There was something of a crowd milling through the marketplace now, a moving sea of people who made it impossible to pick out any one face in particular.
A chill ran down Henry’s spine when he saw the man with the patched coattails once again, lounging where he’d been before in the alleyway, scowling out across the crowd.
Henry shivered.
It’s nothing,he told himself firmly.You’re just on edge.
Adjusting his grip on the posy of flowers, he crossed the road and disappeared into the office.
Eleanor blinked at the flowers he held out.
“Flowers?” she repeated tentatively, as if not sure what she was seeing. “For me? Why?”
He winced, cursing himself for not thinking of a reason. Proffering flowers like that was really a little much, wasn’t it?
“Well, I thought we could celebrate. My first official day.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Surely I should be buyingyouflowers, then.”
He gave an awkward laugh at that.
I amdefinitelypoorly prepared.
“Tuppence for these.” Was all he could manage in the end.
Eleanor chuckled. “You were robbed, then. The savvier of the flower-sellers generally walk outside the city early in the morning, and gather flowers from the banks for free.”
“Ah. I probably shouldn’t mention that I gave the girl an extra penny for her trouble, then.”
Eleanor laughed properly at that, reaching out to take the posy.
“Well, people must make a living, after all. Thank you, Lord Henry. These are very pretty.”
It sounded as though she meant it. Perhaps if Henry hadn’t been feeling quite so awkward, like a nervous boy asking a girl to dance for the first time, he might have had some witty retort lined up and ready to go. As it was, he contented himself with a smile and an awkward laugh.
“Mind if I go through to speak to Mr. Fairfax? You can join us at your convenience – we won’t speak of anything important until you arrive.”
She blinked at that, almost seeming a little taken aback.
“I see. Thank you, Lord Henry. I’ll be in directly.”
Henry retreated to the landing, hovering before the door to Mr. Fairfax’s office.
Try as he might, there was no rational explanation for his pounding, fluttering heart. No explanation for buyingflowers, for heaven’s sake. Who ever heard of buying one’s business partnersflowerson one’s first day?
She must think I’m an absolute fool,he thought, smiling mirthlessly at himself.
Or didn’t she? She’d accepted the flowers with a smile, after all. She might think he was a trifle silly, but Henry knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that hecoulddo some good here. He couldimprovethe Fairfax business. And if Eleanor finally decided to trust him, they could do three times as much good together, he was sure of that.
Sighing, he tapped on the door to Mr. Fairfax’s office.
No response came, although the door was ajar. Frowning, Henry pushed open the door.
Charles Fairfax was slumped over his desk, elbows on the table, face in his hands. His skin was grey, and from what Henry could see of his expression, it was twisted in discomfort.
“Mr. Fairfax?”
The man nearly leapt a mile, head shooting up, eyes wide. He swallowed hard when he saw Henry.
