The Mask of Mirrors (Rook & Rose, #1)

by M.A. Carrick

“No hiding behind ‘trade secrets.’ I have to know. How did you manage to get a valuable nine-year inaugural charter from Fulvet in exchange for a set of wedding clothes?” She counted the steps off on her fingers. “Well, in exchange for the loan of Tess’s talents, Alta Faella was kind enough to take tea with myself and Nanso Bagacci last week. And Fluriat Bagacci was so pleased to have her brother restored to polite society that she revoked her bid to repair the bridge at Floodwatch. Which means Mede Attravi is certain to win that contract—so he can repay the debt he owes Mede Elpiscio for crashing his pleasure barge into the Elpiscio docking pier. With the pier repaired, Mede Elpiscio will no longer need to use the jetty in Whitesail, leaving it open for Era Destaelio’s use. After that…” She spread her hands, revealing the result of an invisible card trick. “Her Charity said she saw no reason to keep Eret Quientis’s shipment of saltpeter impounded any longer. And he was so impressed with my methods that he granted Traementis the charter outright.” Vargo took a long pull from his glass to wash down his astonishment. “I knew from the moment I saw you bare-armed at the Gloria: You are a singular woman, Renata Viraudax.”