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floor.“Jacques thinks he can tell me when and where I can serve, and my father just moved halfway around the world to try and salvage my love life.”
    “I believe your father moved here to try and salvage his relationship with you, m’lady. And Jacques is correct about the rules of the Royal Fleet. You cannot serve on the bridge unless he calls in many favors, and that would not be favorable for anyone.”
    “But I could still serve on the ship. Why does he think I spent this whole year at school if not to serve on an aership? He thinks he can keep me here safe and sound while he goes off and has all the fun, but he is dead wrong.” Marguerite sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. “Come, we’re going to the school. I can’t wait for the post to determine my future either. All I must do is get my test scores and my own post. Neither my father nor Jacques need to know.”
    “Yes, ma’am.”
    Outil set to work taming Marguerite’s hair while Marguerite continued to grumble about men in general. Eventually, she was presentable, and the pair set off down the street, a breezy Montreal spring welcoming them. At the school, Marguerite proceeded straight to the dean’s office. She knocked firmly on the door three times. “Yes?” A voice from the other side answered.
    Marguerite walked in and pronounced loudly, “Dean Beaumont, I am Lady Marguerite Vadnay here to speak with you about my future at this school and as an aership pilot.”
    The stout man with the neatly trimmed beard and immaculate dress stood slowly but didn’t look up from his papers immediately. Marguerite had always admired him from afar for his high standards of dress and decorum; however, she’d never had to speak one-on-one with him before. She was starting to feel uneasy with his silence, when he finally put the paperwork down and looked at her properly. Then he motioned for her to take a seat across from him. Outil took her place standing behind Marguerite’s chair.
    “Yes, of course. What seems to be the matter then, Lady Vadnay?” He asked, looking at her fully now, taking in her strange flight suit and perfectly styled hair.
    “The problem is that I am ready to go out and do something with all the information I have learned in this good institution, but there seem to be a few things standing in my way.”
    “Such as?”
    Marguerite hesitated a bit, “Such as my test scores. I need to know if I passed my exams or not.”
    “Right, well, you will receive a notice by mail when those scores are made available.”
    “Of course. But, you see, I can’t wait that long. There is a ship leaving in one week that I would like to volunteer to serve on.”
    “Ah, the pirate operation. Yes, I’ve had a number of young ladies offer to volunteer for those posts. However, I do not think it is their excitement or skill in battle that is fueling their readiness to serve king and country, but rather an interest in the captain of the ship. Plus, I cannot refer young ladies to a combat mission of this type. The admiral would laugh them away. It is a man’s job.”
    Marguerite gritted her teeth and took a deep breath. This man was of a higher standing than most military men his age. He was educated and would not be intimidated by her anger or, she guessed, her title. She decided to change tactics.
    “Of course, M. Beaumont. Do you suppose you might be able to, at least, pull my file and recommend a course of study or employment to best suit my skills then? I’m very earnest about securing my own future before settling into a marriage.”
    He regarded her for a moment and sighed. “I suppose I could take a look—but only as a favor to your father. I heard he is in town to check up on you. I was hoping to make his acquaintance.”
    Marguerite had to force herself not to explode. Favor to her father? The whole situation was infuriating. As the dean rose to retrieve her records, she took another deep breath and spoke as evenly as