At Home to Company

Hereswith needs more information. There are many challenges facing her beloved Albion during the summer of 1863. The cotton mills in the north are shuttered leaving many out of work. Political debates rage in London about which side to support in America and what it means for Britain. Hereswith needs to figure out how to navigate her actual duties to the magical community as one of Albion's Council. And she wants to bring some help to all the people who need it. Whether or not they have magic.

With her lover and companion Bess at her side, Hereswith accepts invitations to a string of house parties. There, she'll have a chance to make new connections, gather information from key sources, and build arguments for what the Council should do. Navigating the different aspects of her life and public face will be tricky, but she was a diplomat and diplomatic hostess for a decade.

Galahad has returned from years on the Continent and now he's looking to find his most useful place in society. He has a number of causes in mind. As he attends gatherings, he notices an odd series of details. Helping Hereswith - in whatever form she is willing to accept - is the right thing to do. Certainly the proper choice for someone named for the perfect knight.

At Home To Company is a book about navigating the restrictions of Victorian assumptions, using all of your skills to make the world a better place, and being able to consider new choices. It adds a romance between Hereswith and Galahad to Hereswith's existing partnership with Bess (forming a FFM). The second book in the Council Mysteries, it can be read in any order, but follows after Hereswith and Bess's romance in Claiming the Tower.