The Strange Case of Finley Jayne by Kady Cross

This is a "prequel" to the first book in the Steampunk Chronicles, "The Girl in the Steel Corset". It's only available electronically and we downloaded it for free from Amazon.

Here we meet Findley Jayne for the first time. She is having trouble keeping a job because of her unpredictable and violent temper. In this little e-book she first learns to apply her "talents" in a useful manner. She is hired as a companion to the debutante Phoebe, newly engaged to a much older Lord Vincent. At first Findley cannot understand why Phoebe's noble mother has engaged Findley--socially fit to be merely a maid--as a companion to her daughter, but she soon discovers that both she and Phoebe's mother suspect all is not right with Lord Vincent and his wish to marry the much younger Phoebe. And it's up to Findley to figure out why--before Phoebe marries him.

Here we have fancy Victorian ball dresses and parties and social customs AND mechanical horses, electrical gadgets, sophisticated automatons, etc. It's a fun little prequel. And, did I mention? It's free. My favorite price. :)