Kit was prepared for the inferno that blazed in his mouth and stomach, but Harrison wheezed for a full five minutes. Preston laughed and shook his head. “You’re growing soft in your old age, Archer.”

“Fuck. You,” Harrison gasped.

“Kit,” Preston said. “Profits are way up, the club is doing well. Congratulations.”

“Thank you. Alice gets most of the credit, however.”

“I know, which is why I am worried about what happens in a month.”

“It’ll be fine.” Kit crossed his arms over his chest, not about to back down. “She won’t be gone long.”

“So you say, but I know how these things go . . .”

“She deserves it, after how hard she’s worked.”

Preston’s expression hinted that he wasn’t convinced, but he turned to Harrison, who’d finally caught his breath. “Shall we leave Kit to it? Then we may all go off and grieve in our own ways.”

“Sleeping with your women, you mean,” Harrison said. “You two will be consoled and coddled while I’m on a train headed west.”

“No one cares about your celibacy, Harrison.” Preston clapped him on the shoulder. “It’s not my fault you fell in love with a woman who travels more than a Pullman porter.”

Harrison shook Kit’s hand. “Good luck. I’ll see you when I return, hopefully.”

Preston was next. “Tell Alice I am twice as fond of her as I am of you.”

“She knows that already. Get out of here.”

He cleaned up after his friends departed and got to work. There were performers to secure, orders to be placed, members to bill and many more menial tasks he’d never imagined. Preston kept after him to hire a manager, and Kit thought the time may have arrived. He was not meant to tally ledgers and argue with suppliers. Besides, they could well afford it now.

An hour and a half later the door swung open. Alice had removed her apron and repinned her hair, but she still had a smudge of chocolate on her cheek. With a wan smile, she dropped onto the sofa. “I don’t know why, but these ladies’ luncheons take it out of me. Much more so than a regular dinner service.”

“Because you were up late last night.” He came to sit next to her on the sofa.

“And whose fault was that?”

“Guilty.” Leaning in, he kissed the chocolate off from her skin. “Delicious, as always.”

She sighed and dropped her head onto his shoulder. “Charmer.”

“I have a question for you.”

Snuggling closer, she said, “All right.”

“Do you want your anniversary present now or on the actual day?”

She pulled back, her eyes wide. “You bought me an anniversary present? I didn’t know . . . that is, I haven’t yet had time to get you anything.”