LTSV - Lost & Found 19 (Patreon)

That’s right. Mira that was the same as the Crown Princess and Prince Andrei, even though she didn’t seem inclined to countermand his biological father unless Andrei requested it, as he had in the case of the annulment. “Is that a common practice?” she asked.

“Only among families who control large territories,” Nanny said, patting Mira’s cheek fondly. “Your Lord Father asked me to pass you a message,” she added. “He sends his love and promises that he will soon have an answer for the insult that the Fenby family paid you. He would also like to arrange a meeting, once the inscription is finished and the doctors feel it’s safe to stimulate your memories. Until then, he’ll be residing with his in-laws in the Gold Quarter, but he hopes that he will be welcome in the townhouse as soon as it’s safe.”

That would be soon, too. Mira had an appointment that afternoon for a temporary inscription so they could test the design before the final version was applied.

“I don’t think we have space to accommodate Viola or Raoul without asking Cecily or Vesper to give up their room,” Mira replied carefully. In point of fact, she didn’t want her stepmother in her house at all, much less that woman’s children. Her memories of Madame Coventry were vague, but still undeniably hostile —and she wasn’t exactly a treat to deal with in the game either. 

Fortunately, Nanny shook her head with an understanding glint in her eye. “Madame remained behind at the Fortress along with Miss Viola and her brother. She says they are occupied with summer homework and preparing for next term.”

“Summer homework?” Mira frowned, briefly distracted. “Cecily didn’t mention having any.” 

Nanny coughed delicately. “Miss Cecily has already finished hers by working in the evenings after dinner. She asked me to post her last report earlier in the week. She has been very diligent in her studies once Lady Vesper was able to re-purchase her school books and supplies.”

So the Baron turned her out without letting her take even that much with her? Mira rolled her eyes. Typical. “Is she adequately supplied for the school year?”

“Yes, miss,” Nanny said and softened a bit. “I ordered her uniforms along with the rest of her clothes and shoes. Ginger will accompany her to the fittings. I’ve given them a petty cash chit for cab fares, snacks, and tips as well.” Nanny paused for a moment and then looked around. When she turned back to Mira, she pitched her voice low. “She’s not what I expected. The papers made it sound like—well, I shan’t pass on what they had to say.”

“They’ll say anything that they think will sell copies,” Mira replied, blandly. “She did tell me that she thought her former stepbrothers were behind the harassment at school. I expect she was, and correctly so, too afraid of her stepfather to accuse them.”

“Some people ought to not become parents,” Nanny sniffed disparagingly. “I wasn’t sure about her at first and I’m still worried about the fourth Prince inviting himself over on her behalf, but on her own…” Nanny let the statement hang.

Yes, on her own, Cecily was a joy to have around, especially as she warmed up to her sisters and started to show a bit of personality; her sense of humor, empathy, and diligence. Ginger did a lot to settle her mistress down too, just by being there. Suddenly, Cecily couldn’t silently volunteer herself to make tea or serve lunch when she had a maid there who could, would, and did pout cutely at Cecily for ‘stealing her work.’ Ginger was just cheeky enough to pull that level of insubordination off and still make it look friendly.

Mira had overheard Nanny introducing the girl to Anna and Vesper’s staff, but she also heard the old woman give Ginger strict instructions to help her mistress adjust to her new rank by whatever means necessary; by hook or by crook, whichever worked.

At the very least, Mira knew from the game that Ginger made an excellent confidant for Cecily. It probably helped that she had someone she wasn’t beholden to that she could talk with. Poor kid. Her life was in upheaval right now and it wasn’t likely to stop soon. 

“Are we on schedule to relocate to the townhouse?” Mira asked.

Magic really made a difference when it came to home renovations. Colvin took full advantage of the fact that Cecily would happily sit in the room with her knitting or coursework while Mira slogged through her readings, and lit a fire underneath the tradesmen working in the townhouse. Mira told him that relocating wasn’t urgent, but he seemed to disagree.

“The hotel is a public space, miss,” was all he’d say. “There is more that we can legally do to secure a private residence and ensure your privacy.”

By that, she took him to mean that a reporter had been spotted hanging around the hotel and he didn’t want to admit it out loud. It wasn’t like he was wrong, though. Mira knew she was on borrowed time before either the newspapers or an enemy found out where she was staying. If the newspapers found her then they’d likely find out about Cecily and if her love interests found out about that then every last one of them would be on her doorstep within the hour.

“Yes, miss,” Nanny said. “Anna sent the last of your belongings out with Mr. Adelram this morning. Lady Vesper has relocated her office already and her maids are packing her personal belongings now. Ginger and Lady Vesper’s staff will close down the suite while you see the doctors. Then we’ll go directly to the townhouse from the Royal Hospital and hopefully lose anyone who has been watching the hotel in the process.” 

