Chapter 36

• ‘I will not be long, I promise.’ Leo gave her a gently encouraging smile.
• ‘I—Of course.’ She nodded, at the same time blinking her eyes in confusion at this development.
• Was Leo—aware from their earlier discussion that she did not want her grandfather present during this conversation—just giving her some privacy in which to talk to her parents? Or did he have some other reason for spiriting her grandfather away? Whatever Leo’s reasoning, Astoria could only feel relief at his giving her these few minutes alone with her parents.