Patrick loathed everything about the Fifth Avenue mansion owned by Frederick Blackstone. The main parlor was an opulent showpiece of cold marble so white it hurt his eyes. The chandeliers dripped with crystal, and the spindly chairs looked too delicate to sit on.

“I can see why your grandfather prefers living out at the island,” he said as Gwen showed them into the parlor. He set down his traveling bag. He’d always been proud of this leather bag. It was the first quality item he bought once he started practicing law, but in this grand setting, he noticed its cheap clasp and faded leather. Gwen probably saw it too.

“I’ll send for tea,” Gwen said. “The servants didn’t know we were coming, so don’t expect anything fancy, but my grandfather always keeps an impressive collection of imported cheeses on hand. Would that be all right?”

“A cheese sandwich sounds good,” Patrick said. “Liam?”

Liam wasn’t paying attention. He was too busy running a finger along the wall. “Is this cloth or wallpaper?”

“Silk wallpaper,” Gwen replied. “Please don’t touch. It’s antique and quite fragile. Make yourselves at home while I arrange for something to eat and place a telephone call to request a meeting with Mrs. Carnegie. Hopefully she’ll be able to see us tomorrow.”

Gwen disappeared down a hallway, leaving Patrick and Liam to stand uncomfortably in the gilded monstrosity of a room.

“This place gives me the willies,” Liam said.

Patrick silently agreed, but Gwen’s voice echoed down the hallway. “I heard that! You’d better get used to it, because Mrs. Carnegie’s home is even fancier.”

Liam sighed and plopped onto a chair. The delicate legs didn’t collapse, so Patrick joined him on a nearby chair that looked like a throne. Suddenly everything felt very real.

“Don’t let a little fancy decorating throw you off your mission,” he said to Liam. “We’re only six votes away from saving the college. I can almost taste it.”

“I don’t care about saving the college. I want to stop the steel merger. I’m only six votes away from that too.”

Patrick sent him a warning look. “Louise Carnegie will never side with you, and if you alienate her, we lose our best shot at saving the college. You need to choose which battle to fight.”

“I came here to fight for the workingman, not a bunch of rich college students.”