Bash groaned behind me. At least he was dressed appropriately.
Sure enough, Oscar’s face appeared in the crack of the door, and he wore a wide grin.
“People are wondering where the happy couple is,” he said.
Behind him, Oliver swore and whispered a prayer to some deity who was clearly not listening to him.
“I need Ruby,” I said.
“Why is your eye black?” he asked.
“Excuse me?” Oliver said, pushing Oscar out of the way and filling the crack.
He took one look at me and whispered a curse before turning and facing the ceiling while pinching his nose, taking steadying breaths.
“You are so dramatic,” I said to him,
“Rosamund,” Oliver said, whirling towards the door. “Do you have any idea how you look right now?”
I cringed. “Not the full name. Can you please just go get Ruby?”
Thankfully, Oliver listened, and a few minutes later, Ruby was there with a small purse. I’d expected her to be as offended as Oliver, but when she saw me, her lips pursed in a way I knew meant she was fighting back a smile. Though when she saw Bash, she shot him a glare worth the Bailey name.
“Out,” she ordered, waving a hand at him.
The corner of his lip twitched, and he pressed a kiss to my forehead.
“Terrifying,” he murmured.
I could hear Oliver down the hall as Bash joined him and could only imagine how frazzled my older brother was. At least we were married, and I didn’t have to worry about Oliver challenging him to a duel.
A very Oliver thing to do.
“You look terrible,” Ruby said.
She circled her finger, and I turned, allowing her to finish my buttons.
“Aren’t you going to chastise me?” I asked.
It would be better to get it over with.
“I’m sure you know people are whispering, but I’m equally sure you don’t care. I know I didn’t on my wedding day,” she said.
“I can’t imagine you not caring,” I said.
Ruby spun me back around and clicked her tongue at the state of my face and hair.
“I spent so much time on that. Oh well, but yes. After my wedding ceremony, we were the first back to Bailey House. Though I will spare you the details, I had Anne just nine months later.”
I wrinkled my nose. That was a good reminder to ask Emille for one of his potions. The last thing I needed was to get pregnant before completing my bargain with Edmonds. A mysterious mark probably wasn’t good for pregnancy.
“Rose?”
I grinned at the familiar voice I’d missed the past few weeks. Ignoring Ruby’s instructions to ignore it, I rushed to the door and found red hair and freckles grinning up at me. Dilly rushed me, throwing her arms around me like we’d been apart for ten years. I laughed and pulled her into the library, shutting the door behind us.
“Ruby, this is Dilly, Dilly, my sister, Ruby,” I said.
“More pirates.” Ruby sighed, gesturing for me to return for hair fixing. “Delightful”
