Constantine Capers: The Pennington Perplexity by Natalie Brianne (new ebook reader TXT) 📕

bringing you home to your uncle. After all, someone was supposed to be on a train to safety earlier today.” He touched her nose and smiled.

“I was on a train to safety earlier today.”

“And then you got off of that train and ran right into certain danger.”

“I didn’t just get off, Byron. I jumped.”

“You what?!”

“I jumped from a moving train. Aren’t you proud of me?” She found herself grinning and trying not to laugh.

“And you were telling me not to do anything foolish.”

“Like walk into a criminal meeting and pretend like you had lost your memory again?”

“How did you know I was pretending? I could have just read up on it when the Shadow gave me my journal.”

“You recognized me, Byron.”

“I’ll have you know that I have excellent descriptive skills in my writing.”

“I’ve read quite a bit of it, Byron. At most you would only know that I have green eyes.”

“And what beautiful green eyes they are, too.”

“I save your life and now all you do is compliment me?”

He laughed, and she melted. Oh, how she loved that laugh.

“You make it too easy.” He smiled.

The carriage pulled up to Palace Court, and he lifted her out of it after paying the driver. They soon found themselves inside. Byron set her down on the couch in the front room before going into the kitchen. He returned with some warm water, bandages, and salve. Laying there, she saw bruises forming up and down his torso, a cut on his arm that had stopped bleeding, and a cut on his chest. He had a black eye and his hair was tousled. She was so grateful he was alive.

He knelt next to the couch and wet down a cloth. He handed it to her.

“Place this on the back of your neck. It should soothe the cut.”

“Thank you.”

“It’s the least I can do after you saved me.”

“You probably could have handled it on your own.”

“Au contraire, Mademoiselle. If you hadn’t come, I would have had to fight all four of them simultaneously. I hadn’t expected there to be four of them, and they would almost certainly have killed me. You took out two on your own and scared off another one, giving me a fighting chance.”

He put salve on the scratch marks on her neck. She flinched at first and then relaxed as a soothing sensation replaced the sting.

“I didn’t know the gun was loaded!”

“But you had it, nonetheless. You planned, you prepared, and you acted. Now, I’ve been curious, so tell me; where did you get gentleman’s clothing on such short notice?”

“They belong to my twin brother, Walker. We are about the same size. I’m just grateful that it worked.”

“Oh, it most certainly worked. I couldn’t believe my eyes when you walked through that door.”

“You certainly looked surprised.”

“I was.” He pulled his hand away from her wounds and rinsed it in the water. She sat up.

“Now it’s my turn.”

“What?”

“You have wounds, too.” She picked up a cloth and wet it in the warm water.

“I can take care of those.”

“I have a better angle.” She smiled and wiped the blood away from the cut on his arm and then moved onto the one on his chest.

“You really are stubborn, Miss Blayse.”

“I’ve been told I take after my…”

“Mother. Yes. I remember.” He smiled and looked into her eyes. She felt a surge of happiness flow through her, and she hugged him, joyful tears threatening to fall.

“That is the most wonderful phrase you’ve ever said.” He groaned a bit in pain, and she let go.

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay. Just be gentle. Which phrase is wonderful?”

“’I remember.’”

“In that case, I hope that someday I can say it more often.”

She nodded and continued to clean his wounds. She wetted down the cloth again and reapplied it.

“Tomorrow you won’t remember any of this.” She paused and looked up at him.

“I’ll have the wounds to remind me, but, yes. I won’t remember.”

She looked down. He lifted her chin to look into her eyes again.

“But that only means I get another day to fall in love with you.”

“And what if you don’t?”

“How could I not?” He smiled. She felt her pinkness return, and she looked away, smiling.

“There’s my Mira. Red as a rose.”

“That’s my middle name you know.”

“Is it really?”

“Samira Rose Blayse. Named after my mother.”

“Ah, but it suits you.”

“Does it?”

“Well you certainly have a habit of blushing like a rose whenever I’m around. And you are beautiful, and sweet, and when threatened you have proven to have thorns.” He tucked a stray hair behind her ear. She smiled and laughed a little, then picked up a bandage to wrap his arm. He watched silently as she did so, carefully lining up each edge of the bandage, binding it down. Then she took a fresh bandage and wrapped it around his chest, covering up the cut.

“There.” She tucked the end of the bandage underneath the rest of it. He smiled at her.

“Thank you. Now there is only one thing left to do.”

“What’s that?”

“Take you home.”

“Byron, my uncle…”

“Will have to understand that you are safe and sound, and badly in need of a change of clothes.” He stood and offered her a hand. She took it and stood. He kept ahold of her hand and led her towards the door.

“Um…Byron…you still don’t have a shirt.” She glanced away. He looked down then back up at her.

“So, it seems. Give me a moment.” He soon emerged in a fresh shirt and suit, with his hair combed. She smiled a bit as he offered his arm to her. “Shall we?”

She took his arm. “Yes, we shall.”

They walked out into the cool night air, the streetlamps and stars flickering.

“Today has certainly been eventful.” Byron smiled at her.

“Yes, it has. This morning seems so long ago. Today you’ve forgotten me, we went to the Pit, we’ve solved two mysteries, I’ve jumped from a train…”

“You must allow me to apologize again for my conduct this morning. It was unforgivable.”

“Not quite.”

“I hope I have made up for it.”

“You’ve made up for