Even though she had been to Italy, Georgiana still could not make sense of those military maps.
They were spread across the library floor. Walking on them felt like walking on the real soil of Italy. She was just as unfamiliar with the people on that land; all she remembered were their loose formations when they lined up, the pickpockets, and the army that crumbled at the first blow.
Italians and Frenchmen were utterly different, though only the Alps stood between them.
Just as she was staring blankly at the map beneath her feet, the suite door opened. Monsieur Bonaparte stood there, glowering at her.
"Give me the maps." He held out his hand, looking almost like a beggar.
"Aren't you going to see Josephine tonight for the sake of 'balance'?"
"I don't want to discuss that topic with you right now," he said coldly.
"You may have misunderstood and thought I was jealous. Is it possible the italians were behind the kidnapping of the papal envoy?"
His brows rose in surprise. "Why would you think that?"
"As long as it makes you miserable, they're willing to do it."
"Ha." He laughed mockingly.
"I know an Italian who wanted revenge against a family. He did not care whom he killed, so long as they belonged to that family. Even if it was a woman, he would still strike. Sometimes people act without thinking. You can't use normal logic to understand what they're thinking."
He stared at her without speaking.
"Those young men who love dueling do not always have normal reasons either. Maybe they just want to show off. Kidnapping a papal envoy is no small matter. Have you controlled the newspapers?"
"I can hardly believe it," Leon said lazily. "Something like this actually needs a woman to remind us."