The Colonel stayed bowed, though his head barely dipped at all.
"Ah, some really troublesome guests today, milady. They put a knife to my neck and insisted that I brought them to you."
"You should know, with how things have progressed at this hour, I have little time for jokes."
His lips curled into a smile. For a moment, I thought he wanted to throw us under the carriage, but the next it really looked like this bastard was playing around. Before he could answer however, Lady Fintan's voice cut into the space between them.
"Is this how you treat a very esteemed customer?!"
The Lady turned to Lady Fintan, who was standing next to me.
Her expression didn't change. Not a flicker, not a crack. It was like watching the surface of a lake that had been still for a hundred years decide whether something was worth rippling for.
