—THE BOOK OF THE ETERNAL ROSE S-sorry,” Cass stuttered, but the woman had already faded into the dark. As she closed the door behind her, Cass realized she was in a small kitchen. The room was bare except for an oven and a long wooden table. Masks of various sizes littered the table. Apparently she had stumbled into a masquerade party. What luck! Cass could sneak up on Hortensa without any danger of being recognized. She chose a mask at random, turning the strip of velvet over in her hands. It was simple and unadorned, different from the style she was accustomed to in Venice. Readjusting her bonnet, Cass tied the mask securely over her eyes, feeling slightly braver now that her face was partially concealed. Past the kitchen was a dark corridor. The air smelled sweet, like rosewater and lilies mixed with some type of smoke. A pair of flickering candles sat on a side table, casting undulating shadows upon the wall. A stone staircase spiraled upward into the piano nobile.
