Rain p down outside, the people exited their carriages and hurried to the building, their servants holding up umbrels as they took on the weather’s burden. Oheir duty to their masters and mistresses was over, they ehrough the back to the servants’ hall where the fire was r, the drinks warm. Gianna mirrored her own mistress as the host of this space, chatting to the less prestigious guests and making sure they were fortable.

  Upstairs, Julia ughed and smiled. Although this would mark her first time hosting something grahan a tea party, she showed no worry, no awkwardness. While only a group of twenty-odd all together, it was just enough t warmth to her modest townhouse.

  Tonight not one for politics, she had arranged for an old friend of her father’s to see to the men, Lord Bibra, while she teo their wives; this also included some of the children—those old enough to be out socially and not yet married.

  “Lady Ravensheim, please, do meet Lady Günzfurt—”

  “Ah, Lady Mammengard, your son associates with—”

  Never aation, as if knowing by heart every liween each guest and every other one. Even when subtly inf each gentleman of his assigned dy, she didn’t fumble, treating all as old friends.

  A dinner party was not a simple affair of chatting, though, so, ohe guests had all arrived, she had the gentlemen escort their dies through to the dining room.

  Of course, it was decorated for the occasion. Faded tapestries hung on the walls, dles instead of oil mps for the lighting, chairs and table rather coarsely made for such a residence, yet the table’s top still looked perfectly smooth and oiled, the chairs with plush cushions.

  “I thought to begin my hosting with celebrating the past,” she said, gesturing at some of the other decorations. “After all, it is important to remember where we have e from.”

  “How wonderful,” Lady Ravensheim said, then pointed out an a vase on dispy. “My husband and I saw one just like that on our pilgrimage to Rome, did we not?”

  From a few seats down, he looked at it with squinting eyes. “I believe we did.”

  “If my guests are speaking of the Roman vase, I purchased it st year,” Julia said, a touch pensive. “It is… I found some notes belonging to my father of pieces he wished to buy. So, when I heard of one for sale, I just had to.”

  There was a lull for a sed before Lady Ravensheim said, “It is certainly a lovely piece.”

  “It is, isn’t it?” Julia said, bursting into a smile.

  Little by little, the other bits of décor were presented and discussed, passing the time as the food was brought in and table prepared. Once arrahe covers came off and revealed the matg meal: something of a feast.

  Rather than tless delicacies, the trepiece was a whole hog roast with an apple in its mouth. A few bowls of soups and stews spahe table, along with ks of breads more hearty than simple white bread. The ptes and bowls were made of wood, the cutlery of bronze, and the wine gsses had little of the crity expected.

  However, as the a vase held its own worth, so too did the presentation. Which of them did not know the value of such fine mahogany? Not just the chairs and table, but the ptes and bowls also had the familiar appearance, perfectly polished. As simple as the gsses looked, their shape was nur and the rim perfectly smoothed.

  As for the food, it carried the st of spices. The hog was only tried by the intrepid men among them—and, of course, the host—and they found the skin had a wonderful fvour of brandy, while the stews offered fine and tender meats in a sauce with the aroma of wine. Even the ks of bread proved softer than they looked, yet firm enough to soak up the various broths and soups with ease.

  Julia’s execution was not g. After all, good iments paid best when suitably ied in.

  Ohe praises died down—such praises for her, not the food, as roper for the occasiole versation rose up. The topic of weather, of performa the capital’s music halls, of the kind of family matters that could be discussed in polite pany. Despite the rger size for a dinner party, she kept all the guests involved in the versations.

  As the first course fihe came in, this time something lighter and more typical: roasted vegetables apanying prepared fishes. The hog stayed, though, very much still the trepiece, albeit ohat icked at by mostly the younger men through the ensuing courses.

  It was only when the desserts came out that the hog left, taken down to the servants’ hall for them to have as they wished. The other leftovers were readied to deliver to the nearby church as was the norm.

  So the meal came to an end. However, that did not mean it time to leave. Lord Bibra took the men through to the parlour while she brought the women back to the drawing room.

  Although the dining room had been prepared for the theme, the drawing room remained how it had been. A light and warm room that gained a texture through the careful choice of paintings on dispy, depig spring flowers and ndscapes of sus and a proud buck. The furniture had delicate tassels, so light that they swayed in the slightest breeze among the room, with flowery upholstery. Although a fire burned, it was more for the ambiend the logs had been chosen for their pleasant aroma.

