said.
Aurora returned her attention to the meal she was making. “No, Xiang is keeping me pretty busy,” she said. “But that will work to our advantage, I think. She was very excited to hear about Daiyu.”
Daiyuwasconfused.“Whataboutme?Whoareyoutalking about?”
“Xiang. The woman who employs me,” Aurora said. She shook some spice into a pot and glanced back at Daiyu. Those blue eyes were truly astonishing. “She is a wealthy, ambitious woman who has no daughters. She has been bemoaning the fact that she is excluded from some of the summer events at the prime minister’s residence because they are designed to introduce young women to society.”
“Debutante balls!” Daiyu said under her breath. St. Louis had a longstanding tradition called the Veiled Prophet Ball, in which debutantes made their first formal appearances. The History Museum once had mounted an exhibit of Veiled Prophet gowns from decades’ worth of dances, and Daiyu had gone three times to see the display.
Aurora smiled at her again. “Here they are called Presentation Balls, and the annual one sponsored by the prime minister is the most glittering event of the season. Xiang has never been able to attend, and she is very disappointed that this year she will be left out again.” Aurora scooped what looked like soup from the pot and took a taste. “I wish Ombri would get home. This is ready to eat.”
“I’ll get the bowls,” Kalen said, and started rummaging through the kitchen cabinets.
“What can I do to help?” Daiyu asked, gesturing toward the bubblingpot.
“Nothing. Just sit,” Aurora said. She unwrapped a loaf of bread and began slicing it. “So the reason Xiang was excited to learn about you, Daiyu, is that she wants to borrow you.”
“What?”
“She wants to pretend you are her niece, take you to the palace, and present you to Chenglei. And I, of course, told her that she could.”
Not until Ombri was home and they all sat at the table eating bread and soup and something that seemed like cheese, but wasn’t exactly right, did Aurora explain the rest of the plan.
“I told Xiang that I was expecting a visitor from the northwestern territories—a poor girl, but full-blooded Han, not a worthless cangbai woman like me,” Aurora said. “I said you were coming to the city to try to find work. That you had been educated by a rich uncle who lost interest in you when his own daughter bore a child late in life. So you have no prospects and no connections, and you cannot be expected to have the polish of a city woman, but you are genteel. I think this will explain away any oddness in your language or gaps in your knowledge,” Aurora added.
“And you want me to pretend Xiang is my aunt so that I can attend the Presentation Ball?”
“Precisely,” Ombri replied.
“It’s almost three weeks until the ball,” Aurora said. “That will give Xiang time to drill you in how to behave in society. And to have clothes made, of course.”
Daiyu laid down her oversized spoon. “Wait,” she said. “You want me to go live with her for a couple of weeks?”
“Perhaps not quite so long,” Aurora said. “But you’ll certainly have to spend time with her before the ball so that she can coach you in some of the behaviors you will be expected to know.”
“You could train me,” Daiyu suggested.
Ombri shook his head. “There are subtleties and nuances that you could only learn from a native.”
She looked at Kalen for support, and he laughed. “ I don’t know how to behave at a society dinner.”
“You must go live with Xiang, because she is your route to Chenglei’s side,” Ombri said firmly. “Once you have banished Chenglei, you will be free to leave Xiang’s household and return to your own world.”
“Ah, that’s something we have to explain very carefully,” Aurora said. “Exactly how we want you to send Chenglei home.”
SEVEN
AFTER DINNER THE four of them sat on a brightly colored rug spread over
Aurora returned her attention to the meal she was making. “No, Xiang is keeping me pretty busy,” she said. “But that will work to our advantage, I think. She was very excited to hear about Daiyu.”
Daiyuwasconfused.“Whataboutme?Whoareyoutalking about?”
“Xiang. The woman who employs me,” Aurora said. She shook some spice into a pot and glanced back at Daiyu. Those blue eyes were truly astonishing. “She is a wealthy, ambitious woman who has no daughters. She has been bemoaning the fact that she is excluded from some of the summer events at the prime minister’s residence because they are designed to introduce young women to society.”
“Debutante balls!” Daiyu said under her breath. St. Louis had a longstanding tradition called the Veiled Prophet Ball, in which debutantes made their first formal appearances. The History Museum once had mounted an exhibit of Veiled Prophet gowns from decades’ worth of dances, and Daiyu had gone three times to see the display.
Aurora smiled at her again. “Here they are called Presentation Balls, and the annual one sponsored by the prime minister is the most glittering event of the season. Xiang has never been able to attend, and she is very disappointed that this year she will be left out again.” Aurora scooped what looked like soup from the pot and took a taste. “I wish Ombri would get home. This is ready to eat.”
“I’ll get the bowls,” Kalen said, and started rummaging through the kitchen cabinets.
“What can I do to help?” Daiyu asked, gesturing toward the bubblingpot.
“Nothing. Just sit,” Aurora said. She unwrapped a loaf of bread and began slicing it. “So the reason Xiang was excited to learn about you, Daiyu, is that she wants to borrow you.”
“What?”
“She wants to pretend you are her niece, take you to the palace, and present you to Chenglei. And I, of course, told her that she could.”
Not until Ombri was home and they all sat at the table eating bread and soup and something that seemed like cheese, but wasn’t exactly right, did Aurora explain the rest of the plan.
“I told Xiang that I was expecting a visitor from the northwestern territories—a poor girl, but full-blooded Han, not a worthless cangbai woman like me,” Aurora said. “I said you were coming to the city to try to find work. That you had been educated by a rich uncle who lost interest in you when his own daughter bore a child late in life. So you have no prospects and no connections, and you cannot be expected to have the polish of a city woman, but you are genteel. I think this will explain away any oddness in your language or gaps in your knowledge,” Aurora added.
“And you want me to pretend Xiang is my aunt so that I can attend the Presentation Ball?”
“Precisely,” Ombri replied.
“It’s almost three weeks until the ball,” Aurora said. “That will give Xiang time to drill you in how to behave in society. And to have clothes made, of course.”
Daiyu laid down her oversized spoon. “Wait,” she said. “You want me to go live with her for a couple of weeks?”
“Perhaps not quite so long,” Aurora said. “But you’ll certainly have to spend time with her before the ball so that she can coach you in some of the behaviors you will be expected to know.”
“You could train me,” Daiyu suggested.
Ombri shook his head. “There are subtleties and nuances that you could only learn from a native.”
She looked at Kalen for support, and he laughed. “ I don’t know how to behave at a society dinner.”
“You must go live with Xiang, because she is your route to Chenglei’s side,” Ombri said firmly. “Once you have banished Chenglei, you will be free to leave Xiang’s household and return to your own world.”
“Ah, that’s something we have to explain very carefully,” Aurora said. “Exactly how we want you to send Chenglei home.”
SEVEN
AFTER DINNER THE four of them sat on a brightly colored rug spread over
Similar Books
