The Glittering Court

  “If I need you, I’ll let you know. But otherwise, I have no problem with you helping your young man, provided you give me your word nothing untoward will happen. And he’ll need to escort you there and back each day. I can’t have you traipsing through that wild land on your own.”

  The arrangement suited me just fine, and I was excited that I’d get to help Cedric and hopefully wrap up this deal that much sooner. I saw little of him that week. He was busy, wrapped up in the logistics of supplies and claim arrangements.

  “You realize I’m one of the ‘lucky’ ones,” he told me one day. “There’s actually some sort of shanty on the claim they’ve assigned me. Some prospector built it and then decided he didn’t like being in the wilderness. I hear it’s in disrepair, so I’ll have to buy some things to fix it up. But most of the miners are living in tents and lean-tos.”

  We were in the cellar, where I’d finished the painting. Our relationship might be in the open, but we attracted too many prying eyes to feel comfortable speaking in public. “To think we first met in that drawing room,” I mused. “And now this shanty is the height of luxury.”

  “Nah. I hear the Marshall family has a cabin. You won’t ever want to leave that palace to come see me.”

  “I’ll see you as much as I can,” I insisted. “Though Mistress Marshall told me that nothing ‘untoward’ had better happen.”

  He leaned back against an iron-hinged chest, hands in his pockets. “Well, she doesn’t need to worry about me. I’ll be on best behavior.”

  I stepped toward him and wrapped my arms around his neck. “Who said you’re the one she has to worry about?”

  I leaned in, not for a true kiss, but just for the barest brush of my lips against his. I lingered for a few tantalizing moments, holding back despite his obvious interest in more. His hands gripped my waist when I pulled away, his fingers curling into me.

  “I should probably get going,” I said lightly. “I have things to do.”

  “I could give you a few suggestions.”

  “Important frontier things to do,” I amended. I trailed my fingers along the side of his neck. “Sorry if I led you on.”

  “You are not. You’ve been leading me on since the day I met you, and I’ve been dutifully following. One day . . . one day I’ll catch you. And then . . .”

  His mouth found mine, and I wrapped myself against him. I wanted more than kisses, more than embraces. I wanted to banish all the space between us until it was impossible to know where I ended and he began. When we finally broke away, I could hardly stand, and wondered who was really leading whom.

  “And then,” I echoed with a sigh. “And then . . .”

  I did have other things to do, and as we parted ways, I reminded myself that Cedric and I would have more time on our hands on the journey to Hadisen than we’d had together so far.

  As he’d suggested, Aiana was the one to take me into town to shop. I’d spent little time with the Balanquan woman and was still fascinated by her. I came down Wisteria Hollow’s main staircase and was surprised to see Mira waiting with her by the door.

  “What this?” I asked, not that I was unhappy to have Mira there. Although she wasn’t the busiest of the Glittering Court’s girls, she’d still been caught up in the routine of it all while I simply cooled my heels.

  Mira looked far happier than she ever did about going out to a party. “Who knows when we’ll see you again, once you leave? We wanted to come along and get a little more Adelaide time in.”

  “We?”

  “Tamsin should be down any minute. She was finishing a letter.”

  “She’s still writing them?” I asked. Tamsin had been in my thoughts constantly since the storm, but her obsessive letter writing had slipped my mind.

  “She had a whole bundle of them that she brought back from Grashond. I guess she was still writing them there. And I heard her making inquiries about courier services back to Osfrid.”

  Tamsin came down the stairs just then, radiant in a gown of deep emerald taffeta that bared her shoulders. “You know we’re going to buy wilderness supplies, right?” I asked. “There’s no formal luncheon planned.”

  Tamsin lifted her chin. “It doesn’t matter where we’re going. I won’t look anything less than perfect—you never know who’ll be watching. Besides, I have a dinner engagement afterward. Warren’s mother has invited me over.”

  “Well, I’m sure that’ll be very interesting,” I said, in as neutral a tone as I could manage. Tamsin had immediately honed in on him, and thus far he’d seemed to return her interest.

