told him.
"Take him to the library and wait for me there." He followed Lady Harcourt outside.
Gus nodded at a door leading off from the entrance. "Library's in there."
Seth led the way and Gus followed behind me. I thought there'd been a great many books in Fitzroy's rooms, but the library held triple. Bookshelves reached to the ceiling on all the walls, leaving some gaps between them for lamps, windows and framed pictures. A circular iron chandelier, sporting dozens of candles, plunged from the ceiling rose, stopping just above the round table. Seth lit some in candlesticks and handed one to Gus.
"Over here," I told them. "I want to see the books."
"We ain't at your beck and call," Gus growled.
I ignored him and strolled around the room, brushing my fingers along the spines of the leather bound tomes, breathing their earthy scent into my lungs.
"Don't think about throwing them," Seth said, trailing behind me with a candle.
I paused at the window. Fitzroy and Lady Harcourt stood at the carriage door, talking. Or, rather, arguing, if her expression was anything to go by. His back was to me, but in the light cast by the moon and the coach lamps, her face looked stern, her body rigid.
"What do you think they're arguing about?" I asked.
Seth peered over my shoulder. "It's hard to say. You, perhaps, and Death's decision to keep you close. His decision to give Gus and me more responsibility."
"Or his decision not to take her to his bed," Gus said, coming up behind me on my other side and watching through the window too.
"You think it was his choice to end their…liaison?" I asked.
"Maybe."
Lady Harcourt spun round and climbed into the coach, ignoring Fitzroy's outstretched hand. He pulled it back as she slammed the door closed.
"If it were," Seth said, as the coach drove off, "he probably didn't end it the way a gentleman should."
"Why do you say that?"
"You may not have noticed, but he's not good with people."
I snorted. "I noticed."
"I'm not sure he knows how to treat a lady properly. I certainly don't think he understands the fair sex."
"That don't stop Lady H from throwing herself at him," Gus said. "Other women, too."
Seth rounded on him. "Lady Harcourt does not throw herself at anyone. She's much too—" He broke off when Fitzroy appeared at the door.
"Upstairs," Fitzroy said, turning away. "Now."
Gus and Seth gripped one arm each and led me out of the library. We followed Fitzroy up the stairs and along the corridor, then they shoved me into the room after him and shut the door. He locked it and pocketed the key. I swallowed hard as Fitzroy faced me. It was one thing to pretend to be a boy in his presence during the day, but now I had to spend an entire night with a man who made my blood alternately run hot and cold. A man whose gaze seemed to see everything.
CHAPTER 6
Someone had set up a truckle bed in the master bedroom suite, much too close to the main bed for my liking. I usually slept as far away from the boys in our den as possible, while remaining close enough for safety. It wasn't as close as this.
I didn't complain. I didn't want Fitzroy's suspicions raised. But there were some things that needed to be made clear from the beginning. Best to get them out now.
"You have to leave when I use the chamber pot," I told him.
He shot me a flinty glare from the clothes stand, where he stood removing his dinner jacket. I suspected that meant he agreed.
"And when I wash and change."
"As you wish." He hung the jacket on the stand and began unbuttoning his waistcoat.
I didn't look away, but I didn't stare either. Neither would be the sort of thing a boy would do. Besides, I'd seen men before. Or, more specifically, boys and youths. While I never undressed in front of them, they were not so inhibited. They even pissed in front of me, and Stringer had once bedded a whore where the entire gang could see. I was no stranger to a man's parts or their function. Fitzroy's nakedness
"Take him to the library and wait for me there." He followed Lady Harcourt outside.
Gus nodded at a door leading off from the entrance. "Library's in there."
Seth led the way and Gus followed behind me. I thought there'd been a great many books in Fitzroy's rooms, but the library held triple. Bookshelves reached to the ceiling on all the walls, leaving some gaps between them for lamps, windows and framed pictures. A circular iron chandelier, sporting dozens of candles, plunged from the ceiling rose, stopping just above the round table. Seth lit some in candlesticks and handed one to Gus.
"Over here," I told them. "I want to see the books."
"We ain't at your beck and call," Gus growled.
I ignored him and strolled around the room, brushing my fingers along the spines of the leather bound tomes, breathing their earthy scent into my lungs.
"Don't think about throwing them," Seth said, trailing behind me with a candle.
I paused at the window. Fitzroy and Lady Harcourt stood at the carriage door, talking. Or, rather, arguing, if her expression was anything to go by. His back was to me, but in the light cast by the moon and the coach lamps, her face looked stern, her body rigid.
"What do you think they're arguing about?" I asked.
Seth peered over my shoulder. "It's hard to say. You, perhaps, and Death's decision to keep you close. His decision to give Gus and me more responsibility."
"Or his decision not to take her to his bed," Gus said, coming up behind me on my other side and watching through the window too.
"You think it was his choice to end their…liaison?" I asked.
"Maybe."
Lady Harcourt spun round and climbed into the coach, ignoring Fitzroy's outstretched hand. He pulled it back as she slammed the door closed.
"If it were," Seth said, as the coach drove off, "he probably didn't end it the way a gentleman should."
"Why do you say that?"
"You may not have noticed, but he's not good with people."
I snorted. "I noticed."
"I'm not sure he knows how to treat a lady properly. I certainly don't think he understands the fair sex."
"That don't stop Lady H from throwing herself at him," Gus said. "Other women, too."
Seth rounded on him. "Lady Harcourt does not throw herself at anyone. She's much too—" He broke off when Fitzroy appeared at the door.
"Upstairs," Fitzroy said, turning away. "Now."
Gus and Seth gripped one arm each and led me out of the library. We followed Fitzroy up the stairs and along the corridor, then they shoved me into the room after him and shut the door. He locked it and pocketed the key. I swallowed hard as Fitzroy faced me. It was one thing to pretend to be a boy in his presence during the day, but now I had to spend an entire night with a man who made my blood alternately run hot and cold. A man whose gaze seemed to see everything.
CHAPTER 6
Someone had set up a truckle bed in the master bedroom suite, much too close to the main bed for my liking. I usually slept as far away from the boys in our den as possible, while remaining close enough for safety. It wasn't as close as this.
I didn't complain. I didn't want Fitzroy's suspicions raised. But there were some things that needed to be made clear from the beginning. Best to get them out now.
"You have to leave when I use the chamber pot," I told him.
He shot me a flinty glare from the clothes stand, where he stood removing his dinner jacket. I suspected that meant he agreed.
"And when I wash and change."
"As you wish." He hung the jacket on the stand and began unbuttoning his waistcoat.
I didn't look away, but I didn't stare either. Neither would be the sort of thing a boy would do. Besides, I'd seen men before. Or, more specifically, boys and youths. While I never undressed in front of them, they were not so inhibited. They even pissed in front of me, and Stringer had once bedded a whore where the entire gang could see. I was no stranger to a man's parts or their function. Fitzroy's nakedness
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