Aliya read the letter aloud to her husband to prove to herself that she had not misread the first time. She paused and looked up at him while he listened with a frown. "Can you believe it?" she asked with awe. "She speaks of nothing else but Mason."

Bending her head at the letter, she read aloud, "He was able to make his first sandcastle without anyone's help. I believe he acquires talent faster than any child."

Oliver chuckled and walked to the washbasin.

"'Last night, without Dorothy telling him, he bid me good night'." Her eyes were wide as she stared at her husband. "She does not have to tell us that, does she?"

He splashed water over his face and grabbed a towel. His voice was muffled by the cloth as he said, "Mother can be quite charming without even trying, darling."

Aliya blinked, folding the letter in her hand. "She did not even inquire how we are fairing, Ollie."

"A child can do many wonders," he said, throwing the towel to the side. He started to dress and she watched him.

"How many children would you like?" she asked with a smile.

"If they will turn out like you, I would love to have as much as you can give. But if they will be like me," he said, buttoning his shirt with a grin, "I would never let you stop giving me children."

Her laughter erupted and echoed around their bedchamber. She stood, already dressed for her afternoon appointment, and walked toward him. She planted a kiss on his arm and murmured, "I have such a big responsibility then. I want my children to be like you." Walking to the door, she added, "We might as well build our own Belcourt."

His laughter followed her down the corridor. She was smiling when Jason met her in the hallway. "Well? Have you found any hidden bottles?" she asked the man.

He stiffly nodded. "I found one under his workbench, my lady. Should I dispose of it?"

Aliya's eyes narrowed as she thoughtfully considered the information. "Have you noticed if he has been drinking from it?"

Jason blinked and shook his head. "No."

"Then do not take it away. It provides him comfort," she said, walking to the parlor where Ellise was waiting. "Are you ready?" she asked the woman.

Ellise glared at her. "I do not need more gowns, Aliya."

"Of course, you do. You still have a few more balls to attend."

"And I also do not want to join you and your friends."

Aliya sighed. "Ellise, you know you should. It is the best way to hide who we are." She winked as she settled at the settee across her sister-in-law. "Belles can be quite cunning, but they will not be inclined to suspect anyone who acts as though they do not have anything to hide. And I would also like to see how they will struggle to read you. It will be quite exciting."

"Read me?"

"Of course. You are the most difficult person to read." She wickedly smiled at her sister-in-law. "You do not have to do anything. Simply act however you wish."

Ellise rolled her eyes and sighed.

Moments later, Oliver joined them in the parlor and the three of them headed out to the carriage. He accompanied them for their gown fitting, which was not much of a task as Ellise simply stood motionless throughout the process and made no comments or suggestions on alterations. Aliya had to step in from time to time to tell the modiste what she wanted.

Once they were done, Ellise was the first to rush to the door as though she had been slowly burning inside the shop.

"If she could weave clothes with the leaves in the woods, she would," Oliver complained under his breath before they joined his sister in the carriage.

Moments later, Oliver asked, "Have you read today's paper?"

"Do you mean about Rothsker?" Aliya asked. "He made an appearance in the House of Lords, yes?"

"Yes."

"As he rightfully should," Ellise commented, looking out the window. "Your friends are crowded outside the café, Aliya."

Aliya followed her sister-in-law's gaze and she groaned. "I was not expecting many Belles to join us."

"Perhaps I should return home with Oliver."

"Nonsense. I need you. When I give you a look later with my right brow arched, you stand up and demand that we go home."

"In the best Ellise St. Vincent fashion," added Oliver.

Aliya chuckled when Ellise scowled at them.

"I am jesting, Ellise. But of course, I may find the need to cock a brow later, depending on how this little meeting goes."

The carriage stopped just outside the café. Oliver jumped out and assisted his sister down before he did his wife whom he gave a chaste kiss on the cheek, whispering, "I will come by in two hours."

She nodded and turned to the crowd of Belles staring at her. Aliya's smile widened. "Good afternoon, ladies," she greeted, hooking her arm around Ellise's. "I hope we are not late."

