“Well,” Amelia had tried to explain, “I thought I would celebrate by testing the error correction on—”
Miss Ho had dumped Amelia’s coat on her desk, covering all her papers. Auntie Zhu had stolen her pencils.
“Get out,” they’d said together. “It’s spring! Enjoy the sunshine tomorrow.”
Amelia had given in.
So now she was still at home, lingering over the soy milk soup and youtiao she’d obtained from the cart down the street. Merry sat at her feet and Amelia read a newspaper from Hong Kong (only a week old), breaking off bits of the fried dough and soaking them in soy milk until they were the perfect mixture of soggy and crisp. Spring sunshine spilled through her window.
“This isn’t for dogs,” she informed Merry, popping a bite into her mouth.
Merry knew better. She waited, her eyes a melting puddle of need.
“Oh very well.” Amelia gave in, as Merry had known she would. “Just a little piece.”
She held out a corner—and Merry jumped up without taking the treat, running to the door, and letting out a deep baying bark. A second later, a rap sounded at Amelia’s door.
Amelia frowned.
Then the pitch of Merry’s bark changed, higher and more excited—changing from “Intruder! How dare you!” to “Hello! It’s you! You pet me!”
Auntie Zhu had probably come to check on her. Amelia rolled her eyes fondly, took a firm hold of Merry’s collar, and opened the door.
There, standing in the sunshine, with a little sardonic smile on his face, was Captain Hunter.
Thought one: Oh no. He was early.
Thought two: Oh yes. He was beautiful. The sunlight caught his ears, tingeing the brown of his skin in golden light. His eyes met hers, dark and deep, and she could scarcely breathe.
Thought three: Help. Did he know about the taotai? Was he angry at her interference?
She realized she’d let go of her dog when Merry bounded forward eagerly, prancing at Grayson’s feet.
His eyes dropped from Amelia to her dog. “Ah.” He leaned down, petting her. “You remember me, girl.”
“Of course she does,” Amelia said, feeling as if she were speaking through a long tube. “Her memory is excellent.”
He glanced up at her. “And you?”
“Um.” She felt her mouth do something very complicated.
What language was she speaking? The office was now mostly Chinese—she’d spoken nothing but Mandarin for three days straight—English. She was speaking English.
She gave him a little wave. “I also. Remember. You.”
He let out a laugh. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I…um. You may have heard about the taotai?”
“I may have.” He said that with a little smile, one that made her heart skip.
“I didn’t consult you,” she confessed.
“I specifically remember telling you to use your initiative and to not wait upon my every response. I am delighted that you have done so.”
Merry nudged his hand with her head. He bent to pet the dog, and as he did, he glanced up at Amelia.
The last time she’d seen him, they’d held hands on the floor of her office. The months that had elapsed since then should have attenuated that feeling of intimacy. Instead, their connection felt all the more immediate—the way a warm stove was particularly welcoming when one came in from a snowstorm.
“Oh,” she said. Her faculties did not seem to be functioning. “Hello then.”
“Hello to you as well.”
Amelia swallowed. She had yet to look away from his eyes—dark, deep brown, pools of warmth twinkling in a way that made her think of a smile even though his expression seemed solemn.
“Surprised?” There was his smile again. Warm and inviting and just a little soft.
“I am surprised.” She frowned. “If you’re not here to berate me, then… You told me that one day I would realize that I deserved a raise. I believe that day has come.”
“Of course,” he said easily. “As my new vice president of telegraphic encoding, you must command a higher salary.”
She started forward. “Vice president of telegraphic encoding!” She felt as if she were glowing. “That’s a lovely surprise! But are you certain?”
He laughed. “That wasn’t even the surprise. That’s just ordinary advancement in exchange for good work.”
“It wasn’t?” She looked at him. That warm, fluttery feeling rose in her belly again. Maybe, perhaps…
Oh. God. Where were her manners? She hadn’t even asked him in yet.
She was about to do so when he turned around. “You can come out now.”
A familiar face peered around the corner of the building.
Amelia forgot everything she was thinking in the sheer joy of seeing him. She ran forward, wrapping her arms around her brother. “Leland!”
“Amelia. You’ve been revolutionizing telegraphic code, I hear.”
She grimaced. “Ugh. What nonsense have you been hearing? It’s less revolutionizing, more beating it into submission with blood and sweat and tears.”
“Mmm. I’m not sure I believe that, given what I just overheard. My sister is the vice president of telegraphic encoding. I’ll have to fight Captain Hunter to make sure he’s compensating you properly.”
She grinned at him, holding tight to his hands, afraid to let go. “Have you eaten yet this morning?”
“Not a thing. We’ve just made our way through Woosung.”
“Then come,” she said, taking hold of Leland’s sleeve and pulling. “I know just the cart.”
Captain Hunter stood to the side, smiling wryly. “Well then. I’ll be off.”
He touched his hat in farewell and turned to go. Amelia realized that he thought he could show up on her doorstep, deposit her brother, and then depart without a further word.
“Grayson Hunter.” She folded her arms. “Don’t you dare.”
He turned back to her.
She frowned at him. “How can Leland fight you over my salary if you slink away? You absolutely must come or I’ll demand an even better title.”
She knew it was a foolish argument. She knew he wasn’t likely to agree. He looked at her for a long moment. She could feel the phantom brush of his thumb across her hand. The late spring air was warm against her face, and the sun was brilliant overhead. Little green plants in the box at her window were starting to bud. Birds were singing. He was here.
“At least come have breakfast,” she said.
He shook his head. “Very well. Breakfast. I’ll allow breakfast.”
Grayson felt incredibly foolish dangling after Merry, Amelia, and her brother.
He’d intended to show up, deliver her a new title, hand over her brother, and take his leave while they were talking. He had business of his own in Shanghai. There were precise terms to discuss with the taotai, after all, and plans to lay the telegraph line in now that it had been allowed. There were enough business matters to occupy his time. As for Amelia, the pleasure of her brother’s company would keep her busy.
He had not planned to trail behind the two of them.
At some point, he was going to have to stop and consider how to go on. But for now, he allowed himself to enjoy a rare respite. Walking behind them, he could watch her obvious joy in interrogating her brother. It lit her from within, made her smile and throw back her head.