Kingdom of Ash and Soot by C. S. Johnson

Author:C. S. Johnson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: historical romance, historical fiction, prague, bohemian, spies, 978-1-948464-38-3, royals and aristocracy, love triangle, Coming of age, christian fantasy romance
Publisher: C. S. Johnson
Published: 2018-03-25T00:00:00+00:00

*13*

◊

MUCH TO MY CHAGRIN, Lady POW was right; I was busy the next day. But it was not until later that I realized being busy did not mean I would be doing something important.

By the time Ben came to my room with the lunch tray, I was desperate for relief from my assigned task.

“Oh, thank God you are here,” I said, as I reached for a new cup of tea.

“Are you talking about me, or the tea?” Ben asked,

“Give me a few moments and I’ll let you know.” I saw him smile before he sat down and relaxed into a chair. For the next several moments, the two of us indulged in our grand lunches, allowing me to reconsider the annoyance I felt at Lady POW.

Even if I was not good enough to be trusted to help more in her assignments, I was grateful for what I did have; I had good food and I was free to read anything I wished, and Ben and I still had the comfort of each other’s company.

He sat with me, sighing happily as he poured more tea for himself. “Sundays are the best. No training today.”

“Not for you.” I wrinkled my nose. “Lady Penelope accompanied me to church today, and it was a miracle God did not strike me naked for all the attention I was stealing away from him.”

“I’m sure if he did that, he would have lost a lot more attention.”

I laughed. “True. I’d be crowned a saint on the spot.”

“Or condemned as a witch, since you would have been showing your unholy flesh in church. The Pope would have had a fit of apoplexy reading that letter from the bishop.”

“That is also true.”

“So that was Lady POW’s big assignment for you?” Ben asked. “Going to church today?”

“No. These are.” I gestured toward my desk and the area surrounding it. Several arrangements of flowers, including a large bouquet of roses from Karl, cluttered the desktop and mixed with various calling cards and other notes from admirers. “I have to send thank you missives to everyone who sent one. And I can’t just say something vague or polite. I have to be specific and elusive. She says that will increase my popularity.”

“And help with her cover.”

I huffed indignantly. “Our cover, you mean.”

“So you’ve just been writing letters all morning?” Ben arched his brow. “Why didn’t you just go and see if Betsy and Mavis would be able to help you?”

Irritation and inspiration struck me at the same time. “That would have been a good idea. It would have given them a chance to practice their Czech. I wonder if Lady POW would let them come over here? Or would Cecilia’s wrath be too great?”

“I guess I don’t know if it would actually work,” Ben said with a shrug. “They are Cecilia’s servants, after all. Lady POW has no claim on them.”

“I hope they are doing well.” I thought of Betsy’s frailty and Mavis’ hesitancy. “Alex will be a handful for them if he is not watched carefully.

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