“You said that you have dealt with Master Hackenstay’s sort before.” She grimaced as a giggling gaggle of girls walked past. “Do you make it a mission to seek out those of disrepute?”
A slow smile spread. I had no hat to tip, but I made sure to nod and smile at each woman we passed. Marietta’s expression battled with ire.
“Gildon is littered with Hackenstays.”
“How can there be so many incompetent, swindling negotiants?”
“Accountants, merchants, lords,gilded. The type to take advantage of a situation without regard to others? They are everywhere—even in one’s own home.”
She shot me an angry look from beneath her lashes. It seemed that only she was allowed to disparage her older brother.
“I don’t know why you’d want to sully your hands with us.”
“Because of what you can give me.”
“I can’t give you anything. Edgar slashed one of his vows by being in a position that helped you. I don’t have that. I don’t have connections that you would want.”
“You are a member of society—you have innumerable connections.”
Her gaze shifted to the row houses on our right. “Not anymore.”
I knew how society worked. I had been raised to know everything about it. “I never said Ineededyou for your social contacts.”
“Let’s be clear on this, Master Noble. You don’t need me for anything. I am aware of that.”
“Fascinating. You seem to have me all figured out.”
Annoyance flashed in her eyes. “You know I do not.”
“But you just said that I don’t need you for anything.”
“Well, I have ruled out the most vile of suggestions. You obviously have a harem ready and willing to serve any time you bat your lashes.” She made a vague motion at our fellow pedestrians. “I highly doubt even with your insinuations that you need me forthat.”
A strange rumbling rippled through my chest. I supposed that I should be outraged over her use of the word vile, my honor scorched, but instead I felt…amused? I hadn’t been this close to real laughter in the presence of a gilded lady in a long time.
“I see. I will let my harem know not to worry about a usurper in their midst.”
“It’s not funny.”
“No, definitely not.” The rippling bubbled up and I laughed out loud.
She stopped, hands on her hips, and stared at me—her expression shifting from horrified to reluctantly amused. Her eyes swung to my left and her glare intensified again. I turned to see a young woman staring up at me, mouth parted. My laughter dried up as quickly as it had come. I tipped my head and started walking again, leaving Marietta to catch up.
It was a minute before I noticed her huffing. I slowed my pace. Determination, pride, stubbornness—she wanted to prove she wouldn’t ask. At this point, I would have been disappointed by anything less.
“So what did you do for Edgar?”
Did I want to answer? I could simply ignore the question, but found needling her the more appealing option. “A favor.”
Another puzzle—why I wanted to spar with her at all. I usually wasn’t so abrasive, unless the situation demanded it. But then I rarely took cases from gilded women. I hated them so fiercely that it wasn’t worth the fortune they could pay, or the contacts I could make.
She continued, taking six steps to my five, even with her long legs. “Did he recently get into a scrape with the watch?”
“What makes you think Edgar needs to avoid law enforcement? He works in a prison.” I needed either a change of topic or a way to get under her skin. “Besides, what makes you think I helped Edgar recently?”
“Well, he still owes you tasks, he still has a star,” she said as if it were the most apparent thing.
I withheld a smile. Perfect. “Do you think I need to go into Montranc every day? Having a large array of options is what makes connections worthwhile. I keep some favors open for years.”
