When His Kiss Is Wicked by Kaitlin O'Riley

to work in the bookshop as evening approached. The books had now all been placed neatly on the shelves, and the signs that Paulette had painted hung from the ceiling held with dark green ribbon. Also, a new sign with “Hamilton’s Book Shoppe” printed in elegant writing hung above the counter. The major changes were now completed. Colette stepped back to admire the place and felt an incredible sense of accomplishment at her progress. The store looked completely different from when her father was alive. A few months ago she had only her ideas. Now the shop was generating much talk in the neighborhood, and people were coming in to take a look for themselves at what the Hamilton girls had done to their father’s shop. They had marveled at the changes and congratulated her.
    And, most importantly, they bought books. Her sales had doubled from the month before. Which was still a pitiful amount, but better than nothing. Business was picking up slowly but surely.
    Colette arranged a few wooden chairs in a circle as the tinkling of the bells above the door caught her attention.
    A thin woman, about thirty, wearing a neat gray bonnet and dress, asked shyly, “Hello. I hope I am not too late. This is when the reading group meets, isn’t it?”
    “Yes, it is,” Colette responded with an encouraging smile. Just the day before Colette met the woman, who worked as a governess for a family in Mayfair, and had encouraged her to attend. “Please come in and have a seat, Miss Rutan. I’m so happy you decided to join us.”
    The woman nodded and situated herself on one of the chairs that Colette had just arranged. “This is so exciting!” Miss Rutan exclaimed. “I’ve never been part of a reading group before! Thank you for inviting me.”
    “You’re quite welcome.”
    The door to their quarters upstairs opened and Paulette and Lisette entered the bookshop. Lisette carried a tray with a blue flower–patterned china teapot, creamer, and sugar bowl, and Paulette followed with another tray filled with matching cups and saucers and a plate of cookies.
    “We’ve brought some refreshments,” Lisette declared as she efficiently set up a serving area on a table covered with a pretty chintz cloth. “Would you like some tea?” she offered their first guest.
    The bells jingled again and Colette greeted two more women, who also took seats in the circle. The taller of the two, Miss Benson, wore a bright yellow scarf around her neck and spectacles, while the shorter one, Mrs. Cornell, clutched a book tightly to her chest.
    The Ladies’ Reading Circle had been Colette’s idea, too, knowing that the women would have to buy the books in order to join the group. Paulette had made a sign advertising that Hamilton’s would hold a monthly book discussion group for women. Their first book was Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein . A little dark, perhaps, but it was daring and much talked about. And Colette thought it important that they begin with a female author. She had hoped for a larger group, but three women, along with her sisters, was at least enough to start.
    The three ladies, Colette, Lisette, Paulette, and a most reluctant Juliette had just begun their discussion of the work when the bells above the door signaled another entrance. Colette turned her head to see Lord Jeffrey Eddington enter the bookshop. He held a copy of Frankenstein in one hand and a small bouquet of flowers in the other. He was grinning mischievously from ear to ear.
    “Good evening, ladies,” he said grandly. “Would you mind if I joined you?”
    Stunned speechless, Colette stared at him in confusion. Juliette suddenly developed a case of the giggles and laughed surreptitiously into her hand, which was held tightly over her mouth. Paulette and Lisette looked as stunned as the other ladies did.
    “Lord Eddington, what on earth are you doing here?” Colette finally managed to ask, after he breezily swept into the room, placed the flowers—a lovely assortment of