*****

Aliya could sense that the eight Belles around the table were not comfortable with Ellise's presence, but she knew they were being graceful as they reluctantly accepted Ellise who was being too intimidating by doing nothing but being herself.

They asked Ellise questions and she replied with her typical stoic face and flat tone. A Belle would be lucky to draw out two sentences from her sister-in-law who sat at the head of the table like it was where she belonged.

"I do nothing," was all she said when asked if she is also a doctor.

When Jade asked if she enjoyed their gown fitting, Ellise simply stared at the women as though the question was written all over her face and the Belles took exactly what was written on her face as the answer.

She would have loved Oliver to witness this moment. The Belles did not have to say so, but her husband was not welcome here.

Summer was the one who opened the question about her marriage. "Say, Aliya, it seems that your husband treats you well."

"He does," Aliya retorted with a proud smile. "So does the rest of his family."

Sasha, who was sitting at the other end of the table facing Ellise, turned to Aliya with a smile. "I am glad that you enjoy being married, Aliya."

"I do, overly so, as a matter of fact."

Sasha turned to Ellise. "As Aliya's friends, we appreciate that you accepted Aliya into your family, Ms. Ellise."

Ellise blinked. "Why would we not?"

The other Belles turned to each other to share a look. Summer chuckled and said, "Well, you know some people judge Belles unkindly."

With her bored-looking eyes, Ellise looked at around the table. "But you were not Belles before Belcourt turned you into one. I see no Belles in this table."

The women around the table provided different reactions. Ruby and Jade looked at each other with arched brows. Some had a hardened look on their faces. Sasha merely blinked, her smile unwavering.

"I am with women who enjoy tea," Ellise added with a shrug before she picked up her cup. "And perhaps gowns."

A collective chuckle rounded their group and Aliya could not be any more proud to be associated with Ellise St. Vincent.

Because of Ellise, their meeting was short-lived as the Belles had reservations recalling stories of when Aliya was still a Belle, and it was just as Aliya had in mind. She felt Ellise getting eager to go home and she felt the same.

As much as Aliya enjoyed her friends, she had a feeling that she was now treated differently. She was no longer a Belle, after all. They may be curious about her new life, but they might only be because they wanted to know if she could potentially be an enemy.

As the Belles left one by one, Sasha remained with Ellise and Aliya as they waited for Oliver.

"You are here with Rothsker, yes?" Aliya asked.

"Yes. You must have seen the recent news. He is back in parliament."

"As he should," Aliya noted. "He is part of the peerage."

Sasha only nodded.

Aliya turned to her sister-in-law and arched a brow. Ellise immediately understood.

"I will go outside to see if Oliver has returned," her sister-in-law excused, standing to her feet to leave Aliya and Sasha alone.

"Do you have any future plans, Sasha?" Aliya asked in an innocent tone. "When I was with my second flower, I started to make plans for my future. I believe the same is true with the other Belles."

"What plans?" Sasha asked.

She shrugged. "Settling into a new city, ask Belcourt for an additional flower—such plans."

"Or saving money for my dowry just like you did?"

Aliya chuckled. "Yes, such plans."

Sasha looked over her shoulder to steal a look at Ellise standing outside the shop, before she turned to Aliya and replied, "I want to be a Mistress."

Aliya blinked in surprise. "I did not expect you to say that, honestly."

Sasha's bluish-grey eyes remained unreadable. "You mean to say you never expected that I can be ambitious."

"Yes."

Sasha shrugged. "It is but wishful thinking. Lady Mariam is still very healthy and once she steps down, it will be up to Belcourt. But I do admit that I intend to be powerful in Belcourt, Aliya, now that you are no longer with us. I had always thought you will be the next Mistress of the Court of Flowers, but now that you decided to leave, I do not see anyone deserving of the position other than myself."

"I truly admire your confidence, Sasha, and I also agree that you are suited for the role. You may be younger than I, but you are wise beyond your years." She leaned against her chair to study Sasha. "But can I ask why you wish to be a Mistress?"

