Quickly, he wrote something on the pad and then passed it back to the woman. Who left the room.

  Neither Flint nor his host sat again.

  They eyed each other warily as they waited.

  It was about ten minutes before the woman returned. Handing the host both his notepad and a folded piece of paper. The man opened it, scanned the contents with a raised eyebrow, and folded it again before passing it back to the woman.

  “Fine. But on two conditions.”

  “Name them.”

  “First, you return to your March within the week and be prepared to receive our refugees within two weeks.”

  Flint tilted his head. It would be difficult, but he could manage it. Especially since the portal was working.

  “Second, we want the azuremere.”

  Flint blinked. Honestly bewildered. “The what?”

  The man smiled thinly. “Something you don’t know, Marquis? How interesting.”

  “I can’t comply if I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  The host crossed his arms. Grinning like he’d found a new toy. “Your sister was selling it to Duchess Waghorn. It’s an alchemy stabilizing agent.”

  Flint opened his mouth and closed it.

  Em!

  He wondered where she’d been getting her money.

  But how in the world-? What in the world-?

  He’d kept his nose out of it because it was her. And because his senses told him that if she got into trouble, the trouble would stop at him and her instead of spreading to his people. But only as long as he didn’t know what she was doing.

  Apparently, that was a mistake.

  Damn it!

  “I’ll… have to speak with her about that.”

  “Do that.”

  “In that light, I’d like an extension of three days.”

  “Why?”

  Flint didn’t answer.

  “Very well. You have two weeks and three days to prepare to receive our refugees. By then, I expect you to send word or come yourself with news about the azuremere. Remember, it is a condition of affiliation. I can cancel the deal without it.”

  Flint bowed his head.

  The host and his escorts headed for the door. Flint’s eyes lingered on the woman assistant. Maybe that was what made him act impulsively.

  “Tell your boss thank you.”

  The host looked over his shoulder. Confused.

  “For what? For entertaining your request? For sending me to meet with you?”

  “For taking care of the assassins who killed the late Baron and Baroness Grimshaw.”

  The host blinked in surprise. But he nodded, yanked open the door, and left.

  “Damn it,” Flint muttered as soon as the door closed.

  Had he given himself away? Would they understand that he’d guessed something important? No. Probably not. It was just one more piece of information in the paperwork. He picked up the sheaf of papers and slipped it back into his coat.

  “Do you think Miss Em will cooperate?”

  Chez stared at the door. Hand on hilt. Just as Flint had guessed he would be doing.

  Flint closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead.

  Then, without answering, he strode to the door, yanked it open, and made his way outside.

  ***

  Em bounced on her toes impatiently. While casting a glance at the bag she carefully packed the night before. It sat just under the edge of her bed. It was in sight, so it was not like she was hiding it.

  Annie pulled hard on the corset ribbons, and Em gasped.

  “No more,” she protested.

  “Just a bit more, miss.”

  “We’re only going to be taking it off again! Just-” Em grunted as Annie pulled again. She felt like her lungs were being popped. “Just stop.”

  “We’re not taking it off, miss.”

  “What?”

  “They’ll be taking measurements over the top,” Annie said. She tied off the ribbons and stepped back. “So they can make the waist of your dresses as small as possible.”

  Em stared at her. Aghast.

  That’s right. She’d forgotten. Some women had their measurements taken naked for the best fit, but most of them never took off their underwear. Em usually took off the corset and that was it.

  Suddenly, she wanted that stupid thing off as quickly as possible!

  Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

  Before she could say anything, there was a knock at the door. While Annie answered it, Em shot a despairing look at Loki.

  The god had unexpectedly stuck around like he used to. Though not as a slime, which she sort of missed.

  Currently he was pretending to be a mouse. Em was in the perfect position to see him lounging in a very un-mouse-like way at the corner of her night table, but where Annie could not see him. He was on his back with his head on his paws, alternating between looking at her and the ceiling.

  He grinned, showing his teeth. Since mouse faces weren’t designed to make that expression, it was actually really creepy.

