Rebecca opened her mouth, but silence ensued.
“You see, Mr. Turner being here has me worried that he will resort to his old tricks. I would like to be prepared. Perhaps your rabbit’s foot would somehow protect me?”
“But you teased me so.” Rebecca instinctively clutched the edge of her gown where the furry object likely spent most of its days.
Leah shook her head. “I did. But I could use your help. Please?” Leah turned her lips down, clasping her hands over her lap.
Rebecca hesitated a moment. She sighed, reaching into the skirts of her dress and pulling out the familiar foot. “I would like to have it back before too long if at all possible.”
“Oh, Rebecca, thank you.” Leah stood, reaching out with a smile as she took the foot. She had to swallow the bitterness that threatened to scorch the back of her throat as she took it in her grasp. It was the most odd feeling. She could trace all the little bones in the toes, yet it was also incredibly soft. Which was to be expected. It was rabbit’s fur after all. “I shall take good care of it. Thank you.”
Leah gave Rebecca a quick glance. She watched Leah’s movements carefully as Leah reached behind her and placed it on the outermost edge of her bed.
When assured of its safety, Rebecca’s shoulders lowered slightly. “You are welcome.” She tucked an unruly red curl behind her ear. “Now, shall we get you dressed?”
After readying for the day, Leah made her way to breakfast, concealing her furry foot under the cuff of her short, beige glove. It tickled something awful and made her skin crawl to know it was wedged between her wrist and glove. Yes—they were her oldest and most worn pair, but that did not mean she wished them such a fate as this.
Walking toward the table, she made for the least-likely chair. The one directly by Owen. She sat down, being careful not to smile.
“Good morning, Leah,” Owen said, holding a piping hot cup of tea in his hand as he glanced over at her. She watched the steam swirl up into the air, kissing his brow as he took a sip before it disappeared altogether.
Her eyes lingered along his profile for a moment longer than she cared to admit. She cleared her throat. “Good morning.”
Owen swallowed another swig of tea, then tightened his lips. “Or rather, shall I say, hee-haw?” He tilted his head, barely smiling.
She allowed a brief chuckle, lightly touching the lump under her glove to remind her of her task. “Yes, you did a spectacular job last evening. I will never think of the role of Donkey Number Two the same way again.”
“Well, I do like to put my best into whatever I do.”
“Oh?”
He shrugged. “I would like to think so, anyway.”
“Well, it must be true to some extent if your father is entrusting you with running your own store. That seems like quite an undertaking.”
That same soft smile he had when last discussing the topic appeared, warming his features. Yet another moment involving Owen that she now found endearing.
“Yes. Monday I am going to begin my search for a place to stay in Carterton.”
Her fork clattered to the table. “Here?” She picked her utensil back up, being sure she had a firm grip this time.
“Before I choose a location for a new shop, I am going to spend some time managing the shophereas it is already established. After a year or two, I will start looking for places elsewhere. I also have to research the market and see what place would be most economical or profitable. But, in the meantime, I will get to pester you all the more.” He narrowed his eyes, smiling. Gone was the endearing smile, replaced by his haughty, presumptuous one.
She sighed, looking down at her plate. “Oh, joy.”
“You cannot fool me, you know.”
She rolled her eyes. “What?”
“I believe you enjoy it.”
“Being humiliated? Yes, I cannot imagine anything more enjoyable than being scared, embarrassed . . . shall I go on?”
He wiped his mouth with his napkin, but it did nothing to remove that mischievous look from his lips. It remained, and if she was not mistaken, widened a bit further.
“The pranks were quite harmless, Leah. And that was so long ago.” He laid the rumpled napkin on his leg before running a hand up the back of his neck.
Harmless? He did not know what it was like to be a young lady of gentle breeding. And his words only fanned the flames of her desire to give him a taste of his own medicine.