  Aiana said almost nothing as a carriage took us into the heart of Cape Triumph. She strode comfortably through the streets in her trousers and a long tunic, uncaring who gave her curious looks. It was hard to say if it was her attire or ethnicity that attracted attention. But in the diverse culture of Cape Triumph, I didn’t think she stood out that much. Tamsin certainly stood out as well, but those who looked her over said nothing impolite. I think the sight of fierce Aiana at her side kept them at bay.

  This was the first time I’d really been out in the crowds, rather than just viewing them from a carriage. It was hard not to stop and stare at everything. The shops and restaurants offered nearly as much as I might find in a busy district of Osfro. Like everything else in the New World, though, there was a tentative feel to it—none of that old, established solidity. Some of the businesses had made good attempts at respectability, with glass windows and well-fortified buildings. Others could have been thrown together that day, with hastily written signs and a fragility that suggested they might fall over at any moment. It was all fascinating and overwhelming at the same time, and despite her show of confidence, I could tell Tamsin was daunted too. Mira moved effortlessly, as though she walked the streets all the time. For all I knew, she did.

  We passed fishermen and lumberjacks doggedly going to their jobs. Adoria’s aristocrats strode haughtily through, flanked by servants. One young man, with a long wig and flamboyant purple coat, stopped to bow and take his plumed hat off before us in a gallant gesture. Aiana rolled her eyes when we moved past him. “One of the ‘idle elite,’ as we call them. The sons of wealthy settlers with nothing to do, so they dress like that and think they’re pirates or some such nonsense. Except pirates do more work than they do. They need to spend a day with Tom Shortsleeves or one of the others.”

  “Are all those pirate stories real?” I asked. “The heroic ones and the cruel ones?”

  “Embellished, but real. All stories have a seed of truth.”

  She took me to one of the more reputable-looking shops, with WINSLOW & ELLIOTT OUTFITTERS etched on the glass window. Stepping inside, I saw all sorts of gear and supplies that one might need in setting off on an adventure to unknown lands. Two young men spoke to another man behind the counter, and when I caught a glimpse of him, I was surprised to recognize his face.

  I nudged Mira, who was studying a pair of leather boots. “Hey, remember Grant Elliott from the ship? He’s working here.”

  “Who?” she asked, not really paying attention to me.

  Grant walked through the store to fetch a saddle for his customers, his eyes sliding over us in surprise. He nodded a greeting to Aiana.

  “Qi dica hakta,” she said.

  “Manasta,” he replied gruffly. Aiana meandered away from us to study a display of canteens, and I hurried after her.

  “What was that you said?”

  “My native tongue. Mister Elliott is half-Balanquan.”

  “Is he?” I looked back at him, hoping my scrutiny wasn’t obvious. Although he had black hair like Aiana, there was nothing about him that would’ve suggested he wasn’t an ordinary Osfridian. “I wouldn’t have guessed it.”

  “I think he prefers it that way. It’d be much harder to run a business in Cape Triumph if people knew the truth about his background.”
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  “How did you end up in Cape Triumph?” I asked. “If it’s not rude of me to ask.”

  “Not at all. I ran away to escape an unhappy marriage. It had been arranged against my wishes. But my wife and I . . . weren’t compatible.”

  “Your wife?” I asked, wondering if she’d had some sort of translation issue.

  “My wife,” she affirmed. “The Balanquans don’t look down on same-sex relations the way your people do.”

  I didn’t answer right away. “Look down” was putting it mildly, since such things were considered a great sin by the priests of Uros. Possibly more so than being an Alanzan.

  “Did you leave because . . . um, because you didn’t want to be with a woman?”

  She grinned. “I have no problem being with women—just not that one. She was unkind, to put it mildly. I came to your colonies, wanting to learn about your culture firsthand, and eventually fell in with the Thorns. Jasper offered me a job, and as you might imagine, I had a particular interest in looking after girls who were being sold off to men they hardly knew.”

