Harry bit into a piece of toast and licked melting butter off his thumb. He noticed that Will was looking at him. He nodded. “Good.”

The boy smiled, revealing a gap in his upper teeth.

They ate companionably for a while.

“Did you have a fight with her?” Will swiped up a drip of butter and licked it off his finger. “Your lady, I mean.”

“You could say that.” Harry poured himself more tea, stirring in a large spoonful of sugar this time.

“My gran said gentry was evil. Didn’t care if regular folk lived or died, so long as they’d gold plates to eat off of.” Will traced a circle on the table with a greasy finger. “But your lady was nice.”

“Aye. Lady Georgina’s not like most.”

“And she’s pretty.” Will nodded to himself and took another piece of toast.

Aye, pretty as well. Harry looked out the cottage window, a feeling of uneasiness beginning to build in him. Would she let him apologize?

“’Course, she’s not much of a cook. Couldn’t cut the bread straight. You’ll have to help her with that.” Will wrinkled his forehead in thought. “Does she eat off of gold plates?”

“I don’t know.”

Will eyed him suspiciously, as if Harry might be withholding important information. Then his look turned to pity. “Haven’t you been invited to supper, then?”

“No.” Well, there’d been that dinner in her rooms, but he wasn’t telling Will about that. “I’ve had tea with her, though.”

“She didn’t have gold plates for that?”

“No.” Why was he explaining himself?

Will nodded sagely. “You’ll have to go to supper before you know.” He finished his toast. “Have you brought her presents?”

“Presents?”

Will’s pitying look was back. “All girls like presents; that’s what my gran said. And I think she must be right. I like presents.”

Harry propped his chin in his hands and felt wire-stiff stubble. His head was feeling bad again, but Will seemed to think presents were important. And this was the most the boy had talked since he’d shown up the day before.

“What kind of presents?” Harry asked.

“Pearls, gold boxes, sweetmeats.” Will waved a piece of toast. “Things like that. A horse would be good. Have you got any horses?”

“Just the one.”

“Oh.” Will sounded disappointed in him. “Then I suppose you can’t give her that.”

Harry shook his head. “And she has many more horses than my one.”

“Then what can you give her?”

“I don’t know.”