“Can’t I learn both at once?” she wheedled. “Please?”
“Practice feeling your breath first.” He gave in to the impulse to chuck her under the chin. Told himself it was a friendly gesture even as his insides tightened at the downy softness of her skin.
“And if I master it?” It was her turn to sound breathless.
“Then I will teach you a lightness kung fu technique at our next lesson.”
Sixteen
The following afternoon, Glory received her aunt’s permission to go to Charlie’s.
Thus far, Mr. Devlin had turned up nothing related to the stolen dogs, and Glory and the other Angels set off to scout one of the final locations on Scott’s map. Disguised as a grumpy and foul-mouthed hackney driver, Mr. Devlin was taking them to a locale on Jacob’s Island, a notorious slum south of the Thames in Bermondsey. They were on their way to the London Bridge but were mired in traffic.
Mr. Devlin was cursing loudly at a costermonger whose overfilled cart had gone over a bump, scattering apples and halting the flow of transport.
“If you don’t gather ’em apples quick, I’ll come down and stuff ’em up your arse!” Mr. Devlin yelled from the driver’s perch.
Inside the hackney, Glory sensed the former spy was rather enjoying himself. She didn’t mind the delay, for it gave her time with her friends. Livy, Fi, and Pippa were all feeling more the thing, and it was a treat to be together again. For the mission, the Angels had transformed themselves into middle-aged morts in mob caps and stained aprons. Wigs concealed their hair, and they’d aged themselves with artfully applied face paint.
Anyone eavesdropping upon their conversation, however, would have been confounded to hear four older women chatting and laughing like young ladies. Fi had already informed Livy and Pippa about Glory’s situation with Mr. Chen, and Glory finished filling everyone in on her first lesson.
“Mr. Chen chucked you under the chin?” Fi said from beside her. “That is all he did?”
When Glory nodded, Fi pitted her brows.
“I was certain that dress would do the trick,” she muttered. “After the alteration Elsie did to your neckline, you were nearly falling out of it. One would think he would get the hint.”
“Fiona,” Glory said, aghast. “You said the neckline was fashionable, not fast.”
“Fashionable, fast.” Fi’s shoulders rose and fell. “What’s the difference?”
Glory bit her lip. “What if he thought I was too forward—”
“Obviously, you weren’t forward enough if all you got was a little tap under the chin. I was expecting a kiss at the very least.”
“In my experience, getting chucked under one’s chin can be a positive sign,” Livy said from the opposite bench. “Hadleigh did that to me while we were courting. As a matter of fact, he still does it.”
“Yes, but he does other things as well,” Fi said.
Livy turned pink. “Really, Fi.”
Undeterred, Fi said, “My point is that Master Chen has only kissed Glory once, and she was aiming for a repeat performance. Or at least a sign of his romantic interest.”
“I think Mr. Chen has given several signs,” Pippa said.
“You think so?” Glory asked keenly. “What signs?”
Pippa smiled. “More than once, the master has come to your aid, and now he has taken on the role of your shifu. Clearly, he wants to spend time with you.”
“I already noted that Mr. Chen is inordinately protective of Glory,” Fi chimed in.
Glory chewed on her lip. “But an older brother or friend can also be protective, and I don’t want him to think of me that way.”
“How well I understand that dilemma,” Livy said with feeling.
“How did you convince His Grace to see you as a woman and not a sister or friend?” Glory wanted to know.
“We have circled back to the ‘other things’ category,” Fi said, giggling.