  Em shivered and made a face at him.

  That only made him laugh, and Annie turned around.

  “What, miss?”

  “Nothing. Who was that?”

  “The Mistress sent word that we’ll be skipping breakfast today.”

  “Again?”

  Unlike Em and Flint, Aunt Eileen was thrilled with Em’s unexpected engagement. And seemed determined to starve Em into the smallest possible corsets. And was probably also prepared to force Em into the frilliest, most obnoxious dresses.

  It wouldn’t surprise her if Eileen had chosen the dress styles before the dressmaker even got to the manor.

  Now that I’m supposed to keep the Emperor impressed, she’s spending a lot of money on me.

  Gloomily, Em thought of the gowns and suits she’d just ordered a few weeks ago. She only received two before the fiasco, and Aunt Eileen threatened to cancel the rest of the order. Fortunately, the seamstresses had finished them before she could. Once the new dresses came in, Em doubted she’d get to use her chosen attire at all.

  How did Eileen even know that Em had other dresses being made?

  “Yes, miss. Here, I think this gown should do.”

  Em allowed Annie to slip the gown over her head.

  As soon as the maid was gone, though, Em turned her back to the nightstand.

  “Loosen it,” she demanded.

  “That is an inappropriate thing to ask a man,” Loki squeaked back.

  “Says the man who was watching me dress. Anyway, you’re not a man. You’re a formless blob who sometimes takes the shape of a man. Loosen it.”

  “I wasn’t watching! Well, not until you were covered. And you don’t care because in your old world, that is a costume. Not underwear.”

  Em glared over her shoulder.

  “I have standards, Emmaline Grimshaw.”

  “So do I. It’s called breathing.”

  Loki snorted a laugh, and Em was surprised when the laces loosened without her even having to remove the dress again. She sagged against her bed in relief. Then shot him a glare.

  “If it was that easy, why did you make such a fuss?”

  “Because I like to see you angry. You’re easier to mess with that way.”

  Em grabbed a pillow, but he was already gone by the time she threw it.

  Skipping breakfast meant going straight to the downstairs parlor and a mountain of invitations. Aunt Eileen sat in her favorite chair. And as usual, she also did the annoying job of sifting through the cards.

  “Bring a writing desk for my niece,” she instructed a maid. Without looking up, she put a card in the ‘accept’ pile.

  There were a lot more cards in the accept pile than Em liked to see.

  One good thing about skipping breakfast. My stomach won’t hurt as much.

  It ached anyway as she sat down and gloomily picked up her first handful of cards.

  Invitations to soirees, tea parties, dinner parties, private balls, art exhibits… They never seemed to end.

  It was bad before when she was just Marquis Grimshaw’s ward. But those invites had been to be polite and for show, so no one expected her to show up. These invites were about political standing.

  Any chance to strengthen your position with the Palace was worth taking. Even if it was through a mere concubine.

  One of the rejected invites tumbled off the table.

  The maid was busy pulling out a portable writing desk, so Em dutifully picked up the fallen letters. She mostly just wanted to avoid going through the accepted stack for a second longer. But her hand froze when she read the name on the invitation.

  “Why are we rejecting an invitation from the Toinbys?”

  “We don’t have time to visit every viscount who sends us an invitation.”

  In other words, they’re too low on the food chain to be worth our efforts.

  Em gritted her teeth and glared at the invitation.

  Kalenna. Selena. She hadn’t talked to the sisters since that horrible night. Or any of her friends. They were probably worried about her. And wondering what the heck had gotten into her.

  “You should accept it, anyway,” Loki said from her pocket.

  Em shook her head and carefully put the card back on the rejection pile. Tears stinging her eyes as she picked up the delivered writing table.

  It was better this way.

  If they weren’t involved, then they wouldn’t get hurt.

  Loki sighed. What a frustrating child!

  By the time lunch came, she was dizzy from stomach aches and lack of food. She tried but couldn’t eat even the lousy amount of food on her plate. Instead, she asked for extra juice.

