his back straight and his shoulders squared as Rear Admiral Edmonton, the man who’d been like a father to him all these years, had not yet given him permission to rest at ease.

Edmonton’s bulldog face contorted as he stared at Hatch like he’d sprung a leak. How many times in Hatch’s life had that look been narrowed his way? All crew members are participating. This isn’t a choice.

Few things were in the Company. Permission to speak freely, sir.

Granted.

There is always a choice, Rear Admiral. Hatch’s Company career was proof of that. The right choices changed everything. Whether or not this was one of those choices remained to be seen. And I choose not to participate. The Leviathan fleet is not a traveling circus meant to entertain the great unwashed masses. It is a not a tool by which the sagging parliament might prop itself up. We are an elite force designed to protect the country of Grand Isle, not an amusement for the citizens of the capital. The more that’s known about what we do and how we do it, the less effective we become.

"Protect and serve, Edmonton added. And need I remind you that without parliament, there would be no fleet. No Company for that matter. He shook his head. I’m old, but not so old that I don’t recall you once being a part of those unwashed masses."

The part about snatching Hatch out of those masses and giving him a purpose in life was implied. Hatch nodded and let him finish.

Edmonton sat in the tall chair behind his desk and motioned toward Hatch. At ease.

Hatch relaxed and Edmonton picked up a cigar. He lit it, puffing methodically until the end glowed with a fat, cherry ember. He exhaled and gestured with the cigar firmly planted between two sausage fingers. You realize your refusal can’t go unpunished.

I do, sir. I accept whatever you deem appropriate. Hatch had anticipated that, but knowing Edmonton as he did, he’d also anticipated the punishment wouldn’t be such a cross to bear.

Edmonton chewed the end of the cigar. You’re going to be the death of me.

Hatch grinned. Edmonton had been saying that for years. I have a feeling you’ll outlive us all, sir.

I understand your position, son, I do. Just between us, I agree with you. I like the hoops parliament makes the Company jump through about as much as I like my mother-in-law’s Sunday dinners. He scowled. You’ve eaten her mutton. Calling that dinner is like calling mud profiteroles.

Is that the reason you signed up for so many tours, sir?

Half of them anyway. Edmonton snorted, then sighed. You’re on twenty four bells engine duty for the first day of the fleet’s stay in Praeton. I’ll expect the Daedalus to be fully tuned and in top shape by lift off, and your captain’s duties to be seen to as well.

Hatch schooled his face against the grin threatening to take over. He’d begun as an engine man and since becoming captain, his time amongst the boilers had been limited to inspections. Getting his hands dirty again seemed like more of a reward. He nodded. Thank you, sir. I won’t disappoint you.

You never have. Edmonton puffed his cigar. But I’m not the one you need worry about.

* * *

Pandora Bramble pushed the lace-trimmed curtain back and peered down onto the street below. Sentries stalked the cobblestones like great mechanized spiders looking for their next meal. Their cylindrical bodies bobbed above their shiny brass appendages, rows of mirrored eyes surveying the pedestrians and carriages.

Wretched mechs.

She dropped the curtain back into place, sat on the wood bench at the foot of her bed and yanked on her study leather boots. She slipped the button hook through the first hole. Of course security was high today.

The Leviathan fleet was in town.

Footsteps sounded on the stairs. Simka Cherchetski, Pandora’s dearest friend, stuck her blonde head into the room. "Why aren’t you dressed yet, lapochka?"

Pandora hooked the last button. I’m dressed.

Simka arched a brow. Hat? Gloves? Hurry, I don’t want to be late.

The shipmen aren’t going anywhere. They’ll be in town until the fleet takes off again.

Yes, but perhaps that is not enough time for them to properly adore me. Simka laughed good-naturedly.

Pandora smiled and plopped her second best hat on her head, securing it with a pin. The brown felt was serviceable if not especially fashionable, much like herself. What did it matter? Beside the gleaming beacon of Simka’s Siberian beauty, no one would notice her unruly brown hair and rainwater eyes. It was a fact Pandora counted on. She snatched up her well-worn tan kid gloves, the buckle from the tool kit strapped to her right thigh brushing the left as she stood. She adjusted her skirts, hoping it wasn’t noticeable. Let’s go.

You have your card? The marque is not enough to get in.

"In my chatelaine." Pandora’s gaze went to the small red dot tattooed just below Simka’s ear. All Praeton citizens wore one. If you wanted to live in the capital city and enjoy all the privileges therein, you bore the marque. Baron Cherchetski had earned the marques for his wife and daughter by inventing the weapons system used by the Leviathans and swearing allegiance to the Grand Isle crown while renouncing his birth land. His Leviathan connection was how Pandora and Simka had gotten the tickets to the landing and the passes that would get them on one of the private tours.

What is wrong? I thought you were excited to go?

I am, I just…I don’t know. In truth Pandora desperately wanted to see the Leviathans, but not for the same reasons as Simka. She wanted to ogle the crews in their handsome uniforms. Pandora wanted to ogle the engines. But since her great and unyielding desire to get her hands dirty working on a Leviathan engine would never come to pass, she would content herself to gaze at the airships in all their steam-powered glory. Then, if things went as planned, she would sneak into an engine room and prove that her father’s work had been stolen by retrieving one of the regulator valves.

Well, it’s too late to back out. You promised me a week ago. Simka shook her head, smiling. "You’ll have fun. You’ll see.