Selander swallowed thickly. ‘I am...'

Nigella arched an eyebrow. 'An idiot?'

Selander smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. 'In a rather awkward position,' he concluded.

'Then take a seat.' Nigella gestured to the chair before her, twin to the leather wingback chair she was sitting in. Then, in a voice dripping with sarcasm, she added. 'I can't wait to hear you tell me all about it!'

Selander crossed his arms over his chest, reluctant to do her bidding. 'Would it help if I said I was sorry?'

'Was?' Nigella scoffed.

'Am.'

'Hmm.'

'Look,' Selander huffed, 'I am trying.'

'To do what?' Nigella said, her eyes as tough as hard-boiled sweets. 'Because if you're trying to irritate me, you're doing a marvelous job.'

Selander bit back another sharp retort as his gaze fell to where Nigella's hands were knotted in her skirt. Selander knew a thing or two about pretending, about putting up a wall.

Slowly, he sat down opposite Nigella.

She looked up at him with quite the fierce expression - eyebrows bunched and eyes mere slits - and then it dawned on Selander that he had made a potentially fatal mistake.

'I'm trying,' he found himself saying, 'to be a better person.'

Nigella nodded, as if she didn't trust herself to speak solidly, turning her gaze to the fireplace instead. Then she cleared her throat. 'That's still not an apology.'

'Right.' Selander bowed his head. 'I am... s-sorry - Christ, is it hot in here?'

'Saying sorry won't kill you,' Nigella said sternly, but she was smiling. Expectant.

'I am sorry,' Selander repeated, 'I shouldn't have assumed you'd have nothing to bring to the team. You're smart, Nigella. The smartest of us by far and if I'd just listened to you, we wouldn't be-'

'Hiding out in the sewers?' Nigella finished for him.

'I was thinking 'on the run', but that works as well.'

'Yes, well,' Nigella straightened her skirts, 'the smartest team member is working on it.'