“Stand up,” she hissed. She still had four more buttons to do up, and neither the buttons nor her fingers would cooperate. “You can’t be under my skirts if they stroll out the back door!”
“I was rather thinking I could hide under there.” His dimples flashed, gorgeous, irrepressible. “Stay all afternoon.”
“You are dreadful,” she said, and thought,I could live the whole of my life on that smile.
The back door eased open, and Alice put her head out. “Ruby?”
He sobered rather quickly at the sight of Alice. He reversed their positions, setting Ruby between himself and the shop, an action that rather puzzled her until she felt the startling brush of his erect member against her bum.
“Help,” he muttered into her ear, and heaven save her—
She laughed.
“There you are,” Alice said. Her gaze remained fixed squarely at Ruby’s face, and she did not acknowledge Ruby’s deshabille, except if one counted the smothered sound of her voice. Unlike Tamsin, Alice had not thrown herself into ruthless teasing the first time she’d noticed all the little bites on Ruby’s throat. “Might you perhaps return to the shop? I fear there’s some—there’s some—”
She broke off beneath the sound of crashing and barking and a screech like a whistle that Ruby was confident had not come from Tamsin.
Ruby gave up on her hat and her right stocking. “To be sure. How were the rest of the errands?”
“Ah,” Alice said, “well. Vigorous?”
Back inside the shop, Tamsin had hustled Princess Serafina into a corner. The princess, her waist-length black hair pinned up in a crown of shining braids, was glowering at Tamsin. Her arms were locked around Zenobia, who had been doused in some sort of dark, mysterious liquid. The whole room smelled powerfully of whiskey and licorice.
“This place is a threat to the public good,” Serafina was saying, a shout-whisper plainly audible even at the back of the store. “It is not Zenobia’s fault that the glass is placed so precariously to spill the tincture.”
“Youare the threat,” Tamsin growled back.
The princess gasped. “Never—never in Mon—”
“How many times?” Tamsin pitched her voice higher, either to drown out the princess’s next words or because she could not help herself. “How many times must we remind you that you are meant to be concealed? Not drawing attention to yourself in every store, in every possible fashion—”
“I cannot help that I draw attention!” Serafina hissed. “I am the princess of—”
“If you say the word ‘princess’ again,” Tamsin growled under her breath, “I willgiveyou to your enemies, gift-wrapped with a bow around your neck, and I shalllikeit—”
Ruby stepped forward. Her stocking collapsed down from her knee and puddled around her right ankle. “Your Highness,” she whispered. “Tam. Perhaps we might recommence this discussion when we return to the house?”
The princess stuck her nose in the air and wheeled away from Tamsin. She waved a hand dismissively. “I had no intention of remaining here until I was set upon.”
“You tried to leave,” Tamsin said, “without paying. Your bloody horrible dog—”
“Do not speak Zenobia’s name!”
“I didn’t. I wouldn’t. I—”
Archer smiled blindingly at all and sundry and interrupted Tamsin’s rising crest of outrage. “Not to worry. I shall pay for the—whatwasthat?”
“Fudding’s Elixir,” put in the apothecary, a round fellow in a fragrant apron who’d been watching the proceedings with avarice-tinted fascination. “Seventeen bottles of it. All in from London just this week.”
“I’ll pay for the Fudding’s,” Archer said. His voice sounded very deep and sweet and the faintest bit reckless. “And any other breakage this party is responsible for. Send the bill to Pomeroy House. We’ll take care of it all.”
Princess Serafina’s mouth pinched, looking distinctly less charmed than Ruby felt. “This means that I shall pay for it, I presume. Since I am the—”
“Yes,” Archer said loudly. “Indeed. You are the... purser. Of Pomeroy House. Come along, Madame Purser, and tell me precisely what budgetary wrongs have been done in your name.”
He attempted to take her arm, was greeted by a low snarl from Zenobia, and sidled slightly away instead. He smiled wider, proffered his elbow, and then visibly stifled a laugh when the princess disdained to acknowledge it as she strode out the door and into the sun.
He followed after her, and as he did, he looked over his shoulder and winked at Ruby.
