The Watchmaker's Daughter (Glass and Steele #1)(53)

Matt whirled around. The lantern light swung in an arc, and the handle squeaked with the violent movement. "Get out. Now. Both of you."

The porter held the door open for us. We hurried through the boot maker's shop, where the other porter let us out to the street. Cyclops leaned against the carriage but straightened upon seeing us.

"That was fast," he said.

"We were on our way out when Mr. Glass arrived," I told him.

Cyclops lowered the step, and held the door open for me, but moved to the driver's seat when Mr. Glass ordered him to prepare to leave immediately. Willie followed me inside, and Mr. Glass came in behind her and suspended the lantern from the hook by the door.

He thumped the ceiling and Cyclops drove off. He sat on the seat opposite Willie and me as the coach rolled away from the curb. "Explain."

Willie humphed and held out her hand. "Give me my Colt."

"Not until I get a satisfactory explanation."

"You explain," Willie spat. "Why did you remove the bullets?"

"To avoid you winding up on a murder charge."

"You left me unarmed!"

"If you stayed in at night, you wouldn't need to be armed."

She crossed her arms and turned away from him. "You should have told me about the bullets," she mumbled at the wall.

Mr. Glass set his hat on the seat beside him and scrubbed his hand through his hair. "You're right. I shouldn't have left you vulnerable. But my opinion still stands—if you'd stayed away from the gambling houses, you wouldn't require a gun." He handed back the weapon.

"And my bullets?"

"Are at the house. I'll return them to you only if you promise not to gamble again."

"Ever?"

"Ever."

"Matt! I can't! I have to win back my locket."

His jaw fell open. "You lost your locket? Christ, Willie, I'm sorry." He closed his eyes briefly. "But I can't allow you to attempt to win it back. Promise me you won't gamble again."

"Promise," she mumbled.

He sighed and his expression softened. "Your opponent must have been formidable to have beaten you."

Her lower lip wobbled. "He cheated."

"I think he did too," I said.

Mr. Glass pinched the bridge of his nose. "Now I know why you were attempting to use your Colt."

"Oh, that's not why," I said.

"Shhh," Willie hissed at the same time that Mr. Glass growled, "Then why?"

He glared at her. She looked out the window and sniffed. I rested a hand on her arm, but she shoved it off. "Leave me alone."

I endured her silence and Mr. Glass's glare for the rest of the short journey to his house.

Once inside, Duke greeted us with an equally formidable scowl. Willie tried to push past him, but he blocked her path.

"Move," she snapped. "I'm in no mood for your lectures."

"I don't care! You were supposed to be home hours ago."

"I've been out later than this before."

"Not with her, you haven't."

Willie turned her thunderous look onto me. I hardly thought it fair to blame me when she'd invited me to go with her. I thought it wise to keep quiet on the matter, however. Her mood was black enough, and there was no telling if she had another stash of bullets for that gun.

"Selfish, that's what you are," Duke went on.

Willie lips flattened, but Duke gave her no opportunity to cut in.

"Yes, you are. You're a selfish woman and it's time you were told. Matt does everything for you—"

"Enough, Duke," Mr. Glass chided. "Willie, go to bed. We'll talk in the morning."

"See!" Duke waved a hand at Mr. Glass. "See what you've done."

Willie and I both turned to face him. He scowled at Duke, but in the better light of the overhead chandelier, I could now see the gray pall of his jaw, the dark smudges beneath his eyes.

"You didn't rest, did you?" Willie said quietly.

He didn't answer.

She blinked rapidly and folded her arms across her body, as if warding off a chill. "Did you at least use the—" He cut her off with a shake of his head and a glance at me.

Her chin wobbled and her face crumpled. She threw herself at him and he caught her, staggering a little under her weight. "I'm sorry, Matt. I'm so sorry. I'll never take India to play poker again."

I stamped a hand on my hip.

"She wasn't even that good a distraction," she went on.

"Is that why you invited me along?" I asked, as Mr. Glass held her at arm's length.

"A good question," he growled.

She wiped her nose on her sleeve. "I thought Lord Travers would find her…interesting. Unfortunately he was too engrossed in the game to pay her more than cursory attention."

"You used me!"

Willie merely shrugged. "I think I'll go to bed now. Matt, you must too. There's no point in staying up longer. Understand?" Her gaze flicked to me then back to him. Clearly she didn't want me detailing the evening's events to him.

He kissed her cheek. "Goodnight, Willie," he said on an exasperated sigh.