stepsister final y departed, she had to prepare the next night’s gown. Her stepmother had spared no expense for her eldest daughter that year; there was a different gown for each night, and each one was more magnificent than the one before. It was disorienting for Ash, who was accustomed to the quiet of Quinn House; the bustling kitchen of the Page Street mansion and the number of servants going about their tasks were dizzying. Gwen had appointed herself Ash’s guide for the week, and Gwen herself was like no other girl Ash had ever known. She was sweet, and prone to fits of the giggles, and blushed every time any young man said a word to her. In comparison, Ash felt clumsy and shy, and sometimes she caught herself staring at Gwen as if she were some kind of exotic bird about to take 98
MALINDA LO
flight.
On the last night of Yule week there was a royal masque held at the palace, where Prince Aidan would himself be attending. That afternoon Ana was in a mighty temper, complaining that Ash had forgotten the lace mantle that was to be worn over the purple velvet bodice, and when Ash found it wedged mysteriously behind the dressing table, Ana fumed that Ash was out to sabotage her. By the time Ana and the rest of the household departed in hired carriages for the masque, Ash was so frustrated with her stepsister that she felt certain she would have sabotaged her if the chance arose. But Ana managed to escape the house unscathed, and Ash watched the front door close on her velvet-and-feather-and-silk ensemble with relief. She sank down onto the bottom step of the staircase and was stil sitting there a few minutes later when Gwen emerged from the dining room, a stack of clothes in her arms.
“What are you doing?” Gwen asked, her face flushed with excitement. “It’s almost time to go!”
“Go where?” Ash asked warily. “Lady Isobel did not want me to attend them at the royal masque.”
Gwen laughed. “Oh, not there—we’re going to the City Square,” she explained, shaking out the clothes to reveal a pair of blue velvet breeches and a matching jacket. “Did you bring your costume?”
Ash shook her head and said, “No, I don’t have anything like that.”
Gwen frowned. “Wel , you can’t go in your maid’s dress.
We’l have to find something for you. Wait here,” she commanded, and went back into the dining room. She returned 99
Ash
several minutes later with a slender young man whom Ash recognized as part of the household staff. Gwen said, “This is Colin; he’l let you borrow his old liveries.” And then Gwen ran upstairs, shouting behind her, “Hurry! We’re all leaving in a quarter of an hour.”
Colin motioned for her to follow him. “I’m in the back,” he said. She walked with him to the male servants’ quarters at the rear of the house, where Colin’s smal , square room was found.
His roommate, a tal , skinny boy who worked in the stable, was cocking a velvet cap onto his head and preening in front of the smal mirror nailed to the back of the door. Colin opened the trunk at the foot of his bed and pul ed out dark blue breeches and a white waistcoat, a white shirt with unfolded cravat, and a dark blue overcoat. “These should fit you,” Colin said, piling the items into Ash’s arms. “They’re too smal for me now.”
“Thank you for letting me borrow them,” she said.
He straightened up, grinned at her, and said, “You’re welcome.”
They stood awkwardly together for a moment, and then Ash said, “Wel , I’d better go upstairs and get dressed.”
He nodded. “We’re meeting in the front hal .”
“All right then,” she mumbled, and backed out of the room.
Upstairs Gwen was tying her hair back, but even dressed as a boy, Gwen’s figure was unmistakably feminine. She smiled at Ash and asked, “Did Colin find something for you to wear?”
Ash nodded. “Yes, he gave me these.” She set the clothing down on the bed and looked at the pile.
“Excellent;
MALINDA LO
flight.
On the last night of Yule week there was a royal masque held at the palace, where Prince Aidan would himself be attending. That afternoon Ana was in a mighty temper, complaining that Ash had forgotten the lace mantle that was to be worn over the purple velvet bodice, and when Ash found it wedged mysteriously behind the dressing table, Ana fumed that Ash was out to sabotage her. By the time Ana and the rest of the household departed in hired carriages for the masque, Ash was so frustrated with her stepsister that she felt certain she would have sabotaged her if the chance arose. But Ana managed to escape the house unscathed, and Ash watched the front door close on her velvet-and-feather-and-silk ensemble with relief. She sank down onto the bottom step of the staircase and was stil sitting there a few minutes later when Gwen emerged from the dining room, a stack of clothes in her arms.
“What are you doing?” Gwen asked, her face flushed with excitement. “It’s almost time to go!”
“Go where?” Ash asked warily. “Lady Isobel did not want me to attend them at the royal masque.”
Gwen laughed. “Oh, not there—we’re going to the City Square,” she explained, shaking out the clothes to reveal a pair of blue velvet breeches and a matching jacket. “Did you bring your costume?”
Ash shook her head and said, “No, I don’t have anything like that.”
Gwen frowned. “Wel , you can’t go in your maid’s dress.
We’l have to find something for you. Wait here,” she commanded, and went back into the dining room. She returned 99
Ash
several minutes later with a slender young man whom Ash recognized as part of the household staff. Gwen said, “This is Colin; he’l let you borrow his old liveries.” And then Gwen ran upstairs, shouting behind her, “Hurry! We’re all leaving in a quarter of an hour.”
Colin motioned for her to follow him. “I’m in the back,” he said. She walked with him to the male servants’ quarters at the rear of the house, where Colin’s smal , square room was found.
His roommate, a tal , skinny boy who worked in the stable, was cocking a velvet cap onto his head and preening in front of the smal mirror nailed to the back of the door. Colin opened the trunk at the foot of his bed and pul ed out dark blue breeches and a white waistcoat, a white shirt with unfolded cravat, and a dark blue overcoat. “These should fit you,” Colin said, piling the items into Ash’s arms. “They’re too smal for me now.”
“Thank you for letting me borrow them,” she said.
He straightened up, grinned at her, and said, “You’re welcome.”
They stood awkwardly together for a moment, and then Ash said, “Wel , I’d better go upstairs and get dressed.”
He nodded. “We’re meeting in the front hal .”
“All right then,” she mumbled, and backed out of the room.
Upstairs Gwen was tying her hair back, but even dressed as a boy, Gwen’s figure was unmistakably feminine. She smiled at Ash and asked, “Did Colin find something for you to wear?”
Ash nodded. “Yes, he gave me these.” She set the clothing down on the bed and looked at the pile.
“Excellent;
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