Page 43 of A Lady’s Guide to Subterfuge and Science

He could tell from the way she held herself that she wasn’t being meek or coy, but rather truthful.

“Why wouldn’t I want to?”

Kalila paused, seeming unsure of how to answer. She was thinking and thinking hard.

“I don’t know,” she said eventually, wrapping her arms around her middle, her insecurity finally evident. “But I cannot make any promises either way.”

Of course she couldn’t. He would see her the next morning disguised as her cousin.

“Could you at least promise not to avoid me?” he asked. “Not to slam doors in my face, maybe?”

She laughed. “Yes, I can promise that much.” Something he couldn’t identify ghosted across her features, and she began to walk away from him and back toward the crowd. “I don’t think I could avoid you even if I wanted to.”

“Isn’t that lucky?” he called after her.

She snorted. “Not the word I would use.”

But certainly the one he would.

Chapter Eleven

“Are you out of your mind?”

Kalila opened her eyes to see Dameer’s face hovering over hers. His blond curls were wild, indicating that he’d likely just rolled out of bed.

“What time is it?” Kalila groaned, turning over.

“Six,” Dameer responded. “You didn’t answer my question.”

Kalila shoved him out of the way as she sat up. A pearl escaped from her hair and fell to the floor with a delicate clatter. “Out of my mind how?” she demanded. “I’ve just woken up.”

“I saw you, Kal!” Dameer dropped onto the edge of the bed with a heavy thud. “No, let me rephrase that. Everyone saw you. Out on the terrace, huddled together with Booth like a pair of lovebirds.”

“I wasn’t there for long.” Kalila pulled her legs up underneath her. Also, lovebirds? Ridiculous. “I didn’t even see you after you disappeared last night. How did you see me?”

“Of course you didn’t,” Dameer said. “I tucked myself upstairs to save the both of us from embarrassment. Granted, Amelia took pity on me and kept me company, so—”

Kalila let her knees drop, and she reached over to push his shoulder. “Ah, so I wasn’t the only one being improper last night, was I?”

Dameer’s cheeks colored. “That isn’t the point. I think you’re distracted.”

Kalila frowned. “Distracted?”

“By Booth,” Dameer said with some hesitation.

“That’s ridiculous,” Kalila replied, knowing full well she was lying. Of course she was distracted. No woman alive wouldn’t be distracted by charming, smiling, golden Oliver Booth, and especially not after he’d kissed them.

Again, it had only been her hand, but still.

“Have you forgotten that you’re supposed to avoid discovery?” Dameer asked. “And when was the last time you focused on what you came here to achieve?”

Kalila opened her mouth to respond before snapping it shut. She had no argument, because Dameer was right. He was right, and she was distracted. She hadn’t even worked on her—

Jumping out of bed, Kalila rushed to her desk. Her paper, the one she had specifically gone to retrieve, was nowhere to be found. She must have left it at the university again.

Because she’d been distracted.

But she hadn’t seen it since she’d gone to the university without her disguise on. Unless she’d been too preoccupied to notice it floating about. She wasn’t that taken with Oliver, was she? She couldn’t be. He was—he was nothing but a man. Men did not take precedence over scientific research.