Free The Clockwork Heart by Lilliana Rose Page B

Northcote, had been written in perfect script. The handwriting looked familiar. Her skin prickled as she turned the envelope in her fingers. An ornate capital S imprinted in the red wax seal caused her body to turn cold. Underneath the seal was a drawing of a heart made of cogs and gears. The clockwork heart. With a gut-punching realisation she knew who had sent this message. No . Her mind refused to think that this was happening.
    "Who delivered this?" asked Libby as she slipped her nail under the seal and broke the envelope open.
    "I don't know ma'am. I found it on the side table when you were swimming."
    "What do you mean you don't know? That's your job, to know who comes and goes and to tell me." Fear welled inside Libby.
    "Sorry ma'am." His mechanical eyes looked at her.
    "I'm tempted to mark you for the scrap heap." Richie stood staring at her, waiting for another instruction. Libby sighed. "You and the others are to be vigilant about who comes and goes."
    "Yes, ma'am."
    Libby wanted to take out her anger on the automaton but kept herself in check. It wouldn't do any good. He's just following a program . My program. She looked down at the cream parchment in her hands.
    Libby took a deep breath. Better to get this over with . She held the paper away from her in case there was a puff of anthrax powder or something else that might infect her with a deadly disease. That would be Scarlett's style . Her heart pounding harder and quicker. She pulled out a folded piece of paper. Time slowed as she waited for something to happen.
    Nothing happened, no bang, or pop, or puff.
    She unfolded the piece of parchment. A red lipstick kiss marked the paper.
    She's here . Libby dropped the note, gasping for air. I can't… no . Chains rattled in her mind. She couldn't move. It was hard to breathe. The clock ticked. Maybe it's not her. No, it has to be, no one else would do this? The ticking became louder. There was only one person who pursued her. Libby had come here to Bridgewater, to the safety of the hills of Adelaide. She had thought Scarlett wouldn't think to look for her here. For three years, after she'd escaped Scarlett's entrapment, Libby had hidden here. She'd employed Helen to train her in self-defence six months ago. It had been difficult to find someone with enough skill to extend herself. There was no way she was going to be caught by Scarlett again.
    Libby tried to push the image of Scarlett out of her mind. They had been lovers, had pooled their skills and gone after the same artefact. I loved her . That had never happened before; she'd never allowed herself to be so open with another . She swallowed hard. She betrayed me. But there was so much more. Libby bent over in physical pain as the memories flooded through her mind. Scarlett had changed when she'd placed the clockwork heart around her neck.
    "Ma'am are you all right?" Richie placed his cold metal hand on her bare shoulder.
    Libby jumped. The memory shattered and she was once more standing in her garden with only a towel around her.
    "Yes… yes of course," Libby stammered. Scarlett . She hated that name, that woman. Scarlett had put her in a dungeon and in chains because of the artefact they had been chasing, because of the clockwork heart. I won't let her do that to me again . Determination bubbled inside of Libby as she gained control of her fear. This is what I've been training for . A part of her had suspected Scarlett would seek her out again someday. That was why Helen was here training her in self-defence techniques.
    "Get the steamcar ready. I'm going into Bridgewater."
    "As you wish." Richie bowed.
    "And double-check the security systems. I want all the cameras to be working and recordings made. Also check the tapes to see if you can work out who left this note and when." Libby walked slowly towards the house. The water evaporating from her skin in the late morning heat made Libby feel refreshed. Richie walked behind her, hydraulics puffing and metal