All-three-cia? You cannot be serious!" Dane's bellow threatened to shake the spiders from their webs in the rafters.
Nathaniel was suspiciously silent. Of course, he would not be one to hold someone's reputation against them, his own only recently having been restored to him.
On the other hand, Julia was icily appalled. "You are making such a break in your cover on the word of the most notorious liar in Society?"
Behind her, Marcus was hiding a smile behind his hand. "Don't believe everything you hear, my dearest lady."
Julia shot a glance behind her. "Shut up, darling." She turned back to Stanton, her horror somewhat abated. "Forgive me, Wyndham. I should have realized that you would know whether or not she was telling the truth."
Nathaniel was watching this exchange quietly. Now he sat back, his head tilted curiously. "I've been hearing about this skill of yours, Wyndham. Can you truly be sure she's not a liar?"
Julia turned to Nathaniel. "I trust Wyndham's instincts. You should too."
Stanton could not let it lie. "There seems to be a problem there," he murmured.
Nathaniel went on. "I'm not sure I believe in such a thing."
Julia wasn't backing down. "Well, it was instrumental in the determination that you had no real part in the conspiracy of the Knights of Fleur."
Nathaniel scowled. "I was operating covertly. For the Four, I might add."
Dane raised his hand again. "We all know that, Nate. But I have to say, Wyndham's skill is pretty impressive. I've never seen it fail."
Stanton rubbed his head. "Until now," he said reluctantly. "I cannot read her."
Dane leaned back. "Well, hell."
Julia frowned. "You cannot read this woman? Why not? Is it because you are attracted to her?"
Stanton let out a protesting noise. "Absolutely not. Really, truly, most emphatically not."
Julia looked unsure. "As I recall, she is fairly young and was well brought up before her fall. Surely she isn't that bad. Otherwise you could not plausibly pass her off as your mistress."
Stanton felt his shoulders ache with the strain of further stiffening. "I am hoping Society will buy that I am partial to stout, pudding-faced women with beautiful eyes."
Marcus quirked his lips again. "Beautiful eyes, eh?"
Stanton nodded shortly. "They're green and… well, at any rate, with some help and expensive gowns, I'm hoping she'll pass."
Julia folded her arms again. "I don't know whether to worry about you or about her. Is she aware that your intentions are completely businesslike? She could easily get the wrong idea."
Julia was protective of her gender. While his reputation did him no harm with the Three, she obviously did not discount it completely. "Oh, there's nothing wrong with her brains," Stanton said. "Although her manners could use a bit of work."
Marcus laughed out loud at that. "Says the rudest man I've ever met!"
Stanton stiffened. "I am not rude. I am… terse."
Even Dane was laughing. "She was rude to the Dark Marquis? I think I'd like to meet this Lady All-three-cia."
Stanton shot him a look. "I think we ought to refer to her as Lady Alicia, at least for the duration. Besides, there is no point in your meeting her. I will accompany her to Cross's fleshpot and she will point out the alleged conspirator. At that point I will ship her back to her hovel, well paid for her assistance."
"An expensive venture, when you're not sure of her veracity."
"It cannot be helped. If any of you have a better plan, I'm ready to hear it."
Julia looked as though she truly wished she did, but even she had to shake her head. "You must pursue this to its conclusion. I assume that if she is lying, she will learn a valuable lesson in consequences?"
Stanton gazed back evenly. "Indeed. An example will be made."
"Are you sure you don't wish for backup on this one?" Marcus grinned. "I've always been curious about Cross's house parties."
Dane laughed. "I have to admit, my curiosity is itching as well."
Stanton gazed at them all in alarm. "I am perfectly
Nathaniel was suspiciously silent. Of course, he would not be one to hold someone's reputation against them, his own only recently having been restored to him.
On the other hand, Julia was icily appalled. "You are making such a break in your cover on the word of the most notorious liar in Society?"
Behind her, Marcus was hiding a smile behind his hand. "Don't believe everything you hear, my dearest lady."
Julia shot a glance behind her. "Shut up, darling." She turned back to Stanton, her horror somewhat abated. "Forgive me, Wyndham. I should have realized that you would know whether or not she was telling the truth."
Nathaniel was watching this exchange quietly. Now he sat back, his head tilted curiously. "I've been hearing about this skill of yours, Wyndham. Can you truly be sure she's not a liar?"
Julia turned to Nathaniel. "I trust Wyndham's instincts. You should too."
Stanton could not let it lie. "There seems to be a problem there," he murmured.
Nathaniel went on. "I'm not sure I believe in such a thing."
Julia wasn't backing down. "Well, it was instrumental in the determination that you had no real part in the conspiracy of the Knights of Fleur."
Nathaniel scowled. "I was operating covertly. For the Four, I might add."
Dane raised his hand again. "We all know that, Nate. But I have to say, Wyndham's skill is pretty impressive. I've never seen it fail."
Stanton rubbed his head. "Until now," he said reluctantly. "I cannot read her."
Dane leaned back. "Well, hell."
Julia frowned. "You cannot read this woman? Why not? Is it because you are attracted to her?"
Stanton let out a protesting noise. "Absolutely not. Really, truly, most emphatically not."
Julia looked unsure. "As I recall, she is fairly young and was well brought up before her fall. Surely she isn't that bad. Otherwise you could not plausibly pass her off as your mistress."
Stanton felt his shoulders ache with the strain of further stiffening. "I am hoping Society will buy that I am partial to stout, pudding-faced women with beautiful eyes."
Marcus quirked his lips again. "Beautiful eyes, eh?"
Stanton nodded shortly. "They're green and… well, at any rate, with some help and expensive gowns, I'm hoping she'll pass."
Julia folded her arms again. "I don't know whether to worry about you or about her. Is she aware that your intentions are completely businesslike? She could easily get the wrong idea."
Julia was protective of her gender. While his reputation did him no harm with the Three, she obviously did not discount it completely. "Oh, there's nothing wrong with her brains," Stanton said. "Although her manners could use a bit of work."
Marcus laughed out loud at that. "Says the rudest man I've ever met!"
Stanton stiffened. "I am not rude. I am… terse."
Even Dane was laughing. "She was rude to the Dark Marquis? I think I'd like to meet this Lady All-three-cia."
Stanton shot him a look. "I think we ought to refer to her as Lady Alicia, at least for the duration. Besides, there is no point in your meeting her. I will accompany her to Cross's fleshpot and she will point out the alleged conspirator. At that point I will ship her back to her hovel, well paid for her assistance."
"An expensive venture, when you're not sure of her veracity."
"It cannot be helped. If any of you have a better plan, I'm ready to hear it."
Julia looked as though she truly wished she did, but even she had to shake her head. "You must pursue this to its conclusion. I assume that if she is lying, she will learn a valuable lesson in consequences?"
Stanton gazed back evenly. "Indeed. An example will be made."
"Are you sure you don't wish for backup on this one?" Marcus grinned. "I've always been curious about Cross's house parties."
Dane laughed. "I have to admit, my curiosity is itching as well."
Stanton gazed at them all in alarm. "I am perfectly
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