Noble was fairly good at hiding his true feelings — he could be a true middle child in this — but he could not help that his eyebrows shot up at the message of Mr. Potts. The last thing he wanted was to talk with Daff's father — or maybe the second-to-last, after Saff herself — so he conjured an excuse using another Bartonburg friend almost immediately.

"I'm waiting for Billy Darrow," Noble said. He injected confusion into his tone, and hoped that would help make it sound like he didn't know anything at all about the Potts.

And then, to cover his tracks — or maybe because he was just too fucking curious — he added: "Were you at the Potts' home tonight? I always feel lucky when I get to learn from Mr. Potts, he knows so much."

And maybe that was laying it on a little bit too thick, even if it was true that Basil Potts was an expert.

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