Besides, even though he’d initiated this extra shopping trip, the High Lord was a man, and based on her observations of men who had escorted their ladies to her mother’s shop, his interest wouldn’t last long and they’d be heading back to the hotel in no time, with or without a suitable dress.

Marian stretched out on the bed, trying not to whimper. Who would have thought any man would have that much knowledge or interest in women’s clothing? And when that man was the High Lord of Hell . . .

They’d walked into a shop that catered to Blood from aristo families. Within minutes, merchants from the neighboring shops came running, and she was tossed into the middle of a storm that made the furniture shopping seem calm in comparison. The High Lord found a green dress that complemented her light-brown skin. While she was in the dressing room being carefully measured to have wing slits made in the dress, the cobbler displayed his selection of shoes, other merchants brought selections of skirts, trousers, shawls—anything that complemented the Eyrien coloring of brown skin, black hair, and gold eyes was presented to the High Lord for inspection. He selected, Jaenelle bullied her into trying things on, and two hours later, when even Jaenelle’s energy began to flag and the merchants were looking dazed and exhausted, she had a wardrobe of the finest clothes she’d ever owned.

The door opened and Jaenelle walked into the room they were sharing. “Papa just wants to sleep for a while, but I’m going down to the dining room to get something to eat. What about you?”

What about her? She couldn’t raise her head off the pillow. “I’m not hungry.”

Jaenelle smiled. “All right. You get some rest.”

“Why were you so angry about the clothes?”

Jaenelle came over to the bed and crouched down so Marian wouldn’t have to look up at her. “When you were staying with Luthvian, did she take you to any of the shops in Doun?”

There was something under that question, but she was too tired to be cautious. “For some underwear. She gave me some clothes that didn’t suit her anymore.” And had implied that even those were too good for a lowly housekeeper.

Jaenelle nodded, a mix of sadness and anger in her eyes. “I asked Luthvian to take you to the shops so that you could buy new clothes, and since I know her well enough to know she’d complain about spending any of her income on anyone but herself, I gave her enough gold marks to purchase those clothes. The fact that she chose to do otherwise . . .” She sighed. “Everything has a price. She made her choice, and the rest of the family will make theirs.”

“I don’t want to cause trouble.”