"When I am Mistress, I do not have to leave Belcourt. And when I am Mistress, I can guide the ladies well. Lady Mariam, although she is doing her best, is too lax. She ought to make use of the abilities of the Belles to the greatest extent. Her relationship with Lady Eastwell also hinders a conducive partnership with the Court of Arms. If we have a good relationship with the Soldiers, we can do better missions."

"You do not believe that the Belles are not trying hard enough?"

"We are not doing enough to track down the Circus. If I can, I would make use of all eligible Vows."

Aliya went cold, but she masked it by feigning an amused smile. "Now, why do I suddenly feel threatened?" With a laugh that sounded genuine, Aliya made a motion with her hands to brush off her previous statement. "But why would I even feel so? I will do anything Belcourt asks of me."

"Even if it will involve your new family?"

Aliya's face hardened and her smile disappeared. "Anything for Belcourt, save for my family." Leaning forward, she fixed Sasha a cold look. "That includes my sister, of course."

Sasha slowly nodded and quickly ignored the short tension that passed between them with a small sigh and a smile. "And I assume that you also have plans, Aliya? As a married woman, of course."

Aliya chuckled. "I plan to live my life the way I have dreamed of, Sasha, before I came to Belcourt."

"Then you must be in love with St. Vincent."

"Why would I not be?" she said with a ridiculous scoff. "He is the eccentric I needed in my life. He makes every day a different one." Smiling at Sasha, she added, "I never thought I would feel love again after my first flower, and even the first one was too frail compared with the one I feel now for Ollie."

Sasha smiled at her with a mixture of disbelief and amusement. "I still cannot believe that you fell in love with your first flower."

"Most Belles do, or am I wrong?" She saw Sasha's face harden and she hid her smile by asking, "My first flower had to leave and I had to stay. It was the most devastating feeling. Do you know how it feels? To love but know that you can never own it?"

By now, Sasha's face had gone totally blank. For Aliya, Sasha was second to Ellise in morphing her face into a blank canvas.

"No," Sasha replied, tone very-well modulated. "You were the one who told me to be wise with my flower, Aliya, and I was wise with my first one. It was him who told me that happiness is for those who have nothing else. I believe the same is true with love." Aliya took it back. Sasha was by far better than Ellise in detaching herself from her emotions because one year ago, it had been clear that her first flower had affected her so. But that was no longer visible now; there was no sign that Sasha felt anything for West Blackwood. "But I do have Belcourt to work for. I have the children to protect. I have the other Belles to think of. It was you who taught me that."

Arrested, Aliya could not answer because the woman was correct.

Aliya would never be as faithful to Belcourt as she had made the other Belles believe. She left Belcourt because she was selfish. She only needed to save herself and her sister. But she understood Sasha and the other women left behind. She understood if they found it hard to believe that she, Aliya, the champion for other Belles, had to leave.

Was it not her who told Sasha to not think only of herself? To serve Belcourt to protect everyone else, most especially the children?

She taught the Belles how to be loyal to each other and she would understand if they could never accept Aliya as they did before.

It was Sasha who noticed the carriage outside the shop and the woman gathered her reticule and said, "It seems that your husband has arrived."

Aliya stood and together, they walked to the door.

"Will you be at the Humbrick Ball?" Sasha asked.

"Of course. My husband loves a more scandalous venue if you know what I mean."

The Belle smiled. "Of course, he does." As Oliver jumped from the carriage, Sasha added, "Perhaps we will both enjoy Humbrick then. Rothsker is quite eager to be formally presented back into society."

"In the most scandalous ways, I assume?"

"Rothsker is always scandalous, I am afraid," said Sasha with an amused sigh.

Aliya turned to Sasha and said, "Goodbye, Sasha. I will see you at Humbrick, yes?"

The woman simply nodded and watched her enter the carriage with her husband's help. Through the back window, she watched Sasha standing alone outside the café, watching them drive away.