The crater’s inspection went smoothly, not that Gauge had expected it to go any other way. The mines were in tiptop shape, ensuring the safety of workers and his peace of mind. No complaints meant no protests which could risk becoming riots. And Gauge couldn’t have discontent on his planet, now could he?

Which was why he’d invited Mrs. Tenz to dinner.

Gauge was in the conservatory when Jan let her in. Gauge stood and extended his gloved hand, which she took with a pink flush to her cheeks. This amused Gauge, and he brought her knuckles a breath away from his lips.

Mrs. Tenz looked away, more flustered than enticed.

Gauge let her go, not willing to risk making her uncomfortable. “Thank you for joining me, tonight. I hope Mr. Tenz doesn’t mind.” He gestured at the seat across from the bistro set.

She sat down, saying, “I was widowed during a duel after the fifth Founding Day. I have seen little point in remarrying.”

“My condolences.” Gauge waited until she was settled to take his seat and gestured for Jan to begin the dinner service.

Mrs. Tenz smiled kindly as she said, “It’s not for you to worry about, dear Count. You’re busy overseeing the mines. They were much cleaner than I imagined.”

Gauge found her smile infectious and returned in kind. “You know? You’re not the first person to say that, but I take the health and safety of every one of my employees seriously. There’s no miner’s lung in my crater. How were the conditions at the factory for you?” He eased into the point.

Jan served the soup course, and Gauge ignored it. No vials and droppers in the presence of company.

Mrs. Tenz took to it gently, trying to imitate an etiquette she’d never had the privilege to actually witness. It wasn’t a poor imitation. She just forgot to slip her napkin into her lap, but she did sip from the side of her spoon. After dabbing her lips, she said, “It’s delicious.”

Ever the gracious host, Gauge bowed his head, but spurred, “I assume the loom weaving in the factory was quite sterile.”

“Are you and Axis working together on this investigation?” Mrs. Tenz surprised him with her question.

So Axis was oblivious to his father’s mismanagement. The poor genuine fool. Gauge nodded. “Yes. We’re interested in how Master Flicker mishandled the situation. Only I believe I’m a few steps ahead of the young Prince. He’s still misinformed, while I’m aware of how your Factory Master ignored your complaints. I’m only interested in why, and I was hoping you might know.”

Sure. One might assume a woman working on the factory floor wouldn’t know a damned thing about the happenings within the top tier of the hierarchy, but being small meant being invisible. Being invisible meant hearing and seeing things others might otherwise keep secret. Gauge would know. He’d been small most of his life.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Mrs. Tenz finished her soup in silence, while emotions warred within her eyes. Loyalty. Safety, even. She had to look after herself and her son. If she was privy to behind-the-scenes knowledge, it might endanger her.

Gauge said, “I understand you traded a year of your time off benefits for a year of enrollment into Dr. Tempest’s university for your son. I could guarantee the young man’s continued enrollment with no need for you to barter anything at all.”

The woman dropped her salad fork and gaped openly at Gauge. The shock conveyed even as Jan took her plate and exchanged it for their roasted entrée. Eventually, she blinked down at her plate as if she’d only just realized the change. With her eyes averted, Mrs. Tenz said, “Sir, I don’t think I could accept such a generous offer.”

“It’s not charity, my good woman. You have information I want, and I’m willing to support your son’s education for it.”

That got Mrs. Tenz thinking. There was so much intelligence behind the cognac glass of her eyes. She could be shrewd; Gauge saw it in the clench of her jaw as she considered. She said, “I want protection.”

Again, he bowed with his head. “Consider it granted. From hereon, you will have a shadow that will prevent any harm coming to your person—” He held up his hands to stave her and continued, “And your son’s.”

A tension left Mrs. Tenz body in a physical sigh of relief. “Thank you. The foremen talk, and sometimes the Factory Master would join them. Most of it was typical barbarism: sex, gambling—any vice, you can name it. But sometimes it bordered on…”

“Yes, Mrs. Tenz?” Gauge kept his voice neutral when he really wanted to accelerate the conversation.

She closed her eyes before saying a word that made her shudder. “Hedonism.”

The conversation had taken an unexpected turn. “How so?”

With her eyes still closed, the woman paled until she turned green. A tear forced its way from her lashes and streaked down her cheek.

Gauge steepled his gloved fingers to his lips and waited. Pushing her now might break her.

“Child abuse.” Mrs. Tenz’s voice broke on a half-sob. Then the floodgates opened, and she let everything out on a rush as if purging herself of a toxin. “Violence. Perversion. They boasted of the terrible things they subjected onto their own children, too, and it seemed boundless in its sin. Master Flicker wasn’t above it, and now I know things about our Prince that I wished I didn’t see whenever I look at him.”

Gauge stilled. Everything in him went quiet, except for a ringing in his ears.

Valve had abused Axis?

Mrs. Tenz wasn’t finished. “And then I heard him say, ‘The factories will go to the people before I ever let my parasite of a son have it.’ Can you believe it?”

Yes.

Gauge could.

He personally saw Mrs. Tenz out after he insisted she enjoy the rest of her dinner. She was kind enough to ask Jan for the recipes, and Gauge made a note to invite more of his employees over for intimate dinners.

“Sir, the ballroom is prepared for tomorrow afternoon’s events. Would you like to inspect it before you turn in for the night?”

Gauge went through the motions of approving the table settings and the decor. “Everything is perfect,” he said, but his mind was elsewhere.

It wasn’t until he was alone in his room that he replayed the conversation with Mrs. Tenz. Gauge left his spectacles on his dresser and his gloves on his desk. The massive bed with its Flicker silk sheets welcomed Gauge and his melancholy for a long sleepless night.

Valve.

Abused.

Axis.

This was new information. Now only one question remained.

What was Gauge prepared to do with it?