Alinesse kept rapping, and finally the door cracked open, and Tesara peered out. Her braid was disheveled, and her wrap was badly tied. She clutched the material closed at her throat. She met Yvienne’s gaze and Yvienne bit her lip, shrugging with resignation. Her sister would just have to wing it.
Chapter Fifty-Seven
“Did you go to the Idercis’ last night, young lady?!” Alinesse said, her voice rising. Brevart shook the Gazette in her face for good measure.
“I didn’t want to alarm you,” Tesara said, a note of defensiveness in her voice. “I’m all right, really. It was frightening, but no one was hurt. And Elenor Sansieri made her coachman take me home. Did you know she’s engaged? He’s rather mature. An officer in the navy.”
“An officer? And what good was he, I wonder?” Brevart snapped. “Officers letting girls being used by bandits as human shields?”
“Well, he wasn’t exactly in the salon where the robber came in,” Tesara said. She glanced at Uncle Samwell. “However, your friend Colonel Talios was there. He believes in discretion over valor, I expect.”
Uncle Samwell snorted a laugh. “If you mean he sat tight and handed over his cash, that would be him. But don’t think you’re using that as an excuse to get out of this match, missy.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Tesara said. “Though I think the presence of his mistress and his would-be fiancée might have made him braver, don’t you?”
There was a pregnant silence. Then Alinesse raised her hand, closed her eyes, and took a breath. “Tesara, get dressed and come downstairs and tell us exactly what happened.”
She began pushing everyone down the stairs again, with Brevart exclaiming, “Alinesse, what is going on with that girl? I thought she didn’t want to go! She said she wasn’t going.”
“She sneaked out, Brevart. It’s what girls do,” Alinesse said. Her voice was grim. “Downstairs. Now.”
“I’ll help Tesara,” Yvienne said. She shouldered through to the door, turned around at her poor, harassed parents and pugnacious uncle, smiled brightly, and closed the door on them. She latched it for good measure and then turned to Tesara. They stared at each other, their unfinished conversation hanging over them. Tesara spoke first with studied nonchalance.
“Ah, the Gazette. They always come through.” Tesara threw off her wrap and got into her underthings. Yvienne shook out her sister’s day dress and fluffed it up, preparing to put it over Tesara’s head.
“It was quite a lurid write up,” Yvienne agreed.
Tesara disappeared inside the dress and popped into view again.
“Is that why you do it?” she said.
Yvienne paused, then continued buttoning up her sister’s dress at the back. Yes, she thought. Or rather, no. “It’s complicated,” she said finally.
“I don’t want to be a nag,” Tesara began.
“But you are,” Yvienne said, anger giving her words a sharp edge.
“I’m worried!”
Yvienne turned her around by the shoulders. “Are you? Or are you just being bossy? No, don’t protest. There’s a difference. We’re both playing dangerous games. What happens when you come up against a better gambler, one who understands you’re counting cards? Don’t you think he’ll cry foul? He will, if the stakes are high enough. And it will be you in gaol, and our family’s reputation will be shredded once more. Oh, the Mederos girls – cheating runs in the family.”
“I can protect myself,” Tesara gritted.
“Can you? With what? This fairy story about your ‘powers’?”
It was cruel, but Yvienne had had enough. I don’t need another mother. If I want to continue being the Gentleman Bandit, I will, and my sister can’t stop me.
I can’t stop me.
Tesara turned pale, her blue eyes dark and shadowed. Without a word she pulled herself from her sister’s hands.
“I don’t know what’s happened to you,” she said. “But you have to end it, Yvienne. This has gone far enough.”
Downstairs the door knocker sounded and they paused. Mathilde answered the door and they heard an exchange of voices, a clink as two pennies were handed over, then footsteps up the stairs.
“Miss Tesara,” said Mathilde through the door. “You have another letter.”
Without a word, Tesara opened the door. Mathilde handed over the letters and looked from one sister to the other, and smiled.
“Hidden depths. Just like your sister,” Mathilde said, throwing a little look at Yvienne. “Unseen depths.”
Yvienne felt an uneasy prickle at the back of her neck. Of course, Mathilde was referring to her escapade in the market so many weeks ago. Wasn’t she?
Mathilde gave them another look, clearly picking up on the troubled air in the room. She let herself out. Tesara tore the seal on the first envelope, scanning the invitation. Her face paled. Yet composed, she set down the letter and opened the next one.
“Ah, yes. Elenor asked us to tea on Sunday, you and me both. She’s determined to be good to us for old times’ sake.” She made a wry face. “And also to tweak her fiancé’s nose a little bit.”
I would like to see the Sansieris, Yvienne thought. She had missed their friendship. That was Elenor all over; she was a sweet girl. But that wasn’t as important as what her sister wasn’t telling her.
“What about the first letter?” she said, keeping her voice even.
Tesara handed it over. “There are one or two little things you should know,” she began, as Yvienne read with disbelieving eyes.
Guildmaster Herald Trune requests your presence at a salon given at House Fortune, at 114 High Crescent, beginning at the tenth hour of the clock on St Frey’s Day, this week. A light repast and dancing; tables for the gamesters. Huzzah for the revels to come!
“Guildmaster Trune lives at our old address?” Yvienne said. Red gathered behind her eyes.
“Ah. Yes, and–”
“You knew and you didn’t see fit to tell me?”
There was a pause. Tesara raised her chin. “No. It was none of your concern.”
“You little fool,” Yvienne said, her voice shaking, even as she was ashamed of herself. Indeed, Tesara’s eyes flashed hurt and anger.
“Are you going to be insufferable
