Her concern was both unexpected and gratifying. Luna pushed hair out of her eyes and tried to smile. “I’m much better, actually. But I believe I was rather ill, yes.”
“You have pneumonia,” Mr. Grimm said quietly.
Luna glanced at him, but he was pointedlynotlooking at her. She realized her strap had fallen again and hastily pulled it back into place. Then, despite feeling more than a little overheated in that moment, she pulled the blanket up to her chin as well.
“Pneumonia?” Bryony exclaimed. “Has Doctor Bucket been here?”
“Yes,” Mr. Grimm replied and pointed to the empty medicine bottle on the table. “He promised he’d be back sometime today to check on her.”
Bryony scoffed. “Fat chance of that! The old bulldog will be halfway drowned in eggnog by now. ItisGreen Yule, after all.” She placed the back of her hand against Luna’s forehead. “You don’t feel feverish at the moment.”
“I think I’m over the worst of it,” Luna rasped.
“Well, yousounddreadful.” Bryony turned to Nigel, eyes narrowed in a contemplative scowl. Then she grabbed his elbow, yanked him across the room, and proceeded to bundle his waistcoat, tie, jacket, scarf, and hat into his hands. “A lady’s sick room is no place for a fellow to be mucking about. You can just take yourself off now, Mr. Grimm! I’ll look after Luna and send her back to the shop when she’s good and ready.”
Mr. Grimm didn’t protest but allowed himself to be hustled out the door. He cast a last look back at Luna, just catching her eye, then leaned forward and spoke in a low voice to Bryony, no doubt thinking Luna could not hear him. “You’re to order whatever she needs,” he said. “On me. I’ve opened a tab, as it were, with Mrs. Boggs. Don’t worry about the expense.”
Bryony’s brows shot way up. “Got it, Mr. Grimm,” she said, mouth twisting in something close to a smile. “Loud and clear.”
The door slammed in his face. There was a moment of silence. Then Luna listened to the sound of his footsteps, retreating down the narrow stair.
When he had gone from the stairwell and progressed into the passage below, Bryony turned to Luna and threw up her hands. “Well!” she cried. “Isn’t that something?‘Don’t worry about the expense,’my very fine arse! Tell me, Lunaloo, what exactly do youdofor that man in your little tea shop all day?”
“It’s a flower shop,” Luna murmured. She smoothed the blankets on her lap with both hands. “I’m a shop girl, Bryony. I serve the customers. I care for the flowers. I sweep up a bit. That’s all.”
“Oh, that’sall?”Bryony snorted, making her way back across the room to her own bed, frowning when she found it stripped. She turned a narrow look Luna’s way. “I’ve had curmudgeonly bosses over the years, and I’ve had pervy bosses over the years. I’ve worked under curmudgeonly perverts and perverted curmudgeons, and notoneof them was going to drop everything on Green Yule’s Eve to come nurse me through pneumonia! Certainly not without expecting a littlesomethingback.”
Luna flushed so warm, she half-wondered if her fever had returned. “It’s not like that,” she protested. “Mr. Grimm doesn’t feel that way about me.”
“You quite sure about that?”
“Yes. In fact . . .” Her stomach tightened, and she smoothed a little harder at non-existent wrinkles in her blankets. “In fact, he was asking aboutyou. Recently.”
“No!”
“Yes.”
“Pull the other one. It’s got bells on.”
“I’m serious!” Luna persisted. “He said you made an impression on him at Saint Jollify’s. Asked if you were seeing someone and everything!”
“And what did you tell him?”
“I told him you weren’t stepping out with anyonein particular.”
Bryony snorted. “Right. Good on you, Lunaloo.” She glanced back at the door, her eyes narrowing again. Then: “If you swear you’re not having me on—”
“IswearI’m not!”
“—then why hasn’t he done anything about it? Hmmm? It’s been over a month since Saint Jollify.”
“Well, he’s . . . shy.”
Luna looked down at her hands and smiled a little. Memory of the first time she’d met her boss came back to her: all that awkward stammering, as though he’d never tried to carry on a conversation with a woman before! Not at all like the man she now knew. Who could have guessed then at his dry sense of humor? His wit, his unique brand of charm that was so veryun-charming and yet rather adorable in its way. A charismatic powerhouse he was not, but he had his own subtle magnetism, which drew one to him, made one feel glad to be in his atmosphere.
She cleared her throat. “I would imagine he’s a bit of a slow mover.”
Bryony snorted. “Well, I don’t have time for tortoises. Not when there’s so many delightful hares to be had!” She looked at the door again, twisting her mouth contemplatively to one side. “Heisvery cute, though.” Pursing her lips, she turned to Luna and fixed her with a too-insightful gaze. “What about you?”
