𝖜𝖍𝖎𝖘𝖐𝖊𝖞 𝖒𝖊𝖒𝖔𝖗𝖎𝖊𝖘, 𝐭. 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐛𝐲 ¹

✧ 12 ✧

Grace smiled again and turned her attention back to the musty cigarettes, questioning where they acquired their bad smell.

"What do you care?" Arthur asked as he leaned back and puffed on his cigarette. Tired of smelling the smoke, Nellie reached over and snagged the stick from his lips, extinguishing it on the desktop. "'Ey!" Arthur raised his hands in irritation, but simply rolled his eyes at Nellie when she gave him a look. He muttered something under his breath as he turned to Grace, gesturing at the papers before him. "Will you check my adding up, please?" Arthur asked Grace with a nasty side-eye to Nellie.

Unease washed over Nellie the moment Grace peered over the numbers before Arthur. It seemed he was too preoccupied with peering at her rear as she bent over to notice Nellie's tense body.

She smacked him on the back of his head, dragging his attention away from Grace's rear just as the woman began to ask questions. Nellie watched Grace carefully, noting every little change in her expression as Arthur gave her the answers she was seeking.

Arthur was too oblivious to realize what Grace was doing, but Nellie saw right through her seemingly innocent questions.

"What orders?" the barmaid questioned after Arthur revealed that Thomas had very strict rules regarding their contraband.

Arthur grinned a prideful grin. "Always keep contraband near the-"

Nellie exhaled sharply and loudly, slapping her hands against Arthur's shoulders as she stood behind him. Grace peered at Nellie as Arthur complained about the interruption. "I think that's enough questions for one day," Nellie said with a tight smile. "We can't give out every family secret, can we?" she asked as she gripped Arthur's shoulders tighter.

Nellie looked down at Arthur, who seemed to catch her drift. He cleared his throat and straightened in his seat, shrugging Nellie's hands off his shoulders. He changed the topic, gesturing to his papers once again. "Now, is the adding correct?"

Grace stood up, her chin rising slightly as she stared into Nellie's eyes. "It is now."

Nellie smiled coldly as she stepped around Arthur. "Then your duties here are done." The dismissal was curt and obviously intended to irritate the woman, and it seemed it had its intended effects. Grace gave Nellie a sour look before excusing herself from the office. Nellie followed her, closing the door as soon as he stepped out of the room.

She had hoped to hit Grace with the door, but the barmaid was too quick.

"You should learn to play nice," Arthur said with a laugh. Nellie spun around and planted her hands on her hips.

"I know how to play nice," she snapped. "But that woman is nothing but trouble, Artie."

Arthur frowned as he silently mouthed 'Artie', but he said nothing more about her nickname for him. "You're paranoid," he said after a moment. "There's nothing wrong with Grace, a'right?"

Nellie glared at Arthur. "Don't ever tell a woman she's paranoid, Arthur. Especially not me." Arthur raised his hands in surrender as Nellie resumed sitting on the edge of the desk. Arthur shook his head and ran his hand through his slicked hair. "You need to tell Thomas about her askin' all these questions."

Arthur frowned. "Why would I do that?"

Nellie exhaled sharply as she cocked her head at Arthur. "I think he'd like to know that his new girl is prying into the logistics of how he runs the business, don't you?"

Arthur stared at Nellie. "I guess," he muttered, but it was clear he wasn't convinced of Grace's dubious intentions. "Why can't you tell him yourself, since you're so worried about it?" Arthur asked.