“What of them? The Emperor has demonstrated time and again that Bohemia is hardly his concern,” Ferdy said. “Other nations are too worried about their own to worry about us.”
“That’s interesting.” I wondered if anything had to do with Lady POW and the recent murders.
“You’re strange,” Ferdy said. “Why so interested in politics?”
I shrugged, and then decided to turn the tables on him. “You seem interested in it as well. That is strange, for a street urchin such as yourself.”
Ferdy grinned just as I realized I had insulted him. “First, I’m not polite enough to keep myself from talking to you about anything, even if we are talking about something as indecent as politics. And second, I know enough about politics that it amuses me,” he said. “The world will never be a better place with people just talking about it, whether they try to shape the world into their vision, or they scrape their words out of the clay of the world itself.”
“I don’t know about politics much,” I said. “Just a little, mostly from what my father taught me. But I like learning what I can from others.”
Especially if they are going to help me solve a murder.
“Governments, according to the Americans, were made to secure the natural, inalienable rights from God,” Ferdy said. “It gets to be a bigger deal when there is a government who is preventing the people from their rights.”
“Did Mr. Clavan tell you that?” I giggled.
“Why, yes he did,” Ferdy said with his usual guilelessness, and I laughed even harder.
“Good, I’ve made you laugh, and for real,” Ferdy said. “None of that fake, flirty chittering you did earlier.”
“How did you know that was fake? And how long were you spying on me and Karl?”
“Long enough to wait for the footman to deliver the message,” Ferdy said. “And that took him enough time, to be sure. I should have waited until afterward to pay him.”
Realization struck me. “You sent Karl the message?”
“Of course.” Ferdy gave me his charming grin. “You know I would never miss the chance to rescue you if I could, Ella.”
Mild shock sank into me, and I was just as surprised to find I was pleased. My steps slowed, eventually coming to a stop near a window.
“I know him well enough to get him to leave, and I would not have missed the chance to steal you away for even a few moments this evening.”
I suddenly realized that we were all alone. There were no other people around, and the last warmth of the ballroom had long since been whisked away.
“Are you angry?” Ferdy asked. “I didn’t want to upset you.”
“No.” I shook my head. “I’m fine. I am just surprised at—”
“—how much you missed me.”
Despite being interrupted, I could only laugh. But after a moment, I had to admit Ferdy was right. Everyone else out in public was someone to lie to or someone to manipulate. Ferdy still knew me as the lady who was forced to do her stepmother’s shopping, dressed in a maidservant’s dress and accompanied by her muted neighbor.
“Well, I have been worried for you,” I said. “My grandmother was concerned of all the dead politicians turning up, and I thought you would be in trouble since Mr. Clavan asked you about it.”
“I see.” Ferdy squeezed my hand. “There’s no need to worry about me. I have been out in the city long enough to know how to take care of myself and cover my tracks.”
“That’s a relief, but I want you to promise me that you will be careful.”
“I would never deny you anything.” Ferdy stood beside me, and as I looked out over the view, I had a new appreciation for how peaceful and robust the city looked. The simple happenings during the day, and the darker stains of murder and intrigue of the shadows, seemed to whisk away into the light of its magic.
Prague had stood for hundreds of years, and the blood of my father’s ancestors ran through me. I was here in a moment in time, in all its vastness and mystery, watching as the kingdom and its housed traditions continued to stand against time’s ebb and flow. The richness and the endurance of it all added something mystical to everything, and I wondered, glancing over at Ferdy, if there were things that really did last. The warmth of his arm brushed against my shoulder, and I was strongly tempted to lean into him.
“I must admit,” Ferdy said, “that I have been worried for you, too. I was happy to hear of your grandmother’s arrival, but I thought maybe you would forget about me once she came and took you out on all those fancy shopping adventures.”
“I didn’t,” I said with a laugh. “If anything, I will need you more in the coming days, to remind me who I was before she came. I feel almost like a different person in all these fancy clothes.”
“You are different. You are more beautiful than ever,” Ferdy waited until it was clear I was too embarrassed to reply before adding, “But if it will make you feel better, I can steal something from you. I’m willing to bet you would chase me down, just like you did to the Turkish man.”
I smiled at the thought of Ferdy running from me, clutching something against his chest as I tried to steal it back.
Looking up into his eyes, I suddenly had to wonder if he was not already stealing something from me; my heart seemed to beat faster as I stood there.
“You seem to like gambling,” I said, keeping the conversation light as I pondered the depths of my heart, and what it held for the pleasant street urchin and job hopper I’d met only days ago.
“Some things are worth the risk,” Ferdy replied, stepping even closer to me.
“Always the charmer,” I whispered, before Ferdy tightened his fingers around mine and he drew my hand to his lips.
“And you, Ella, are always the enchanter,” Ferdy replied. “But your spells would be even more irresistible if you were to only stop lying.”
“Lying? About what?” I asked. His remark caught me off guard, and suddenly I wondered if he had found out about me, Lady POW, and the Order of the Crystal Daggers. I momentarily saw Lady POW burst into flames, angry at me for my carelessness.
Ferdy grinned. “How much you want to kiss me, of course.”
