“Is there a problem?” A senior clerk hurried over from a back office. “Can I help you, young la–” He stopped. She could see at once that he recognized her.
“She wants to take them into the Hall of Records,” the junior clerk said. He jerked his head at the sisters. The senior clerk had a curious expression. He was older; and unlike many of the young men who worked in the city, his eyes had crow’s feet, as if he had gazed upon distant shores and witnessed sights most young city men unheard of. After a moment he made a decision. He turned to the junior clerk.
“Thank you, Lach. I’ll take care of this.” The junior clerk stepped back and the senior clerk picked up the quill. “The Hall of Records is honored to host the daughters of House TreMondi. Names?”
Her heart slowed and her rage settled. “Maje and Idina TreMondi,” Yvienne said. He scrawled the names – his hands were rough, a sailor’s hands – and then capped the inkwell. What an un-clerklike clerk, she thought. “Thank you for your help, sir.”
“Follow me,” he said. She gestured to the girls and they hurried up to her as if frightened of being left behind.
The Hall of Records was a massive expanse, filled with ledgers and record books carefully shelved and organized, bronze nameplates at the end of each row. There were cabinets of card catalogs down the center of the hall. The smell of whale oil, books, beeswax, and paper was permeated everything. Overhead, the great dome soared. It was grand, hushed, with only a handful of researchers, all as quiet as church mice.
The clerk looked at her. “What do you need?”
Right. Yvienne mentally shook herself. “We need records for the Five Houses, including my own, going back ten years. Oh. And a map of the city.”
He wasn’t rattled by any of it.
It didn’t take long for the materials to be brought to their table. Yvienne took a deep breath. They gathered round. “All right, girls. Here’s what we’re doing.”
The Five Houses, the premier trading houses in Port Saint Frey, together accounted for nearly all of the wealth and stock in the Guild. These were Iderci, Sansieri, TreMondi, Havartá, Lupiere. Once, House Mederos had been one of the Five Houses. Iderci had taken its place. So, Yvienne thought, that’s one of the Houses that had benefited from the Mederos downfall. The Idercis had done quite well in the past six years.
The girls’ task was simple. Make notes of the growth in wealth of the Five Houses, from seven years ago to six years ago, and so on to the present day. Follow the money, Treacher had advised her. While the girls took notes, she pored over the map of the city. Whatever Treacher’s key unlocked, it was on Five Roses Street. She had to find it.
She almost forgot how tired she was.
Chapter Forty-Two
“Scandalous,” muttered Brevart over the breakfast table, after reading the story of the Maiden of Dawn robbery.
“And they look down their noses at us,” Alinesse agreed. “At least we know how to raise our girls. Oh, do sit up, Tesara.”
Obediently Tesara straightened up, fighting back a yawn. She was counting the minutes until she could go back upstairs to her bedroom under the fiction of dressing for her day, and lock her door and catch some more sleep. It was a foggy morning, matching her head.
She had straggled home a few hours earlier just as the Port Saint Frey Cathedral clock was striking four. Mindful of Yvienne, who had had a long day yesterday and had to be up in two hours, Tesara undressed and went to bed in her shift. Yvienne never moved as she got into bed.
Tesara was so tired her thoughts jumped around like a drop of water on a hot griddle. Where had Jone been? What was he about, to leave her alone among strangers? Then she remembered her attack on the boy who had frightened her. Of all of us, I’m not the one who needs protection, she thought. And what about Mirandine? What was she thinking, sparking with Ermunde? Then she wondered what it would be like to spark with Jone.
“Oh, for goodness sakes, Tesara!” Alinesse snapped, and Tesara jumped, having the presence of mind to keep her fingers flat so she didn’t give her mother a taste of what she had given the boy last night. “Didn’t you hear a single thing I said?”
Tesara sighed. “No, Mama. I’m sorry, Mama.”
Her mother’s scolding washed over her, and Tesara listened with half an ear, thinking again and again about sparking with Jone Saint Frey.
As soon as she could, Tesara escaped the breakfast table and went upstairs. She stopped abruptly at her open door. Mathilde was inside, with a broom and dust mop, about to sweep under the bed.
“Oh goodness, Mathilde,” she said. “Yvienne and I can clean our own room.” The last thing she wanted was Mathilde to find the little purse tucked underneath the bed. It was bad enough she found and cleaned the dress the last time… Blast and damn. Tesara had the most uncomfortable sinking feeling. No doubt the diligent maid had already found the purse.
“Nonsense,” Mathilde said. “This is my duty and I aim to fulfill it.” She smiled, and it had a touch of condescension about it. “I know you received a great deal of schooling in housewifery but you can leave it to me.”
The dangerous build up in her fingers alerted Tesara to her anger, almost before she registered it.
“I believe I said that wasn’t necessary.” Her voice came out low and steady. Tesara held her chin high. To her grim delight,
