“Here I was thinking our little miss captain was chasing tail. Fraternising with the hired help and checking up on the peons.” Aggie’s freckles looked militant.
“I beg your pardon!” That was too far. “You don’t like me much, do you, Miss Phinkerlington?”
“Not used to it, are you? High up-and-up miss toff-lofty who got herself a ship because her vampire daddy likes to give her big toys. You ain’t earned one splinter of this beauty and everyone knows it.”
That stung. Rue was afraid Aggie was right. She didn’t deserve The Spotted Custard. She hadn’t developed into much of a captain yet, but she was doing her best. It didn’t help that Aggie kept undermining her authority.
Rue considered it quite an achievement that she did not flare into a temper, instead dousing her tongue with honey. “I am sorry you feel that way, Miss Phinkerlington. I assure you I’m well aware of the privilege of my position and I’m trying to do a good job. Did you have any constructive criticism or are you simply jealous?” She shouldn’t have added that last bit. Of course she shouldn’t. She should have been the better man… well, woman.
Aggie always had a rosy face because of the boiler heat, but at that she went bright red. “You” – she punctuated her words with a sharp puffs of angry breath – “are a spoiled little madam who no more belongs in charge of an airship than I belong as dance master to a dachshund.”
Rue was so arrested by the idea of Aggie in a dancing costume, she almost laughed. But this was a serious matter of insubordination. Aggie was an invaluable member of Quesnel’s team but should be dismissed for this kind of talk. Or would that be Rue behaving exactly like the spoiled girl Aggie accused her of being?
“Are you testing me, Miss Phinkerlington?” This was, in its way, an excellent challenge to her abilities as captain. Perhaps that was what Aggie was after.
“As if everything is about you.”
Rue frowned. There had to be something more personal to this dislike. Was Aggie jealous of Rue’s relationship with Quesnel? Rue didn’t dare ask, because if Aggie weren’t aware, the very question would expose Rue to further ridicule.
At that moment, the object of her thoughts rustled up. “Ladies?”
Rue gestured at him in a measuring way. “Miss Phinkerlington here was elucidating my innumerable deficiencies.”
“Oh, Aggie.” Quesnel’s tone conveyed disappointment.
Aggie crossed her muscled arms over her chest. “She gets us in the soup all too often, charging in without any thought to the fact that we must go along with her.”
Rue winced. She did have a propensity to enthusiastically drag her ship – and crew – off to goodness knows where. Egypt, for example. “Isn’t that why you signed on, for the adventure?”
“No. I wanted a job. Just as all the greasers and sooties did.”
“Do I not pay you well enough? Are you threatening a lockout?” Rue pressed. Am I ignoring my people, not being a proper caretaker? “Mr Lefoux should have said something!”
Quesnel stepped in. “Nothing like that, Lady Captain. Aggie here is a rabid member of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers. She’s fixated on you as the ideal representation of all that is wrong with the idle aristocracy.”
Rue was further confused. “I’m an idle aristocrat? Oh dear.”
Aggie was not mollified. “You and your mother. Frittering away your position in society without any attempt to effect change.”
“I have a position that can effect change?” Rue supposed Aggie’s wrath didn’t extend to Paw because his work with BUR was publicly known. Or perhaps it wasn’t done to verbally abuse a man in a state of preservation. “What kind of change?”
“Useless, utterly useless.” Aggie cast her hands up to the heavens and stormed away.
Rue turned to Quesnel. “Am I really that horrible?”
“Of course not. Perhaps I made a mistake in keeping Aggie on when she dislikes you so.”
“It’s most aggravating. I wouldn’t mind if I’d done something to earn such ire, but I’m sure we never met before she came aboard. I’ve been perfectly civil to her since. I know I’m not the best captain, but I did think I was making some improvement.”
“Chérie, you’re doing fine. Don’t take anything Aggie says seriously. She’s still here after all. If she really hated it, she’d leave.”
“Am I too enthusiastic and incautious?” Rue rubbed her gloved hands together as Quesnel steered her towards the spiral staircase with one hand to her elbow.
“I happen to adore your enthusiasm.”
“But is it a valuable trait in a leader?”
“Stop worrying. Aggie’s prejudiced. She doesn’t like your mother either.”
“I understand people not liking my mother. She’s impossible. But I thought I was easier to suit.”
“You’re amiable, chérie. Aggie likely finds your charm suspicious.”
“I have charm? She won’t be mean to Primrose, will she? Prim couldn’t take it. She’s not equipped to accommodate verbal abuse from rampaging freckles.”
“Fortunately, Primrose never visits the boiler room.”
“I shall try to keep it that way. Aggie could destroy her with a single barb.”
Quesnel sighed. “She resents your position in society.”
“What position? Circus freak?”