Phoenix and Ashes

assumption that anyone born to the strawberry leaves was 'one of us' and deserving of special treatment and protection.

For one moment, she hated them all, and felt a powerful sympathy for the socialists and the Bolsheviks, and it was very tempting to think about throwing a bomb or two into the Royal Enclosure at Ascot, just to shake them up a bit. Certainly you could fire a cannon off through there and never hit anyone who would be missed by society —

But then good sense overcame her, and she sighed, and acknowledged that there were aristocrats who were good stewards, and useful. And as for the rest, she forgave Alderscroft and his set for being idiots, and went back to paying attention to the conversation.

Well, there was one thing that being born a half-caste in India was good for, and that was in knowing what wouldn't work with the British aristocracy. Though she might very much like to point out to the old lion that the Robinson woman had played him like salmon on her line, it would do no good at all.

No, she would simply tell Alderscroft that the woman was heavily shielded and couldn't be read—that she certainly had ulterior motives for wanting that introduction and remind him of the two daughters looking for husbands—and that Fenyx's own grandmother would do a much better job of keeping an eye on him than any stranger ever could.

And then she would go confide her real feelings to her husband Peter—who would certainly, at that point, take them to his 'Twin.' And there was no one that Peter Almsley did not know among the Elemental Mages inside the peerage. Almsley's grandmother, who was herself a powerful Elemental Master, almost certainly knew Reggie's aunt, who was another. And when those two heard what she had to say. . . .

Now Maya smiled for the first time since she began listening to the conversation, struck by the mental image of a herd of water-buffalo surrounding an injured calf to protect it from a tigress.

The tigress had no notion of what she was about to face.

Alison was pleased with herself. Despite some setbacks, this trip to London had been unexpectedly productive. She sat down at the little desk in the sitting room of their suite to catch up on her correspondence, while the girls unpacked the day's purchases.

'Mama,' said Carolyn, idly tracing the line of the fringe on the new shawl she had purchased that morning, 'What do you know about the Americans getting into the war?'

Alison looked up from the letter she was writing to Warrick Locke. 'The Americans have no intention of entering the war, child. President Wilson is a pacifist. If the sinking of the Lusitania did not accomplish it, nothing will. Why?'

'Well,' Carolyn persisted, with a small, sly smile playing about her lips, 'It's just that—you had rather they didn't, wouldn't you?'

'It would interfere greatly with my plans, yes,' she said sharply. 'And it would probably interfere with our income as well. Why do you ask?'

'She asks because she's been meeting with that American boy, from the embassy in the tea room,' Lauralee interrupted, frowning with jealousy at her sister. 'And she doesn't want to get in trouble over it, so she wants to make you think she's been doing it for—'

'Lauralee—' Alison held up a warning hand. 'First, do not frown. Frowns do not improve your looks, and cause wrinkles. Secondly, let your sister answer for herself. Carolyn?'

'He is the ambassador's son,' Carolyn protested, pouting prettily, in a way that Alison approved. 'And you know Mama has been busy, and you know we've been hearing rumors in the hotel! I thought I ought to find out at first hand!'

'And it has nothing to do with the fact that he's tall, and blue-eyed, and looks like—' Lauralee muttered, sullenly.

'And don't allow jealousy to show, Lauralee,' Alison reproved absently. 'It gives one jowls. What did the young man tell you, Carolyn?'

'That the President will certainly enter the war next month!' Carolyn said in triumph. 'He's going home to enlist! So are most of the young men on the embassy staff!'

Alison's lips tightened. This was no part of her plans. At the moment, the war was at a stalemate—both sides were worn out and weary, and the conflict might well drag on for years, which was very good news for the Earth Elementals that she favored, and for her plans concerning Reggie Fenyx. For the latter, she planned more fear—her Elemental creatures making his life a never-ending round of attacks of terror— until the one girl who could drive them away appeared in his life. At which point, he would probably marry her on the spot. Or at least be willing to.