The tension and anger emanating from Tsarevna were palpable. Conversation was slow to start back up, everyone speaking in hushed tones and whispers. Halfway through the fish course, cutlery clattered against a china plate, startling more than one person.
Tsarevna pushed back from the table and left the room.
Everyone glanced around at each other, wondering what they should do.
A butler entered through the doorway she had stormed through. “Tsarevna is not feeling well and has retired for the night. Tonight’s exhibition has been canceled. Tsarevna bids you all a good evening. Dinner will continue.” He bowed, executed an about-face, and left the dining room.
A brief moment of silence was quickly overtaken as conversation erupted around the table. Addison caught snippets.
“I’ve never seen her this angry.”
“She and Lydia have known each other for years.”
“Do you think the auction will still go on tomorrow?”
The last question had her clenching her fists again.
“Easy,” Graham said. “This will likely work to our benefit.”
Inherently, Addison understood any kink in Tsarevna’s normal routine and plan worked to their benefit, but she struggled to sit there with a fake smile on her face while these women discussed purchasing two people. Never mind one of them was her brother, they were people! Human beings with lives and families who missed them.
“Well, that was an interesting turn of events,” the woman next to her said.
“Why do you say that?” Addison asked.
“Lydia is—was—Tsarevna’s staunchest supporter. She was one of the first members of the Council of Helen, but as she gained more public prominence, her role in the Council became quieter.”
“Who is she?”
The woman smiled. “You don’t recognize her?”
Addison shook her head. “No, but I don’t really pay all that much attention to celebrity gossip.”
“I suppose it makes sense—Americans never pay any attention to the monarchies unless they’re British. She made a name for herself as a progressive politician in her country, then retired from politics to marry the aging king.”
Addison looked at the empty chair Lydia had occupied. “She’s a queen?”
“Dowager. Her son is king now. It’s a purely ceremonial title for a small country most people can’t find on a map. In any case, her departure doesn’t bode well for the Council.” The woman picked up her wine glass and turned to the person on the other side of her.
Addison sipped her own wine. That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Discussions eventually returned to more mundane topics, and the rest of dinner was uneventful.
Gathered in Paige and Graham’s room once more, Addison began with the most important question. “This helps us, right?”
“Yes,” Graham said. “I don’t know what went down between those women, but it absolutely helps for us.”
“Do we need to change anything?” Devon said.
“No,” Paige said. “Tinker and Jane are timing their arrival based on zero three thirty—it’s too late to move the timeline. But it does mean that everyone will likely have been asleep longer and there will be less of a chance of running into any late-night partiers. Plus, Tatiana will be distracted.”
“How bad was that scene at dinner?” Addison asked. “The woman sitting next to me said they go way back.”
“It was pretty bad,” Connie said. “Lydia is one of the original members of the Council and one of Tatiana’s oldest friends. For Lydia to object to how she’s operating sends a really strong message to the other members who have turned a blind eye to Tatiana’s activities.”
“As long as it helps us, I don’t really care,” Devon said.
Addison couldn’t have agreed more. Tatiana’s empire needed to fall, and she would do everything in her power to make sure that happened.
“Everyone try to get some rest. Zero three thirty go time,” Graham said. “Pack only the essentials to take with you—the less the better.”
