“If you’ve got plans for trouble, then that must mean you’re expecting it,” I pointed out.

“We’re merely being cautious.”

“Don’t you know that if you plan for something, it’ll never happen?” Colin asked. “We plan for trouble, and we’ll have ourselves a pleasant picnic.”

“I only told you about the show of force so you could stay out of the way and be safe,” I said. “If this is what you do with my information, then I’ll have to be more careful about what I tell you.”

“Oh, but you wouldn’t do that, would you, lass?” Colin said with a grin. “You know how important you are to us.” He refilled his glass and raised it. “To Verity! Our secret weapon, the daring lady spy of magpie land.” They all drank to me, and while it gave me some pleasure to be honored that way—no one had ever drunk to me before—I feared my information was only leading them into danger.

“Schoolchildren one day will sing songs about you,” Colin said after draining his glass. “We can all live and be free, thanks to a lass named Verity,” he sang heartily.

“Though we hope the songs will be better than that,” Lizzie said.

“That was purely off the cuff, sister of mine,” he said defensively. “Give me time, and I’ll write a proper ballad. Our Verity deserves nothing less.”

Alec wrapped my hand in both of his. “You’ll see, it will be fine. The British may even call it all off once they see the children.”

Our meals arrived, and our group grew as others came into the restaurant and joined us. We stayed until very late, eating, drinking wine, laughing, and talking. I was shy at first around so many strangers who were entirely unlike anyone I’d ever met, but as the evening wore on, I joined in the boisterous joking and even engaged in a political discussion. Alec remained particularly attentive, as though he was making sure the other boys knew I was spoken for. He rested his arm around the back of my chair and sometimes even my shoulders. Every so often, he’d touch my hand or my arm when making a point.

When the restaurant’s owner finally shooed us out into the night so he could close, Alec walked Lizzie and me back to the boardinghouse. Lizzie hurried inside after giving me a knowing wink, and Alec paused at the foot of the front steps to say good night to me. “We won’t take any unnecessary risks tomorrow,” he assured me, resting his hand on my waist. I could barely feel his touch through all the layers of clothing, but knowing that he was touching me made my skin grow warm in that spot. “This is too important to get wrong.”

“I still wish you wouldn’t challenge them so directly. I don’t want you to get hurt.”