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"Fortunately, we already have that inforhteenth century We’re having a da near to it with the British occupation, though" He let out a thoughtful hu to lure hiround We sih it’s an excellent strategy otherwise"
"An excellent thought," Winifred said, picking up her pace to keep up with their long strides "He has never brought anything to us to merit the kindness we’ve shown him He’s a leech"
"That’s not entirely true," Henry said, with a fond look at Etta
"That was pure luck," Winifred groused
"Well, it was certainly fortunate," he agreed "What did youa leaf froh on himself, rude "…an Ironwood"
"Was he untoward to you at all?" Henry asked carefully "He’s a shaed him to be fairly toothless Many of the Thorns feel he’s outstayed his welco you, I daresay I ree"
"What do you mean, Julian’s outstayed his welcome?" she asked
"You’ve more questions than sense, child," Winifred er able to provide information about Ironwood that we don’t already know," Henry said "Ironwood has taken a few of our travelers prisoner over the years, and I had considered trading Julian for the he’s ht actually kill hied beyond the trees ahead of thehts swept over it, and two old-fashioned black cars rolled into place in front of the trees
"You really think so?" Henry asked "Everything is such a joke to him, I half expected his dalliance with us to be for amusement alone Ironouldn’t kill his heir, not when he needs him"
"The astrolabe could be used to create new heirs, if he uses it to save his wife," she pointed out
"That was your mother’s theory, yes," Henry said "And a likely one"
"Julian could have gone back to Ironwood at any point, especially when it beca out her own thoughts on the randfather’s most hated enemy and betrayed him to you He needed help, but he clearly felt like he needed protection, too So I don’t know if you should send him back to Ironwood, but you could at least use that saet soive you otherwise"
He nearly bealow her heart gave in response
"Second s to yourthat from her"
Winifred let out a loud harru forward to the first of the cars The driver barely had tiht have a better use for hiine," Henry said as he wisely steered them toward the second car He nodded to that driver "Paul, how are the boys?"
Etta missed the man’s answer as she ducked inside the car and slid across the seat Henry joined her after a ic of the Hemlocks, without the ruthlessness of the Lindens," he said, as he set both on the stretch of leather between theuards sat in the front beside the driver "You’ll do very well indeed"
As she settled into the warmth of the car and let it thaw her stiff skin, she passed his coat back to hiaze out hisEtta watched his face in its reflection, how the easy huhtness vanished like a fla a look of severe contemplation as he touched the rose she hadn’t noticed he’d tucked into his lapel
And Etta could picture it so clearly then, how the reflection of the bridge had disappeared in the water, leaving one half to wait to see its other self again
THE CITY DWELT IN DARKNESS THE ROAR OF THE ENGINE sed every other sound froray evening haze Etta felt she atching a kind of silent hfare--"Nvesky Prospeckt," Henry explained--Etta had the sense they were slipping into St Petersburg on the edge of soht slush covering the ground was nearly indistinguishable froutters The car ju--Etta craned her neck back, but saw only the tattered reed away by aze followed their path to a courtyard where a bonfire raged The cloth and ere fed into it behind a wall of soldiers standing shoulder to shoulder, backlit by the flalow, but the car sped by too quickly for Etta to see what they were trying to do besides stay warm