Page 39 of A Slipper in the Smoke
Pip coiled his fingers into fists, seeming almost as shaken as she was. He closed the distance between them and sat down beside her. “Are you hurt?”
“No,” she said. “Just… shaken.”
“Do you live in the outer ring?”
“Technically, I live in the middle ring, but it’s very close. My workshop is in the outer ring. A garage not far from the coal plant.”
Pip shook his head, sighing as if he had more to say, but thought better of it. A few seconds ticked by in silence. “There is nothing I can do to help,” he said eventually, “but is there anything I could do to distract you?”
Elena paused. She could actually think of a great number of things Pip could do to distract her, but none of them felt appropriate and most of them were certain to make him blush. Not one of her initial thoughts could fix what had happened in the square earlier, but maybe…
This was her perfect chance, her chance to do a little more spying. They were fast running out of time. “I’d love to see more of the palace,” she said sweetly. “You know… a tour. You must know it fairly well by now.”
Pip smiled. “I’m sure I can arrange something. But I’ll need to get you a uniform if we’re to go anywhere but the workshops. You’ll stick out a bit in your current attire. Wait here.”
Pip disappeared for a moment, leaving Elena to contemplate what she’d just done, how quickly and how easily the lie had come. What was she doing? What information could she possibly gain like this anyway? Pip wasn’t going to stand by as she broke into various rooms. What was she thinking?
Maybe you just want to spend more time with him.
She shook her head. Shewishedthat’s all it was. At least then, her conscience would be clear.
Pip returned in a few minutes with a white and gold jacket matching his own, and a pair of slim-fitting black trousers. “I couldn’t see any shoes, alas,” he said, turning his back so that she could change. “Wasn’t sure of your size anyway.”
“Er, big,” said Elena. “For a woman, anyway. I could probably fit into yours!”
“I will remember that next time I am procuring footwear for you to borrow.”
Elena shimmied out of her oil-stained trousers and folded them neatly under the bench, hoping no one discovered it whilst they were gone. The jacket fitted well enough over her shirt and bodice, so there was no need to remove those. A part of her wanted Pip to turn around prematurely and catch a glimpse of her legs. They were one of the few unspoilt parts of her, free from burns and bruises, and she knew well that her thighs were shapely and pleasant to look at.
She regretted the thought almost as soon as it entered her mind. Was this really all she could hope for? That he’d one day see herthighs?
What else could he see?
He’d never see her in a pretty dress or with a face not covered by soot. And she was not about to strip herself completely naked and fumble with him out here in the open, either.
The thought made her flush.
“Are you ready?” Pip asked.
Elena buttoned up her trousers and smoothed them down. “Yes.”
Pip turned around, smiling. He stepped towards her, pulling out a handkerchief. “You’ve a little something on your face,” he said.
Of course I do.
“Let me just… wipe it off for you.”
She knew she should tell him that she could do it herself, but she liked the feeling of his fingers on her face, the slow stroke of the silken fabric, how close he was standing to her. His eyes glistened like green glass. A little closer, and she’d been able to feel his breath. Shewantedto be able to feel that breath…
“There,” he said, stepping away. “All done.”
Elena sincerely doubted that, but she decided to trust his judgement—to allow his view of her to be the real one. “Come on,” Pip said, threading his hand into hers. “Let’s go.”
*
Elena quickly discovered that Pip knew his way around the palace well for someone who hadn’t been there long. He knew how to avoid the other servants, all the exits and entrances, and the best way to stay clear of the guards. There was something impressive in his skill, and slightly devious—like he was the spy, not her.
“Where would you like to go?” he asked her.
