Page 52 of The Scandal You Started
Rayna rolled her eyes, her grin widening. “Anyway.” She shuffled her chair closer to the desk. “Let’s go over the research report together quickly so I can explain what you didn’t understand, and then we’ll make a start on it later today after your lesson,orwhen River comes tomorrow.”
“As you wish,” he answered, angling his legs to face her more directly.
“Okay, so, in the most basics of terms, we know a bit about you already, but the research or case study report helps us create a picture of your life within the wider context of what we know about theTregencyperiod already, so that we can make comparisons, new inferences, change or confirm what we thought, etcetera, etcetera.”
He mulled over what she said with a blank stare. “What do you know about me already?”
She gestured to herself with one hand. “I only know what River, Monty, and V have told me, but the POTeM Evidence team collected information on you before you arrived. It’s part of the process of preparing to bring any Study here.”
The spark of curiosity flashed so brightly across his face that Rayna knew what Dominic was going to ask next before he’d even voiced the question.
Smiling, she gave a slight shake of her head. “No, I can’t tell you what they found. Not just because I don’t know, but we’re also not allowed to tell you anything about your life beyond what you’ve already experienced.”
A line formed between his brows. “Whyever not?”
“Because knowing what is going to happen in your life could influence your choices when you go back. And changing even one thing that is meant to happen in your life could have drastic consequences on the timeline of the world.”
Not that he was going to remember what he was told, seeing as his memory would be wiped before he left. But he wasn’t supposed to know that either.
“So you cannot tell me anything?” he confirmed.
“Yup.”
A distant look of thought floated over his narrow stare before he blinked and straightened. “What if I were to discover it myself, however? Is that not permitted either?”
She bobbed her head from side to side. “Well, technically, I can’t stop you from doing that. So yeah, you could search yourself up on the internet and stuff. But you can’t do it in front of me, and you can’t tell me what you found out either.”
After giving him another moment to quietly consider what she’d said, she added, “Is that all cleared up? Can I move on?”
He gave a single nod. “Yes. Although...” He leaned forward, peering at the keyboard. “May I try pressing this...keybox?”
“Keyboard,” she corrected laughingly. “And yeah, you can.”
They swapped seats but it became rather difficult for her to concentrate on explaining the report further when the entertainment of Dominic pressing one key every twenty seconds was so hilariously distracting.
Jake:
So I was wondering after our messages yesterday
If things are going well with work would you be free anytime soon to meet?
Rayna:
I really want to say yes but I honestly don’t know if I’ll have any free time yet
I’m sorry
Jake:
No its fine don’t apologise
If you don’t know you don’t know
Rayna:
But towards the end of the week I’ll probably have a better idea so I’ll let you know
Jake:
