He stared at her. “Is it?”
“Well, yes. I am worried, of course, about your safety, and hope you would tell me if I could be of assistance. But you are a man capable of handling his own affairs.” She gave him a rueful smile. “As you’ve told me more than once, you’re not the Prince of Larks for nothing.”
His shock must have shown for she frowned and added, “Is something amiss?”
“The opposite.” Baldly, he said, “I thought you might be angry at me.”
Dents formed between her brows. “Why would I be angry?”
“Because I’m putting my duty to the mudlarks first.” When she continued to give him a perplexed look, he muttered, “The relationship I mentioned…the one that lasted a year. The demands of my work were a cause of contention.”
“I see.” After a moment, Pippa said, “I am not like your past lover, Cull.”
“Trust me, I know—”
“And it seems you and I both have pasts to overcome.” When she took his hand, he held on. “While I want us to share everything, it does not mean we need to live in each other’s pockets. You will have your work; I will have mine. And I do not resent your dedication to the larks any more than you resent mine to the Angels. In truth, your commitment makes you even more attractive in my eyes.”
Although it was the middle of the day, he felt fortune’s stars blazing upon him. Unable to help himself, he snatched her onto his lap. Cupped her smooth cheek.
“Do you know how long I’ve waited for you?” he said hoarsely. “For this?”
Her smile lit up her eyes. “I feel the same way. And I hope you know that I never want to come between you and the larks. On the contrary, I want to be a part of your world…and for you to be a part of mine.”
“We are going to have that,” he vowed. “Just as soon as I deal with Squibb.”
She fiddled with his lapel. “Be quick about it, will you? I shall miss you dreadfully.”
“Don’t miss me yet,” he said. “There’s still the journey back.”
“However shall we pass the time?” she inquired coquettishly.
“I have a few ideas.”
He put them into play, and she moaned her approval.
29
The following afternoon, Pippa met up with Livy, Glory, and Fi at Mrs. Quinton’s. The dressmaker’s Bond Street shop was a premiere destination in London; rumor had it that the waiting time to get onto her exclusive clientele list was over a year. Luckily, Mrs. Q, as she was known to intimates, was a friend of Charlie’s, and not only did she dress the Angels in her exquisite fashions, but she also designed some special items for their line of work.
An assistant led the Angels through the front of the shop, which resembled a sunlit forest with its gleaming rosewood counters, emerald velvet upholstery, and gilt-framed looking glasses. They passed through a curtain into a back corridor lined with dressing rooms. At the end of the corridor was a heavy door, which the assistant unlocked with a key. The workroom contained long tables piled with colorful bolts of fabric and tools of the trade. Dressmaker’s forms stood like soldiers along one wall. Against the adjacent wall was a massive ornate wardrobe.
With a wink, the assistant said, “You know the way, my ladies. Mrs. Q is finishing up with a patron and will be with you shortly.”
After the door closed, Pippa and her friends made a beeline for the wardrobe. Opening the carved doors, Pippa parted the hanging clothes to expose the wooden back. Feeling along the side of the panel, she activated the hidden mechanism.
The back of the wardrobe swung open like a door, revealing steps that led downward. The Angels took the path down to the basement, which occupied the same footage as the shop above. The space was brightly lit by wall sconces. Dressmaker forms with garments in various stages of completion shared the area with several worktables.
The tables held objects not commonly found in a dress shop. There were weapons of all kinds, from pistols to daggers to cudgels. Metal components were organized in trays next to assorted frippery, including fans and bonnets. Glass bottles containing liquids in a rainbow of hues occupied a nearby surface. One bottle held a pitch-like substance and was labeled, “Caution: Explosive.”
“I wonder what is inside that bottle,” Glory mused.
Perched on her shoulder, her ferret tilted its head in shared curiosity.
As she reached for the bottle, the rest of them lunged forward. Fiona got there first and swatted Glory’s hand aside.
“Lud, Glory,” Fi exclaimed. “The label is supposed todeteryou from opening it.”
Glory looked perplexed. “Then why make the label so intriguing?”
