For Darkness Shows the Stars

If she gave in to her father, she’d have nothing. Not even the chance—distasteful as it was—that Benedict had offered her.
    Even if she was forced to entertain that possibility—to save Ro and the others—she wouldn’t consider it until the Fleet left. She couldn’t bear for Kai to know. Not even now.
    No sooner than she’d dropped her bag in a small back bedroom did she turn around and head out. There was so much to do. Though she longed to find Kai and get his take on things, other matters took precedence. She needed to make sure that all the Boatwright workers were informed as soon as possible, in case her father tried to expand his edict to those who belonged to her estate and trap them on the wrong side of the border. She needed to get in contact with Horatio Grove at once and let him know of the feud and the danger now posed by a North estate put entirely in the hands of Baron North. This needed to be resolved before the planting season started. It was already afternoon, so Horatio would likely be preparing for her grandfather’s funeral . . .
    Elliot stopped short. Wait. The Boatwright’s body was on the North estate, but in order to send his pyre out to sea, they had to travel to her lands. The baron wouldn’t ignore her grandfather’s last wishes, would he? She hurried back to the porch to ask Felicia for use of one of the sun-carts to visit the Groves, but stopped when she saw an unfamiliar sun-cart parked on the lawn with a Post driver getting out from behind the wheel.
    “I’ve a message for the baroness from Tatiana North,” said the man, handing a note to Felicia.
    The baroness was here, in the house? That made things simpler for Elliot.
    “Thank you, Tev,” said Felicia. “You may wait here this time. I imagine she’ll want to return soon.”
    The Post nodded and looked pointedly at Elliot. “There might be a riot on the North estate tonight, ma’am. Word has spread about what your father did. Have you spoken to my mistress yet?”
    Elliot’s hands flew to her cheeks. “A riot? No, there mustn’t be.” Not with all the Luddites there. They had pistols, and they’d be obliged to go to her father’s aid. Things could get messy, very fast. With a flash of horror, she remembered Benedict’s prediction of revolution beginning at a bad estate. Would it be the North lands? And would Benedict be on the side of the Luddites? “Please, talk to the Posts on my behalf. Tell them to be patient . . .”
    And what? She’d fix everything? She couldn’t promise them that. She hung her head.
    And then she felt a hand on her shoulder; warm, firm fingers that comforted as well as a hug. “There will be no riot.” Felicia’s voice floated above her. “I’ll go speak to the North Posts if you want, Elliot. We can avert several acts of violence today.”
    “What do you mean?” Elliot looked at her in confusion. The driver Tev had returned to his sun-cart and was out of earshot.
    Felicia hesitated. “I should not have spoken. You have already dealt with too much today.”
    Elliot laughed mirthlessly. “Yes. Inheritance, banishment, a marriage proposal . . .”
    Felicia raised her eyebrows.
    “From Benedict,” Elliot clarified. “As soon as he heard my grandfather’s will. Apparently, it was never the North estate he wanted.” She sighed. “And the funny thing is—”
    “Do you want to marry Benedict?” Felicia asked, her tone a little hard.
    “No.” Firm. Definite. She didn’t want to, but it might be the best way to help the people on the North estate. Still . . . “I don’t love him. And I don’t think I can trust him.”
    “You’re right not to trust him,” said Felicia. “May I tell you something in confidence? Something I would only tell you in the interest of helping you right now?”
    “You may tell me anything if it will help me.” Elliot was desperate. And in return, somehow she’d find the words to tell Felicia everything, too. Weeks ago, she hadn’t been brave enough to share confidences with Felicia. But now, with the fate of everyone on the North estate in question, she’d have to cobble together enough confidence to listen to the older woman. Through Kai, Elliot had learned so many of Felicia’s secrets, and she’d been able to accept them all. It wasn’t too much to hope that Felicia would do the same.
    Felicia took a deep breath. “Baroness Channel is here to talk to the Phoenixes. I begged them to give this method a chance