Page 92 of Once an Angel
"Pudding?" he echoed ominously.
"What did you want me to call him? Fluffy?" Her smile was angelic. Justin's stomach spasmed a warning.
The bobby stepped between them, pulling off his hat. Another policeman lurked in his shadow.
He twirled his bushy mustache. "I'm turribly sorry for the disturbance, sir, but I thought it best if we escorted the young lady home. After we arrested her the first time—"
"The first time?" Justin bit off, glowering at Emily.
"It weren't really her fault, Your Grace. The dog got away from your man and the door to the crystal shop was open." He brightened visibly. "Once she assured the shopkeeper the Duke of Winthrop would pay for all the damages, he turned out to be quite a reasonable chap."
Behind him, one of the husbands moaned. Justin closed his eyes and counted slowly under his breath.
"And the second time, sir . . ."
His eyes flew open.
The other policeman chimed in helpfully. "That would have been the elephant, wouldn't it, Clarence?"
Justin swallowed. "She let an elephant run through the crystal shop?"
"Oh, no, sir," the bobby reassured him. "The elephant ran through the zoo. After she slipped the latch
on its cage."
Justin narrowed his eyes. He would like to see her caged. And chained. Preferably to his bed.
Her smile faded an inkling beneath his glare. "I was simply trying to feed him a peanut. I couldn't reach his trunk."
The second policeman chuckled. "I didn't know those old nannies could move so fast. You should have seen the perambulators flying!"
The bobby rubbed the back of his neck. Justin could have sworn he was blushing. "Of course, the last time we were more concerned with her own health. Hyde Park's a bit cold to be swimming this time of year, especially without—" He stopped dead and looked over his shoulder, aware for the first time of
the women's avid gazes and the heated puffs of fog emerging from the men's lips. He leaned over and whispered something in Justin's ear.
Justin dropped his gaze to Emily as if seeing her for the first time. Her curls glistened with damp. Her dress— the charming girlish confection he had chosen in order to keep himself at bay—clung to her
skin in all the wrong places, the pristine white going almost sheer over the dusky hint of her nipples.
Her lips quirked in an apologetic smile.
He took one step toward her. Then another. Her smile faltered. "What are you going to do?"
He smiled pleasantly. "Murder you."
"Oh dear," Herbert murmured.
Moaning, Lily pressed a scented handkerchief to her lips. The bobbies exchanged a nervous glance, wondering if the rumors they'd heard about the savage young duke were true.
The dog growled. Justin gave it one look and it buried its head beneath its paws, whimpering. Justin stretched out a hand toward Penfeld. "Give me the sash."
"Whatever for, sir?"
"I'm going to strangle her with it."
"Very good, sir. Right away." He began to tug at the knot around the dog's collar.
"Penfeld!" Emily wailed. As she backed away from Justin, her feet slid on the dead grass.
