Daniel shifted aside a broken suitcase to reveal a painting of a riverside city. “Bah,” he said with a frown. “Hamburg.” Alice laughed. The noise so startled her, she clamped a hand against her mouth. Daniel turned to stare at her amazedly. “Please excuse me,” she gasped. “I have not been amused in years.” “No, I apologize,” Daniel answered. “I should not have referenced Dickens in such an offhandedly witty fashion.” “The apology is mine,” Alice argued. “I fear I’m devolving into hooliganism.”
