He turned away, looking down the street. “The sketches are in Dresden’s hands. It will be his job to find them. The man is stubborn, but he is thorough when given a credible lead.”
“But—”
“No buts.” He started moving and I hurried to follow. “We will continue trying to find Thorne Worley. Leave the women to Dresden. Getting your brother released is our concern. Those women are not.”
His stride lengthened and I fell behind. How could he say something like that? “But they are vict—”
“Lady Second Winters? Marietta Winters?”
I missed a step. My body froze, my mind screamed at me to keep moving.
“Cousin Marietta?” A hand grabbed my arm and spun me to face the narrowed, gleeful eyes of Felicity Tercake. I should never have stopped trying to be a fern. “Itisyou.”
“Quite.” I kept myself from gripping my working skirt.
“Oh, this istoogood,” Felicity crowed. “That I would find you downhereon my way to discipline a maid. You’ve turned to trade, dear cousin? Walking to the poorhouse, are you? Saying a final prayer for that murdering brother of yours?”
“If you are quite finished.”
“Not for at least a quarter hour more.” She smirked. “You are the talk of the gilded, dear cousin. You and your brothers. Nasty little business there. You are making lifedifficultfor the rest of us.”
“I see you are reveling in it.”
“Oh, indeed. I thought you simple, magicless scum, hanging on mother’s coattails, begging for invites to all the right functions. To find out that you sought dark magic to try andfit? How freeing to be able to tell you to your face how happy I am to see you cut loose.”
“Your beneficence will surely be rewarded.”
“Benton will be declaring for me any day now, so I’m sure it shall be.” She brushed her gloves together as if to get rid of my stench.
Unless other things had changed drastically in the past few weeks, I doubted that. “Lord Benton is the second in a prosperous line. He will hardly choose you. He could have a diamond, and you are anything but.”
Felicity’s eyes narrowed but she continued to smile. “As if you’d know a diamond from paste. How many offers have you had, Marietta? Oh, and how many invitations have graced your door of late?”
“None,” I said with a calm I didn’t feel. “As you are well aware.”
“I am,” she purred. “Have you read the papers lately? They say you’ve turned to whoring.” She looked me over. “I will be happy to confirm it.”
“Such crude words for a lady. If you are a lady at all.”
I jumped. I had forgotten Gabriel. He had been steps ahead of me when I’d been grabbed. Felicity startled as well, turning her bonneted head.
Her jaw dropped and I watched the cogs turn as her lips pulled into a brilliant smile. Gabriel was the most…well, just the mostmanI’d ever seen. I had little doubt the same was true for Felicity.
“Goodness. My apologies, unmet one. I’m Lady Felicity Tercake, and my acquaintance here does tend to bring out the worst in me.”
“Do you always blame your actions on others?”
Felicity’s mouth dropped again, but from a different kind of shock. “I beg your pardon?”
“You just said that you behaved poorly because your acquaintance brings out the worst in you.” He leaned toward her, and her cheeks reddened, from his proximity more than his words. “Hardly taking responsibility for your own actions, are you, Lady Felicity? It sounds to me like perhaps you just behave badly in general and then make excuses for it.”
“I do not!” She smoothed her hands down her skirt and looked up with a new smile. “I am a high-ranking member of society. I assure you my manners are perfectly acceptable.”
“To whom?”
Her smile dropped and her eyes widened. “Marietta, cousin, if you’d be so kind as to introduce us?” I’d never seen Felicity so flustered.
I shrugged. “I can’t help you there, Felicity. I don’t know him.”
