Chapter Ninety-Seven
* The Nanny's Secret*
The restaurant was called "The Velvet Booth." It was the kind of place that existed for conversations no one else was meant to hear. Plush, high-backed seats created private caves. The lighting was dim, golden. Lyra sat in the farthest corner, her back to the wall, watching the entrance.
David, Naomi's personal assistant—or rather, her former spy turned tentative ally—slid into the booth opposite her. He looked nervous, his eyes constantly darting around the room. He wore a nondescript hat and large, dark glasses that seemed too big for his face.
"You're sure we weren't followed?" Lyra asked, her voice low.
"I took three separate cabs and walked the last two blocks," David whispered, his fingers tapping a nervous rhythm on the table. "She's d
