A Clockwork Fairytale by Helen Scott Taylor Page A

the Shining Brotherhood, females were barely mentioned. Even now that he worked as a spy in society, he still honored his vow of celibacy and didn’t consort with women.
    “Come on,” Melba said. “I thought you was in a hurry.”
    He was. Except he could hardly think past drawing his next breath. Turk cleared his throat and fumbled with the bottom hook in the small of her back. The dress was not tight, so he managed to fasten most of the hooks without touching her undergarment. A hot tingling sensation ran around his body and his skin prickled with sweat. He paused to run his finger around his neck beneath his cravat.
    Melba glanced over her shoulder. “What’s in the box, sir?”
    Sir… How ludicrous she should call him sir when he felt as ignorant and out of his depth as a child. He doubled his effort not to touch her where the dress closed over her bare neck. His breath hissed out with relief as he fastened the last hook and stepped back. “The box contains preparations for beautification as used by young ladies of Court, Melba. You’ll have to examine the contents and experiment. Some gentlemen wear gliss, but I prefer a plain look and have no knowledge of its application.”
    As she turned the tiny brass key in the box’s lock and opened the lid, he checked his pocket watch and gathered his scattered wits. “I really should be going, Melba,” he said backing toward the door. But despite his eagerness to escape, he found himself unable to leave until he’d seen her reaction to the box’s contents.
    Eyes wide with wonder, Melba lifted the nine square crystal bottles out and lined them up on the dressing table. “There’s so many. What’re they all for?”
    Without intending to, he found himself stepping back to her side. “Red lip balm and pink lip balm,” he said pointing to the engraved silver labels on the first two bottles. “Surely those are self-explanatory.”
    “Silver gliss and gold gliss.” Melba picked up the next two bottles. “What’s gliss?”
    “The shiny powder the nobs wear.”
    “Oh!” She squealed with excitement—a girly sound he’d never expected to hear spring from Melba’s lips. She unstoppered a bottle, detached the application brush from inside the box lid, and dipped it in the gold gliss.
    “I suggest you start with a small amount,” he said, wondering how long it would take her to coat the whole room in gold powder.
    She cast him a mischievous sideways glance as she feathered the brush across her cheeks, and giggled. “It’s tickly.”
    “I don’t think that’s the p—” Before he could finish, she swiped the brush across his cheek. He jumped back, a shocked laugh bursting from his mouth. She came after him, attacking him with the brush. He tried to bat her hand away, but he didn’t want to hurt her so she had the advantage. Giggling, she scattered gold powder on him. He found himself laughing, her excitement infectious.
    Everything about her assailed his senses; her soft rose fragrance filled his nose while the silky fabric of her dress and her warm skin set his fingertips alight. Unfamiliar pleasure left him lightheaded like a shot of strong spirits. For a few minutes he forgot who he was and why Melba was here, forgot his vows and his duty to the Shining Brotherhood. Finally, when she jabbed the brush in his ear, he managed to grip her wrist and put a stop to her sport. She laughed up at him, her face glowing. “I love making you laugh,” she said breathlessly.
    For long moments, he held her wrist, winded as if he had been running the skyways, and stared into the sparkling blue of her mischievous eyes. Melba touched a place inside him he hadn’t even known existed before she came into his life.
    In the hall outside, the grandfather clock chimed the hour and reality hit Turk like a splash of cold water. For the first time in his life, he was late for an appointment with his master. What would Gregorio think when he read his memories and realized he’d