Page 26 of The Fifth Life of Alicia
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“That was exhausting,” I said, collapsing into the carriage.
Bella giggled as she took the seat opposite me. “Lady Vivian is quite full of life, is she not, my lady?”
“That’s a very polite way of putting it.” I shook my head. “I’m very thankful for the dress, but it feels like far too big a gift. Especially since we’ve only just met properly.”
“She must have taken quite a liking to you. From what I’ve heard, she can be quite cold to those she doesn’t like.”
“Yes, I think Sophia had some of that treatment during the tea party today.”
“I suspect the marchioness will be unhappy when you return home. You should brace yourself for it.”
I waved my hand. “What can she do? The invitation was addressed to me. Father won’t be happy to hear they’ve been taking my invitations and Sophia has been going in my place. Besides, he’s already aware I was attending the tea party today as I told him yesterday. I did that deliberately.”
“You are quite wise, my lady.”
“Thank you. I think so.” I smiled at her. “I was prepared for a fight when I made the decision to respond to the invitations, so don’t worry so much. There’s nothing she can do to me this close to the ball.”
Bella eyed me concernedly for a moment, then sighed. “I suppose so.”
Gosh, she was so sweet.
I’d always been marginally uncomfortable with the power dynamic where a friendship was concerned between a lady and her maid in novels like the one that I was living in. It sometimes felt as though the maid had no choice but to be friends with the lady she served, but I was now viewing it in a whole other light.
I could feel how Bella cared for me.
Granted, she didn’t know I wasn’t the Alicia she’d been serving for the past few years, but she also hadn’t treated me any differently. I was sure she’d noticed that I wasn’t necessarily the same person as before the accident, but she’d not said a word.
I could tell her the truth, but what good would that do? Would she even believe me?Howwould you even tell someone something like this? ‘The previous soul of this body died and I woke up here, sorry about that.’
It sounded crazy, no matter how you put it.
Harry stopped the carriage at the main street and helped me out. Bella had our cloaks hidden in a gift box, so it looked as if she were just carrying something I’d purchased. Harry had given me a crudely drawn map of the shopping district yesterday afternoon, and I’d studied it hard, so I knew exactly how to get to Illusion from here without having to take the carriage nearby.
I bade him farewell, and Bella and I set out on our walk towards the tea shop. We ducked into an alleyway to put on our cloaks to hide our identities on our way there, and we made it without being seen by anyone.
Anyone who mattered, that was.
After entering the tea shop, I repeated the same greeting I had when I’d come last week. The woman behind the counter must have recognised my voice, because she nodded to Allegra who again took me upstairs.
This time, Bella went straight into the waiting room while Allegra popped open the secret door. “Mister Jinx is waiting for you, my lady.”
I barely stopped myself from laughing. Of course, he was. “Thank you.”
I ducked into the dim pathway, brushing away a low dangling cobweb. Jinx was sitting in the middle of the room, lounging back on one of the sofas as if he didn’t have a care in the world.
He probably didn’t.
His expression lit up when he saw me. “Lady Alicia. How honoured I am that you’re back so soon.”
This smarmy prick.
I pulled down my hood and met his eyes. “I suppose it’s only right that one of us is happy with this turn of events. Tell me, Mister Jinx, do you think I have nothing better to do than return to this place again?”
He held up his hands and gently shook his head. “As I told both you and your maid last time, there’s nothing I can do, my lady. My master is a very difficult man to see.”
“Am I to assume that your position hasn’t changed?”
