“Better?” he asked.
She nodded.
They were quiet a moment.
“It’s your fault I said ‘bollocks,’” she accused.
“As if you’ve never heard that word from Mr. Delacorte in the sitting room. And by the way, you said ‘hell,’ too,” Mr. Pike said wickedly.
Dot’s eyes bulged in alarm again. “So did you!” she accused. “Just now!”
Mr. Pike sighed heavily. “It’s something of a curse, knowing epithets and managing not to use them,” he explained more gently. “It’s a test of character, I think.”
“And Ifailed,” she breathed. “I am so very disappointed in myself I might swoon.”
“Considering recent events, I doubt sincerely you’re a swooner,” he said flatly and frankly, thereby breaking Dot’s Gothically romantic heart.
Although it was probably true.
She sobered.
“And besides, we can’t both of us lay about on the floor. We’ll get fired of a certainty.” He paused. “Though I must say this might be the cleanest floor I’ve ever seen in a scullery.” He sounded bemused.
“Everything is very clean and in good repair here. We take our jobs seriously here at The Grand Palace on the Thames.Allof our jobs,” she said meaningfully.
He sighed.
“Dot, I do, too. Ilovemy job here. And I should like it if we could be friends.”
Dot considered this.
“Why did you try to scare me?”
“I... because you stepped on me twice and it was an impulse, born of frustration. Which I confess is childish. The opportunity seemed too good to miss. I am not proud of it and I expect I only got what I deserved.”
Dot considered this answer, which she ratherliked for its directness and honesty. “Very well,” she conceded. “I expect I deserved it, too,” she admitted bravely.
Mr. Pike exhaled in relief. He had taken a bit of a risk in being honest.
“May I ask... don’t you think it’s more appropriate for me to answer the door at night?” he asked.
“Appropriate how?” she demanded.
“Because most fine establishments have a footman to greet the guests,” he explained, a trifle loftily.
“We’re a fine house, and we have me,” she said firmly. “Are you saying we weren’t a fine establishment before you appeared?”
To her satisfaction, this brought him up short.
He sat all the way up and leaned against the wall, while she leaned against the opposite wall. She wrapped her arms around her torso. She really missed her shawl.
“Why does it mean so much to you?”
“Because I think opening the peep hatch is like getting a gift every time. Who will it be? It’s ever so thrilling to be the first person to see someone who might fall in love with a duke, or be a fine lady in disguise, or discover a tunnel.”
He stared at her. “What on earth are you... Dot,Iwas the one who got hit in the head.”
“All of those things really did happen! This is averyspecial place, mind you. I opened the door to Captain Hardy, and now look, he’s married to Mrs. Hardy. I opened the door to Lord Bolt! I was one of the first people to see him in years.Everyone in all of England thought he was dead! And now Mrs. Durand is his wife. I opened the door to the King. Of. England,” she added on a marveling hush. “Me. Dot. I like to feel a part of things and this is my favorite place in the world.”