he thought made her grip the note more tightly. She needed information, but she couldn't afford to obtain it recklessly. After standing there for a while, turning the problem over in her mind, Lina finally came up with a plan.
She tucked the note into her hand, rose from her seat, and turned toward Duchess Tulian with an apologetic smile.
"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, Aunt. Shall we go?"
As she passed the duchess, Lina deliberately allowed the note to slip from her fingers. She made no attempt to catch it, pretending not to notice that it had fallen to the floor. Her plan was simple: if Duchess Tulian failed to see it, Lina would wait until they had left the room before claiming that she had misplaced something important. She could then persuade her aunt to accompany her back to search for it, conveniently directing her attention toward the note.
