Page 77 of A Deal with the Devil

Devil cleared his throat, amused.

“Settle down,” Lord Tadworth muttered. “I’m too old for her. But you’re lucky, young man. I had the best calves in town in my youth. And I still have most of my teeth.”

Kitty grinned at him. “I believe it. May I walk around?”

“Go ahead, go ahead, then. Start in the top-right corner—that’s where the nature guides are. Did you know toads can puff themselves up to appear threatening?” He peered into one of the terrariums. “And they don’t drink water. They absorb it through their skin. Fascinating creatures.”

“I confess I’ve never really considered them.”

“Well, come over here, girl,” Lord Tadworth said. “They tend to hide during the day, but we’ll see if we can lure one out with some crickets. You’re not squeamish, are you?”

Kitty thought of the state of the pavement outside her door before Devil sent his men to lurk about menacingly. “Not anymore.”

“Good, good.”

He dug through the grit inside the terrarium like a proud father about to show off his newborn baby. He might be a recluse for reasons Kitty did not know, but he was also lonely. She wondered if she could conjure up a reason to visit him again. Perhaps bring him a book of poetry about toads. Had anyone written such a thing? She would have to ask around.

“Here’s one,” he said, booming with excitement. He immediately lowered his impressive voice. “Oh, pardon, my darling. Didn’t mean to shout at you.”

The toad in his palm did not look particularly concerned. Nor particularly impressed. He was mottled with several shades of green and brown, round eyes bulging. The curve of his mouth made him look grumpy. “Oh, he’s lovely,” Kitty said. “Very expressive.”

“I’ve named him King Arthur.”

“My sister has a hedgehog named Galahad.”

“Ha! Clever girl. Is she older than you?”

“Younger by a great many years, I’m afraid.”

“Ah well. Hedgehogs eat frogs. Not sure about toads. Best not risk it.” He lifted King Arthur with a twinkle in his eye. “Do you want to hold him?”

He clearly thought it was a good jest, that she would flinch away.

“Certainly,” she said instead. She would have kissed the damned toad if it meant having a proper look through his books. Evie was worth kissing a dozen toads.

She flattened her hand and encouraged the toad to slide into her palm. His skin was bumpy and drier than she would have thought. His toes were long and tickled as he stretched, considering the climb up her arm. He tottered like a milk-drunk child.

Lord Tadworth positively beamed at her.

When King Arthur started to get a little too jumpy, Lord Tadworth reclaimed him and set him carefully back into his terrarium. Devil passed her his handkerchief before she could wipe her hands on her skirt. She scrubbed her palms as Lord Tadworth led her to a washbasin.

“You’ve got to scrub up better than that and dry well if you’re going to touch my books,” he said.

She did as she was bidden as he continued to rattle off more facts about toads. He would keep her here talking about them for the rest of the visit if she let him. She would never find Lady Caroline’s books.

And she knew Lord Tadworth’s type of reader. Books were cared for like delicate flowers, barely opened even to read them. Kept from sunlight and dust and fingertips. Kitty on the other hand, preferred to devour her books. She liked them to be well loved, the pages softened, with creases where a beloved passage was read and reread. It was a map left behind by the reader. A love letter of sorts.

Clearly, this particular opinion would get her booted right out on her backside into the street. Even if she had held a toad. He would hover, wincing every time she flipped through pages a little too quickly.

“Lord Birmingham was just telling me he was keen to learn about toads,” she said. “Perhaps you might show him more while I look at your books?”

“Well, come along, then, my boy. Lots to see.”

“He gets bored in libraries,” Kitty called down as she darted up the staircase. She had no idea if that was true.

“Blasphemy,” Lord Tadworth muttered. “You’ll never get her to marry you like that.”

Devil’s gaze tracked her, pinned her. Promised retribution.