09-06-YC127

    If there is one thing anyone can say about Edward Adams, it is that he has a consistent and unfailing ability to allow his sarcastic sense of humour to get the better of him and squander any good graces into which he has managed to charm himself.   Maria was quite right to throw the drink at him.  What in the name of the Saints possessed him to tease her about him joining LUMEN?  Moreover, why he thought he could outright say to Maria that I was his consort and get away with it, I shall never fathom.  Had the Lamp not been so busy I would have done far more than soak him.  I almost did.

I am still angry at him now.  I know it is just his childish sense of humour, that of a teenage boy barely old enough to control his thoughts, let alone his mouth, but it rather spoilt the evening.  It is not seemly that he joke about such matters.  It is bad enough that he still insists on addressing me as Katya in public.  Even Ishta wrapped her head around that one! Thank Goodness Aspirants Al-Qadir and Aurilen did not hear any of it.  One knows how the lower ranks like to gossip.

I was not feeling particularly happy as it was.  I feel I rather upset dear, sweet Nicolette by talking of Celeste and Lady Renaud in front of her.  True, I had no idea that they were no longer on speaking terms - for whatever reason, Nicolette never did say - but had I known, I would have no brought up the matter.  I did wish to gauge Edward's opinion on my idea about getting someone into the Renaud household, though.  Since discovering that the MIO document on Celeste considers all the information of her activities to be reliable, we should really make efforts to uncover what it is she has been involved in.  Unfortunately, I am not very sure how we may do that, but the tried and true method of getting an insider into the household of interest has never failed our family yet in all the centuries we have been doing it.   Not just our family, of course.  Why, it is practically an aristocratic tradition!

It should be easy enough to do.  The gift of a domestic on the occasion of a wedding is hardly unprecedented, and although I do not believe Lady Renaud would accept a slave - although I do not entirely recall if she follows this bizarre emancipation trend - she would surely not refuse the offer of a servant.  There has been an influx of people of all walks since Arline's evacuation of the last survivors from Raravoss, many of whom are looking for gainful employment.  Who would be surprised at their being a handmaid of notable skill amongst their numbers, one more than suited for a place with a household of such standing as Renaud?

I know just the girl to pick as well.  Someone I can trust entirely and whom I know has exactly the skillset to make the charade believable.  Of course, before I make any plans, I need to find out if it is even viable.  

Edward may still be useful for something.