Page 41 of Undercover with the Heiress
‘I do, but if I’m busy, and you… you know. Want to read about trains.’ Phineas tapped the cover. ‘You won’t have to wait for me. You can do so whenever you wish.’
Ammie stood on his chair. He leapt at Phineas and clasped him around the neck. ‘I love it, Uncle Phin!’ He hung there for a moment, legs dangling, before Phineas patted his back, caught him about the sides, and lowered him to the ground.
‘Chairs are for sitting, not standing. You’ll get dirt on the seat.’
And there it was again. That sliver of kindness, that shielded moment of connection, appearing and disappearing with a blink.
Never be what they think you are.
If only he’d kept it all hidden from her.
‘Oh Rosie,’ Johannes muttered. ‘You haven’t fallen for him, have you?’
Rosanna bowed her head, refusing to look at her brother. ‘Only a little. I didn’t plan it.’ She drew a circle on the inside of her palm, trying to ignore her brother’s disbelieving stare. ‘A lot. I like him a lot. I don’t know what to do.’
‘Father wants me to go to Brighton to look at possible hotel locations. You know what the guests like better than me. Tell me a date. I’ll book a ticket. We’ll get away, and you can have some space.’
‘We’re so close to figuring everything out.’
Johannes took her by the shoulders and turned her to face him. ‘You’re one of the strongest people I know, but you can’t bottle up your emotions. It’s not in you. If you mean it, that he’s going to leave, you need to step away first. And soon.’
‘I can’t leave before all this is done.’
‘And when itisdone?’
Rosanna looked at the floor and shrugged.
‘This might be a silly question…’ Johannes bumped his elbow into her side. ‘But did you ever think about asking him to stay?’
Chapter Seventeen
‘You any closer to sorting all this out?’ A few inches shorter than himself but formidable nonetheless, Lawrence Hempel pulled up beside Phineas, hands in his pockets.
‘Closer every day,’ Phineas replied, keeping his stare determinedly ahead. ‘I can feel it.’
‘You said Rosie would be with you for weeks. It’s been that.’
Phineas grappled for some cutting remark, but none sprung to mind. For years he’d antagonised his neighbour for the simple reason that he did not think a friend would be an asset to him. Now, he stood beside him as a failure.
Lawrence adjusted his shirt cuff. ‘No one fucks with my family, Babbage. I trust you because the duke did, and because Iris does. Not because you’ve earned it from me. I’ve heard of Pennington. I’m not a fool. You said you’d keep Rosie safe, and you have, but she also needs to be free. She’s got a bright life ahead of her, even after all this. I’d hate to see her bogged down and constantly looking over her shoulder, weighed down by a man who can’t figure things out.’
‘I don’t want that either. She’s determined. She’s strong. She’s—’
‘Solve it your way soon, or I’ll solve it mine.’ And Lawrence set off across the room to Amadeus. The boy excitedly showed his father the book and some other toy before pointing to the box of firecrackers. With a mischievous grin, Lawrence hoisted the crate onto his hip. He shot a sly look over his shoulder in the direction of his wife, who was occupied with the baby as she spoke with Iris and Odette. Then he hurried a few of the children out a side door. Their shadows danced across the curtains as they ran the perimeter of the building before each line of grey conspiracy faded into London.
He’d known he lived beside a family. Their constant red-dotted parade past his windows and the occasional thump and rattle through the walls were regular reminders. But a family… He’d never considered one for his own life. What an odd beast a family was. Fighting and compromises, gentleness and antagonism—a family was composed of so many shifting components. Had he, the corporal, and his mother been a family? Perhaps, in the lines of regiment, in the perfectly ordered camp with lessons and bugle practise, they had been, in their own way. An awkward thrumming, a type of nostalgic tick wedged a part of himself open, and a bizarre confluence of affection and discomfort trickled through him. This was his place, but only temporarily, and yet, it felt nice to belong to something bigger than oneself. Something that wasn’t about duty or work. Something that simplywas.
Phineas scanned the room, his gaze flicking from chair to chair until he found the anchor he craved. Rosanna. Heavens, another new dress, this one emerald green. It hugged her breasts and skimmed over her decadent body until it disappeared beneath the table. He rolled his tongue against his palette, for a moment cherishing the memory of her nipple, hard and taut, in hismouth. And in that moment of depravity, she looked up, half rose in her seat with a smile like sunshine, and beckoned to him. And he, completely lacking in restraint, trotted over. She kissed his cheek, and he kissed hers. She tasted like… likehappiness.
‘You got Ammie a gift.’ She squeezed his arm, then settled back into her chair. ‘He loved it. Although itisAmmie, and he loves everything. But he’s taken a shine to you.’
Phineas shrugged through the burgeoning warmth in his chest. He unbuttoned his coat and took a seat at the table. ‘It seemed the proper thing to do.’
A waiter set a plate of cake onto the table before Rosanna. Outside, a piercing whistle was followed by a fizz of light flashing through the gaps in the curtains. Energy and gunpowder crinkled and cracked. Sparks of yellow light edged the windows before a muffled shout of, ‘Run, kids! Through the lane and into the kitchens,’ echoed. Wilhelmina rose and looked across the room with a frown. Rosanna stifled a laugh against the back of her hand.
‘As usual, the worst behaved child is Papa. I suppose this is all a little crazy for a steady bank man like yourself. I suppose I am all sorts of crazy in your life.’ She separated a small piece of cake off with her fork but didn’t raise it to her mouth. Just twisted it on the prongs and divided it into increasingly smaller pieces until the entire wedge was a collection of crumbs.
‘Ilikeorder. I can manage its alternative.’ He inched his fingers across the table and stole a morsel of sponge from her plate.
