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“There are repairs going on above,” Allana continued. “That’s why it’s best to stay to this floor."
"I got lost,” said Lark. “Allana and Mathis here found me."
Spin hadn’t noticed the young boy lurking at the corner of the hall. He came forward. It was easy to tell the boy was the offspring of the butler. They had the same dark hair and eyes.
"I find that funny," said Mathis. “A magician getting lost. Can't you just magic yourself where you want to be?”
"I'm a magician’s assistant,” Lark corrected.
"She does all the work." Spin corrected her friend. “The magician waves his hands, but his assistant is truly the one behind all the tricks."
"Isn't that always the way of it," muttered Allana. “I’d love to see a show where it was all turned around. You know, where the magician bumbles about, but you can see the assistant is the one with the real magic."
Lark’s gaze perked up at that. She was unusually silent, lost in thought as the foursome walked down the great hall. Spin hoped she was seriously considering the idea. Lark deserved her own show, especially one where it was clear that she was the brains of the operation.
Spin’s attention was diverted to the historical and cultural lesson on display. On the walls hung portraits of the Mondego lineage. She saw many a golden Spaniard with dark hair and curled mustaches. They were often standing or seated next to pale women of certain European descent. That was until the last portrait of a looming man with mischief in his eyes standing beside a small Asian woman.
The woman was the David to his Goliath, but there was a quiet strength about her. Unlike the other portraits where both the woman and the man looked straight ahead, her gaze was on her husband. The woman's eyes were bright, love flowed from the picture as she gazed at the man.
"That is the previous Duke and Duchess,” said Allana.
“They’ve passed away?” asked Spin.
"No.” There was something in the maid’s voice that Spin couldn’t pinpoint. “The duchess is well and in residence. She doesn’t prefer to receive visitors. His grace is very ill, which is why his son has taken over his duties. The old duke is not much longer for this world."
Spin noted that Allana didn't sound remorseful at the thought of her former employer’s demise. They walked on and came to the portrait of the current Duke of Mondego. There was the light of joy in Zhi’s eyes that Spin had seen in his mother’s loving gaze. There was also the shadow of mischief that she’d seen in his father’s calculating gaze.
“The current Duke Mondego is the best kind of people," said Allana. Pride was clear in her voice now. "He has his mother's talent. He can play the piano as though it were crafted just for him. We all thought he would become a professional musician. But he only ever plays for his mother in the music room. He’s never played in public.”
He had just played for her. Well, Spin had barged in. But she’d had the sense that he knew she was there. And he hadn’t made her feel that she’d imposed afterward.
“His grace is a dutiful man,” Allana continued. “He took over the estate when … When his father's health declined. I don’t know where we would all be without the man."
It was unlike the noble men Spin new from her past. They were all selfish and cared nothing of those they considered beneath them. Zhi was a walking contradiction. But she’d had enough of nobility and being beneath their notice for a lifetime. She had no intention of unraveling the mystery of Zhi Mondego.
Chapter Fifteen
Later that afternoon, just before dinner, Zhi sat behind his formal desk. It was nearing the prescribed time when he’d be allowed to contact Parker.
He’d changed out of his casual travel clothes and into something more formal. It felt like armor. He needed the added layer of protection after this afternoon and his run-in with the DJ. Spin had a way of getting under his skin, seeing things about him he had no intention of sharing.
He didn't usually play for anyone but his mother. It was something that was personal between the two of them. Music was private, like prayer. It should be done in one’s home and not out in the open for the masses to see and pick apart.
But he hadn't felt that way with Spin. He’d felt open. He’d wanted to share. He’d wanted to play with her, like a kid with a new toy. The new sound they’d created together had delighted him. So much so that he could’ve kissed her.
Of course, he hadn't. It had just been appreciation. That was all.
Though he couldn't deny there was something attractive about her heart-shaped face. Her lips were the same bow shape. Her top lip dipped in like the M shape of a heart's top half. Her bottom lip was plump and lush. Perfect for sinking teeth into.
"You wanted to see me?"
Zhi looked up and scowled at the woman in the doorway. Spin had snuck into his thoughts when he was supposed to be thinking about another woman. She’d also snuck up on him again.
She wore a simple pair of cotton cargo pants and a bandana around her blonde hair. Looking at her, Zhi found himself swallowing a few times. He’d seen women dressed in ball gowns and in their birthday suits. Such a simply clad body should have no effect on him. He crossed his legs beneath the table and scowled deeper.
Ignoring his ducal look of displeasure, she rolled her eyes and slipped inside the office. Coming into the room, she dipped a curtsy that reeked of mockery. "You wanted to see me, Your Grace?"
He nearly told her to leave the ceremony but didn't. He found the formality a necessary barrier between them. She was there to do a job. This was a transaction. He'd use her skills, her knowledge, to advance his cause. His cause was to gain the attention of Parker who could help him in saving his home and the people he loved.
