“You put me in a terrible position,” Teagon said after she told me Cortez left.
“He lied to me. He knows something about Konstantine, and he refused to tell me what it was.”
“I am certain he has a good reason, namely, your protection, Kenz.”
“He could’ve said that very thing, but he chose not to.”
“It’s the way it works. As Casper and I have explained to you, there are times when it is better if the person we are protecting is unaware of what might be happening behind the scenes.”
“I disagree with that methodology.”
Teagon laughed. “Too bloody bad, Kenz. It’s the way it has to be.”
“Why is he going to Italy?”
“There’s an investigation, and that’s as much as I know.”
“Now, you’re lying.”
“I am not. However, if you hadn’t behaved so childishly, you could’ve asked him yourself.”
I stuck my tongue out, showing her exactly how childish I could be. “I’m going for a walk.”
“I’ll go with you.”
I wanted more than anything to be on my own, which for now, appeared impossible.
“Oh, good. I was about to come looking for you,” said Cortez’s mother when Teagon and I came down the stairs. “I was hoping you and I could have a chat, Kensington.”
Why did I feel as though I was about to be scolded?
Teagon nodded and stood in the doorway when the duchess put her arm through mine and ushered me into the sitting room.
“Don’t worry, you’ve done nothing wrong,” she said as she motioned for me to take a seat. “Would you like some tea?”
“Please.”
She pressed a button on her mobile and then sat beside me and took my hands in hers.
“I owe you an apology.”
I started to shake my head and say she didn’t, but she shushed me.
“Cortez and I share a…unique bond. I sense that perhaps you may share it as well.”
“I’m not sure.”
“Yes, well, in the beginning, it can be difficult to ascertain what is highly attuned intuition and what you could not possibly know.” She took a deep breath. “Back to Cortez and I. We sometimes speak in shorthand, if that makes any sense.”
“It does.”
“It drives my husband and other son a bit bonkers, but there is little that Cort and I can do about it. What you walked in on was that very thing.”
“He lied to me.”
“Yes, he did. That is the reason for my apology.”
“You didn’t lie; he did.”