“Maybe you expect too much,” Velario said. “Perfection is impossible by human hands.”
Reyn glared at him. “Why thank you, Lord Velario. It never would have occurred to me that I shouldn’t expect my attempts to be perfect.”
Velario met her glare for glare. That wasn’t what he meant, and she knew it.
Selona interrupted their silent battle. “Well, either way, you spot visual details other people miss. That’s why we need you to help us identify and track down the counterfeits.”
“Of course,” Velario added, “this has to be kept completely secret. No hinting at what you’re doing or being careless with your words.”
Reyn bristled. “I know how to keep a secret.”
“If I didn’t think you could keep a secret, I never would have let Selona tell you. But your ability isn’t the issue here. It is your willingness to put something ahead of yourself that I question.”
“Velario,” Selona snapped. “That’s enough.”
She moved over to sit next to Reyn on the divan. “You have to understand, the biggest threat is not the counterfeit money itself, but what would happen if people learned of it. The resulting panic would do far more harm than a few fake banknotes can. That’s why we are having such a hard time; secrecy is more important than speed, but it also hamstrings us.”
“This won’t work.” Velario stood up. He had ignored his misgivings, because Selona was right, they couldn’t accomplish anything the way they attacked the problem at present. But he couldn’t do it.
“Vel, sit down. It will too work.”
“How is Lady Reyn going to inspect the money without inciting the panic we want to avoid?”
“The same way she discovered the first set of counterfeits. She’ll come with me. So long as we have plans scheduled for afterward, no one will remark on her joining me at the bank. No one will suspect why she is really there.”
“But you only have a reason to be at a single branch of the bank, Selona. For this to work, she needs to visit multiple banks, and probably other sites as well.”
Selona smiled, and the mischief in that expression had Velario cursing. He had hoped she hadn’t considered how to get Reyn around the banks without comment. If she had forgotten about it, then Velario could claim it wouldn’t work and move on to finding a new plan. Something that wouldn’t involve the torture his cousin was about to suggest.
“But you have a reason to visit every bank in Tryn, Velario. We’ll do the same plan, but with Reyn accompanying you instead of me.”
“There’s no reason for me to spend my day attached to Lady Reyn. No one will believe it for a minute.”
Selona crossed her arms. “Vel, every man in Tryn will believe that you want to get her to yourself. The real question is if you can stop acting like an ass long enough to make people believe she would want to spend time with you.”
Reyn snorted again.
Velario crossed his own arms. “I can’t be any worse than the bastards she regularly flirts with.”
“Of course you can,” Reyn said in her sweetest voice. “They at least have the decency not to act like bastards in front of me.”
“I think,” Selona said before Velario formulated a retort, “you should go out to the park together this afternoon. You need to see if you can play a convincing couple. Plus, it will make things look more natural when you start taking her to the bank.”
She fixed Velario with a look. “Remember the consequences and do what you have to, Vel.” Then she turned to Reyn. “Please, I know I’m asking a lot, but it is for a good cause. You’ll help, right?”
Reyn didn’t look at Velario. She studied Selona for several heartbeats, and he thought he might yet have an escape. She would not agree. Then she lifted her chin, flicked the briefest glance in his direction, and nodded.
“Of course I’ll help.”
