“Before I left London for Cornwall, where I met you, I was a courtesan named Mirabelle Renault. My last protector was Lucien.” She paused as Ada’s jaw dropped and waited until she’d snapped it closed. “He offered me a job managing the club and then later decided he needed patronesses and wanted me to be one of them. I didn’t see how any of that would be possible since I’d been a courtesan. He came up with the plan for me to leave London for a period of months and return as a widow.”

“You were undergoing that change when I met you,” Ada whispered. She stared at Evie’s hair. “I noticed recently that your hair is darker now. Did you change it at first?”

Evie nodded. “I used a powder to lighten it. I wore almost no cosmetics when I became Mrs. Renshaw, and of course, I changed my entire wardrobe.”

“I remember you wore nothing but gray and lavender for many months after we met.” Ada stared at her. “I’m just… I hope you didn’t think I would judge you.”

“I would never think that.” Evie moved to sit beside her on the settee. “And that’s not because you also engaged in trade, if only for a short time. I would have trusted you—I do trust you—because you are the best friend I have ever had. I knew from the moment we met that we were kindred spirits. You understood what it meant to have to fight for yourself, to do whatever it takes to survive.”

Cast out by her family before she was grown, Ada had struggled for years, ultimately becoming a governess, which had also turned out poorly. When she’d met Evie, she’d needed help as much as she’d needed a friend. “We found each other at the exact right time,” Ada said, a tear leaking from her eye. She wiped at her cheek.

“Yes, and the only reason I didn’t tell you the truth was because I had to keep myself safe from exposure. I also, foolishly, believed if I didn’t tell anyone about it, didn’t even think about it, I could more easily pretend it had never happened, that I had always been Evangeline Renshaw. I only recently began to understand how it was in fact hurting me to keep everything hidden, particularly from those closest to me. In hindsight, I wish I’d told you. Not just about being a courtesan, but my entire story. I was born in France, actually.”

“I look forward to hearing everything.” Ada took Evie’s hands and squeezed them. “Please don’t feel bad about not telling me before. It doesn’t matter. I’m here for you now, and it sounds as though you need a friend.”

“I do, thank you.”