“What about the floors above those?” Edna asked. “I would think those views would be even better.”
“The eighth and ninth floors contain laundry rooms, along with sleeping and bathing facilities for servants, both residential and visiting, which we’re supposed to limit to five or six per apartment. The tenth floor is reserved as a children’s play area and laundry drying facility, and it also holds the water tanks used to operate the hydraulic elevators.”
Edna’s mouth went a little slack. “You can only keep five or six servants on staff?”
Gideon laughed. “I’m a bachelor gentleman. How many servants do you think I need?”
“Do you at least engage the services of a cook?”
“There’s no need. The Dakota has a restaurant on the first floor, and if I’m not in the mood to dine there, I have the option of having culinary delights delivered straight to my door—for an extra fee, of course.”
“I’m definitely going to have to look into acquiring an apartment here,” Charles said before he cocked a brow Gideon’s way. “But since you’ve now proven we’re not about to enter a shady establishment, shall we get on our way? I’m not certain, what with Adelaide being a target, we should be lingering out in the open.”
“An excellent point,” Gideon said before he took a moment to instruct Adelaide’s driver to pull the carriage around to the back entrance instead of waiting for them at the Dakota stables off 75th and Amsterdam since they wouldn’t be long. He then offered Adelaide his arm, Charles doing the same to Camilla and Edna. Together, they strolled for the front entrance, where a doorman greeted them before they stepped into what Gideon told her was a groin-vaulted vestibule, which then led them into an impressive courtyard.
After walking across the cobblestones, Gideon directed them through an archway that led to a small foyer, where an elevator operator, whom Gideon greeted as a Mr. Jerkins, was waiting for them. Once Gideon ushered everyone inside the elevator, Mr. Jerkins closed the gilded gate and they were soon whooshing upward, Mr. Jerkins using a lever to control the speed. He pulled the level to an upright position when they reached the sixth floor, opened the grate, stepped aside, and gestured everyone out.
“Any thoughts on how I might entice Harvey into returning to his basket before we enter my apartment?” Gideon asked as they began walking down a long hallway.
Adelaide glanced to where Harvey was still perched onGideon’s shoulder, his little head snuggled against Gideon’s neck. “He seems content where he is, but is there a reason you want him in his basket?”
Gideon stopped in front of a door and fished a set of keys out of his pocket. “I told you about Moe, and I wasn’t exaggerating about the fact he’s an intimidating dog. As far as I know, he’s never met a kitten before, so it’s difficult to say how he’s going to react to Harvey.”
“Perhaps someone should secure Moe with a leash before we attempt an introduction,” Adelaide suggested.
Before Gideon could do more than nod, the door to his apartment swung open, revealing a large man dressed in black, who had a long scar traveling down the side of his face, whom Gideon introduced as his butler, Louis.
“I wasn’t expecting you back until later,” Louis said, stepping aside to allow them entrance into the apartment.
“We’re simply here to retrieve something from the weapons room, Louis,” Gideon said. “But could you do me a favor and get a leash on Moe before we come inside? I’m not certain how he’s going to react to this scrap of trouble sitting on my shoulder and—”
Whatever else Gideon had been about to say came to a rapid end when the sound of nails scrabbling over the floor reached them right before a beast of a dog, obviously Moe, appeared around a corner.
It was beyond concerning when Moe stopped in his tracks, his brown, shaggy fur standing on end, right before he started growling low in his throat as his gaze settled on Harvey.
Before Louis could do more than reach for the door to close it, Harvey suddenly launched himself through the air with no warning, landing lightly on the marble floor of the entranceway. He then, to Adelaide’s horror, began prancing Moe’s way, seemingly oblivious that Moe was now snarling up a storm as drool dribbled down his massive jowls.
Sixteen
With her heart pounding in her chest, Adelaide dashed forward as Gideon did the same, both of them stopping in their tracks when Moe suddenly let out what almost sounded like a whimper before he plopped down on the floor and his bushy tail began to wag. A second later, Harvey was directly next to the beast, rubbing his little kitten head against Moe’s fur, purring up a storm when Moe gave him a lick, and not one that suggested he was debating whether the kitten was good enough to eat.
“I wasn’t expecting that,” Louis said, brandishing a broom he’d snatched from beside the door and wielding it quite as if he’d been ready to shoo Moe away from Harvey if the dog went on the attack. “I thought for sure that kitten was a goner.”
“As did I,” Adelaide agreed, her heart rate returning to normal. “Fortunately for everyone involved, it appears Moe isn’t in a mood for a snack but rather for a new friend.” She grinned when Harvey scrambled up Moe’s back and made himself at home, Moe’s only reaction to that unexpected circumstance being lowering his head to the floor between two overly large paws and thumping his tail a few times.
“It seems as if Moe has gone from guard dog to kitten nanny,” she said, earning a sigh from Gideon in return.
“Too right it does but know that I’m holding you directly responsible for ruining what was, up until a few seconds ago, a very intimidating guard dog.”
Adelaide resisted a laugh when Moe’s tongue began lolling out of his mouth. “He doesn’t look very intimidating now.”
“Let’s hope it’s not a permanent condition,” Gideon said. “He won’t be much use to me out in the field if he starts befriending the criminals I need him to help me apprehend.”
Adelaide tilted her head. “How does he do that?”
“Normally baring his teeth is all that’s needed to have suspects freezing on the spot.”
“I’m sure Moe knows the difference between sweet kittens and miscreants, but...” She glanced at Moe again. “Isn’t it simply adorable how Moe seems to have found a new companion?”
