“Wine?”
“I would prefer tea.”
“As you wish.”
One of the squires reached for the teapot. Bellen waved him off and poured the tea for me. The squires withdrew.
“This is too much, really. I can pour my own tea.”
“You are so easy to overwhelm, Lady Maggie. You must endeavor to be more demanding.”
I sipped the tea. Delicious. “How did you know I was at the Guard station?”
“Interesting, that. A child brought a note to the Citadel. It said that you had been arrested and were held at the Southern Guard Station.”
Another note. Who the hell was sending these?
“Was it from one of your people, perhaps?” Bellen asked.
“No. I gave them strict instructions to do nothing and wait for me. Did you question the child?”
“He said a priest paid him a quarter to deliver it.”
Interesting. “Did he say which Aspect?”
Bellen shook his head. “No. The child was too young and didn’t pay attention.”
“I’m at a loss then. I do not have close ties to any of the temples.”
Bellen studied me. “Why leave the safety of your house?”
“Because city guards do not usually come to the door of law-abiding citizens andinvitethem to meet with a Knight Captain. Especially not over something so trivial as a trade permit. I wanted to know who was behind Jehan.”
Bellen nodded. The charm and humor were gone now. The man sitting across from me was sharp and focused. “A sound strategy. Might as well flush the culprit out into the open. You must’ve been quite frustrated when I pulled you out of that office.”
“Never.” I smiled at him. “You were so gallant it was worth it.”
One of the squires returned with a note and withdrew. Bellen glanced at it.
“Ah. Just in time. Owyn’s chat with the Knight Captain was most productive. Is there a reason Ulmar Hreban might want to intimidate you?”
That’s what I thought. Jehan had mentioned the soap. Silveren wouldn’t have paid attention to that, but Hreban was a businessman. If he somehow figured out that I had sold soap to the Garden and he wanted to know my identity, he would check for a trade permit. Since one wasn’t filed, he’d used its absence as a pretext to get my name.
I wished I could tell how much to freak out over this.
“I can’t imagine what that would be,” I lied. “We’ve never been introduced. Our families have no conflicts or mutual trade interests. It is puzzling.”
Bellen frowned. “Hreban is a difficult enemy with many resources at his disposal.”
The question was, what was Hreban really after? I doubted the Butcher had shared the fact that he had gotten his ass kicked with his employer. Hreban had the warehouse watched, and his people saw my rescue. For all he knew, I was a random woman the Butcher had grabbed off the street for fun, and my family had found and saved me. That would be far preferrable to him knowing the truth.
“Do you have family in the city?” Bellen asked.
“Yes, but my cousin is away at the moment.”
“Do you wish to prolong your visit to the Citadel, my lady? We could arrange a short stay. As you can see, we have plenty of room.” He leaned forward slightly, his blue eyes warm and inviting. “I personally would find a chance to share time with you most agreeable.”
Bellen had just hit on me. What the hell?