  It helped clear her head a little, even if her stomach protested for an extra few minutes.

  Em returned to her room briefly before the dressmaker came. And was pleased to see that the bag was gone.

  Annie wasn’t a great accomplice. She’d just tattle on Em. But Todd got the job done. Even if he had to climb into an open window instead of the door.

  Now, it was a matter of watching for the right timing.

  All she needed was a few seconds…

  Anxiety gripped Em’s chest harder and harder as the day passed. She thought she could slip out when the dressmaker came. But if Annie wasn’t following her every second, Aunt Eileen hovered like a fly.

  The dressmaker was making her farewells before Em found an opportunity.

  She glanced at the nearest clock.

  Even if she left now, she was going to be late.

  “... arrive at 6. When we do, you’ll give our host a curtsy befitting equals. Are you listening?”

  “No. May I be excused?”

  “Emmaline Grimshaw! This is important. Do you want to make a fool of yourself?”

  “That’s already being done for me.”

  Eileen’s face blanked in bewilderment.

  The butler leaned down during the pause and whispered something to his mistress. When did the butler get here?

  “Oh!”

  Flustered, Eileen stood up and smoothed her skirts.

  “Go upstairs and change,” she ordered Em.

  “What?”

  “You heard me. Go change. Now.”

  “But-”

  “We have an important guest, so change into your best suit.”

  Em opened her mouth but didn’t have time to ask again before Eileen hurried out of the room. Em gaped after her and shook her head.

  “What was that about?” she muttered.

  “I don’t know. But this is your chance. Would you like a distraction?”

  “If you would.”

  Loki hopped out of her pocket, disappearing under the sofa as Em stood up.

  From her room, she heard the screams. Whatever he was doing seemed to upset every single maid in the building. Maybe he had a horde of mouse friends in the walls? Whatever the case, she climbed out her window with hums and a grin.

  She met Todd at the gate, and they both slipped through without being noticed.

  “Do you know what happened?”

  She smiled and shook her head. Bouncing her way down the alley between mansions and onto a connecting street. Where Todd had arranged for an impatient coachman to pick them up.

  The coachman was a little happier when Em slipped him a tip.

  Finally!

  She flopped back against her seat and closed her eyes.

  The tension she’d been carrying all day seemed to ease out of her, and she sagged in relief. She even got a little sleepy.

  “I heard you didn’t eat anything at lunch.” She opened her eyes, and Todd held up a parcel. “I snatched something from the kitchen.”

  “You’re an angel!”

  He flushed. “I just know you, that’s all,” he muttered.

  He did more than ‘snatch’ something. How in the world did he get this without being noticed?! Two ham sandwiches, with meat as thick as her knuckles and nearly as much cheese. A piece of strawberry pie and three cookies.

  Tears filled her eyes.

  Stupid. Why was she getting emotional over a meal?

  She held out a sandwich while pretending to wipe dust from her eyes.

  “I’ve already eaten three times today. That’s all for you.”

  Three times already?! What an adorable pig. She laughed.

  “I can’t eat all of this!”

  He shrugged. “Try.”

  Maybe she just couldn’t eat right at Eileen’s. It had been a problem since she was a child. But right there, in a moving carriage, she took a bite of the huge sandwich. And another.

  And another.

  Before they reached the park, she’d finished the entire stash. And was a tiny bit nauseated while at the same time content to the eyebrows.

  Her stomach didn’t hurt as much, either. That was nice. It still ached, but maybe it wouldn’t get any worse today.

  They went through the usual routine so Em could change.

  “I can carry that,” Em offered guiltily. Reaching for the bag, Todd had been hefting from the moment he stole it from her room.

  He twisted out of reach, gave her a cheeky grin, and kept walking.

  “You’re very late.” The receptionist didn’t look up from the schedule book.

  “I-”

  “Doctor Sager says to wait for him in the usual place. But he can’t guarantee he’ll finish his appointments before 7. Can you wait that long?”

  Em hesitated. Exchanging a look with Todd.

  The dinner party.