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Authors: Suzanne Lazear
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sorts of shenanigans. There was enough to deal with.
“I … I’m going to my house to get some clean clothes,” V stammered, then fled the room.
Noli’s eyes narrowed at Jeff, displeased at his little game. “Happy?”
“He looks like a dandy in all that velvet. James can pull it off, but Steven can’t.” Jeff sat down, not even asking permission to enter, then helped himself to one of the cookies in the sack on her desk.
“It’s the fashion in the Otherworld, and you know we came straight from there. It’s a long story.” She threw her legs over the side of the bed, smoothing her wrinkled Otherworld gown. “Can you teach me how to steal a jewel by tomorrow night? Please?”
Jeff blinked once, then twice. “Why?”
“Because tomorrow night at the museum ball, V and I will take a look at a gem purported to have been owned by a faery queen. If it’s what I’m looking for, I’m going to steal it. It would be helpful if you’d give me some pointers.” After all, that’s what he and his crew did. They stole. She set the book on the desk. Going to the wardrobe, she pulled out the half-finished ball gown. Could she finish it by tomorrow?
“ Why? ”
V had asked her the same thing.
“I must keep the artifact out of the wrong hands and I think the gem is part of it. I’ve never stolen anything , and since it’s a faery gem, the last thing I want is to be caught.” Noli laid the gown on the bed and examined it.
“But why ? I don’t understand why this is so important to you—other than you’re in love with Darrow, who doesn’t deserve you,” he grumped.
Noli spun on her stocking feet and faced her brother. “I love V, and he loves me. Get used to it. As for the artifact … it’s a staff, a magical one of great power. We discovered that much in our research. Nevertheless, I need to protect it because … ” If V didn’t believe the Bright Lady had spoken to her, Jeff certainly wouldn’t. “It’s difficult to explain. But if it makes you feel better, V doesn’t understand either. He wants to research the thing to death first, but we should be stealing back the pieces Brogan already has, then locating the rest of them.”
Jeff shook his head. “I don’t understand all of this. But we can help if stealing this stone is really that important to you. Thad is a master thief.”
The whole crew was in town? Brilliant.
“I can do it by myself if someone simply tells me what to do. I don’t want to get you involved.” The last thing she wanted was for them to get in trouble because of her. Noli examined the unsewn seams, the missing trim. “Besides, what would Vix say?”
“Vix wants you to figure out a way for us to elope without making Mother angry.” Jeff smiled lopsidedly. “She said she’d rather be shot down by MoBatts over Deseret territory than sit through another wedding planning session disguised as brunch with Mother, Grandmamma, and the aunties.”
Noli laughed, picturing such a fiasco in her head. “That does sound dreadful. See why I didn’t want to go to Boston?” A sigh escaped her lips. “I’m not sure if I can finish this dress, even if I use the steam-powered sewing machine I built.” She felt the slightest bit put out that her mother had left it behind. “I’m not as good a seamstress as Mama. What will happen to Mama’s dress shop? When I went out to do the shopping, I went by and noticed that it was still there, but closed up.”
“Grandfather’s trying to find a buyer. What do you need a dress for? You have plenty of dresses.” Jeff made a face.
“It’s for the ball, silly.” She rolled her eyes, not expecting him to understand. “Now get out so I can dress and make everyone breakfast.”
“No, no, no.” Noli looked through the finished and half-
finished dresses on the racks in her mother’s little dress shop. No. None of these would be suitable for her to wear to the ball. What she ought to do was contact those with finished dresses
“I … I’m going to my house to get some clean clothes,” V stammered, then fled the room.
Noli’s eyes narrowed at Jeff, displeased at his little game. “Happy?”
“He looks like a dandy in all that velvet. James can pull it off, but Steven can’t.” Jeff sat down, not even asking permission to enter, then helped himself to one of the cookies in the sack on her desk.
“It’s the fashion in the Otherworld, and you know we came straight from there. It’s a long story.” She threw her legs over the side of the bed, smoothing her wrinkled Otherworld gown. “Can you teach me how to steal a jewel by tomorrow night? Please?”
Jeff blinked once, then twice. “Why?”
“Because tomorrow night at the museum ball, V and I will take a look at a gem purported to have been owned by a faery queen. If it’s what I’m looking for, I’m going to steal it. It would be helpful if you’d give me some pointers.” After all, that’s what he and his crew did. They stole. She set the book on the desk. Going to the wardrobe, she pulled out the half-finished ball gown. Could she finish it by tomorrow?
“ Why? ”
V had asked her the same thing.
“I must keep the artifact out of the wrong hands and I think the gem is part of it. I’ve never stolen anything , and since it’s a faery gem, the last thing I want is to be caught.” Noli laid the gown on the bed and examined it.
“But why ? I don’t understand why this is so important to you—other than you’re in love with Darrow, who doesn’t deserve you,” he grumped.
Noli spun on her stocking feet and faced her brother. “I love V, and he loves me. Get used to it. As for the artifact … it’s a staff, a magical one of great power. We discovered that much in our research. Nevertheless, I need to protect it because … ” If V didn’t believe the Bright Lady had spoken to her, Jeff certainly wouldn’t. “It’s difficult to explain. But if it makes you feel better, V doesn’t understand either. He wants to research the thing to death first, but we should be stealing back the pieces Brogan already has, then locating the rest of them.”
Jeff shook his head. “I don’t understand all of this. But we can help if stealing this stone is really that important to you. Thad is a master thief.”
The whole crew was in town? Brilliant.
“I can do it by myself if someone simply tells me what to do. I don’t want to get you involved.” The last thing she wanted was for them to get in trouble because of her. Noli examined the unsewn seams, the missing trim. “Besides, what would Vix say?”
“Vix wants you to figure out a way for us to elope without making Mother angry.” Jeff smiled lopsidedly. “She said she’d rather be shot down by MoBatts over Deseret territory than sit through another wedding planning session disguised as brunch with Mother, Grandmamma, and the aunties.”
Noli laughed, picturing such a fiasco in her head. “That does sound dreadful. See why I didn’t want to go to Boston?” A sigh escaped her lips. “I’m not sure if I can finish this dress, even if I use the steam-powered sewing machine I built.” She felt the slightest bit put out that her mother had left it behind. “I’m not as good a seamstress as Mama. What will happen to Mama’s dress shop? When I went out to do the shopping, I went by and noticed that it was still there, but closed up.”
“Grandfather’s trying to find a buyer. What do you need a dress for? You have plenty of dresses.” Jeff made a face.
“It’s for the ball, silly.” She rolled her eyes, not expecting him to understand. “Now get out so I can dress and make everyone breakfast.”
“No, no, no.” Noli looked through the finished and half-
finished dresses on the racks in her mother’s little dress shop. No. None of these would be suitable for her to wear to the ball. What she ought to do was contact those with finished dresses
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