I nearly laughed in relief, but then his eyes caught mine in the moonlight. Nerves of a different sort twisted inside of me as I saw his gaze slip down to my lips.
He was only a breath away from me. My heart began to beat faster, racing like a jubilant melody. In the distance, Prague Castle glowed with a mix of light from the moon and stars. Everything seemed to overwhelm me in that moment. I could smell the fragrance of the gardens below us and sense the barest edge of the wind ... feel the tremor of my hand in his.
Ferdy’s silver eyes were bright as he waited for my response, his breath warm against my cheek. My hand was still on his arm, and his other hand covered it gently.
I knew we were alone. It was a moment where I could be free to do as I pleased, and, as hard as it was for me to admit, Ferdy was right.
I liked him, a lot more than I should, and I did want to kiss him. That was why I stayed where I was, daring myself to be brave, daring myself to allow him so close to me—even as my logic warned me, and the expectations placed on me by others cried out bitterly.
He was a street lad, someone who was fast and loose with the truth, and he had just admitted to me that he had tricked one of the most well-known political stars of Prague in order to steal some time with me.
Everything seemed so strange. Even a week ago, Ferdy was someone I never would have expected, someone I never would have even dared to dream was real.
But here he was, standing beside me—and here I was, letting him, hoping he would close the distance between us. I could take half a step and find my body pressed against his. Our breath mingled together as I was overrun with confusion and curious longing.
“I won’t force you to tell me the truth, Ella,” Ferdy whispered. “I know better than most that some lies are preferable to the truth. But I can’t keep aching for you like
this.”
Heat fluttered to my cheeks. “Do you really want to kiss me?”
He laughed and stepped back from me, making me miss the shadow of his warmth. “Oh, Ella, it’s no wonder why I am enchanted by you. Of course I do. I might be the bigger liar between us, but I could never lie about that.”
“Why?” I asked. Another thought struck me at his words. “What are you lying about?”
“Plenty,” he said. “But not about wanting to kiss you. Even if I were to say otherwise on that matter, you would find the truth out easily enough. I am sure it is written on my face at this point.”
My brain was limpid mush as I tried to focus. “Were you lying about your friends earlier?” I asked. “About Mr. Clavan and the others?”
“Why would I need to lie about that?” Ferdy asked. “No, they are intellectual, and yes, a little scary, especially considering how fast Eliezer talks, but they have nothing to do with this part of our conversation.”
“I suppose you have a point. You’re right.”
Ferdy grinned. “About you wanting to kiss me?”
I blushed again, before glancing back down the darkened corridors of the Hohenwart house. “I should probably head back. My grandmother will be worried by now, I think. It probably does not take anyone this long to find a powder room, even if they are lost.”
“Your chaperone will likely need her vinaigrette, especially since Karl left.”
“Hardly,” I scoffed, but I smiled at the thought of Lady POW fainting.
We walked for several moments in silence, retracing our steps back to the ballroom. All too quickly, the music grew louder and I felt my freedom shrink as my time with Ferdy came to an end.
“I would love it if you could come and see me again,” Ferdy said.
“This time, you were the one who came to see me,” I pointed out. “You seem to have better luck in finding me than I do in finding you.”
He laughed again, but softly this time, as we were approaching the edge of the shadows.
“That’s true,” he said. “But come to one of Clavan’s Cabal meetings. They’re on Thursdays and Mondays, in the evenings. I’ll be there. And you’ll be able to see for yourself what the Cabal is all about.”
It was so tempting to say yes.
So I did.
“I’ll make arrangements,” I promised, even though I had no idea how I was going to make it work.
“Good.” Ferdy finally pressed his lips against my knuckles, and then against my palm, and I felt my legs go weak with strange wanting. “Next time, Ella, I will find a way to get you to admit you want to kiss me.”
Unable to resist giving him a challenge, I arched my brow at him. “We will see, won’t we?”
“You’re not denying it,” he pointed out, and I felt my heart flutter as he blew me a kiss.
I headed back toward the ballroom, sighing and smiling, unexplainably happy. Ferdy was safe, and I would see him again soon. And, I thought, feeling a little guilty, if I did go to the Cabal, I might be able to see if there was any more news on Dr. Artha’s death.
My happiness was immediately interrupted by my grandmother, almost as if she could sense how forbidden it was.
“Eleanora.”
I snapped to attention as I saw her in the doorway to the ballroom. “Lady Penelope.”
“Where have you been?” she asked. “I have been waiting for you to reappear for the last thirty minutes.”
“Um ... I was looking for the withdrawing room,” I said. “I had to take care of some ... personal needs. I was lost.”
Lady Penelope groaned. “I knew I should not have danced with Lord Maximillian. Leaving you on your own was clearly a mistake this early in the game.”
“You could have refused Lord Maximillian,” I said. “What did he want to dance with you for, anyway? Did he want a chance to ruffle your petticoats after you ruined his plans with Alex and Teresa Marie?”
“No.” Lady Penelope frowned. “He seemed very thankful I gave him a way out of that arrangement. His daughter will be able to find someone in higher circles now.”
“If she’s charming enough,” I said, thinking of how she had failed to take Karl’s attention away from me.
