“Oh, I know you don’t.” Laughter bubbled up from her tired chest. “Jewelry?”
“Yeah, sure. Why not?” Hil shrugged. “None of your gigantic earrings though, I don’t need more of a headache than Dunstan and Burke already give me.”
George grinned and shook her head. “Will one of them be getting lucky tonight?” The boys might give Hildy a headache, but the volatile situation was undeniably of her own making.
“Eh, maybe. They’re not on my good side at the moment.”
“Neither one?”
“Mm.” Hildy’s response was non-committal as she selected a pair of golden studs from George’s collection and pushed themthrough the holes in her ears. “Are you sure you don’t want to come with us?”
“Positive.”
“Business to attend to?” Hil checked, fluffing her curls.
“Perhaps I just want to keep an eye on our prisoner.”
“Aneye, huh?”
“Shut up.” George laughed.
When Hildy was ready, George accompanied her to thetabliniumwhere Dunstan and Burke were already waiting to go.
Pacing, George circled the low table for a third time before she announced, “I want to have another go at the captive.”
Hildy barked a laugh.
“What happened to being hesitant about torture?” Burke snorted.
“I’ll combine my touch and sight. He won’t even know what hit him.” Spinning to face her friends who sat in a neat line along the wall, she shrugged. “I’m not going to be cruel.”
George was determined to get some answers before they had to move on and call on the help of her sultriest friend, so she’d channel Wynnie herself. She’d dabbled in trying to weaponize her feminine wiles before, but her impact was never quite the same as Wynn’s intrigue and machinations. Still, this was as good a chance as any for George to see if she could figure out what it was that made Wynnie so desirable. She’d love to harness that confidence.
Hildy smirked, a knowing gleam in her eye. “That’s a terrible idea. Don’t do it.”
Dunstan reiterated Hil’s point, but in a far more serious tone.
“Don’t do what?” Elio asked as he and Greta sauntered into the sitting room.Stopping near the door, Elio moved behind his wife, wrapping his arms around her belly and relieving some of the weight. Greta sighed and leaned back against him, a blissful smile softening her features.
“Our beloved Georgie wants to out herself as a dual mage and question the prisoner alone,” Hildy offered with a flourish of her hand.
“We don’t think it’s smart.” Dunstan pointed at himself, Burke, and Hildy.
“Woah, woah, woah,” Elio stopped them. “We don’t want to know about this at all.”
“Are you sure he can’t hear us?” Burke checked. “This would be a very damning conversation.”
“He’s beneath the wine cellar,” Greta said. “Your friend,who we know nothing about, won’t hear anything.”
“Georgetta,” Elio began.
“George, please. No one good calls me Georgetta, you know this.” Finally, she stopped pacing and took a seat opposite her friends before turning her attention back to the viceroy and his wife. She’d known Elio for years, before he had his title, since he was a ward of her father’s. Lord Neninios had been forced to take part in wiping the minds of the unsuspecting lords, ladies, and other viceroys at court. Her heart tensed at the thought of having to return, and no small part of her wanted to remain at Villa Manolay forever.
“George,” Elio restarted, “you know we’re firmly on your side regarding any and all matters of the kingdom. Find out what you can.Dowhat you can, and we’ll support you in every way possible.”
“Just don’t do italone,”Greta added.
“Exactly.” Dunstan crossed his arms, popping his pecs.
