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She needed a change of clothes for that, and Lady Payne generously offered to create something more comfortable for Leila from her own wardrobe.

Leila took advantage of the situation, transforming one of Lady Payne’s old mourning daydresses into şalvar. She paired it with a chemise and a frock worn as a kaftan.

After gathering her hair into a braid and sliding in a hairpin, she glanced in the mirror, and for the first time in years, she reminded herself of… herself. She stared into her own reflection and saw the person she was meant to be.

“Thank you,” she said, her eyes welling with unexpected emotion.

“No need to thank me; it’s the least I could do.”

“You’ve been incredibly generous, allowing us to stay the night, sharing your clothes, and letting me alter them.”

“They look better this way,” Lady Payne replied with a smile. “And those trousers seem very comfortable. Besides, we should be thanking you for revealing Blake’s cousin’s true nature.” She paused. “You must be very excited about the prospect of finding your brother.”

“I am, very much.”

“How long have you been separated?”

“Almost two months. We’ve been apart before, but the Cardinal allowed us to exchange notes. This time, I haven’t heard anything from him, and it worries me immensely.”

“I understand. I can’t imagine someone keeping me from my son and remaining sane,” Lady Payne said fiercely. “But I believe your brother is still alive and well. Townsend probably planned to use him as a bargaining chip if he failed to capture you.”

Leila swallowed. “I hope so.”

“What do you plan to do after you reunite?”

Leila stifled a grimace. That was the question she dreaded. What would they do? “Perhaps we shall go back home to Smyrna. That’s what we always dreamed of in the quiet hours,” she said hesitantly. “If we can afford the fare.”

Lady Payne’s eyes widened in surprise. “I’m quite certain the fare won’t be an issue for a duke. Wolverstone is quite wealthy.”

Leila blinked, momentarily confused about Gideon’s involvement, before realizing that Lady Payne had discerned the depth of their relationship. She wasn’t a fool; she had seen how close they were, despite offering them separate chambers. Perhaps she had noticed that only one of the rooms had been used. Or maybe offering two chambers was just a polite courtesy. “Gideon—Wolverstone is not going to come with us,” Leila said.

“Oh!” Lady Payne’s face flushed a startling shade of red. “My apologies. I just assumed—you seemed—I shouldn’t have—”

“Please, don’t worry,” Leila quickly reassured her. “You deduced correctly; we… are quite close. But it is temporary.”

Lady Payne’s expression turned skeptical. She pursed her lips, as if debating whether to speak her mind. Ultimately, she decided to proceed. “I apologize for speaking out of turn, but I’m quite certain you’re mistaken. A man doesn’t look at a woman the way Wolverstone looks at you if his interest is merely temporary. He doesn’t risk his life to save her or turn the entire city upside down to find her brother.”

“He has his own reasons for finding Townsend,” Leila protested.

“That may be true,” Lady Payne replied thoughtfully, “and granted, I’ve only seen you two interact a couple of times, but from what I’ve observed, he is very attuned to your feelings. I think it goes beyond a temporary liaison.”

Gideon entered at that moment, and Leila’s face lit up. She stepped forward, her feet carrying her to him, and as if tethered by an invisible thread, he moved toward her too, his own eyes shining. Leila realized that perhaps Lady Payne’s words held a kernel of truth. They were connected in ways that transcended a mere temporary affair.

But reality was more complicated than that.

“Townsend has left the premises,” he said, taking her hands in his. “And you were right; he left that same mansion you singled out. I sent out notes to all the Shadows to converge at that place in five hours.”

“I can’t wait that long.” Leila shook her head frantically. “It takes two hours to get there, and who knows how long or how short the Cardinal will be at the ball? He might come back before we find anything of value, before we find Emir.”

“In that case, we’ll have a couple of questions for him,” Gideon assured her.

“No,” Leila insisted. “Please. I want to have enough time to search the place from top to bottom before his return. I want to find Emir. Let’s go before everyone else.”

“It’s dangerous, Leila,” Gideon pleaded.

“We’ll come with you,” Payne said from the threshold, St. John on his heels.

“We’ll watch for any sign of trouble, and we’ll wait and direct the Shadows should they arrive.”