Page 183 of Happily Ever Witch
Scarlett had kept waiting.
“Itwaswrong.” Trevelyan had told her simply. “I’m sorry.”
He’d meant it, too. And not just because Scarlett was Esmeralda’s chosen sister, but because Scarlett was clever. Aside from him, she was the only one who’d ever come up with a plan to escape the WUB Club. Trevelyan admired cleverness. He was fairly sure he would like Scarlett and there were very few people Trevelyan liked.
Her lips had pursed. “You’re sorry, huh?”
“Yes.”
“Howsorry?”
“Give me a chance to make it up to you and I will.”
Blue eyes had narrowed in thought. “Well… you did save my husband and sister.”
“Is that enough to earn me some goodwill, maybe?”
“No.”
He hadn’t thought so. “Would it help at all if I let you hit me a few times? Because I’d be okay with that.”
“Hitting you wouldn’t be very satisfying, if you’re ‘okay’ with it. It defeats the whole point.”
“Perhaps you could sneak up on me and attack me when I’m least suspecting it. Catch me off guard.”
She’d snorted. “Ez would be upset if I bludgeoned you in your sleep.”
“Would she?” He’d seesawed his hand. “It would depend on the day.”
Scarlett hadn’t cracked a smile. She’d had him over a barrel and she was going to demand everything she could get. Gaining her forgiveness would cost him a fortune.
It was worth it.
“What would you like?” He’d asked surrendering to the inevitable.
Scarlett had been waiting for that question. “The Enchanted Forest has to expand. We have a lot of Baddies in need of homes and we’re running out of space. We need someplace where they’re treated equally, and welcomed, and have a real chance at having successful lives.” She’d pointedly looked out the window at the pastel landscape. “I’m thinking Wonderland will do nicely.”
He hadn’t been thrilled with that idea. Paying her heaps of gold would have been far preferable. “You seriously want me to open the boarders and let miscellaneous villains take up residence?”
“Yep.”
“Can’t I just buy you some other kingdom instead?”
“Nope.”
Trevelyan had searched for another way out. “Did you talk to Ez about this plan? She’s technically the empress. She may not like the idea.”
“Oh, she said she’s fine with it, because half your citizens are hogs and frogs, so you need a new tax base. But she insisted that you were co-ruler and you’d have to agree. I told her I wassureI could persuade you. I’m pretty talented at convincing people to do stuff they’d rather not do.” Scarlett had paused. “Particularly, when they owe me.”
The battle had clearly been lost. Still, dragons liked to make deals, so Trevelyan had at least tried for better terms. “Alright. We’ll takesomeof them. They can live in the Diamond Kingdom. But, only if you forgive me.”
“Tryto forgive you.”
Trevelyan had decided to take what he could get. “Try to forgive me.” He’d nodded. “And if you work towards seeing what a wonderful brother-in-law I can be. Because I can be awonderfulbrother-in-law. Loyal, charming, great at moving furniture… Ask anyone.”
“Isn’t Nicholas Greystone your brother-in-law? And didn’t he punch you in the face, earlier?”
“Everything Nicholas says about me is a lie.” Trevelyan had assured her, without missing a beat. Setting the gargoyle’s clothes on fire had been a harmless prank, but Nicholas took everything so personally. “He’s always been the black sheep of the family.”
