Clearly unaffected, Rían flicked his wrist and drew away, his skirts swooshing as he bounced around the cluttered space, touching everything like a toddler on his first trip to town. Shuffled through hanging dresses, leaving them askew on their hangers. Sifted through folded garments on tables.
Dame Meranda’s smile tightened as she watched her shop being turned upside down.
Rían stopped at a basket filled with loose fabric. It wasn’t until he lifted a piece of black lace between his fingers and twisted to grin at me that I realized what he’d picked up.
Lacy undergarments, barely enough fabric to cover a woman’s backside.
He wiggled his arched eyebrows.“Your husband would love these.”
I ripped them out of his hands. “I’m not buying those.” My face lit on fire as I shoved them to the bottom of the basket.
Rían reached back in, withdrawing another pair. “Why not? They’d look fabulous on you. Wouldn’t you agree, Meranda?”
Meranda nodded from where she stood behind the counter. “Lady Aveen could wear whatever she wishes and look like a goddess.”
“See.” Rían shoved them back at me. If I didn’t know better, I would’ve said his voice had thickened. “Buy them.”
“Absolutely not.” I stuffed the blasted things beneath a box of stockings.
Shrugging, he went back to creating havoc in the shop. The sooner I got this over with, the better—for everyone.
“Did you get my note?” I asked Meranda, trying my best to ignore Rían when he picked up a brassiere and held it over his chest.
Meranda nodded. “I’ve had a glance at the garments. Some of them look as if they’ve never been worn.”
“They haven’t. And they’re doing no good sitting in my closet.” I needed money more than I needed dresses.
Rían tossed the brassiere aside in favor of a set of garters, dragging and pulling on the stretchy bits.
“Do you think we could make a deal?” I asked.
Meranda’s eyes darkened when Rían let the garters fly across the room and into the window. “Take care of your friend, and I’ll work up an offer.”
By the time I meandered around the tables and dress forms, Rían had plucked a dress from a rack and brought it to the long oval mirror propped against the wall. The color matched his eyes.
Babysitting a mad prince had not been on the agenda for today.
I ripped the hanger from him.
“Rude. I was thinking of buying that.” He swiped for the hanger.
“No you weren’t.”
“You try it on then. It’d suit you.”
“I own plenty of dresses.” So many, I was getting rid of them. What did I need a new one for anyway? It wasn’t as if I’d have any place to wear it once I came back from the dead.
“Meranda?” Rían called, thick lashes fluttering. “I think Aveen should try on this dress, don’t you?”
Meranda glanced up from the trunk of garments. “It is a beautiful dress. The boning can be removed if need be, but you’ll have to try it on.”
“Brilliant.” Rían grabbed my hand. “We’ll be right back.” Before I could protest, he dragged me behind the curtain to the fitting area.
The air grew heavy. Another tost. I tried to push through the curtain. An invisible barrier kept my hand from connecting with the material.
Rían sank onto one of the chairs around the perimeter of the dressing room.
If he thought he could keep me prisoner, he had another thing coming. Meranda would come to my aid, see what was happening, and raise the alarm.“What game are you playing?” I asked.