Merida wasn’t technically a cousin by blood; her father had been Aunt Danielle’s—Rosie’srealaunt, her mother’s sister—first husband. Aunt Danielle and Uncle Fawkes had adopted Merida, taking her to live at the cozy Hangcok Hill cottage where Fawkes had worked as a chemist. Although Merida was a few years older, the girls hadgrown up close, and Rosie had told her cousin everything.Everything.
“So…” Merida began nonchalantly. “Did you notice Bull glaring at us in the parlor this morning?”
Instead of admitting that she noticedeverythingthe infuriating Bull did, Rosie hummed non-committedly. “How many inches did you say?”
“Just a few.” Merida held up her hand, her thumb and forefinger spread maybe three inches apart to show how much to cut. “It feels lighter already.”
Pretending preoccupation with her work, Rosie crouched behind her cousin andsnip-snippeda few more times. “There. That is even. What do you think?”
Merida swished her head back and forth a few times. “It isperfect,” she sighed happily. “I wish I had the bollocks to cut it all off, but Mother would kill me.”
“Personally, I am glad you do not have bollocks.” Rosie winked as she helped her cousin off the stool. “It would make being best friends with youfarmore difficult.”
Her cousin snorted as she stood up. “Well, you know who has a nice set of bollocks?—?”
“I swear, Merida, if you bring Bull upone more time…”
“What makes you think I was going to mention Bull’s bollocks?”
Rosie glared as she plopped herself down in the stool. “What? Nothing. Shut up. Just do me.”
“I know who you wouldliketodoyou?—”
“What did I just say?” Rosie screeched, whirling around to smack her best friend on the hip even as her cheeks burned. “Cut my fooking hair already, you toad-spotted wankmuppet. A few inches.”
Merida snorted as she moved behind the stool.Snick snick.“I thought your father was trying to moderate his tongue these days?”
“When Beavis and I were younger, he did. I must be the only Duke’s daughter in Britain to grow up sayinggooey poo-nuggets,” Rosie murmured fondly as her cousin began to trim her hair. “But now my dear younger brother is off at school, learning how to be a gentleman, Da has slowly reverted to our favorite curses.”
“With no regard to his impressionable daughter?”Snip-snip. “Does he not realize what a soft and gentle soul you have? Howmortally offendedyou would be to hear such language?”
“If I had pearls, I would clutch them,” Rosie deadpanned with a nod.
Just as her cousin blurted—“Do not—” and grabbed the back of Rosie’s head. Then, in a much smaller voice, she muttered, “Oops. Well. It could be worse.”
Notthe word you want to hear in the middle of an inexpert haircut.
Dread pooling in her stomach, Rosie lifted her hand to the back of her head. “Oops?” she repeated, patting at the remains of her hair. “Did you justoopsmy haircut?”
“I doubt we can verb the wordoops, cousin,” muttered Merida distractedly.
“I do not see why not.” Rosie twisted the remains of her hair between her thumb and forefinger as her heartbeat sped up. “You just verbed the wordverb. Clearly you are not talented at maths, but I thought you could at least speak.”
Her cousin huffed. “I am sufficient at maths.”
“Clearly not! You cannot tell how many inches is afew.Meri, where in the duplicitous fookwomble did myhairgo?”
“It is quite simple. When you nodded your head, I perhaps trimmed…a bit more than I had intended.” Merida’s smile looked weak as she peeked at Rosie’s frown. “It does not lookbad.”
Is this what panic felt like? A medley of heat and chill, a pattering in her chest, a tightening of her lungs—“How does it look then?” Rosie’s voice was higher than usual as she frantically patted.
“Actually…” Merida pushed her hand out of the way as she considered. “It looks quite…chic, actually.”
“Shriek? What does that mean?”Oh yes, definitely panic. Rosie twisted on the stool, trying to see how much hair was on the floor.Oh spunknacious jibberfook.“Get me a mirror!”
“In a moment,” her cousin murmured, studying her work. “Let me even things out…”
Rosie held her breath as the shearsschnick-schnickedtoo close to her ears, then around the back of her head. Oh,bungleshite, she could feel abreezeon the back of her neck! A breeze! That only happened when she was wearing her hair pinned up! What had Merida gotten her into?
