Tommy was glad Philippa knew who she really was. Glad and terrified. Tommy wasn’t used to being herself outside of the family and hoped she wasn’t making a huge mistake. She was supposed to be concentrating on the case, not her feelings for Philippa.

“I see what’s happening,” said Graham. “You’re the white knight twice over. You plan to rescue both maidens.”

“We are all saving the day,” Tommy said firmly. “The Wynchesters are a family of knights of various colors and genders who save the day together as a team.”

“See?” said Elizabeth. “They should have let women write the tales of chivalry. The stories would have been so much better.”

Tommy’s heart warmed. She could not have asked for a better family than her motley siblings. Even when they argued, it was out of love. And when they joined forces against a common enemy…they were unstoppable.

She wished Chloe were here. It didn’t feel like “joining forces” without her. She was the one with the plans. Left alone, Tommy got into scrapes like…being Baron Vanderbean for three months.

That was someone else she missed deeply. The real Bean. Wearing his monogrammed handkerchiefs made her feel closer to him, but at the same time made his loss sharper than ever. The only reason Tommy could play this role for Philippa was because her adoptive father would have wanted Tommy to do whatever she needed to be happy. But no one could replace Bean. Not even “Horace” Wynchester. The loss would hurt less when she could take the costume off.

“We only have three months before Prinny’s party,” she reminded her siblings.

The seventeenth of January would be here before they knew it. In fact, Northrup could be granted his viscountcy beforehand. Graham’s network was gathering intelligence.

“I spoke to Damaris.” Elizabeth buffed the serpentine handle of her sword stick with a handkerchief. “She said she doesn’t need a room in a military academy named after her.”

Graham pulled a journal from his pocket. “What does she want?”

“Acknowledgment. A confession from Captain Northrup to his superiors that he stole her idea, followed by his complete and utter relinquishment of all undeserved glory, titles, or other accolades. And an apology would not go awry, either.”

“Oof,” said Tommy. “Her likeness on a plaque at a military academy would probably be easier. Any man shameless enough to steal his niece’s ideas for fame and fortune is not the sort of man who admits or apologizes for his actions.”

“Marjorie can create the plaque,” Graham suggested.

“No forgeries,” Elizabeth said. “If Damaris wants genuine acknowledgment, then she deserves to have it. The celebration should be in her honor, not Northrup’s.”

“We’ll have to force his hand,” Tommy said. The question was how. “If we can find the original plans Damaris drew up, can we prove it’s her handwriting and not his?”