  An i room, almost childish, in stark trast to the mature colours preferred by the Queen who set the fashions. Of course, she could have followed such fashions. It would have been trivial for her te something elegant.

  However, everything had its purpose; so too did this.

  “I hate to break the unwritten rules…” she said, barely above a whisper.

  Lady Mammengard gave her a gentle smile. “e now, child, we shan’t bite.”

  Julia looked at the older women in her pany, the daughters having flocked to the piano once given the ce. “It is… I have not fotten anything, have I? Only that Lord Bibra could hardly advise me ohings he is unaware.”

  After a titter, Lady Ravensheim said, “My Lady has doher well. Your parents would be proud.”

  Julia looked down, but that did little to hide her blooming smile. “Truly?”

  “If my daughter could host so well”—Lady Günzfurt gnced over—“I would be most satisfied. Not to mention, My Lady has dohis without the guidance a daughter ought to have. She certainly is one of good breeding.”

  Julia giggled behind her hand, then raised her head with a proud smile. “It is my only wish in life to make my parents proud.”

  The topic shifted from there, mothers soon pulling their daughters back. Julia kept the versation going, but refrained from saying too much, at least for a while. At loosely the half-hour mark, she brought forward the principle discussion.

  “I spoke with Bishop of Augsburg before ing to the capital,” she said, taking up the gap in versation. “It is quite tragic—the peasants are rather losing faith.”

  Sighs and tuts came from all sides. “Holy, what be dohey are a fickle lot.”

  “I have been thinking of it since hearing and, while I may be inexperienced, my mother did a lot of work for charitable causes. In her notes, she had plete faith in the Lord. If it is that there are those who do not believe in the Church, it is because we have failed them.” She paused there to offer an apologetic smile. “Of course, this is the situation in my fief. I would not presume to put bme elsewhere.”

  A few ughed, a couple smiled, and Lady Ravensheim put her at ease. “It is uood we would talk about these matters in general. That aside, though, your mother left notes?”

  “Oh yes, she had much she wished to share with me. My father said… she felt her time neared, so she wished to ensure I….”

  “Aw, poor dear,” Lady Günzfurt said.

  Julia took only a breath before settling her expression once more. “What is it we were speaking of?” she said lightly.

  Lady Ravensheim asked, “Did your mother have any suggestions for encing the faith amongst the peasants?”

  “Oh, yes,” Julia said, and her brow furrowed as if in thought. “If it is that the peasants have been wrohen justice must be served. Otherwise, it is that they have not experienced His teags.”

  “How could they not?” Lady Mammengard asked, her face sched up.

  Julia’s gaze fell as she kept her head up. “I ot say,” she whispered, then spoke up as she tinued. “Elsewhere, my mother talks about how children are more ameo faith. They are too young to yet be led astray by temptations. In my heart, I feel this to be the right way. My mother raised much money food causes and I would like to do the same. After all, if not for me, then she would….”

  Her pause did not st even a sed before she looked around and picked out the younger dies who had been little involved this far.

  “Please, do share what tris and treats are popur with the youth these days? I would rather like to host a bazaar.”

  Lady Günzfurt’s daughter exged a look with her neighbours, then said, “Well, I suppose flower-pressing is quite in fashion? One wouldn’t g selling flowers and pretty books.”

  Little by little, Julia drew out suggestions and advice, the heavy topic of a moment ago swept aside by the joy of a good bazaar. “One must have an explicit goal to raise,” said one, and another, “A good fortueller is a must,” while another chided that, saying, “How one raise money for the Church with such bsphemy?”

  However, she kept the mood warm, defusing the points of tention. “Perhaps a py? There are many suitable stories in the Bible if anyone has a troupe to reend.”

  Such a broad topic, it could occupy a whole day, never mind an hour. All too soon, she had to point at the clock for the mothers to realise the time—she asked for their opinion on a good aker for servig the grandfather clock.

  The men had seemed to enjoy their time too, a ughter between them all, mentions among the sons of aing game of billiards that had gone on.

