[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.Minette made sure Dulcie had the quietestroom in the house.A year past, when one of our neighbors refused tomuzzle his noisy dog, I killed the thing to shut it up.94 www.bettiesharpe.comEmber I shouldn t be mad at you, Dulcie shook her head. It s true, Ilook a mess.Since you re back, do you think you could talk with ourneighbors, as you did last time, and convince them to send their dogaway? Of course, I smiled and poured her tea. You should go upstairsand try to rest.Everything will be just fine.I promise.After finishing my tea, I drew myself a bath and scrubbed the dirtof travel from my body.I did not bother to don the Cinder Girl s faceagain, for the Prince knew the truth of it now, and he was the one fromwhom I d meant to hide.The chatelaine of the house next door was a jolly creature, roundof cheek and belly, and friendly to everyone she met.Her ruddy face wentwhite when she opened her kitchen door to find me on her stoop. Witch! She exclaimed in a startled squeak. Uh, I mean, MistressEmber! It s so good to see you again after such a long absence.How mayI help you? My sister says your dog is keeping her awake.The housekeeper shook her head frantically. Oh, no.We haven t adog.Not after what happened to the last one.We ve heard the howling inthe night as well.We thought perhaps your household had acquired adog.I shook my head and thanked her before going on to interview ourother neighbors.I spent the better part of the morning asking after thewww.bettiesharpe.com 95Bettie Sharpephantom dog and finding no clues.Everyone had heard howling the pastfew nights, but none knew who owned the dog or what it looked like.Dispirited, I returned to our kitchens and found them crowdedwith servants.Our house was unusual among the great houses of theAvenida Delpalacio in that our servants worked from afternoon tomidnight, and did not live within our walls.We were not, however,unusual among other well-heeled houses of ill repute.In the fineremporiums of commercial fornication, clients pay for secrecy as much asfor sex.Few men and women of wealth like it when their bedsportbecomes the stuff of gossip, and full-time servants are inveterate gossips.The chefs and chef s assistants, the butler, the footmen, the maidand the scullery scamp, all stopped their work to gape at me when Istepped through the kitchen door.They had heard of the red-hairedwitch.The neighbors had gossiped of me, and the Prince s lackeys hadoffered them money for news of my whereabouts.I glared at them. Don t you all have tasks to do?They all turned away, even the chef. You, I snapped my fingers atthe chef. Fix me a tray for lunch and have it sent to the front parlor.You are thinking I was rude in my treatment of the servants.Butyou try to endure the shaky, frightened stares of half-a-dozen pairs ofeyes and tell me how you well like it.Two weeks before, when I d wornthe guise of the Cinder Girl, these same people had treated me withcourtesy and kindness.Now they trembled and scuttled out of my way as96 www.bettiesharpe.comEmberthough they were afraid my shadow would fall on them and sour theirluck.I was insulted.I found Sylvie and Minette playing chess across the tea table in theparlor.Sylvie usually kept apace in their matches, but she was losingbadly today.She seemed distracted and worried. Ember! Sylvie jumped up, kicking her silver velvet skirts out ofthe way before crossing the room to throw her arms about my neck. Wewere so worried when you left, and so relieved when Dulcie told us you dreturned.She is asleep upstairs.It must soothe her spirit to have youback at home. I drugged her tea.Minette laughed. Oh, it is good you are returned.I know you llfigure out a way to thwart the Prince. She paused to look at thechessboard. And I think he knows it, too.Minette did not often allow her face to betray emotion, for suchshows of feeling would eventually lead to wrinkles.But now the paintedblack lines of her eyebrows drew together in thought.She picked up herskirt with one powdered hand and paced over to my mother s blueleather chair.Sylvie and I kept quiet, knowing the thought must beimportant if Minette would risk a wrinkle for it.Finally, she said,  I wonder if the reason the Prince will not let youalone is because you defy him. You re not saying this is my fault!www.bettiesharpe.com 97Bettie Sharpe No, no.I simply mean he is a man to whom it is impossible to sayno.After a lifetime of such treatment, any sane soul would come to cravean honest opinion.I remembered what the Prince had written of me.I will her to cometo me, but she does not.It only makes me want her more. You are right, Minette.He wrote that he wanted me because Imight refuse him. It goes further.Does his curse affect animals? No, only humans. Yet he spends his days caring for animals in his stables or hiskennels.Any woman who sees his face will gladly spread her legs forhim, yet he spends his coin to pay for whores.The Prince craves honestinteractions, my dear.Even when you deny him, you provide a responsehe desires. What a mad idea! I thought men liked to be flattered by their bedpartners. Most do, but not all, Sylvie said. Men may become aroused bythe strangest things.I once had a very proper-seeming gentleman fromL'Aingleterre who begged me to paddle his arse and call him naughty.And, did Dulcie ever tell you of the evening she spent with the GrandDuke and a zucchini? Oh, Sylvie, I buried my face in my hands,  please do not recountthe tale.I like zucchini.98 www.bettiesharpe.comEmberSylvie s painted pink lips curved up into a mischievous smile. Sodoes the Grand Duke.My sisters broke into gales of laughter at the hot flush ofembarrassment on my cheeks.They have always enjoyed shocking me [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]