She and Kat and Perry did get down to the Fair again for a run at some of the entertainments, all three of them dressed as apprentices. They managed to squeeze in an acrobat show, a play, an animal show, and a dance troupe, all in the same afternoon. But despite Kat’s urging, neither she nor Perry were particularly interested in shopping. Maybe because except for when they were actually in the tents, enjoying the shows, the two of them kept looking out of the corners of their eyes for cutpurses and those who might be acting as distractions.

When weeks passed and nothing at all happened that was any worse than difficult schoolwork problems, anyone else might have decided that Dudley had forgotten about her, or had far too much to do with running his fathers’ business than to worry about the girl that had humiliated him in public.

Abi knew better.

“Honestly,” Kat said one day, as Abi checked her book bag compulsively to make sure there was nothing in there that shouldn’t be. “Why are you letting that dolt obsess you like this? I swear, every time we walk out you check your shadow to make sure it’s not his. He’s got his hands full right now, and I’m sure he’s forgotten you.”

“Except that he doesn’t have his hands full,” Abi countered. “I checked. His father set up a very careful trust a long time ago—I suppose in case he died or became incapacitated, since I’m sure the idea someone might catch him and put him in gaol never entered his mind. Dudley has absolutely nothing to do except spend the allowance the Trust gives him—except maybe try to wheedle more money out of his mother from her allowance. All the important decisions are made by a panel of Trustees. If he wants to spend his own money on property or some other business venture, he can, but he can’t touch a penny attached to his father’s business beyond what’s doled out to him until he turns twenty-one.”

Kat whistled as they strolled back to the Royal Suite. “That can’t set well with him.”

“One more thing to blame me for,” Abi sighed. “I know he’s planning something. I can feel it. I just wish I knew what it was.”

“He’ll be trying to set you up as a cheat, no doubt.” Kat nodded her thanks as the right-hand Guard opened the door for them.

“And how do I stop that if he’s being really clever—or more like, has a clever flunky to help him?” she asked, helplessly. “I feel like I’m sitting under an ax that is hanging by a hair, waiting for it to fall!”

“Didn’t your father say he’d thought of something?” Kat countered as they took their favorite seats in the solar and got out their history books.