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.
“You three are going to the governor’s house tomorrow night,” Cedric told us. “For a private dinner. I won’t be able to escort you, but I believe my father will.”
Whatever Cedric might think of the governor and his son, he kept his face and manner perfectly businesslike. That ache in my chest intensified.
The rest of the girls were home from their engagements when we returned to the house. They were all still up, abuzz with the latest news from town—which was much more substantial than in previous days. Lorandian soldiers had been spotted near the northern borders of the Osfridian colonies. A man, drunk on too much wine, claimed he’d been rescued from thieves by two pirate vigilantes. To the west, Icori had been sighted on Osfridian lands, stirring up fears that they might march on us. Some even claimed the Icori were harassing the northern colonies. Back here, a merchant ship carrying sugar and spices had disappeared, meaning prices would rise. A pagan colony called Westhaven had received permission from the crown for settlement.
So much of the news was overly sensational that I had a hard time believing it was true. There was little fact to back it up. The only item I felt certain of was the news about Westhaven. I knew it was religiously tolerant, not exactly pagan, but for most people, those things were one and the same.