Eliza had always been beautiful, but tonight she was radiant. I smiled and caught Blackwood’s eye in the crowd. His chest seemed to swell with pride.
An older man who had to be Foxglove bowed and then gave her his arm. He was rather handsome, though unfortunately graying at the temples. Eliza silently accepted him, and he led her through a sea of admirers. She showed no emotion. Chin lifted, she passed among the partygoers as though they didn’t exist.
The sight of Foxglove dampened my mood. When Blackwood and I had a moment, perhaps I could try one last time to convince him to let Eliza choose before it really was too late.
Now the party truly began, and people moved freely throughout the house. The whole first level had been made available tonight. Music wafted from several rooms, every one of which hosted tables of food and drink waiting to be sampled.
The house had been made to resemble a glen in Faerie. Brush Fae fluttered along the walls and ceilings, decorating the hall with twinkling lights. Ivy and holly adorned doorways, purple and yellow wildflowers had been arranged in glass and crystal vases, and in the library a trio of goat-hooved pipers played a song that was achingly beautiful.
The food was a marvel: roasted pheasant under glass, poached pears and cream, turtle soup and gleaming oysters, sweetbreads in sauce, stewed mushrooms, honey-glazed quail, rose and lavender jellies, and spun-sugar confections in the shape of stars and ivy leaves waited inside golden cornucopias or silver urns.
So many people stopped to speak with me, whether it was a lady admiring my gown or a gentleman sorcerer congratulating me upon the victory against Callax. One even asked if I thought we could produce more weapons to send to the fenlands. Moving through the crowd, I recalled feeling like such an outsider when I first arrived in London. Now, a few months later, it seemed as if I’d always been part of this world.
And once again, a terrible secret burned inside me. This time, I could not lay the blame on the sorcerers. It was my own fault, and an unhappy accident of birth, that separated me from them. Whatever giddiness I’d felt at the start of the ball soured at once.
Speaking of souring, I ran into Valens, who was talking with a lovely young woman. His smile evaporated when he saw me. The woman merely curtsied.
“My wife, Leticia,” Valens said to me, before encouraging her to take a seat on a nearby sofa. Indeed, she looked pale, and by the swell of her stomach I guessed she was with child. Valens watched her sit, his face relaxing into a contented smile. His tenderness surprised me.
“How are your drills progressing? Do you even practice any longer?” he asked.
I all but rolled my eyes. “Yes, now that I’m not corrected every ten seconds.”
He gave a short laugh. “I corrected you because you needed to be at your best,” he said. “You hadn’t the proper amount of training before the commendation. I would have had my entire squadron drill again because of any man’s single mistake.” He frowned. “It would be wrong to be any less hard on you because you are a woman. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Blanching, I said, “I suppose.”
Valens bowed and went after his wife. Perhaps I’d been wrong about him. Had I let my anger toward Palehook rub off on his old pupil? That wasn’t an encouraging thought.
“Miss Howel.” A smiling Fanny Magnus approached. “You look lovely this evening.” She was wearing a beautiful dark blue gown trimmed with lace, and I happily returned the compliment. “You’ve made an old widow’s night,” she said, giving a cheerful wink. It was easy to see where Magnus got the best parts of himself. “Julian’s been looking for you since we arrived. Ah!” She gave a light wave as Magnus cut toward us. He’d dressed in his naval uniform, complete with cream-colored breeches and a brilliant, deep-blue coat.
Taking his mother’s arm, he smiled at me. “Howel. Picture of elegance, as always.”
“I’ll leave you both to it,” Fanny sang before disappearing into the crowd. Oh lord. Magnus shook his head.
“Mother gets ideas about things. You needn’t worry.”
“I’m not,” I said, smiling. “So. Have you any interest in the girls this evening?” Based on the blushes and glances directed our way, I imagined there were scores of young ladies here who would be happy to overlook Magnus’s lack of fortune.
“Since you’ve brought it up, there was something I wanted to speak to you about.” He adjusted his collar. “You see—”
“Howel!” Dee practically dove through the crowd. He knocked into Magnus, who cursed as he upset some drinks. Dee was so wildly elated he didn’t even notice. “I saw Lilly! She was standing by the staircase, you know, near the servants’ entrance. She noticed me! And she even smiled! Can you believe it?” He sighed, as if on the verge of bursting into song about love, flowering trees, and other unsubtle metaphors.
“Dee, if you budge five steps to the left, I will no longer be sitting in the punch bowl,” Magnus grunted. As they negotiated who had to move where, Fanny returned and stole me away.
“They’re galumphing wildebeests.” She laughed. “But I love them. Arthur’s practically my second son. When he first came to town, he was miserably homesick. I had Julian bring him home every Sunday for supper.”
She guided me into the eastern library, which the faeries had enchanted to look like a medieval castle made of stone, with tapestries and suits of armor on display. Harps floated about in the air, playing themselves. On a raised dais an empty velvet throne sat beside a creature that looked like nothing so much as a white goat with a horn growing out of its forehead. The animal wore a pink collar and chewed some hay.
“That’s not…Is that a real unicorn?” I gaped. Surely those were extinct?
“Lord Blackwood’s spared no expense for his sister’s debut.” Fanny tutted. “Lady Blackwood isn’t here tonight, is she?”
“She stays in her room,” I replied.
For the first time, her smile withered. “It’s difficult for a boy, his father dead, his mother absent. I had hoped he and Julian would be better friends, but that wasn’t to be.”
“I don’t think Lord Blackwood makes friends easily,” I said. Fanny patted my hand.
“What about me?” Blackwood arrived, sleek as a cat.
“Thank you for the invitation, my lord.” Fanny curtsied to him. “I’m rarely out of the house these days. Julian insists it’s safer if we stay at home.”
“In that, he’s right.” Blackwood said it as if to imply that Magnus wasn’t right about many things. “But since you’re with us tonight, Mrs. Magnus, I think you should be quite secure.”
She nodded to me. “Miss Howel.” She returned to the party. Blackwood looked after her, gaze darkening.
“Are you all right?”
“I imagine she was pressing her son onto you. Now that he’s thrown away his engagement, she’ll be looking for any eligible girl to snatch him up.”
I was shocked by his rudeness. “She’s a kind woman.”
“Yes. She is. Forgive me.” He winced. “I—I need to speak with you. Now, if you don’t mind. It’s urgent.”
“Of course,” I said. I could not have been given a better chance to talk about Eliza…and R’hlem. I’d decided not to make the same bloody mistake twice. Even if it frightened me to my core, I would tell him the truth.
“The aviary is closed to the party. Let’s go there.” It seemed that he was paler than normal. Together, we slipped away from the guests.
I’d never liked the aviary, which was filled with stuffed birds of prey. Peregrine falcons sat frozen upon perches; glass-eyed ravens hung suspended from the ceiling, their beaks open in a silent cry. Blackwood’s father had loved predatory things.
It was chilly here, so I let a tongue of flame bloom in my hand. The whisper of the fire on my skin was a comfort. Kneeling by the hearth, I coaxed it into a bright blaze.
Blackwood studied a falcon, stroking the bird’s feathered breast with one finger. This was my chance.
“I’m glad we’re alone. I need to speak with you,” I said. My heart beat so fast I was certain it weakened my voice.