Page 48 of Finch

also appeared to be hollow, and…

Finch examined the button closer. There was a small, cleverly hidden hinge. With the touch of

a finger, part of the dragon’s back fell back and Finch saw it was a pipe.

An extremely impractical, dragon-shaped pipe.

Which confirmed that the gift was indeed from Hugh.

But why in the world would Hugh give him a pipe? Finch couldn’t make heads or tails of it. He

didn’t smoke, and had no desire to do so. Perhaps Hugh hadn’t realized. Whatever the case,

he put both the chest and its pipe on a shelf in his closet where they’d be out of sight, but near

enough to his suits that he’d still be able to see them every day.

* * *

Hugh stuck his head into the study where Finch had been working on preparations for the ball.

“Did you… uh… find the trifle I left for you?”

“Trifle?” Finch asked absently. He was distracted by catering choices, particularly the sweets

table, which was proving to be a headache in and of itself. What was the appropriate pudding

to offer to Disgraces gathered in the hopes of winning a dragon’s heart? The Pedigree had

never prepared him for this. “I suppose we could have them do a sort of trifle parfait. That might

work.”

“What?” Hugh sounded entirely mystified.

Finch replayed the conversation in his head. “Did you not mean to suggest a pudding for the

sweets table at the ball?”

Hugh continued to look blank, then brightened up considerably. “Oh, how silly. No, I meant the

chest and pipe. Do you like them?”

“They’re quite lovely, sir. Thank you.”

The dragon stepped into the room, grinning like a carved pumpkin. “Brilliant! Have you had a

chance to use them?”

Finch stared at Hugh. “Ah, no sir. I’ve never smoked.” Then he cursed himself as an idiot

because just days before he’d told Hugh that he used to smoke marijuana. Damn.

Hugh looked taken aback, then he rallied. “Right!” he cheerfully proclaimed before winking at

Finch. It was most unsettling. “Right. You’ve ‘never smoked.’ Of course.” And then he winked

again. “Well. I should probably get out of your way. Don’t want to disturb your work.”

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