“What about Lenora’s maid?” Perhaps Pippa could confirm what Sadie had heard in Lenora’s thoughts and give her a reason to broach the topic with Madeleine.
“I haven’t seen her today. Why? Did something else happen to Lenora? That girl has had the worst luck.”
“No, nothing happened to her.” Sadie debated what else to say. This was always the problem when she used her magic—purposefully or not. Since she had brought Lenora up in the first place, saying nothing else would be odder than a vague comment. “I think she wants to go home, though. Not getting away from Marstede for the day might have upset her.”
Pippa nodded. “If her family’s carriage were still here, she’d have left directly after the bat incident, let alone the mention of demons and curses.”
“Do you know where she lives? How long would it take if she sent her family a letter asking to go home early?”
“They live in Linzen, so maybe a day to get the letter there, and another to get the carriage here? If her family sent it immediately, which they may not be able to do. Or want to. She’d be giving up a chance at a title if she goes home early.”
“Why is everyone so obsessed with titles?”
Pippa snorted. “Come on, Sadie. Can you honestly say you aren’t enticed by all this?” She threw out her arm, indicating the sitting room they stood in, which was nicer than their rooms back in Lamsdel by a large margin.
“The comforts and luxury don’t require a title, though. And it isn’t like Nicholas is active at court. There are probably richer men, with more influence, who don’t have titles that these women and their families could chase after.”
“But think of how satisfying it would be to introduce yourself as nobility.”
“As I told Madeleine, Lady Sadie is a terrible name.”
“But you won’t be Lady Sadie. You’ll be Lady Marstede.”
“I will not be Lady Marstede, Pippa. I’m not marrying Nicholas.”
She smirked. “We are barely into the second week of the month, and he’s clearly showing a preference for you.”
“It’s not going to happen.”
“I’ll make a bet with you. If I’m right, then you have to help me open my own shop once you become a baroness.”
Sadie rolled her eyes. “Fine, but when I win, you have to stop pestering me to work at the tavern.”
“Deal.”
“Deal.” Sadie considered her friend. She’d mentioned wanting to run her own place rather than working for her parents forever, but she’d never mentioned a specific dream. “What sort of shop do you want to open?”
Pippa shrugged. “I haven’t decided yet. Lamsdel doesn’t really need much that isn’t already available, but I don’t want to leave the village either.”
Potions. Sadie bit her lip to keep from blurting it out. What Lamsdel could use was a potion shop. But a potion shop required a water-witch.
If she learned to control her power, could Sadie take the risk of admitting to being a witch? She wouldn’t tell anyone about the telepathy, of course, but if she wasn’t in danger of accidentally using her magic, no one would be able to guess her power. It’d be a constant question she’d have to avoid, but that was no worse than hiding her magic completely.
Not that learning to control her power seemed likely at this point.
While Sadie was lost in her thoughts, Pippa kept talking. “I’ve put off deciding because I know I’m nowhere close to being ready to open a shop on my own, but I suppose I should start making plans. I only have a couple of weeks before you’ll be a baroness.”
“I will not. Spirits, Pippa, even if Nicholas proposes—which he won’t—I wouldn’t be a baroness immediately. But as ithappens, I won’t be a baroness at all, so don’t worry about having enough time to make your decisions.”
Pippa’s lips stretched into a wide smile. “You didn’t mention the possibility of you saying no if he asked! I knew you liked him.”
Sadie gave up. Nothing she said would dim her friend’s conviction. She shook her head and moved toward the door. “You have fun living in your delusions. I’m going to talk to Madeleine about sending Lenora home.”
???
Nicholas made hisway back downstairs and to the front parlor. The guests had all found other places to be, but his mother was still there.
“Is Sadie all right, dear?”
