AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Will brushed his hands against the tattered edges of the carriage’s interior and frowned. “This will not be a quick repair.”
“Do you think they were with the Agency?” I asked him.
Will stared ahead with a hard expression on his face. “Perhaps, but only their client will be able to tell us the truth.”
We rolled down the street and the simple shops changed to elegant boutiques. These stores were too good for the upstairs apartments and instead had high ceilings with gold-plated chandeliers. Their thick paned windows revealed interiors of marble flooring and tapestries featuring their products. Handsomely dressed men and women sauntered down the street toward their gilded carriages.
Raines parked the carriage in front of one of those fancy shops. The front windows stretched upward to nearly the twenty-foot ceiling and the width was an impressive ten feet. Heavy curtains hid the interior but portraits that hung in the windows advertised perfume bottles of various shapes and which contained contents of different colors.
Will stepped out first and scouted out the area before he offered me his hand. I couldn’t help but feel a little trepidation as he helped me onto the wide sidewalk that abutted the front of the shop. A few shoppers strolled past and a couple took one look at us and lifted their noses so high they nearly crashed into each other.
Will was undeterred by their rude behavior and crossed his arm over his chest. He bowed low to them and moved his hand just right so the coins in his full purse loudly jingled. Thesound caught the attention of the couple and they gave us more difference by granting us a smile.
Will pretended not to notice their attention as he guided me into the shop. I looked over my shoulder and watched their snooty disappointed selves wander off. “Are those the types of customers Baddock would attract?”
A faint smile appeared on Will’s lips. “They wouldn’t have the coins to purchase his products, or so I heard from Alex.”
I wouldn’t have been able to guess from the steady stream of customers that moved in and out through the front doors. The traffic practically created a constant breeze and we had to wait a few times for the exiting traffic before we could slip inside.
Will and I walked through the doors and into the lobby of the elegant perfume shop. The business featured marble floors beneath our feet and three grand chandeliers hung above our heads. Perfectly white free-standing shelves featured velvet cushions down their entire length and atop the plushness were bottles of various sizes and designs. The contents ranged from soft violet to a harsh black, and all of them stunk.
We were nearly struck down by the strong smells from all directions including from the clientele who loitered about the room. A half dozen employees clothed in matching white vests, pants, and dress shoes scurried about offering samples and wrapping purchases.
One of them hurried up to us, a thin young man with a bright smile. He bowed his head to us. “Good afternoon! What can I do for you?”
“I will take care of these guests, Paul.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
We turnedto find an ancient specimen of a man shuffling toward us from around one of the shelves. He appeared to be well beyond a hundred with a bent back and a pace that would make a glacier appear fast. His face was a mess of wrinkles, but even those couldn’t hide what had once been a handsome appearance. He had been about as tall as Will before his shrinkage but now was my height. One of his wrinkled, shaking hands grasped an elegant cane that he constantly used. The man wore a gold-rimmed robe over his person and soft slippers on his shoes that made the smallest of noises through the dust brought in by the customers.
He stopped in front of us as the employee bowed out. His eyes sparkled and a smile graced his lips, but there was something about his manner that made me anxious. “I never expected to see a dragon lord in my shop. May I ask your name, My Lord?”
“William Thorn,” Will introduced himself as he gestured to me. “And this is my lady, Rose.”
“Simon Baddock,” the man returned as he held out his quivering hand to Will. “It’s a pleasure to meet both of you.” Will gingerly accepted the hand but even his gentle touch couldn’tstop the man from jiggling a little at their shake. Baddock withdrew his hand and wryly smiled at his palm. “You must forgive me. I had my last molting some time ago and I doubt I shall have another.”
“Molting?” I repeated.
He nodded. “I am, as you have no doubt heard, one of the serpent creatures who once inhabited the hills south of here. We rejuvenate ourselves by molting our skins but eventually old age catches up to us and we can no longer shed our years so easily.” He shook off his melancholy and smiled at us. “But what can I offer you today? Perhaps some exotic scents from the far west? Or something closer to home?”
“We wanted to try one of your smaller bottles,” Will told him as he nodded at me. “My bride here is only newly married and is unsure what she should wear to the more formal affairs.”
Baddock nodded. “Of course. I have just the set for the newly anointed, as it were. If you will follow me.” He offered me his crooked arm.
I glanced at Will who nodded, and I accepted the offer. Baddock led me over to one of the nearby shelves and nodded at a collection of various colors and sizes. “You may like these, My Lady. Sensual scents to entice your dragon husband.”
I blushed. “I-I’m not sure I’m looking for that”
“Then for the more daring,” he mused as he led me further down the aisle to an assortment of green-colored concoctions. “A fine collection of perfumes sure to induce a strong bout of courage in. . .in-“
The man froze and his eyes dilated. A coughing fit took control of him and forced him to lean forward. Spittle shot out of his mouth as his whole body rattled with the effort. I grasped his shoulders to keep him from toppling over and the rest of the shop froze in a mixture of curiosity and horror. A few of theemployees hurried over and one of them carried with them a glass of water.
Baddock recovered and waved away the anxiety in the room. “There is no need for those eyes. I am fine.”
“Perhaps we should come another time,” Will insisted as he drew me away from our host.
A sharp, territorial look appeared in Baddock’s eyes as Will took possession of me. The expression lasted only a moment, however, and a smile covered his irritation. “Of course. Come any time. You will always be welcome.”
