The Bow Street Runners Trilogy by Michelle Griep

Author:Michelle Griep [Griep, Michelle]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781636095578
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2019-11-14T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY

Johanna wrung out a cloth so frayed and thin, even a ragpicker would turn it down. Cool evening air stole in from the taproom door, propped open to encourage customers. She frowned at the darkness outside. Closing time already and she’d served only two dray drivers nothing but a mug apiece. Pursing her lips, she set about scrubbing off tables that were hardly dirty. Surely she’d made the right decision to visit the harbourmaster on the morrow.

Behind her, the last strain of a violin chord screeched into oblivion, taking some of the tension in her shoulders along with it. At least one tribulation was drawing to a close. That would be Mr. Quail’s last song under this roof if she had anything to say about—and she did. Plenty.

Weaving around tables, she crossed the room to where he packed up his violin. “Excuse me, Mr. Quail, but I must speak with you.”

He snapped shut the lid and grinned down at her. “Delighted.”

The man was relentless. If he practiced his music with as much dogged pursuit as he did his flirtations, he’d be a virtuoso. “You might not be once you’ve heard me out.”

“Oh? Intriguing.” He leaned close, his grin widening. “And I love a good intrigue.”

With a sigh, she retreated a step. “Nothing of the sort. I merely wish to inform you that your services here are no longer required. You and your band may pack up and leave in the morning.”

He staggered back, slapping a hand to his heart as if shot through the chest with an arrow. “You wound me!”

It took all her willpower to keep from rolling her eyes. “Really, Mr. Quail. Such dramatics. This is a business matter, nothing more. Your expenses far outweigh your benefits, Oak Apple Day is long gone, and so you must leave.”

“Ah-ah-ah.” He wagged a finger at her. “My band has brought in customers. You can’t deny that.”

“Not enough to cover food and drink. And let’s not forget that broken window for which you still haven’t paid me, hmm?”

Like a dropped cannonball, he plummeted to his knees and hung his head. His hands folded in prayer as if she were a goddess to be offered devotion. “Have I not begged sufficient forgiveness for that unfortunate incident, my queen?”

She tried, valiantly, but this time there was no stopping the roll of her eyes. “Yes, of course you’re forgiven, but that does not fix the glass. Now get up, please. You have some packing to do.”

He rose, snatching one of her hands on the uptake and kissing two of her knuckles before she could yank them away.

“Two weeks, my sweet Miss Langley. Just a fortnight more, and my band and I will gladly move on.”

“I am sorry.” She shook her head. “There are simply not enough funds to keep housing and feeding you for free.”

His face darkened like a quick-rising storm at sea, then evaporated with the snap of his fingers. “I know! Yes! Why, I should have thought of this before.” He laughed and snatched up his violin case, waving it over his head like a lunatic.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.