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Sophronia wasn’t so foolish as to think her enemy asleep Still, when Monique spoke, it startled her

"You’re a queer one, Sophronia You had Lord Mersey on your string and let hie could have been lucrative And ione down in the record books as one of the best Mademoiselle Geraldine ever produced"

"And lose the love ofaway his family?"

Monique scoffed "Love, what has love to do with any of this? If you’re throwing over a peer in favor of that sie, you’re more puerile than even I realized"

Sophronia went hot about the ears No one spoke about Soap that way, especially not Monique! Her te You’re not even fit to lick his boots!" Sophronia hissed, afraid of waking the others

"Boots! He’s too poor to have any That boy wouldn’t kno to clean boots, let alone wear them You’re barely class yourself, Sophronia Who are your parents, after all? You can’t afford to marry down, and no one can afford to marry a sootie!"

This made Sophronia all theSoap all along not because he was ruining their friendship but because of his station in life? "Clap your trap shut, Monique, or I’ll fill it with sorier with herself than Monique, but taking it out on her regardless

Monique snorted "I’ you a bit of helpful advice"

"Because we both know you’ve gotmore than a failure, Monique You couldn’t finish properly, so you ride the coattails of a vampire hive because no decent family would take you for their son"

Noas Monique’s turn to gasp in outrage "I wanted to becooing to do the rest of your life? Cozy up with a sootie and pop out half-breed babies to muck in the coal dust like their father?"

Sophronia considered all the various ways she had learned to kill so feweach to Monique in order Then she concentrated on her breathing, atteain control of the situation Then she stood and, casually, tore another strip off her htly Monique drooled a bit around the edges of the rag, which was satisfying to see

The rest of the night was blissfully uneventful, outwardly at least Sophronia was troubled by her own feelings of guilt She was trauiven Soap a fair chance because she was afraid of his lowly position She tortured herself with i what-ifs What if Soap were not a sootie? What if Soap were the same class or race? Would she have closed herself off to his feelings so brutally? Had she been cruel as well as snobbish? The speculation kept her wide eyed and staring out into the night the whole rest of her watch

Everyone ake at dawn There was a sense of nervous urgency that drew the, into the cab They stoked the boiler, started the engine up, and got the trainnorthith silent efficiency No one co

Sophronia felt aard and uncomfortable around Soap More aware of the way he stood, the set of his shoulders, the nuances of his expression She tried to monitor her own reactions, to be friendly but not too friendly She tried not to think about his affection for her, or their future apart

They chugged along at a slow but steady pace They learned more about the switches and how to operate the cocky about the whole proceeding They were also running dangerously low on coal, not to mention food

They stopped for lunch, ate the last of their reserves, and had to un-gag Monique to feed her Whichher again right quick