I sucked in a ton of air (in other words, I took a giganticsniff so I wouldn’t burst into tears) and blew it out.
“Okay, all right, okay…” I chanted.
Idina’s head popped around the door.
“Their lordships are here,” she announced.
I nodded.
Her head disappeared.
“Okay, all right, okay…” I chanted again.
I went to the bed, took up my gloves and hat, and deepbreathed my way to the hall, through the hall and down a half a flight ofstairs.
I’d pulled it together by the time they could see me.
And I knew something was wrong even before I made itanywhere near him.
I greeted Ansley first, saw Mom studying me curiously, butmostly, I was all about Loren.
He had his chin tipped down and his gaze was moving all overmy face like he’d never seen me before.
Also, it was important to note, he didn’t touch me.
“Everything okay?”I asked, my words sounding feeble,strangled.
His beautiful, lushly lashed brown eyes came to mine.
And I found it alarming in the extreme that he didn’t answermy question.
No.
Instead, he offered his arm in a formal manner.
And stated simply…
“We must be away.”
ChapterTwenty-Seven
The King’s Leisure
Satrine
As mentioned, I studied the newspapers from back tofront every day.
So it wasn’t a surprise when we arrived at the magistrate’scourt that there were throngs of people there.
It was such because this was the trial of the century, andnot simply because KingNoctornowas gracing thisfair city to adjudicate it, and his queen had accompanied him.
But because a member of the aristocracy was standing todefend his crimes, and the Newton paper (which, it had to be said, had aliberal bent), was in fits of glee about it.
Thus, when we arrived, there were people lining thepavements.
A lot of them.
There was also a massive police presence, in the form ofactual police, but also men in smart, navy-blue uniforms that had a half-capein admiral blue flipped over one shoulder (seriously, if I wasn’t so out of it,I would have noted how totally cool these uniforms were and how Loren probablylooked super-hot wearing one).They wore admiral blue berets with short, sharpfeathers stuck in.Sabers at their belts.
