His words gave her a jolt of shock. She’d thought she’d performed so well; Halverton had clearly been pleased.
Oswin spoke quickly, recognising her discomfort. “Don’t worry. I don’t think the others noticed.” He cast a glance at his mother and her friend. “They don’t notice much if I’m honest.”
“How did you?” Aoife asked.
“It was a few things. A couple of words that came out wrong, the clothes that are clearly new yet still a little too big for you.”
Aoife’s cheeks flushed; that was a lot of things, a lot of mistakes.
“Like I said,” Oswin rushed on, “no one else noticed.”
“Why are you telling me this?” she asked.
“I… honestly, I wanted someone to talk to.”
“You can’t talk to your parents?”
“Not about anything that matters. You saw the way they reacted at dinner. They think I’m too young to understand, but they’re the ones who don’t understand. The empire is changing. Our generation is going to make it change.”
If Cormac had thought her crazy for wanting to change Lord Halverton, what would he say to a young man who wanted to bring the whole system down?
“It’s a nice thought, but a system that immense will not change easily.”
“No,” he agreed. “It will take a lot of people and a lot of time to force change, but it can be done. If we all work together, Morran and Eldrossi.”
Aoife stopped. “My people revolted at Dún Maebh and they were crushed. They resisted at Dromdara, and your people burnt them in their homes.”
“I know, but things are changing in the empire.” He spoke quickly, the two ladies were approaching them now. “People aren’t happy; they want change. We’re on the brink of a revolution, and it can be done if we work from within the system.”
“My people have already given enough.” Aoife said in a low voice. The two ladies were approaching them quickly now. “I hope you and your friends bring about change; I really do. But when it comes, it will be too late for us here. Changing an empire is slow, and we cannot survive the winter.”
She finished speaking as Lady Severcombe joined them.
“Quite magnificent gardens you have here.”
“Thank you. The hothouse is this way.” Aoife said, walking ahead down the path. Lord Oswin watched them go.
After the tour, they returned to the house, and Lord Oswin didn’t speak to her again until they were saying their goodbyes.“You have allies in the empire.” He said as the others descended the sweeping staircase in front of the house. “We want to help.”
“And I hope you do.” Aoife said, smiling as Halverton walked to her side and slid an arm around her waist.
“It has been a pleasure having you with us, Lord Oswin.”
“The pleasure was all mine, Lord Halverton.”
Oswin gave her one last look before he joined the others.
“I think he was sweet on you,” Halverton said, smiling and waving as they drove off. “You enchanted them all without even trying. I do enjoy being proven right.” He leaned in, lips almost brushing her ear as he spoke. “It is interesting… how desirable something becomes when others want it.”
Aoife did not flinch, though every instinct urged her to pull away, her fingers tightening against the fabric of her skirt. “If they admired me, it’s only because you taught me well.” There. Let him take pride in himself, not in owning her.
She turned her face towards him, eye to eye now.
“Do you think we convinced them?”
Halverton smiled. “I think my return to high society is all but guaranteed.”
His arm remained firm around her waist. They were close enough now that she could see the faint green lines threaded through the gold of his eyes.