  “Is that . . . is that why you dress like you do—like a man? Because you . . . prefer women?” As soon as the words left my mouth, I felt like an idiot. Aiana’s laughter only intensified that feeling.

  “I dress like this because it’s more comfortable than all those ridiculous skirts and petticoats the rest of you prance around in. And, as you’ll soon see, you’ll be dressing the same. You aren’t going to work a gold claim in a ball gown.”

  With that, she left me gaping and went to the counter to speak to a now-free Grant. I found Tamsin and Mira on the other side of the store, sifting through bolts of fabric.

  Tamsin held up a piece of coarsely woven linen. “I wouldn’t use this to scrub a floor.”

  “I remember the dress you came in wearing,” said Mira. “It wasn’t nearly in such good condition.”

  “Even so, I’m not going to start wearing this stuff again for the sake of nostalgia.” Tamsin regarded me sorrowfully. “Damn, Adelaide. I hope you can at least get something in organdy.”

  “Adelaide,” called Aiana. “We need to measure you.”

  Tamsin came with me out of curiosity, but Mira stayed to further examine the loose fabrics. Grant looked much as he did on the ship—handsome, decently dressed, but messy around the edges. When we reached the counter, he looked us over. “So who’s the lucky explorer?” he asked.

  “Me,” I said.

  “Off to Hadisen with Doyle, eh? Quite an adventure ahead of you.”

  Tamsin fixed him with an imperious look. “That’s Governor Doyle. Please address my fiancé by his proper title.”

  We all looked at her in astonishment, and she turned sheepish.

  “Well, I mean, he’s not my fiancé. Not yet. I’m going to work on that.”

  “And not really governor yet either,” Grant pointed out with a smile. “But who’s keeping track?”

  Aiana snapped at him in Balanquan, which he responded to good-naturedly. I thought back to how he’d always spoken so politely during shipboard encounters and then been so gruff during the storm. I supposed stress could bring out the worst in everyone, because he seemed perfectly fine now as he gauged my size, keeping a proper distance with his measuring tape.

  There was no time to have custom clothing made from the raw materials he sold, but there was plenty of ready-made attire in the store. The sizes were close enough to get me by for now, and adjustments could always be made later. I didn’t end up with an exact replica of Aiana’s attire, but it was pretty close. Wide-legged pants of soft suede that almost looked like a skirt when I stood. Plain, serviceable blouses and a knee-length leather coat to go over them when the weather turned cold. Sturdy gloves and boots with no embellishment.

  “Sorry I can’t match the dresses you’re used to, but these’ll keep you a lot more comfortable.” Grant studied me a few moments more. “And a hat. You’ll want one for your skin—but I’m afraid it might not help much.” He produced a wide-brimmed leather one from behind the counter.

  “Why not?” I asked.

  “The weather’s more extreme. Those summer days’ll scorch you. What are you going to be doing out there? You might be okay if you’re doing chores inside.”

  “I’m going to help pan for gold.”

  He pondered this for a long moment, saying nothing. Finally, he took the hat back and produced one with a wider brim. “It’ll be brutal. Good luck.”

  Once we were outside, Tamsin immediately asked, “What he said about it being brutal . . . Adelaide, are you sure you want to do this? Are you sure you want to go to Hadisen?”

  “I’m sure I want to be with Cedric,” I said simply. “And I’ll go down whatever path that involves. Besides, don’t you want to go to Hadisen?”

  “Yes. And live in the governor’s mansion. Not a riverbed.”

  Mira touched my arm as we were about to turn down the road that would lead us out of the city center to our carriage. “Look over there. By the bank.”

  I followed her gaze. “Oh. Excuse me a moment.” I hurried across the thoroughfare and called, “Mister Adelton!”

  Nicholas, who’d been about to walk into the building, turned in surprise. “Miss Bailey. I didn’t expect to see you here. I thought you’d be on your way to Hadisen.”

