Pleased that the young woman was taking her job seriously, Bennett picked up a few cocktail napkins, and placing a toothpick-impaled scallop on each, she handed one to Ruby. “Thank you, Kenna. Is there anything else you can recommend?”

Sunshine seemed to break across Kenna’s face, and she moved in close. “The spinach and artichoke puffs, the steak and prosciutto skewers, and the brie mushroom pastries. They let us sample everything in the kitchen earlier, and I gotta tell you, this friend of yours really goes all out.”

Bennett shot up an eyebrow. “Is that so?”

A brush fire didn’t move as fast as the blush did across Kenna’s cheeks, and clearing her throat, she stepped back. “Um…well, I’m not being paid to talk, am I? I better get back to it. See you later, Bennett.”

“Someone you know?” Ruby said before biting into the scallop.

“I’m sorry. I should have introduced you. She’s one of Gus and Cathleen’s daughters. They’re both working as servers tonight.”

“Why did she suddenly look so flustered?”

“Because she has a job to do, and she stepped slightly out of bounds. I just reminded her of that fact.”

“Isn’t that a little hard-ass? I mean, she’s what? Sixteen?”

“Seven—”

“I knew I’d find you, eventually. You can’t hide from me.”

Ruby looked from Bennett, whose jaw was now set, to a woman wearing a luxurious silk brocade dress accented with lace and jewelry. Her saddle-brown hair was piled high on her head, and its loftiness was extended by a fontange, a stylish headdress worn in the late seventeenth century. The black cloth beauty mark stuck high on her cheek stood out against her pallid complexion, as did the two swaths of candy-apple blush across her cheeks, and her breasts were nearly spilling out of the low-cut bodice of her gown.

“I’m five foot nine and wearing a hat with an ostrich plume. Hiding is not possible, and why, Desiree, would I hide from the likes of you anyway?” Bennett said, her tone dripping with contempt. “Now, if you don’t mind, I was enjoying a pleasant conversation with—”

“Yet another mortal? Planning to add one more to our fold? How delicious. Is she as tasty as she looks?” Desiree said, licking her lips. “Lend me your wrist, dearie, so I can have a taste.”

Desiree reached for Ruby’s hand, and Bennett grabbed her by the arm. “Right now, I’m only going to leave behind a bruise. Unless you would prefer I just snap it in two?”

“I see you’re as testy as ever,” Desiree said, trying and failing to escape Bennett’s grasp. “I was only trying to sample the merchandise.”

“She’s not merchandise, and if you dare try to sample her, the next thing you’ll be sampling is the edge of my extremely sharp sword,” Bennett growled. “Do I make myself clear?”