Midnight Jewel (The Glittering Court #2)(44)

“She gets to see her options and choose,” said Cedric. “It’s in her contract. No preemptive deals.”

The two went back and forth, even though the commission from such a match would have gone to Cedric. I wasn’t surprised at this honorable attitude. He’d made it clear at our first meeting and his visits to the manor that he wanted us to be more than commodities. He finally prevailed, though we all knew father and son would have a heated discussion later. Warren reluctantly departed—defeated, for now.




His offer was the talk of the house that night. Many thought Cedric was foolish for turning it down. And many thought Adelaide should’ve run downstairs and accepted it herself.

For her part, Adelaide was conflicted. She too wondered if she should’ve jumped on such an offer to such a powerful man. At the same time, she respected Cedric’s insistence that she meet all her choices. She paced our room, ruminating and weighing each side. I had little to offer except an attentive ear.

“Tamsin would’ve taken the deal,” Adelaide finally declared.

I couldn’t help a small smile. “Tamsin would’ve called for a priest and offered to marry him on the spot.”

Adelaide didn’t return my smile. Her face remained bleak. “Tamsin should have been the one getting the offer. She should have been the diamond.”

I hurried forward and wrapped my arms around her. “Don’t think like that.”

“I just don’t feel like I deserve this.”

“Tamsin loved you. You earned your place here.” Grant’s words on the ship echoed back to me, suddenly more meaningful. “And don’t forget that you’re still alive.”

Warren’s proposal continued to trouble her, but at least guilt no longer factored into it. As for me, I had my own dilemma to deal with that night. What to do about Theodore Craft? It weighed on me through dinner and while preparing for bed. Adelaide went to sleep early, which was a relief. Distracted or not, she would’ve eventually noticed my inner conflict.

A risky option suddenly presented itself while I was returning from the washroom. A maid carrying an armful of boxes passed me as she walked toward the attic door at the end of my hall. I paused and watched as she disappeared up a small set of stairs. I’d explored that area in my first few days, finding little more than storage. As soon as she returned and headed back to the main floor, I darted forward and made my own climb to the attic. Sure enough—I’d remembered correctly. A large, square window overlooked the house’s sparse rear grounds. The bodyguards rarely patrolled this side of the house, as there were no first-floor windows. They stayed near the front and sides, close to the doors. And since this window was on the third floor, it was even more neglected since there was no way to—

I moved closer and squinted at the darkness outside. A wooden trellis leaned against the house—a delicate one, but one that might very well hold a girl’s weight. I stared at it, my mind spinning. Waiting until I saw Aiana again was the smart thing. The safe thing. But for all I knew, she had tomorrow off as well. And the next day. When would I ever get this news to Grant? No one had told me what to do in this situation.

Decision made, I crept back to my room. Fumbling in the dark, I slipped into a light wool dress and pinned my hair back out of my face. On my way out of the room, I wrapped a robe around me, in case I encountered anyone in the hall who wanted to know why I was dressed and still awake. But there was no need. Everyone on this floor was asleep, or soon would be.

I opened the attic door without a sound. Moonlight shone from above, illuminating the stairs like a magic pathway. I made my way up and forced open the window’s latch to get a better look at the trellis. Old, but definitely sturdy enough to get me down. No guards in the backyard. This was my chance. I took off the robe and put my foot on the window’s ledge, ready to take the plunge. A cold wind made me shiver, reminding me spring wasn’t here yet. In my haste, I hadn’t grabbed any outerwear.

Luckily, I had stacks and stacks of extra clothing and accessories behind me. I recalled Mistress Culpepper ordering some of our seafaring attire put into storage. Had those heavy cloaks ended up here? One by one, I opened each box, finding hair combs and shoes and bracelets—but no cloaks. I was nearly at the end when I came across a box of wigs. I started to close it as well and then found myself thinking of Grant dressed up as a stooped and grizzled laborer.

What risks did I face by sneaking out? Being caught, obviously. Either by the Glittering Court’s people or some brigand on the road to Cape Triumph. Even if I made it without being detained, I might still be recognized. I’d have a lot of explaining to do and could jeopardize my position.

I looked down and saw only fantastic pieces. Purple wigs. Orange wigs. Pink wigs. Hardly what I’d want to remain inconspicuous. But then, among the showy wigs, I spotted a long blonde one, a very realistic one—and one very different from my own hair. I seized it and went on to the other boxes.

At last, I found the one holding cloaks and other outwear. These might be “everyday” to us, but they were probably richer than what most Cape Triumph citizens owned. Nice clothes could make you a target alone on the road, but I had to hope the fur-trimmed black wool cloak I grabbed would be better than silk. Leather gloves and a cold-weather mask of black velvet completed the set. These masks covered the upper half of the face and were common on both sides of the ocean. Some people treated them as a fashion item. Mistress Culpepper disliked them because they could smear eye makeup, but she also said they were occasionally a necessary evil against icy winds that might chap a young girl’s skin.