Her Majesty's Necromancer by C. J. Archer Page A

walked off, leaving me standing in the corridor trying to determine what sort of mood he was in. I gave up when Seth joined me and we entered the kitchen together.
    "What's Lady H here for?" Cook asked him.
    "Death's been invited to a ball tomorrow night, and she's delivering the invitation."
    Cook snorted. "He won't go."
    "That's what I told her. He'd rather rip his own arm off than dance with silly girls."
    "Why would he dance with silly girls?" I asked. "Surely there will be some sensible ones there."
    "Sensible women , yes, but not girls. And it's the girls who are in need of husbands, hence their pursuit of one of the few eligible bachelors in the city. The far more interesting women are mostly taken, except for the occasional dried up widow."
    "I doubt Lady Harcourt would appreciate being called dried up."
    "Except her, but he's already taken a dip in those waters and didn't like it."
    Cook, standing by the stove, snickered.
    I followed Seth into the servants' dining room, which also doubled as a small parlor. We didn't use it often, preferring the warmth and coziness of the kitchen. Besides, he'd taken to polishing shoes on the dining table.
    "Is Gus watching the cemetery?"
    Seth nodded and checked the clock on the mantel. "I'll relieve him soon."
    "I suppose there'll be a committee meeting to inform them of the latest developments." I picked up a pair of Lincoln's shoes, which had been sitting on the bench for two days, and joined Seth at the table.
    He slid the polish toward me. "Fitzroy says not."
    "Why not?"
    He smirked. "He wants to wait, as we don't know if anything supernatural has occurred yet. Besides, they only create an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy that wastes time."
    "Is that your opinion or his?"
    "Definitely mine. I can't imagine what he thinks, and I wouldn't dare guess."
    "Very wise." I buffed off the black polish then set down the shoe and picked up the other. "I wish I knew what they were talking about. Do you think he has already refused the invitation?"
    "Why don't you go and listen in? You like to eavesdrop."
    I dropped the shoe. "Uh…"
    "I've learned a great many things from eavesdropping, so I'm not going to tell you not to do it. Just be careful you don't get caught, especially by Death."
    I picked up the shoe. "You make it sound as if I do it frequently. It's not my fault people say things when I happen to be nearby. I don't eavesdrop on purpose."
    He tapped my nose with his finger and frowned. "Sorry. I left a smudge."
    He handed me a clean cloth and I rubbed my nose. "Is it gone?"
    He shook his head. "You'll need soap."
    Cook beckoned me from the doorway. "Soup course be ready."
    "You take it to them," I told Seth. "I can't. Not looking like this."
    He scraped the chair back and stood. "Sorry, Charlie, I've got to relieve Gus." He hadn't even finished polishing the shoes.
    "That's not fair."
    "You look like an adorable chimney sweep when you pout."
    I shot him a withering glare. He flashed me a grin.
    I hurried to the parlor and bobbed a curtsy to Lady Harcourt. Without raising my chin, I announced that luncheon was ready. "If you'd like to make your way to the dining room, I'll serve soup in a moment."
    "What happened to your nose?" Lady Harcourt asked. "It's black."
    So much for keeping my head low. "It's shoe polish."
    "That stuff is difficult to remove."
    "Yes, thank you," I said tightly.
    "How did you manage to get it on your nose?" Lincoln asked. His voice sounded light, almost amused.
    "Seth did it."
    His jaw hardened. If he had been amused, he certainly wasn't now.
    Lady Harcourt arched her brows at him, and I half-expected her to say "See?" but she said nothing. No doubt she thought I was flirting with Seth and he with me. She'd not wanted me to live in a house full of men. Apparently she didn't trust them or me. I'd thought it presumptuous of her at first, but now that I'd had time to think about it, I'd decided it said more about her than us. Not that I would dare say so to her