Basil left Adolph’s office, empty-handed and shocked. He knows Delia won’t be happy, but what was he supposed to do? He supposed he could just give a portion of his budget to her, but that wouldn’t solve the problem. He knocked on her door. A few moments passed before she called out. “Come in.” He opened the door and walked in to see her sitting on her couch. Delia sat up and bade him sit with her. She held herself rigidly as she drank her tea. She clinked the cup against the plate in a way that made him almost flinch. Didn’t she know basic etiquette? He frowned, thinking about it. Had Laura taken etiquette? He didn’t think Laurel had or would, but Laura had always given him a sense that she knew enough. It had irritated him a bit that she seemed to blend in with nobility so easily.

