Klara Devine & Georgina Gee ((better)) Page

“What other item?”

“Then give it back voluntarily,” Klara said, her voice low and even. “Return the Star to the Trust, and I’ll make sure her name never appears in any report. The earl is the one I want.” klara devine & georgina gee

“I make it my business to know the names of people who want to take things from me.” Georgina tapped the beaded bag. “You’re here for the red pebble, aren’t you?” “What other item

Klara closed her fingers around the pouch. She could feel the hard, warm weight of the ruby through the velvet. “You could have sold it. Hidden it better. Why give it back?” “You’re here for the red pebble, aren’t you

“You tell me the truth about the other item.”

“The ruby is flawed. You know that. But its true value isn’t monetary. It’s sentimental—it was your grandmother’s, I believe. The one who built the Trust.” Georgina’s voice softened, just a fraction. “I am not a villain in your story. I am an old woman who is very, very bored. I will give you the ruby, here and now, on one condition.”

Klara smiled and walked across the grass, the ruby warm against her hip. She had come for a prize and left with a mirror. And she knew, with absolute certainty, that she would return to Georgina Gee’s house again. Not to steal, but to listen.