“Lord Maximillian took the time to check up on you, to see how you were adapting to life outside of Cecilia. He said he was shocked and appalled to find out that you and Benedict were being treated so horrifically.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “I do not believe him.”
“He also assured me that he and his daughter would refrain from speaking of your time as a servant.”
“I don’t care about that,” I said. “If anything, maybe it would be better for people to know the truth. He is likely only refraining from saying anything to keep Cecilia from looking bad, and himself by extension.”
“That is true,” Lady Penelope said. “But you are smart enough to know that you are the entertainment for society, Eleanora. No one wants to feel guilty in seeing you as entertainment, either. Revealing the truth is counteractive to your efforts to enchant them.”
I thought of Ferdy, and how he had called me an enchanter. Was it possible he felt sorry for me? A moment later, I decided he did not. He lived on the streets, working for a living. He was not the same as the rest of society.
Besides, I thought with a quick blush, it was clear he had other feelings for me than pity.
“Eleanora? What is it?”
“Karl told me that Lord Maximillian is a guest at the Hohenwart house,” I said, changing the topic. I did not want to think of my role in society.
“Karl?”
“Mr. Marcelin.”
“You were supposed to get him to like you, Eleanora, but there is no need for you to like him when we speak face to face, as we are now.”
“Well, he was nice enough, especially to me,” I said, remembering his kindness and patience with me and my subpar waltzing skills. “He mentioned several things to me about his high hopes for his political career and how Count Potocki shares an interest in wine with Lord Hohenwart and the Duke of Moravia. That was when he told me His Grace was a guest at the Hohenwart estate.”
“Lady Hohenwart did not mention that to me,” Lady Penelope replied in an irritated tone. “But it sounds like you have some information we might be able to use. We will discuss it later with Amir and Harshad.”
“And Ben.”
“Yes, of course.”
“Does this mean I passed your test?” I asked. I thought of the crystalline blades of Lady POW’s daggers, the chosen weapons of the Order of the Crystal Daggers.
Will I get the chance to wield them one day soon?
Lady POW sighed. “Now is not the time for this, Eleanora.”
“But I did some good tonight. And if it’s not good enough, you know as much as I do that it’s hardly fair to test me when I don’t even know what I am being tested on.”
“On the contrary. It is the perfect time to test you.”
“It’s still not fair.”
“Life is not fair, Eleanora, in case you haven’t noticed.”
“I assumed it would be at least somewhat better after you came and assumed responsibility of me from Cecilia. Her chores were harder on my body, maybe, but yours are completely mad on the mind.”
“As I said, enough of this.” She took my hand. “Come. We are leaving.”
“Do we have permission from the social betters to do so?” I scoffed. “Or is this one of your orders, that I must follow blindly?”
“None of that, Eleanora. If you must know, another murder happened earlier tonight. Amir and Ben are waiting for us outside. We must hurry.”
Shame and silence weighed heavily on me as we made our exit.
*12*
◊
“Where are we headed?” I asked, as I settled into the carriage cushions. I pulled my cloak more tightly around my shoulders, regretting that I had to be in my evening gown the first time I joined Ben on a mission.
; “We are going to the Church of Our Lady of the Snows.” Lady Penelope pulled the carriage curtains shut and began tugging at the lacings and hooks of her gown.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“Changing.” She reached down under her seat and lifted up the cushion. I was amazed to see there was a secret drawer there, and I was even more confounded as she tossed me a pair of breeches. “Which is what you should be doing.”
I gripped the soft material hesitantly, noticing it was cut in an older style. “Do I just change ... in here?”
“Now is not the time for modesty, Eleanora. We only have a few blocks.”
Carefully, I pulled off my own gown, alternatively cringing and sighing over the next several long moments. It was a simple ball gown, but it was so fine I hated the thought of ruining it. As the carriage jostled, I stumbled and shifted uncomfortably in the small space I had to change.
“You’ll get accustomed to this,” Lady Penelope assured me, before she pulled a shirt on over her own chemise. She seemed to all but slip out of her own gown.
I tried to ignore her, considering she had a critical gaze set on my middle, where I was trying to squeeze myself flat as I squirmed in my petticoats.
Finally, several more uncomfortable moments later, I bundled up my chemise and tucked it into the pants. My gown bubbled up on the empty seats, and as much as it irritated me, I regretted rolling it up into a ball and shoving it into the newly-empty drawer. I winced as I shut the top down on its soft fabric.
“Amelia and the others will be able to tend to it,” Lady Penelope told me, and I was grateful for her concern, even if I hated to give her seamstresses more work.
I looked over to see Lady POW was dressed all in black. She had on her slacks, a shirt, and even a greatcoat and hessians. She bundled up her gray hair and tucked it under a hat, before pulling out a walking stick and sitting down once more.
“You don’t happen to have shoes for me, too, do you?” I asked.
She quickly tossed me an identical set of clothes and a fine walking stick of my own. “Pull up your collar to help hide your hair.”
Moments later, I was wearing a set of man’s clothes, and I felt deliciously sinful in doing so. I kept moving my legs, crossing them over each other, reveling in the freedom to move.
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