Page 58 of A Lady’s Guide to Subterfuge and Science

“Well, do be careful,” Caroline said, strolling away. “That stool seems ready to collapse at a moment’s notice.”

Kalila heard the delicate tinkle of the shopkeeper’s bell as Caroline stepped out. It seemed that this shop boasted everything one could want—except a dratted brass microscope. She peered past wet specimen jars and a box full of what appeared to be teeth, heaving a huge sigh as she did so. Climbing off the stool once more, she dragged it a few paces before hopping up again.

And then she saw it. A small brass microscope, well-loved and worn with age.

The shopkeeper’s bell tinkled again. Given how little traffic the shop appeared to see, it was safe to assume that it was Caroline.

“Caroline!” Kalila called. “I found one!”

“She’s outside,” a voice said.

Kalila’s heart dropped straight to her boots. For a moment, she was inspired to use a word particularly favored by Dameer’s father. Looking down, she saw Oliver, who had his usual crooked grin on his face.

“Mr. Booth,” she squeaked. “Fancy running into you here.”

“Fancy running into you here,” he returned. “Quite unexpected, really.”

“Why?” Kalila asked, still balanced precariously on the stool. “Do you not expect women to frequent shops of this sort?”

“On the contrary,” Oliver said. “I only know that you’d find far better fare around that townhouse of yours.”

“Oh.” Kalila felt a blush creep up her neck. “Yes, well, I am in search of something particular. That’s all.”

“And it appears you have found it,” he said. “I must confess, I’m terribly curious.”

As was becoming quite typical, Kalila found herself backed into a corner. She couldn’t very well admit that she’d been trying to track down his microscope. Nor could she admit to scouting for a microscope of any kind, lest she inspire a line of questioning that she wasn’t prepared for.

There had to be a clever way for her to—

“It’s just behind this old thing,” she said, hauling the microscope off the shelf and passing it down to him. Whatever was behind the microscope would be her special find, whether she liked it or not.

To her relief, it was a little brown butterfly, preserved underneath a glass dome. Kalila dragged it toward her, hugging it to her chest. When she turned to Oliver, she saw that he was examining the side of the microscope with a dazed look in his eyes.

“Is there something special about it?” she asked, still towering over him.

Oliver blinked up at her. “Yes, actually. It’s mine.”

“What a happy coincidence,” Kalila remarked, all innocence. “Could you step back, please? I’d like to get down.”

Jumping as if a fire had been lit beneath him, Oliver shoved the microscope onto a nearby shelf and offered his hand to her. “Allow me.”

Kalila hesitated before placing her gloved hand in his. He steadied her as she stepped down, though she found that the cramped shelves did not provide nearly enough space for them to properly stand apart from one another.

“I’m glad to have reunited you with your microscope,” she said, unable to make sense of her sudden breathlessness. “Accident though it was.”

“Indeed,” he murmured, still holding onto her hand. The indirect contact caused a sweet warmth to flood her. “I’ve spent most of the morning searching for it.”

As have I.

“Well! Now we’ve both found what we’re looking for.”

“Yes,” he said. “I rather think we have.”

For a moment, all she could do was stare up at him, to revel in the cluttered privacy the shop provided them. When she returned to Painswick, she would never see him again.

The thought was almost enough to break her heart.

“My hand,” she said.