-Felix-

Mind still reeling from the revelations of only a few hours before, I faced having to escort Caroline Middleton. I didn't want to. I had been okay with the idea earlier, but now that I'd accepted that I was attracted to men, I only wanted Caroline to leave me alone to my thoughts or with my friends so I could ask questions I'd never thought to ask before. She clutched my arm with those awful sharp nails noble women loved.

Already, though, there was a stir of some kind. Someone had done something socially abhorrent or remarkably bold, depending on who was talking. What fool would try something at an event like this?

"Escorted by Cecil Lambs! I knew he wasn't making clandestine trips to the capital for the last five years. He'd never resist making a public appearance if he could make people talk about him," one woman said in shock. "And in Karen's dress!"

That was all I heard in the foyer. People were talking much more freely in the ballroom, and it quickly became clear why.

A woman with muscular arms and shoulders, with short dark hair, was wearing Aunt Karen's dress. She curtsied to Duke Lyon, who stood with his mouth open in shock.

I knew that dress at first glance. I'd been forced to look at it multiple times over the last few months when I went to the premier dress shop in town on various dates. It was a gorgeous dress, but...

"Who does she think she is?" Caroline gasped. Her hand tightened on my arm, and she practically dragged me in the woman's direction. My gaze went from the woman committing social suicide to Duke Owen as the redheaded duke bent forward, laughing so hard he made no sound. Reid Owen was laughing behind his hand. His sparkling eyes were like emerald forests, and I wanted to fall into them.

"Is that the Marquessa's dress?" Caroline asked as we closed the distance. "How shameful."

The woman turned and curtsied. It was a clumsy gesture done by someone who hadn't practiced it in over a decade. Whatever Felicity said, I didn't hear it. With the scars dulled to pink discolorations by makeup, I could finally clearly see it. Felicity Lyon stood before me.

It... All... made sense now. 

I couldn't even form words in my head to add to the conversation. Whatever the conversation was, because my ears couldn't make sense of the noises.

All this time, Felicity had been right there.

No wonder she'd not answered the question in her report. That answer was standing in front of us the whole time. No wonder she was so angry! She was mad enough to spit fire and burn down high society by wearing Aunt Karen's dress to her first ball. 

Cecil Lambs slipped in, breaking my view of Felicity.

"Did I keep you long?" the rake asked Felicity. "I got stopped by a couple of old friends and had to greet them."

Caroline let go of my arm. “Well, since you’re unfamiliar with High Society and you will be here for a while, please allow me to introduce you to a few people?” She was moving to take advantage of a situation she'd figured out, and I was still struggling to process.

“Of course,” Felicity said cheerily and drifted away with both our dates, leaving me standing alone in front of the two dukes and my crush.

"Stop laughing, Travis," Duke Lyon ground out. "You're making a fool of yourself."

Gasping like a dying man, Duke Owen wheezed out, "Like you are?" He started cackling again.

Furious, Lyon stomped away without even acknowledging that I was there.

Flustered, I turned to look at Duke Owen and his son. My eyes met Reid's.

That green was even more beautiful up close. Again, the noise of the ballroom was swallowed by the pounding of my heart.

Reid's cheeks turned red. He turned away and hurried off, leaving me with the floundering and crimson-faced Duke Owen. His Grace was in no shape to hold a conversation and waved me off as he stumbled toward the door to the terrace. 

Lost, confused, and a little hurt by Reid's abrupt retreat, I turned to look at the rest of the room. Deciding I needed a drink, I headed for the buffet table and found a glass of wine to down. Reassessing once I'd finished that one, I decided I needed several drinks.

"Already hitting the wine?" Fletcher asked as he dropped his arm across my shoulders.

"Today has been too rough," I said and drained the second glass even as I grabbed a third. "Sir Owen took one look at me and ran away, and it turns out Mortuary is my sister."

"What?!" Fletcher shouted. The people nearby turned to look at us. Grabbing the glass from my hand before I could down it, Fletcher put it aside. With my shoulders in both his hands, Fletcher shook me. "Run that by me again?"

"Reid Owen ran away from me before I could say anything," I said.

"Okay. Now, that second part? About Mortuary."

"She's my sister."

I grabbed the drink I had been denied and downed it.

"How...?"

"I really thought she was a man. And those scars! But that's really just an excuse, isn't it? I'm just as dumb as Father," I said, aware several other people were blatantly listening. "I guess I deserve the humiliation," I added. "Even if she was aiming most of it at Father, I didn't recognize her either. Good gods, I'm stupid, Fletcher. I want to leave before this gets any worse for me."

Fletcher looked around. "Why? Your father hasn't left? And, ah... Cecil Lambs is your..." he stumbled over his words, "Your sister's date, and maybe you should at least try to protect her from him?"

I focused my gaze on Fletcher, my fifth glass in hand. "She destroyed an entire battlefield by herself. What can Cecil Lambs do to her?"

"Break her heart? This and that are not the same," Fletcher said.

I supposed that was probably true and looked around the ballroom for Felicity. She was dancing with Cecil. They had the floor to themselves because who would dare take attention away from the monster who won the war for us, took down the queen of high society, and stole her dress to wear to a royal ball, escorted by the biggest playboy in all the city.

I needed to talk to her.

"Your sister, hmm?" a new voice interrupted.

Fletcher and I turned to look, finding Prince Daniel picking up a drink. The prince grinned. "I wouldn't worry about Cecil," he said with a grin. "But this whole thing makes a lot more sense now." He chuckled.

"You seem less surprised than the rest of us, Your Highness," Fletcher said.

Daniel chuckled again. "Apparently, I only knew half of it!" He raised his glass and drifted away.