“Your job?”

“Yes,” I said. “I can read men. I know their romantic intentions better than you ever will.”

Cedric’s voice was snide. “Right. I’m sure you learned all about men’s ‘romantic intentions’ after years of desperately throwing yourself at them in stuffy ballrooms. How exactly did that work out for you, my lady?”

A flush filled my cheeks. “I wouldn’t expect you to understand the ways of the upper class. Between your common blood and pagan—”

“Is there room here?”

Sylvia strolled up to us with a weary smile. It was obvious she hadn’t heard our conversation, or she might have been more uneasy. Cedric instantly put a charming expression back on and lent her a hand. “Of course.”

When she was inside, he helped me up. As I was about to step in, he stopped me, holding my hand with his other arm around me. He leaned close to me so no one else would hear. That closeness threw me off, making me briefly forget everything but his eyes and lips.

“Adelaide, I’m not trying to—”

“What?” I demanded, my agitation returning. “What is it, exactly, that you’re trying to do?”

We were suspended like that for a moment, and then his face hardened. “Nothing. Like you said, I’ve only got common blood. I’m not trying to do anything.”

He lifted me inside and shut the door, telling the driver to go.

Chapter 15

My emotions were a storm within me when we got back to the house. I was fuming at Cedric, of course—and I had every right to, after the way he’d behaved. At the same time, I inexplicably felt like crying. Even in the tensest moments of our early times together, we’d never truly fought like that. Having left with that anger between us made my chest ache. As hurt and furious as I was, I couldn’t stand the thought of us at odds. It was confusing, and my own heart was a mess.

My rumination slammed to a halt when I found my bedroom empty. I’d assumed Mira had been ahead of me since she hadn’t been outside when I was talking to Cedric and Warren. Nothing to worry about, I thought. She must have been in one of the later carriages.

But as I prepared for sleep and the night wore on, there was still no sign of her. Everyone else was back, blearily making their way to bed. It left me with a dilemma. Should I tell Mistress Culpepper? What if something had happened to Mira? On the other hand, I knew Mira’s ways. It was entirely possible she’d sneaked off to explore the city after all. Reporting her absence would get her in trouble. Cedric would have been a neutral party to go to, but after our fight, I wasn’t willing to do that. Mira was tough, I told myself. She’d be okay.

And sure enough, when I woke up, she was in her bed.

“I was worried about you,” I told her. I didn’t ask her outright what had happened, but the expectant tone in my voice left no question that I was eager for more information.

“I’m sorry,” she said, pausing to stretch and yawn. “I didn’t mean to scare you. Thank you for not telling anyone.”

When she still didn’t offer any explanation, I asked, “Were you out exploring the city?”

She hesitated. “Yes. Foolish, I know.”

“Something could have happened to you! Promise me you won’t do it again. It’s not safe for a woman alone.”

“The world never is,” she muttered.

I waited for more, but it didn’t come. “You didn’t promise.”

“Because I can’t.”

“Mira—”

“Adelaide,” she interrupted. “You have to trust that I wouldn’t do anything—dangerous or otherwise—without a good reason. But . . . well, we all have our secrets. I know you do too, and I respect that.”

I nodded, knowing that pushing her would make me a hypocrite when I held so much back. “Just tell me this,” I said at last. “You weren’t out with the Alanzans, were you?” I couldn’t think of anything else covert she’d be doing and wasn’t sure I could handle two heretics in my life.

She laughed in surprise. “No. Why would you think that?”

“Because, well, you’re from Sirminica. And you always know so much about them.”

“I do,” she said, sobering a little. “I was raised among them, I’m sympathetic to them, but no, I’m not one of them. Their ways are just kind of etched in my mind. When I see a clear full moon, I think how it’d be perfect for one of their weddings. And I always know their holidays. Like, tomorrow is the Star Advent, not that I’ll celebrate it.”

“Star Advent,” I repeated, unfamiliar with the term. “Is that some ritual full of sordid acts?”

“You’re thinking of the Spring Rites—and they aren’t actually so sordid. Plenty of Alanzans have strong morals. The Star Advent is a more solemn holiday.”

I nodded, unsure how to feel about her actions. I was glad she wasn’t in danger of being arrested for heretical religion . . . but if it wasn’t that, then what other danger might she be entangled in?

I received no answers, and a whirlwind day soon ensued. There was no rest for us after last night’s gala. The afternoon was packed with appointments from prospective suitors who wanted to speak to us in private. The house was put to full use as Mistress Culpepper arranged rooms for these meetings and assigned chaperones to each one. I had four meetings throughout the day, one with a gentleman I’d met last night and three who were new. Miss Bradley chaperoned two, and Aiana did the other two. She said little to me, only giving a smile of greeting.

So many men walked in and out of the house that day, but Cedric wasn’t one of them.

It ate at me in a way I hadn’t expected. Since leaving Osfrid, I’d seen him on a daily basis. His presence was a fixed part of my life now. A quip here, a knowing smile there. Without him, Wisteria Hollow seemed like an entirely different place. I felt like a different person. A very unhappy one.

He showed up that evening to play chaperone at a party being hosted for the top three girls: me, Mira, and Heloise. Heloise was the Swan Ridge girl who’d inherited the second spot. Like Mira, she’d originally had a slightly less precious stone, so they’d done a hasty upgrade from peridot to emerald, which allowed her to keep her green wardrobe. It was a painful reminder of Tamsin.

I tried striking up a conversation with him along the way, but he said no more than was absolutely necessary. He barely made eye contact. When we arrived at the home of one of Cape Triumph’s most prosperous merchants, he melted into the background, letting us claim the attention at the party while he simply supervised.

The house was impressive by Adorian standards, a large estate with many servants. This was among the top positions a Glittering Court girl might marry into, and I tried to imagine myself as mistress of such a place. There were few in Denham that could match it, except perhaps the governor’s home. Our merchant host was a pleasant, fairly attractive man who doted on all of us, but nothing special about him struck me. I smiled and made small talk but did little else to distinguish myself. If I were being mercenary and simply comparing men based on their resources, Warren still won handily—at least once he was established in Hadisen.

When we left, our host told us he’d be in touch, but it was obvious Heloise was his favorite. She beamed on the ride home, and I was happy for her.