The Pretender (51 page)

Nellie bobbed cheerfully and left. Agatha turned back to Simon and fisted her hands on her hips.

"I did not cheat. It isn't my fault that you played badly."

"I played badly because you were naked."

"It is still your loss," she teased. She came closer to warm her hands at the fire. Simon made a long arm and swept her into his lap instead.

"I'll warm you."

She snuggled close. "Better already. Now, I want you to listen carefully, for I have something I'd like you to consider."

"I won't do it." He nuzzled her neck instead.

"Simon, please. I need your undivided attention."

"Then get naked."

"Simon, I've rushed home to tell you something splendid. I have an idea what we can do with your skills and my money."

Defeated by her tightly attached collar, Simon leaned back with a sigh and a silent vow to toss her lace betsy into the fire later. "I hope this is better than your plan for the beaver-breeding farm."

"I still believe that would have raked in the pounds, what with beaver hats coming back into fashion."

"Nonetheless, I do not believe beaver enjoy being bred."

"Never mind that. I have decided that we should open a school!"

"Of fish?"

"No, and do stop teasing. I'm quite serious. We shall open the Lillian Raines School for the Less Fortunate."

"Hmm. I appreciate the tribute to my mother, damsel, but the rest of the title sounds a bit… well… unappealing. I hardly think the parents of London will be lining up to register their little pets with us."

She hopped off his lap to face him, by her expression very pleased with herself. "Precisely! It's perfect."

"Sorry, my love. You've lost me again."

"We won't be teaching little pets. We'll be teaching those who want to improve their speech and their table manners. We'll teach dancing and etiquette—"

"You are a wonderful teacher, Agatha, but—"

"—and pocket-picking, safe-breaking, and map-making—"

Simon's chair squeaked as he abruptly sat up off the base of his spine. "And sabotage!"

"Yes! A training program for the Liar's Club! Do you like it?"

With a laugh, Simon jumped up to gather Agatha into his arms and swung her around in a joyous spin. "It's perfect. And we may actively recruit. The Liars will never be short-handed again! All the men will have the necessary skills."

"And the women."

That halted him for a moment. He gave her a wary look. "That's been your goal all along, hasn't it?"

"Well, you could use a few likely girls. Women are so overlooked, maids and governesses and so forth, that people say all sorts of things in front of them."

He flashed her a grin. "Angling for a bit of work yourself, are you?"

"No," she said smugly.

"No? I'm surprised. I thought you'd want to be right in the thick of the action."

"Oh, no. I shall be far too busy teaching. Furthermore, the thick of the action is no place for a woman when she's increasing."

His mouth dropped open and threatened to stay that way. She tipped it shut with one finger. "A child, my love. Your child. Small. Occasionally loud. Usually wet."

A child. Simon's heart began to beat with a new resonance. His child.

A family of his own.

A slow smile began then, a smile that crossed his face and remained there for a very long time.

CELESTE BRADLEY
is the author of
Fallen,
which was nominated for a RITA in 2002. According to Bradley, the best thing about writing is that she finally gets to use the brain full of trivia she's collected over a lifetime of living in eight states, residing in over twenty homes, and changing her major five times. "It was research for my writing career! That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!" For now, she lives in Tennessee with her journalist husband, her two divas-in-training, and the smartest dog in the world. She is currently at work on her next book in The Liar's Club series.

You can visit her Web site at:
www.liarsinlove.com