“Nothing,” she decided. She bent to tie her shoe. “Thank you for enlisting me. I’m excited.”
“Thankyoufor agreeing to be enlisted,” I replied. There was a stale air. I exhaled. “Right. Listen, Josie. I… I know my Eli comes off… Well, you did call him a gargoyle, didn’t you? Iknowhe’s intimidating, but I promise you, it’s all an act. The man would never actuallyhurtanyone. Well. Perhaps that’s not a good reassurance. Hewasin the War. And heissworn to protectmy father and me atallcosts, but he wouldn’t hurt someone innocent. I swear. So don’t worry about him, even when he figures out that I’ve recruited you. That’s not reason to harm someone. He didn’t murder Miss. Hellveig and he certainly won’t murder you.”
“Wait a second,” she said.
“No, no. He will be angry atme. Not you.”
“You mean if?” she asked. “Right?Ifhe finds out?”
“No,” I said, laughing. “No. I mean, when he finds out. Butyou’llbe fine.”
She frowned. “Will you?”
“Of course,” I said. “Again, a killer but not a murderer. And I’m his favorite. At this point in our lives, I’m certain that heexpectsme to misbehave. Are you not happy to be here?”
“No, I am. I am happy to be here. Not just for Ser Willoughby either,” she said.
“You meanDaniel,of course,” I said.
“Yes, but I am happy to spend time with you as well,” she explained. “It’s not just about your cousin.”
“I’ll believe you when I wake up a moose. Now. On to business! I don’t want to come off as monstrous, but at some point, you and Ser Willoughby must talk alone so that I may have Mr. Evergreen alone.”
“I see.”
“Not the whole trip, but I do requiresometime without an audience. Not for nefarious purposes, but for privacy, you see? So. Perhaps you might suggest a walk? My cousin did express his explicit enjoyment of the outdoors, so I think that should work well enough to lure him away.”
“Ser Willougby enjoys the outdoors?” she asked.
“Mhmm,” I confirmed.
“I thought he might be a little more posh. This pleases me to learn.”
“Oh, don’t let him fool you,” I said. “As I recall, he was always a little less posh than his brothers, but he can turn it on for a purpose. Like, if you see him with the Viscount. He’s a new man.”
“A bit of a thespian, is he?” she asked.
“Aren’t we all?”
“I suppose.”
“He is quite rugged,” I told her. “He hunts,” I said, like it was a great reveal.
“I think I did see him and the Lord Commander once,” she said.
“Aye. And all the Willoughbys are fine hunters.”
“Enough about him,” she said. “You and Mr. Evergreen are becoming close. I hope you know I saw the way he looked at you yesterday.”
I straightened. “Oh?”
“Yes,” she pressed.
“How did he look at me? I should add, your discretion is theutmostvital part of this operation.”
“I won’t spill a word,” she said. “A lady’s trust, remember? And Mr. Evergreen looked at you like he was waiting for a moment tokissyou.”
I nodded, then possessed, blurted, “Ididthat.I kissed him.”