  “Soon,” I said, feeling my cheeks flush. “I know Cedric talked to you, but I just had to come myself and say . . . well, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for what we put you through. You must feel so . . . I don’t know. Deceived.”

  He grew thoughtful. “Not exactly. A little disappointed, perhaps . . . but honestly, I was more dazzled by you than in love with you. If you don’t take offense to that.”

  “Not at all . . . we had only a few meetings.”

  “Exactly. If I’d felt more, my reaction might have been different. But I could always tell there was something preoccupying you. So long as you were entering of your own free will, I didn’t mind. I figured it was the nature of these sorts of arranged marriages.”

  “I would have done it of my own free will,” I said adamantly. “You’re a good man—the best I’ve met here.”

  “Excepting young Mister Thorn, of course.” He smiled at my chagrin. “Don’t feel bad. I’m happy for you.”

  I sighed. “That’s kind of you . . . but I can’t shake the feeling you’ve been used. You know, there are a number of other Glittering Court girls I could recommend—”

  He held up a hand to silence me. “Thank you, but I’m done with making matches that sound good on paper. The more I think about your grand romance with Mister Thorn, the more I think I’m better off finding one of my own. No contracts.”

  “I hope you find one,” I said earnestly.

  He shook my hand. “Me too. And I wish you well. If I can ever be of service, let me know.”

  “Who was that?” Tamsin asked when I returned to my friends.

  “The man Cedric nearly married me off to.”

  Tamsin peered behind me to get a better look. “Is he available?”

  “Yes. But not that well off. Or really interested, after what Cedric and I put him through.”

  I fell into step with Aiana while Mira trailed behind with Tamsin. “Mister Adelton seems to be taking things reasonably well,” Aiana said to me quietly.

  “Everyone has. Well, not Jasper. And some of the girls are still holding it over me.” Clara in particular enjoyed telling the story of how she’d found Cedric and me in the attic to everyone she met. “But most people have been understanding, even when they probably shouldn’t be. Including Warren Doyle.”

  Aiana took a long time to answer. “Yes. It certainly was understanding of him—making such an offer to you.”

  I thought back to the shop and then cast a quick glance back to make sure Tamsin was still engaged with Mira. “His mother isn
’t the most, ah, upstanding of women, but as for Warren, do you think he’s—well, I mean, should we—”

  “I don’t know,” said Aiana. “I really don’t know much about Warren Doyle, short of gossip. What I do know is that when things sound too good to be true, well, they usually are.”

  Uneasiness settled over me. “I tried telling that to Cedric. But he said even if there’s some ploy going on, we were better off taking our chances in Hadisen.”

  “He may be right.” Aiana stopped walking to look me in the eye. “There’s more freedom there—but more danger too. It’s a fledgling land. An untamed land. And that makes it easier for people to break the rules. I wish you two the best, but . . .”

  “But what?” I prompted.

  “Trust each other there,” she said at last. “But no one else.”

  Chapter 22

  I’d hoped to see both Tamsin and Mira the night before I left for Hadisen. A party kept them late, however, and I found myself sitting alone in our bedroom, pondering whether I should get some sleep or not. I knew the journey ahead was going to be tiring, but I couldn’t stand the thought of missing out on seeing my best friends. That, and I wasn’t sure my nerves would let me sleep anyway.

  The two of them finally came in after midnight, catching me mid-yawn. Both put on smiles upon seeing me awake, but I could instantly detect a difference in their moods. Mira seemed subdued, while Tamsin was exuberant.

  “What happened?” I asked her.

  She began unlacing her emerald-green satin overdress. “Nothing official—but something pretty unofficially serious.”

  “Isn’t that a sort of contradiction?” I asked, shooting a conspiratorial look at Mira. She didn’t share my amusement.

  “Warren asked me to wait for him,” said Tamsin proudly. “He didn’t promise an engagement—yet—but said I was by far his favorite and that he’d like to make things official with me when he returns. So I promised not to enter into any arrangements until then—though of course, I’ll still go out. No point in sitting around here bored.”