Indeed, there was something curiously soothing about polishing the massive silver—epergnes and trays, candelabra, and other assorted centerpieces. They held no secret cache, but then, he’d known it wouldn’t be that easy. He’d taken over the massive kitchen table, and as he polished, he let his thoughts drift to places he knew he shouldn’t. He was so lost in thought that he didn’t hear her approach, so that when he looked up and saw Georgie, he was momentarily struck dumb.
Those clothes had been a very bad mistake, he thought, looking at her. Possibly fatal. He’d learned early on in his rough and tumble life that he couldn’t afford weaknesses, and one was standing right in front of him, nervously tugging at her neckline.
She was...he couldn’t call her beautiful. She was pretty, with a fresh-faced innocence and warmth that were a far cry from Norah’s icy perfection. She was exactly what he didn’t want and couldn’t have, and he couldn’t tear his eyes from her.
“What do you think?” she said nervously, her hand fiddling with the lace at her neck. “Does the color suit me?”
She was wearing the yellow dress that looked perfect on her—warming her cheeks, brightening her eyes. Madame Racette had tried to talk him out of it—the dress had been promised to a brunette, but he’d been adamant. He’d been right.
“It does,” he said shortly, afraid of saying more.
If his faint praise disheartened her, she didn’t show it—she simply moved into the room and took the chair opposite him. “Can I help? I like polishing silver.”
“You’ll ruin your new dress.”
“I can wear an apron like you. Or I could put on one of my old dresses...”
“Those should be burned,” he said darkly.
“Oh, you never know when they’ll come in handy,” she said. “Let me help.”
“No.”
For a moment, she looked hurt, and she started to rise, but he was fool enough to stop her. “But you can talk to me while I work,” he suggested.
That sunny smile wreathed her face again. “All right,” she said, settling back in the seat. “You can tell me why you ordered all those dresses for me. And how you managed to talk Madame Racette into extending more credit. I don’t know how my father will pay for it.”
He should have known she’d ask what he didn’t want to answer. “She’s not extending any more credit. The dresses were made for others who didn’t need them.” Not strictly a lie on his part. The dresses had been made for other young ladies of society, and they didn’t need them half as much as Georgie did.
She cast him a skeptical glance, but she didn’t dispute it. “But they really should have gone to Norah. She’s the one who’s supposed to get us out of this mess.”
“Norah has plenty. Besides, she’s not the only one who needs a husband. You’re old enough to be in society as well, and my money’s on you to bag a better match than your sister.”
“You’re biased,” she said cheerfully, obviously pleased by the thought.
“Am not.”
“Of course, you are. You don’t like Norah and you like me. Naturally you think I’d beat her.”
“What makes you think I like you?” he countered, rubbing paste on the serving tray.
She grinned. “Of course you do. You’re my protégé. I’ve rescued you from a life of misery and crime. You’re grateful.”
Gratitude was a far cry from what he was determined not to feel for her. “Who says I don’t like misery and crime?”
“No one wants to be a criminal,” she said firmly. “They simply have no other choice.”
He set down the tray. “Now there’s where you’re wrong, Miss Georgie. Crime can be a great deal of fun.”
She looked at him doubtfully. “Are you a criminal?”
“One of the best.”
She said nothing for a moment, blinking, then smiled beatifically. “Then you’ll be an even better butler.”
She really was the most frustratingly cheerful person, he thought. She wasn’t safe out on her own—she needed a husband to look after her and make sure her innocence wasn’t destroyed.
There was a sudden crashing sound from the ground floor, followed by a bellow, and Rafferty quickly rose. More noise followed, and it sounded as if an elephant had charged its way into the house. He quickly stripped off his apron and gloves and reached for the somber black coat that denoted his temporary profession.
