“Gisela, have you met the new master?” Miss Dolores inquired, making the introductions.
“Not in his new capacity,” Gisela said in an arid voice. “How do you do?”
Genevieve tried to get a hold of her temper. She did not want to be civil to the woman who had tried tokillKendrick—or had at least plotted to do so.But that is the point of this night’s visit, she thought.We have won over all our friends. It is now time to treat with our enemies.
And of course she was thankful that Kendrick was the sort of person who cared to build bridges. She was thankful he was willing to pursue other avenues to find Laurent and his ilk rather than just waiting for them to poke their heads out of their hidey-holes and hurt someone else. She was grateful that he agreed with her that they needed to make a strong stand against despicable behavior in order for the Ossuary to be healthy.
She just didn’t like that his strategy included the woman who had orchestrated several knives aimed at his back.
Kendrick nodded. “We do very well, all things considered. Ladies, I wonder if you would mind if my wife and I have a private conversation with Miss Gisela. It will not take long.”
The two birdlike gazes sharpened into the eyes of a couple of falcons, but they said all that was correct and vacated the parlor room with the ease of women decades younger. They would still be able to hear perfectly well if they chose to eavesdrop, but Genevieve had mentioned to Kendrick that this approach might be best, to give Gisela the veneer of privacy.
“Well,” Gisela said, taking one of the seats the women had vacated. “I’m honored, I’m sure. What brings you to our little corner of London? You would not have come all this way to speak to me.” The neighborhood was well off, but nothing like the vast townhouses and squares of Mayfair.
“Actually,” Genevieve said, setting her gloved hands in her lap, “we are visiting influential vampires within the confines of London to share our progress with the Ossuary and explain further our plans for the future. For instance, we have completed nearly seventy-five percent of the Ossuary’s census and will soon begin on the aboveground residents of London. We have also begun several industries within the Ossuary.”
“How nice.”
“It is,” Genevieve said, keeping a hold of her temper. “Very nice when we can give people something to live for.”
“Well, it is kind of you to think of me and pay a call, but I’m afraid I do not qualify as ‘influential.’” She smiled tightly. “Not anymore.”
Kendrick said, “We think you do.”
How did he look so at ease? All Genevieve’s concentration was put towards not glaring at Gisela. She had insisted to Kendrick when he had broached the idea, “But she tried to kill you! Multiple times!”
“I believe you, but it does need to be said that the instance where you heard her plotting, she was advocating for a different approach,” Kendrick had pointed out.
“A different approach tokillingyou,” Genevieve had groused.
“Fair,” Kendrick had admitted. “But it demonstrates that Gisela has intelligence enough to see which way the wind is blowing. If we can get her on our side, or at least ensure that she has no more involvement with plots, we could sway a distinct amount of the undecided among the Ossuary in our favor.”
Genevieve had agreed to the meeting, still inwardly doubtful.
Now Gisela raised one disbelieving eyebrow. “Then why did you choose to share these notable accomplishments in private, instead of in front of my aunts? If it was in an effort to spare salting my wounds, it was very diplomatic of you, I’m sure, but everyone knows what happened in Yorkshire.”
Genevieve did her best not to clench her teeth. “No, you’re absolutely right, Miss Connors.”
Gisela smiled thinly.
Kendrick pinned the other woman with a hard stare. “The truth is, Miss Connors, I know you were one of the masterminds behind some of the attempts on my life.”
Gisela stilled. Her gaze flickered from Kendrick to the scabbard behind his chair. “You’ve no proof of that.”
“Do I need proof, when I heard it from your own lips?” Genevieve said, tilting her head to the side.
Gisela’s expression turned as cold as marble. She could not call the lady of the Ossuary a liar—not to her face. “And so, the reason for this visit becomes clear. Must I submit myself to the Ossuary’s justice?”
Kendrick watched her closely. “No, but you may have to humble yourself and receive the Ossuary’s mercy.”
She glanced between them, something flickering behind her eyes. “I don’t understand.”
Kendrick drummed his fingers on the arm of the chair. “You’re a smart and clever woman. You survived as a vampire and reached one of the highest positions of power available to you. And you weren’t hotheaded enough to come at me with a knife yourself. Now, whether you should answer for the men and women you sent to their deaths is a different question.”
“Allegedly,” Gisela said, voice flat. “Unless you have evidence besides your unsupported word.”
Kendrick acknowledged that with a nod. “But we have noted a distinct downturn in the number of assassination attempts.”
