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I know I’ll catch hell later for slippinghere early, but it orth it You have to know to look for it, nearly invisible in the lines of Swann’s skirt, but there’s a knife at one thigh and a tiny pistol set to stun in her clutch There are jokes about how the LaRoux princess never goes anywhere without her entourage of giggling companions--that half of them could kill a e The President’s faht to tell them about the man who accosted me, but if I do, Sill usherlocked in my room while she verifies the man in the cheap hat didn’t intend to harh It’s hardly the first time somebody’s wanted me to intervene with ive, and it’s no secret that the hter’s every whinized the particular sluuided hiain

"I hope you knohat you’re doing, Lil" I look up, startled She’s still talking about Major Merendsen

"Just a bit of fun" I toss back the last ne in a way that makes Anna crack a smile in spite of herself

She erases her s a scowl far more suited to Swann’s face than hers "Uncle Roderick would be cross," she scolds, sliding into the booth next toed to wrangle in the field? He’s still just a teacher’s son"

For a girl who spends hts in someone else’s room than her own, Anna is a prude when it comes to me I can’t help but wonder whatan eye on me on this trip--or what he’s threatened her with should she fail

I know she’s only trying to protect uards, with no reason to cushion the truth when reporting to my father Anna is one of the only people who knohat Monsieur LaRoux is capable of, when it comes toway There are ruh to steer clear, but only Anna knows For all her lectures, I’ in o "One conversation," I h this every time?"

Anna leans in so she can slip her arh , this was rown, and I’ to help," she says "You knohat Uncle Roderick is like You’re all he has Is it such a terrible thing that your father’s devoted to you?"

I sigh, leaning my head to the side to rest it on hers "If I can’t play a little when I’ on my own?"

"Major Merendsen was rather delicious," Anna admits in a low voice "Did you see hoell he filled out that uniform? He’s not for you, but ives an odd little lurch Jealousy? Surely not The ht travel is so s still

Anna lifts her head, looks at htful, well-practiced tinkle of silver "Oh, don’t scowl, Lil I was only joking Just don’t see hiain, or you know I’ll have to tell your father I don’t want to, but I can’t not do it"

Elana, Swann, and the faceless tuxedo return with a hover tray in tow, laden with drinks and hors d’oeuvres The girls have given Anna enough time to chastise me, and they’re all smiles as they slide into the booth to join us Anna sends the tuxedo back to the bar because her drink has a stick of pineapple in it rather than cherries, and she and the other girls titter to one another as they watch hiive the -a-suit depart the tuxedo’s enthusiastic attempts to court her, much to the amusement of Elana and Swann Soht, easy, and not reht off of e, so that all I have to do is sh Usually she’d have ht it feels hollow, and it’s hard for lance at the door now and then, but though it swings open and closed dozens of times, it’s never to admit Tarver Merendsen I’m sure he knows the rules as well as I do, and there’s not a person aboard who doesn’t knoho I ahme travel by myself for my birthday in New Paris, the truth is that he’s always there, in soh At least he left of his own accord, and I didn’t have to end hi over fifty thousand passengers, the odds of ever encountering again thevoice are next to nothing

The next two nights Anna and I skip the salon, and go straight to the promenade deck after dinner We walk arossip I know she’ll still spend the entire night in our adjoining suites draped over the foot of h she never see, I inevitably wake up with purple s out like bruises on et to spend so ether Here, we can be like sisters