“No, they’ll want to fuck you for your giant and occasionally obnoxious brain,” Alex grumbled, pulling out
a pair of heels that matched Lila’s dress and the style of her coat. “You’re fit and not that bad to look at, Lila.”
“Gee, thanks. You’re not that stupid.”
Alex dropped the heels in front of her. “Occasionally obnoxious might have been optimistic. Put on the damn shoes.”
Lila did as she was bid and twirled around in the mirror, her shoulder and hip and knuckles still sore, but glad the woman in the mirror didn’t look like it. Perhaps a glass or two of wine would relax her muscles.
She pulled on a pair of full-length kidskin gloves and slipped on her Randolph silver pendant. It dangled fetchingly above her breasts.
Alex brushed her fingers longingly over the coat. “It will be a shock tonight, regardless of Senator Dubois’s warning to the others. People will gossip, believing you might formally accept your role as heir. Some will guess you’ll be prime soon. I wish I could go and see their faces.”
“It won’t be that shocking. I’ve played at being an heir for a long time.”
“Well, soon it will be official, with no confusion to cloud it. Pay heed to the Red Baron tonight,” the slave warned with a chuckle.
Lila’s face fell immediately, and she snatched up Alex’s wrist.
Her friend cried out, looking startled.
“What did you just say?”
“Pay heed to the Red Baron tonight,” Alex said, wincing. “Did I say something wrong?”
“Where did you hear that name?”
“Jewel left her palm on speaker while talking with Senator Dubois a few hours ago. I overheard the senator mention someone named the Red Baron. I never caught his real name, but apparently, he’s expressed a great deal of interest in you over the last couple of weeks.”
Lila let go of Alex’s wrist, finally realizing how hard she’d gripped it. “You were lingering outside Jewel’s door? Accidently?”
“Of course not. I wanted details to give you now so that I’d get details later.” Alex’s grin waned. “Did I do something wrong? I thought you’d be happy at the information. If he’s an acceptable suitor, you’ll know his interest level beforehand. Senator Dubois seemed to judge it quite high.”
Lila’s stomach turned at the implications. The name couldn’t be a coincidence. It wasn’t a hacker who had broken into the BullNet but a senator. Even worse, he had decided to intercept her at the Closing Ball. Perhaps he had leaked her activities to the chairwoman just so her mother would remove her from the security office and put her in his path.
If so, the chairwoman had played right into his hand.
How much did the Baron know about her already? How much had he told others?
Did Dubois know of the Baron’s true nature? Had he helped him work?
Perhaps it was a good thing the Baron would seek her out at the ball. She wouldn’t need to pore over Mr. Freiherr’s information any longer. She’d have him right in front of her. Tonight.
She only had to draw him out.
Lila smiled at her friend warmly. “You did very well, as always. Thank you for the information.”
Chapter 18
The chairwoman nodded at Lila’s dress and coat selection after she arrived downstairs and entered the front parlor, Alex trailing along behind. A portly woman stood beside Lila’s mother in a purple tartan dress and clapped. “Marvelous choice,” she said in a thick Parisian accent. “The dress and cut of the coat emphasize your militia past, and the heels give you the height to look down upon all other women. You will be a warrior.”
“A coat is a coat is a coat,” Lila grumbled. “Unless it’s a blackcoat.”
“You have your work cut out for you, Madame Thayer.”
But the designer hadn’t heard the chairwoman, for Thayer had already settled upon one of the white couches in the parlor, studying how Lila’s dress and crimson coat fell. Her fingers worked quickly as she sketched on a tablet. Soon, Lila would have a closet full of dresses and whitecoats in similar styles.
At least she wouldn’t be forced to tool around a tailor’s shop, picking out fabrics and having conversations about zippers. She was now very glad that Alex had not talked her into wearing anything uncomfortable. Otherwise, she might have been stuck with several incarnations of it until the designer had time to create something more suited to her tastes.