Read Online The Watchmaker's Daughter (Glass and Steele Book 1) by C.J. Archer - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: C.J. Archer
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face him over this secret. For it had to be a secret, or why not tell me about it in the first place, since it was most likely also linked to the watchmaker he wanted help finding.
"Who're you?" The harsh female voice coming from behind me made me jump. My heart almost burst out of my chest. I went to turn to face her, but she grabbed both my elbows and jerked me back against her body. She smelled like tobacco and lilacs, an odd combination to say the least. "And why are you spying?"
Chapter 5
" L et me go ." I struggled against her but she was damnably strong for a woman. "I've had quite enough of being restrained today." I went to smash my heel down on her toes, but she predicted my move and jumped back without letting me go.
"I said, who are you and why are you spying?" The deep, almost masculine voice, coupled with the smell of tobacco, made me wonder if she was in fact a he after all.
"My name is India Steele and I'm not spying. I'm a guest of Mr. Glass's and I'm looking for the privy."
Her grip loosened enough for me to wriggle free. I turned on her, unsure whether a smile or admonishment was in order. In the end, I couldn't control my wide-eyed stare.
She was definitely a woman. Her figure was as curved as mine and certainly couldn't be mistaken for a masculine one. Yet she wore loose men's trousers and a man's leather waistcoat over a plain white shirt. Her black hair had been arranged in a relaxed style on top of her head, as if she'd slept with it like that. Even dressed in masculine attire, she had a pretty oval face, despite the scowl and pursed lips.
"The privy's that way." She jerked her head in the opposite direction to Mr. Glass's room.
"Thank you." I tried to edge past her, but she caught my arm.
I shook myself free and matched her scowl with one of my own. "I really have had enough of being waylaid today, thank you. Kindly allow me to pass."
She merely folded her arms and widened her stance. "I'm not sure I should until I've spoken to Matt."
"Matt?"
"Matthew. Mr. Glass." So she was on a first name basis with him too. I supposed I should have suspected.
I decided to change tactics and thrust out my hand. "Since there's no one about to make introductions, shall we just introduce ourselves?" I smiled. Her scowl deepened. "My name is India Steele."
"So you said."
"And you are?"
"Not trusting you."
I withdrew my hand. "May I ask why?"
Her scowl disappeared. She cleared her throat and looked somewhat less sure of herself. "You talk like a proper English lady, but you don't dress like one."
I didn't tell her that she talked like a woman and dressed like a man. Until I knew how she would accept such quips, it was best to keep them to myself. Particularly since I was in something of a precarious situation while living in the house of a man I didn't trust.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"You're loose in the general area of your pups."
"Pups?"
She indicated my chest.
"Oh." My face heated and once again I found myself folding my arms over my breasts. "That's why I need the privy. I'm in need of a sewing kit and a private room."
She considered this by twisting her mouth to the side. Hands on hips, she turned and walked off. A few paces away, she stopped and looked over her shoulder at me. "Come on, then."
I followed her. "Thank you, Miss…"
"Willie Johnson. Call me Willie, not Miss Anything. Got it?"
"Er, yes, you stated your wishes very clearly."
She stopped and rounded on me, her face only an inch from mine. "Are you having a joke at my expense?"
I tried not to splutter at the stench of tobacco on her breath. "Not at all." I hoped she believed me. She may be a woman, but I didn't feel any safer with her than with Mr. Glass's other servants. She seemed fiercer than Duke. "Tell me, Miss— Tell me, Willie, are you the housekeeper here? Or the cook perhaps?"
She blinked at me then burst into raucous laughter that had me stepping back to avoid her breath. "Me, cook? Not likely. They'd rather
"Who're you?" The harsh female voice coming from behind me made me jump. My heart almost burst out of my chest. I went to turn to face her, but she grabbed both my elbows and jerked me back against her body. She smelled like tobacco and lilacs, an odd combination to say the least. "And why are you spying?"
Chapter 5
" L et me go ." I struggled against her but she was damnably strong for a woman. "I've had quite enough of being restrained today." I went to smash my heel down on her toes, but she predicted my move and jumped back without letting me go.
"I said, who are you and why are you spying?" The deep, almost masculine voice, coupled with the smell of tobacco, made me wonder if she was in fact a he after all.
"My name is India Steele and I'm not spying. I'm a guest of Mr. Glass's and I'm looking for the privy."
Her grip loosened enough for me to wriggle free. I turned on her, unsure whether a smile or admonishment was in order. In the end, I couldn't control my wide-eyed stare.
She was definitely a woman. Her figure was as curved as mine and certainly couldn't be mistaken for a masculine one. Yet she wore loose men's trousers and a man's leather waistcoat over a plain white shirt. Her black hair had been arranged in a relaxed style on top of her head, as if she'd slept with it like that. Even dressed in masculine attire, she had a pretty oval face, despite the scowl and pursed lips.
"The privy's that way." She jerked her head in the opposite direction to Mr. Glass's room.
"Thank you." I tried to edge past her, but she caught my arm.
I shook myself free and matched her scowl with one of my own. "I really have had enough of being waylaid today, thank you. Kindly allow me to pass."
She merely folded her arms and widened her stance. "I'm not sure I should until I've spoken to Matt."
"Matt?"
"Matthew. Mr. Glass." So she was on a first name basis with him too. I supposed I should have suspected.
I decided to change tactics and thrust out my hand. "Since there's no one about to make introductions, shall we just introduce ourselves?" I smiled. Her scowl deepened. "My name is India Steele."
"So you said."
"And you are?"
"Not trusting you."
I withdrew my hand. "May I ask why?"
Her scowl disappeared. She cleared her throat and looked somewhat less sure of herself. "You talk like a proper English lady, but you don't dress like one."
I didn't tell her that she talked like a woman and dressed like a man. Until I knew how she would accept such quips, it was best to keep them to myself. Particularly since I was in something of a precarious situation while living in the house of a man I didn't trust.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"You're loose in the general area of your pups."
"Pups?"
She indicated my chest.
"Oh." My face heated and once again I found myself folding my arms over my breasts. "That's why I need the privy. I'm in need of a sewing kit and a private room."
She considered this by twisting her mouth to the side. Hands on hips, she turned and walked off. A few paces away, she stopped and looked over her shoulder at me. "Come on, then."
I followed her. "Thank you, Miss…"
"Willie Johnson. Call me Willie, not Miss Anything. Got it?"
"Er, yes, you stated your wishes very clearly."
She stopped and rounded on me, her face only an inch from mine. "Are you having a joke at my expense?"
I tried not to splutter at the stench of tobacco on her breath. "Not at all." I hoped she believed me. She may be a woman, but I didn't feel any safer with her than with Mr. Glass's other servants. She seemed fiercer than Duke. "Tell me, Miss— Tell me, Willie, are you the housekeeper here? Or the cook perhaps?"
She blinked at me then burst into raucous laughter that had me stepping back to avoid her breath. "Me, cook? Not likely. They'd rather
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