ChapterEleven
The Countess ofDerryman
Satrine
A few things of note for the start of our next day inthis world.
The first, when I was in middle school, I used to panicabout big reports or projects I had to do.I never really knew why.It was justa block.
Whenever this would happen, Mom would dig in with me.Stickby my side all the way.
I was an A-B student, mostly Bs (admittedly, a few Cs).Ididn’t love school, but Mom impressed on me how important it was to be educatedfor a variety of reasons, including future employment, cultivating an open mindand nurturing what she thought was essential: a lifelong joy of learning.
Plus, I was good at it.
Every report or project I did with Mom, though, got an A.
By the time I hit high school, I was over that block, andall on my own made honor roll every semester from freshman to senior year.
In other words, wearing negligee sets, in a paralleluniverse, pulling an all-nighter in Dad-not-Dad’s library, Mom and I dug intoour latest big project to face not only what was to come at the constabulary,but what was to come for us in that world.
In order to kick its ass.
And, maybe a bit bleary-eyed, we met the day ready to dojust that.
The second, I should have let Carling call the modiste.
The outfit Mom had to wear to the constabulary had hugeskirts, including an overskirt, heavy embroidery and poofy sleeves.It wasnowhere near as awesome as mine, and peering out the window of the carriage, itdidn’t look anything like what we saw the ladies strolling the pavements werewearing.
And everyone knew, when you had to inhabit a role, you hadto have the proper costume.
I was, by the by, in all violet this time.Not a travelingoutfit (in other words, no little jacket), but an outdoor one.Long fittedsleeves, high collar that tickled the skin under my jaw, silk covered in lacefrom chin to toe, with some thick grosgrain ribbons stitched over at the sidesof my knees where the thick gathering of skirts flounced out.
The train was ridiculous.
And I picked this dress because the hat that went with itwas the biggest I had.Violet with hints of black in a massive bow, a bunch oftrailing ostrich feathers and massive rosettes (yes, all of that).
The instant I put it on before we left the house, Lorenbusted out laughing.
Which was precisely why I made that choice.
Now, however, Mom and I were sitting at a table in a room atthe constabulary, daintychinateacups in saucersfilled with tea in front of us, and we looked like we were waiting to be calledin to two different auditions for two separate period dramas.
Mental note: first thing when I got home, tell Carling tosend for the modiste ASAP.Mom needed to be kitted out for this world.And weneeded to take advantage of Dad-not-Dad’s money while we had access to it.
That meant, although the hospital was returning Maxine’spersonal things that day, she was getting a ton more dresses (and slippers andwhatever).
And I was augmenting my own wardrobe.
He brought us to this world, he’d pay for us to exist in it.
One way or another.
For the now, I had to concentrate.
Because we weren’t in there alone with the inspector.
We had witnesses.
