“Mr. Winter tells me I ’ave to clean up the piss pots,” Davy confided innumber one hundred four. “Says he’ll box my ears if I don’t.”
The cursed little shite. He blinked in exaggerated fashion, as if he were attempting to keep tears at bay. Naturally, he said nothing of the reason for his duty. Demon had never once threatened Davy with punishment other than the performing of unpleasant tasks, and that had only been made necessary by the lad’s continued purloining from their patron’s reticules, fingers, necks, and whatnot. He had no choice but to watch as Davy wrapped the lady around his thieving pinky finger.
Demon bit his lip to keep from uttering a vicious oath.
“Oh my darling boy,” she murmured, her tone properly horrified. “Do not cry, I beg you.”
She held the boy to her in a motherly embrace. Demon winced as he saw Davy’s fingers creeping perilously near to the lady’s earbobs. He quickly tapped the back of the lad’s shoe with his boot, warning him he was being watched. Davy’s hand moved away.
The lad gave an exaggerated sniffle, as if he withheld a sob.
“That is quite enough, lad,” Demon warned grimly.
Davy was going to get a tongue lashing fromhimafter this display. Never mind Gen. It wouldn’t wait that long.
The lady rose to her full height, her blue eyes finding Demon. “Mr. Winter, this is egregious treatment of young Master Davy, and especially after he was responsible for finding my ring. I insist you reward him rather than offering punishment.”
“Doing his duties isn’t punishment,” Demon groused, shooting the lad a pointed glare to let him know this would not go unavenged. “He gets his wages.”
He was going to hang the lad by his damned thumbs, that was what he was going to do.
“He deserves to be absolved of his duties for at least a week after his recovery of my ring. It belonged to my grandmother, and it is quite priceless to me.”
Christ.This was all going the wrong bloody way. Demon flicked a glance in the lady’s direction once more, wondering if she was serious. The half of her countenance visible beneath her mask was unsmiling. The sooner this farce was over, and the sooner this maddening woman was gone, the better.
“He will be absolved,” Demon said through gritted teeth.
I’ll absolve the thieving little bastard with chamber pot duty for the next damned century.
“I require your word,” she pressed.
His word?Ha!
He smiled, though it was damned painful to do so. “You have it, my lady.”
That was not a lie, not entirely. He could play her game.
She nodded, regal as any queen. “Thank you, sir.”
He bit his tongue, then pinned Davy with a narrow-eyed glare which promised later retribution. “Go now, lad.”
Davy gave his forelock another tug and disappeared from the room.
At last.
Demon suppressed a sigh as he turned back tonumber one hundred four.
“It would seem you have a pickpocket on your hands, Mr. Winter,” she said, taking him utterly by surprise.
But he wasn’t one of the best bleeding gamblers in the East End for nothing.
He eyed her calmly. “Rest assured, I would know if we did, my lady.”
She pursed her lips, and damn if that did not make him long to kiss them.
“I believe youdoknow, Mr. Winter. Do not, I beg you, dare to ply me with your charm. It shall not work.”
“Believe me, my lady, if I were plying you with charm, you would know it,” he said, keeping his voice low. Intimate.
