Not that it was within her power to do so.

Besides, Gabriel, as impossible as it seemed, was even more stubborn than she was. When Lady El-Adrel had delivered Papa’s message—drink water—Gabriel had understood its meaning as well as Nic had. More, he understood how ruthlessly Lord Elal had cut ties with his eldest daughter with those simple words. He would not be sending Nic’s trousseau, nor the grape vines she’d requested as part of her dowry, or any dowry at all. She’d defied her father and her house by trying to escape Gabriel, then again by cleaving to her water wizard instead of returning obediently to House Elal. Drink water. The message was clear. She didn’t want it to hurt, but—oh, how deeply that had cut.

Exactly as her father intended. And Gabriel, in all of his protective fury on her behalf, would never forgive him for it. The only way House Phel would be acquiring helpful elementals was buying canned ones retail, an expense she did not relish absorbing and, besides, the canned ones never worked as well.

With her face clean, Nic reapplied her makeup, not trusting the grooming imp with the task, though it had restored her hair to a semblance of order. She found some thoughtful soul had left her velvet robe on a hook in the bathing chamber—her efforts to enlist help in running the house were beginning to pay off—and shrugged it on. Deciding what to wear to dinner wouldn’t take long, as she still only had only a few gowns to choose from and only one warm enough for the chilly, rainy evening. Thankfully, another kind and helpful soul, or possibly the same one, had laundered the burgundy velvet.

Nic sniffed it suspiciously, wary of the thing, as the last time she’d worn it, the gown had been soaked in fetid algae marsh water. It smelled fresh and clean, however, and she happily laid it on the bed. She was shrugging out of the robe when a knock sounded on the door.

Reflexively, she glanced at the balcony doors, black with night and sheeting rain, but they remained firmly closed. Not Selly, then, who had a penchant for climbing the manse and slipping inside. Though Selly wouldn’t knock anyway. Nic opened the doors and found Gabriel’s mother wringing her hands, expression tense.

“Daisy,” Nic said in some surprise. “Won’t you come in? I was just changing for dinner.”

“Oh, I won’t keep you,” Daisy replied, hesitating on the threshold.

“You won’t be, as long as you don’t mind me changing clothes.”

“All right, then.” Daisy went straight to the fireplace, holding her hands out to the cheerful blaze. “I swear, spring is the coldest season. The chill goes right to the bone. All that damp.”

“I wondered about that.” Nic doffed her robe and slipped on the fresh set of lingerie, shivering. “It’s full winter still in Elal, but somehow I’m colder here.” Of course, House Elal was heated by fire elementals embedded in the floors. The fireplaces there were all for pleasure, the temperature of the house not fluctuating much. She’d actually take the fire elementals—for both heat and light—before the water elementals for washing, and that was saying something.