And then stopped. He went very still. She had used his name, not his title. His name. She had not planned it.
It had simply come out because she had been thinking of him in her own mind for two days and the border had apparently dissolved when she was not watching. "I am sorry," she said immediately. "That was Do not apologize," he said. His voice was quiet and entirely certain. "Say it again. " She looked at him.
He was looking back at her and there was nothing he could do about his expression. Nothing arranged. It was the face of someone who had been waiting without knowing they were waiting for something they could not have named. "Calder," she said again. He breathed out slowly.
Like a man setting something down that had been heavy. They stood at the stone wall in the winter garden for a moment that was not like the other moments. The frost was on the ground and the birds were in the bare branches and old Robert had moved his barrow to the far end of the garden and was very carefully not looking in their direction. "Whatever Harwick has," Calder said. "I need you to tell me if it touches something real.
Not because it changes anything. Because I want to be standing on the right ground when it lands. She nodded. I will tell you as soon as I know what it is. How will you find out?
Delia, she said. My cousin. She is watching Harwick. She has been since Wednesday dinner. She does not like him.
Calder raised an eyebrow slightly. I thought your family was not on your side in this. My aunt is not. Clarissa is not. But Delia, she paused.