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She wasn’t ready to explain herself, so she did the next-best thing: she baked In between customers, she bustled around the kitchen attached to the parlor, carefully cracking eggs and ar as her mother had always done when nervous, despite the pet shop’s ongoing agreement with the baker across the street Around lunchtin on the door, locked it, and headed upstairs with a heavy tray

Tho shtly

He stilled to watch her, his gaze cautious but warm "Verra, thanks"

She was surprised that he hadn’t ress in five hours alone She’d heard a little bit of sawing, a little bit of ha the

Wait It was her new curtain, which she had left folded neatly on the table Her bed was ht blue floor had been swept, the charred wood and ashes rehts!

"The bed is fixed," he said softly, holding up the side of the blanket to show shining nehere charred, ancient boards had been

"My You do work fast" She set the tray on the now erinned and gestured for her to rand reveal"

Careful to give her space, careful not to touch her again, he waited for her to step away before whipping the curtain aside When she gasped this ti I found," he said

"So you’re a sailor, a firefighter, a handyet around"

She put a finger to the di special, as ent Two sih to show her the world outside, which the oldhad never done

Without Thom, she would have had to pay soed wood It would have been h lass available

"It doesn’t seeh Tho closer, he held hi her measure He had the sa s, and they needed space, understanding, and tier Frannie smiled to herself So she was ht, then And he was more patient than she had expected She suddenly realized that she had to see hiht hilanced about the rooravictims But her bedroo but the closet, so far as she knew She narrowed her eyes at the door, wondering But if he had opened it, she’d have heard the squeal of the hinges, and he would have had a few choice questions for her by now

"I’ve a box at the Vauxhall for Friday night and would appreciate an escort," she began, and a small smile quirked his full lips

"I’ brute like , and she knew it And liked it

"I’ incendiary devices through lad to have my own personal brute in tow For safety, you understand"

The gleam in his eyes said he understood just fine, but he continued to play along "Well, if it’s a public service, I can’t really say no, aye?"

"I knew I could count on your altruis a lady in need"

"It’s no’ a habit, but I do make exceptions And I doubt you’re helpless at all Ye see this place all alone, keeping up the creatures and sorting your own house I was raised by just s Ye do fine"

She couldn’t help blushing It was hard work, but she’d honestly never considered anything else What else could she have done when Bertrae accident, and all her wider faious folk who had never supported the idea of a pet shop When she’d turned down her grandmother’s offer that Frannie move in and act as maid, companion, and cook, that was the last she’d heard of the huh to see the truth of her life, not in a long time Except Maisie, but their relationship was based on wisdorumbled complaints And she never left her own courtyard, either

"I don’t kno to thank you, Thom Please let lanced at the , his"I don’t think--"

"Just enjoy your lunch and send rinned "I’ll do that Before the theater on Friday"

Later that afternoon, an urchin arrived bearing a letter and a e In the wobbly, loopy hand of aat sea, it read:

To: Miss Frannie Pleasance, Tamer of Beasts

Bill for: Acts of Altruism

Fee: One ticket to the theater