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tea drinker who enjoyed crossword puzzles and watching old romantic comedies, to being
Finch the very correct and proper secretary of Hugh Drake.
The difference was stark. Finch the man wore pajama bottoms with penguins on them and a
vintage Queen t-shirt he’d picked up in an Islington charity shop. Finch the secretary wore
bespoke suits made by a tailor in Aurora who was obscure, ridiculously talented, and charged
extremely low rates for his wares.
Finch’s room had a large walk-in closet he was grateful for. His wardrobe didn’t vary much, but
his suits needed to be hung properly, and the small wardrobe he’d had in his London flat was
less than ideal. He chose charcoal trousers, a waistcoat in the same material, a white shirt with
a proper Windsor collar, and a black jacket. He pondered his ties, then chose one that
appeared to be black, but was actually an extremely dark shade of aubergine. His socks were
the exact same hue. He dressed swiftly, but carefully, making sure everything fit just as it
should and that no flaws were visible in his attire. Finch had more than one set of cufflinks, but
he ignored them in favor of his favorite pair, which he wore most days. They were two perfectly
cut dark amethysts that had been a gift from Hugh on his tenth anniversary of employment. It
had been very unexpected of Hugh, which was likely why Finch treasured them. Not only had
it surprised him that Hugh had been aware of the passage of time, but it had shocked him that
Hugh had recognized that giving a gift in celebration of such a milestone was appropriate.
Moreover, Finch was startled that a dragon had given him—of all people—a treasure from his
hoard.
That had been nearly three years ago and Finch still didn’t quite know what to make of the gift,
but he wore them faithfully. They were, he supposed, a kind of badge of office. That Hugh
trusted him with even a small part of his hoard was, in dragon terms, a rather extravagant
measure.
Dragons took jewels. They did not gift them.
Ever.
Except, of course, when they had a mate.
Finch had only met one dragon’s mate—Hugh’s brother-in-law Peregrine—and he wore so
much treasure that he tinkled as he walked.
Finch tried not to read too much into the gift of the cufflinks, but sometimes he did, late at night
