Jem raised an eyebrow. “He told you that much, did he?”
She shrugged. “I asked—kept pestering him, really. I told him that since we’re engaged, he didn’t need to keep secrets from me.”
Her words elicited a tiny chuckle. “Good girl. Casper needs to be reminded that the Almighty doesn’t hoard mistakes, and he shouldn’t either. Unfortunately, talking to him sometimes is like speaking with a brick wall.”
“So I’ve noticed,” she answered drily, hesitating before adding. “I know that you have to leave tomorrow, but that doesn’t mean that you’ll be gone forever, right? You’ll come back?”
Jem grinned at her, though there was a sadness behind the expression that she couldn’t quite decipher. “Rethinking your engagement, are you?”
She looked at him frankly. “I told Casper all along he would have to be the one to break it.”
“That’s right, you did.”
“And I forgot that you were listening the entire time through the window.”
Jem shrugged unapologetically. “As my dear old Mormor used to say, ‘Be careful what you say in confidence, for even the walls may have ears.’”
She rolled her eyes. “As I was saying, I told Casper he would have to break the engagement. I may not have a lot of hope for romance any more, but I do take my commitments seriously. And I know it might seem fast, but…” Her voice trailed off, unsure of how to express her feelings, and her eyes dropped to her feet, shod in dancing slippers the same color as her dress.
“But you’ve spent a lot of time with Casper and realize what the rest of us have known but he refuses to see—that he is a wonderful man with a heart of gold underneath that prickly exterior?”
“Something like that,” Sienna laughed. “Am I crazy? It’s too fast, isn’t it?”
Jem held up his hands. “Hey, I’m a firm believer in the possibility of love at first sight. That’s what happened with me and my wife, anyway.” His eyes glowed with a soft, warm light. “A week is significantly longer than that.”
“I didn’t realize you were married.”
The light dimmed. “I lost her a long time ago.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” He smiled. “As my dear old Mormor used to say, ‘A love cannot be lost unless it first is found, and finding true love is one of the most precious gifts of the Almighty.’”
“Your Mormor sounds like she was a very interesting woman.”
“She was the best of the best. But that’s enough talk about lost loves and grandmothers. What’s important here is that Casper needs to know that you don’t intend on breaking the engagement. Fair warning: You might have to hit him over the head with it several times before he believes you.”
A laugh bubbled out of her. “Noted.”
They stood in companionable silence, watching the other party guests. Sienna sipped her cider.
“Speaking of our dear captain, where is he?” Jem craned his neck to look around the room.
“He said he wanted to meet thePetrelat the harbor before coming. I’m a little surprised you’re not there with him.”
“Eh,” he waved a hand. “I’ve seen that boat enough times that I don’t mind a few days apart from her. I suppose a captain’s love for his ship is different.”
“Do you think the rest of the John’s will come? They deserve a break after the week they’ve had. I feel badly that they spent their holiday out fishing instead of here in Nivem.”
“Don’t. Short John and Longest John were both over the moon when I told them about this little expedition. Believe it or not, fishing is not something we often have the time to do. I think they were relieved to have something to occupy their time thatwasn’t usual business and that didn’t require being particularly social.”
The mention of usual business brought another question to mind. Sienna dropped her voice to a whisper. “And what about our other problem? Have you been able to learn anything else?”
He matched her tone. “That was one of the reasons I was looking for Casper. If I can trust my sources, I believe the cargo will be moving at midnight.”
“Tonight? But I thought the breach only opened during storms. There’s not the sound of a single cloud on the horizon.”
“To get the music into Faerie, yes. But the smugglers must have someone on this side to help distribute.” Jem scanned the crowd again. “We’ve just never been able to find out how or where they move it.”
