A sudden thought burned through her mind: Was this also why she’d not been given a seat at the senior table? Was the Wisteria Society keeping her disempowered?

“I see,” she said coldly, both to Ned and to the absent pirate women. Her stomach lurched, but she simply walked faster, as if she could outrace the sick feeling. Ned hurried to keep up.

“But you are nothing like your father, Sissy, and so you need protecting, not neutralizing. Please just let me take you to Windsor, where you will be safe.”

“For a secret service agent, you don’t listen very well,” she said. “Once again, my name is Miss Bassingthwaite. I am not, and never will be, Sissy. And I have no interest in being safe. Wait!” She stopped abruptly, and hope lit Ned’s countenance. But she only turned and began walking back. “I forgot my hat.”

“Never mind your hat.” He followed her with exasperation. “You will come with me.”

“No, I won’t.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

He stepped in front of her, forcing her to stop, and pointed his gun once again at her face. Instantly Cecilia drew her own gun and held it in parallel to his.

“I cannot leave my aunt in Morvath’s clutches. He has caused her to suffer enough for one lifetime.”

“I understand. But walking into Northangerland Abbey alone is insane.”

“It was my”—she paused to shuffle away from the dueling couple, who were dancing around each other, swords clashing—“my childhood home. I know all the secret doors and passageways.”

“And so does Morvath. You will be captured within—Oply, lift your hand more—within minutes. The Queen will send a squad—”

“And you know how that will end. But one person, trained in stealth, could slip in and do all kinds of damage before she was noticed. Tom, be careful not to step on my hat.”

“If I take you to Windsor—”

“I will escape.”

“Yes, you undoubtedly will. Very well, madam, I shall take you to Lady Armitage instead.”

Cecilia elevated one eyebrow. “I beg your pardon?”

They lifted their guns to the sky as Constantinopla shoved Tom through the space between them. The boy staggered but regained his balance and rushed back to re-engage the fight. Cecilia and Ned aimed their guns once more at each other’s faces.

“Lady Armitage has the last remaining Society battlehouse,” Ned explained. “It’s fully equipped with cannons and a well-stocked armory, and I know where to find it. We can steal it, use it as a base.”

“What about Starkthorn Castle?”

“Morvath stole its entire load of weapons. It’s nothing now but a big stone house with emptied attics and bored ghosts.”

“Oh.” Her expression wilted.

“I’m sorry, I know it was your maternal family home.”

“Actually I’ve never set foot there. I was only thinking of the loss of all that cannon.”

“I do have a friend who would loan me his house, but there’s no time to track him down. Lady Armitage is our only resource.”