Page 117 of Heart of Iron
Lena scraped the last of the soup out of the bowl and peered inside it mournfully.She’d already eaten half a kidney pie, a plate of stew, two slices of bread, and now the bowl of soup.And she still felt hungry.
The others had taken over Blade’s sitting room at the warren and were arguing about how to convince the Scandinavians to accept the treaty tomorrow.Will glanced over at her with a frown, then looked down at the bowl.“More?”
She shook her head.“I shouldn’t.”
Ignoring her, he took the bowl out of her hands and crossed to the soup tureen on the table.“Gotta keep your strength up.”
“I’ll get plump.”
He shrugged and filled the bowl.“It ain’t likely, but it wouldn’t matter anyway.”
The bowl warmed her hands almost as much as his words warmed her heart.Lena peered down into the broth.All her life she’d been nothing more than a pretty face to most men.Her father’s princess.A piece of froth to the Echelon.
Only Will saw her as something else.Something more.
A knock sounded at the door and Blade swung around sharply as Esme entered.“Sorry,” she murmured with a cheerful smile.“But I’ve a letter for Lena.”
“Lena?”Will straightened.
Lena frowned, accepting the letter.Who would think to find her here?The only one who knew she visited with any great regularity was Leo.
Sliding a thumbnail under the edge of the envelope, she slid it open.It was empty except for a small curl of hair, tied neatly with a ribbon.
Blond hair.Silky fine.
It smelt like Charlie.
Lena froze.“Where did you get this?”she asked hoarsely.
The room stilled as everyone sensed her sudden fear.Esme licked her lips.“There was a man at the door not a few minutes ago.Said he had a letter for you.”
Blade crossed to the windows, twitching aside the curtains.“What did he look like?”
As Esme stammered out a vague response, Will took the tuft of hair from her and sniffed at it.He shot a look toward Charlie, then raised a questioning brow at her.
Lena put the soup aside, her appetite destroyed.She knew exactly what it meant.She hadn’t been performing as expected.Someone wanted her to destroy this treaty and so far she’d made no headway.
“What is it?”Will asked.
Lena shook her head, pushing herself to her feet.Her throat felt thick.It had to be the person from Crowe Tower.If he could get to Charlie here, get so close as to steal a lock of his hair…
She froze, her hands clenching in her skirts.What could she do?Destroy the treaty and she risked Will’s life.But if she didn’t…
“Lena?”A warm hand slid over the small of her back.
They were all looking at her.
“I…I…”
Will would hate her for this.She thought of his smile, only moments earlier, of the gentle way he stroked her back now.
“It’s Charlie’s, isn’t it?”Honoria asked quietly, her eyes locked on the piece of hair.“What’s going on?Lena?”
Tell them and she risked losing Will… But no, that was a selfish thought.Her stomach clenched.Charlie’s life was at risk, and so was Will’s.This had grown beyond her capabilities to solve.
Her shoulders sank.“It’s Charlie’s.It’s…” One glance toward Will, as if she couldn’t help herself.“I couldn’t tell you.Somebody threatened me.They had one of Charlie’s clockwork soldiers that they’d taken from his room.They said that if I didn’t destroy the treaty they’d hurt him.”The words wouldn’t stop now.“I thought if I did what they said it would be all right.But I couldn’t.Not when it meant your freedom…”
Will looked as though she’d struck him.Lena cringed and grabbed his hand.“I’m so sorry.I never meant to do it.I never wanted to…”