Anna appeared just then with Mira’s coat over her arm and a cute little hat with a half veil on it in her other hand. “Miss Cecily is ready to go if you are, miss,” she chirped. 

At first, Mira thought the veil was conspicuous, but then she got down into the lobby and realized every woman who wasn’t Cecily had one on. She had on a plain little flat straw cap with a teal ribbon on it that trailed down her back. The reason for the veil was, as Mira discovered, for sun protection as soon as she set foot outside the hotel for the very first time. 

Mira took a moment to look out at the busy city street that the hotel was located on. She’d known that it was uncommonly tall, compared to the architecture of similar time periods that she’d lived in. The hotel had a functional elevator that served all its ten stories and it wasn’t even the tallest building in the area!

Avenon, from what she could see from here, must have been very close to a granite quarry because all the buildings around her, at least on the first few levels, were built from the same gold-streaked stone. A recent memory tugged at her and she turned to Cecily, who was walking at her side. 

“Cece,” she said quietly. “What district is this?”

“Are you looking at the buildings?” Cecily guessed and smiled. “This is the Gold Quarter. The Silver District, Temple District, Civil District, and the Brick Quarter all use different exterior materials.”

The Gold Quarter, huh? This was probably where the royal family lived. Nanny was even craftier than Mira originally thought to get them lodging here. The darkest place in the world was always right under the lamp and they were within a stone’s throw of Hadleigh Palace.

“Fascinating,” Mira said out loud.

It was early, but the summer sun was already beating down on the city and the pale stone all around them reflected that heat back into the road. Mira could already feel herself wilting and it was right about then that she realized that her veil had a very light enchantment. It was absorbing heat off her face in addition to shielding her from the sun, which she welcomed. The damaged half of her face had no pores, which meant she couldn’t sweat, which meant that the sun felt twice as hot on that side. 

Fortunately, Colvin arrived with their carriage within a minute or so of Mira’s arrival at the curb. Their carriage was a little city coupe with just enough room in it for two in the enclosed cabin, pulled by a smokey gray Percheron who Mira abruptly remembered was named Boots, for his dark socks. The memory that came with that knowledge was a rare piece of Violet's background.

She never did ride again after that fall as a child. Mira had a vague sense that her vision was damaged already by the time she was old enough to try again, but did not pursue it. As a result, Violet received a private carriage at a far younger age than most of her peers, which had not gone over at all well with her younger siblings because Mira got a snapshot of Raoul sticking his finger in her face because she wouldn’t let him use it without permission as Viola lingered in the background, looking mulish and not stopping him. 

That said, Violet had liked visiting with her carriage horses and would feed them bits of apple or carrot. Mira experienced a powerful sense-memory of just how Boots’ whiskers tickled when he lipped her hand, looking for carrot remnants. Next time, she would remember to bring him sugar cubes. 

‘We have that in common,’ Mira thought sadly. She liked all kinds of saddle creatures too, especially the ones who would consent to be hand fed.

Colvin would act as their driver for the day and Anna would sit with him on the bench. Vesper owned a larger berline-type carriage that the entire household had been using to transport luggage from the hotel to the townhouse, but Mira had not yet seen it. 

The curtains in her coupe were already drawn, which was a little disappointing. So far, the only part of this new world that Mira had gotten to see yet was the inside of her hotel room. However, it was cool in the carriage when Colvin handed her gently inside and opening the windows would let in the hot summer sun. There were, as she discovered upon inspection, spell inscriptions worked into the interior decorations that moved the air inside the cabin and cooled it.

“Oh thank heaven,” Cecily sighed when she took her spot next to Mira. “I was worried about the drive, but it’s alright like this. I didn’t realize you had such a lovely carriage! There’s even air circulation.”

“Is traffic likely to be very bad?” Mira asked, rather than get into questions she couldn’t answer. 

Cecily wrinkled her nose. “We’re between the royal compound and the gate from the Civic District. This is a major road, so it might take a while even though we aren’t going far.”

That turned out to be Cecily phrasing it very kindly. Colvin was only able to take them a short distance before Mira felt the carriage halt. When she peeked out the curtains, she discovered they were gridlocked along with everyone else on the road behind a big omnibus with men and women in royal livery all but hanging off it. The bus was angled weirdly and the driver was trying to back up to avoid rolling over a curb, but no one was able to give him enough space to do it easily.

“Good thing I brought a book,” Mira sighed out loud and glanced over at Cecily, who already had her lace shuttles out. “Someone is prepared.”