  Ohey were gone, she thanked Bibra for his assistan this day and the older man waffled on about her father. She listened politely, smiling, giving a nod when appropriate and a titter at his little joke.

  Then there was silence.

  Her butler and her maid both joined her upon her return to the townhouse’s office. However, they said nothing while she wrote out three pages of notes. Some were ss of versation, others observations, a few intuitions, and a handful of reasoned clusions.

  Ohose were finished, she then listeo everything her maid had to say, which ed what things the guests’ servants had let slip below-stairs. Some were as innocuous as who Lady Mammengard had visited the previous day, while others ed sed-hand rumours of affairs going on.

  Julia had no doubt in her maid’s recolle. Gianna had, after all, been brought up to be a bookkeeper like her mother, her memory well-trained.

  Of course, that Julia took notes did not mean she necessarily believed the rumours nor particurly cared about visits. However, suitable rumours could be iigated and regurity of visits helped build up her uanding of the plex social web that the peers had tied themselves in.

  Last of all, her butler gave his impressions, whicluded an insight into the goings on of the men. While there wouldn’t be any politics being done on such a visit, it often seemed that these kinds of men had an eagero discuss politics regardless, especially the sons who felt they had to prove their uanding oters.

  Ohe report was piled, she read it over a handful of times and then reduced the points to those she deemed key. This page she kept, safe in the knowledge that only her father could uand the ied nguage, while the rest of the paper went into the firepce.

  With that matter pleted, she brought out her less secretive notes which covered the pnning for the bazaar. Little of what she had learhis evening had any worth to her; however, there was worth in beio listen to advice.

  Gng up, she realised she had fotten to dismiss her butler and her maid. Although she went to, she paused, then a smile came to her.

  “Mr er,” she said and he left after a bow. “Gianna, pray tell, what kinds of things would i you at a bazaar?”

  “Madam?”

  Oh Julia could see the fusion in her maid’s eyes, letting the chuckle e out. “sider it a whim of mine as I am oft proo have.”

  That did not do much to vince Gianna, but she sidered it an order. “As a child, my mother oook me somewhere… maybe ly a bazaar. There ot of melted cheese over a fire and my mother dipped some stale bread in it with a fork? It’s… I don’t even know if it’s good, but I remember liking it. Maybe because it was one of the few times we went somewhere without my father.”

  “Is that so?” Julia said, theuro her notes. “It sounds iing enough. I would uand if you do not wish to muddy your preemory; however, it shall be arranged.”

  “Madam is too kind,” her maid said, bowing her head.

  Julia let out half a ugh. “Pray do not think so lowly of me to call this kindness. While it may be sinful to be greedy, there is no harm in some indulgence. You are not merely a servant to me.”

  Silence followed for a moment, then a softly said, “Yes, madam,” drifted through the room like a breeze.

  After finishing the note she was writing to include this little indulgence, Julia looked over to her maid with a smile. “No one will ever uand me like you do. While they will search for reason, what they ot uand is the cold determination for a revenge mrand than they could ever possibly fathom. My mother did not deserve her fate. As God shan’t returo me, there is nothing that could vince me to give up on my pns.”

  “Not even me?” her maid whispered.

  Julia heard the question clearly aly ughed with a smile on her lips. “Do yret your revenge?” she asked.

  Although her head was bowed, Gianna’s smile was unmistakeable and as beautiful as that first time Julia had seen it. “No. I was just curious how much I mean to you.”

  “In a kinder world, I would have you as my little sister and dote upon you until thhly spoilt,” Julia said, an unusual lighto her void hoy to her smile. “However, we are not in a kind world. I dare not risk giving you such prominend I unfortunately ot waste any advantage I find myself with.”

  “As long as I be of use to you, I don’t care about anything else.”

  Smile turning even softer, Julia looked back at the papers on the desk. “Pray think a little of what you would like to do once I have aplished that which I have set out to do.”

  “ I not still be your maid then?” Gianna asked.

  “I’m afraid not. Well, I suppose you could keep my grave if I am fortunate enough to still be permitted one.”

  Seds passed in silend Julia thought she had finally found something to stifle her maid’s sweet words. So she began to write once more, only to find herself very much wrong.

  “If it es to it, I will make a grave for you and keep it .”

  Julia let out a breath of ughter and said no more. At the least, one had to know when to accept ones loss.