Lily hurried up the steps to her small room. The drunken revelry of the gambling hell one floor below was now a distant roar. She slid her key into the lock, blinking rain out of her eyes as she continued to shiver. Her gown was soaked clear through and possibly ruined.

This tiny room was her only true place of refuge, with its small wooden bed frame tucked away in one corner and a dusty brick fireplace in the opposite. It would be damp tonight, and she'd have to use all of ...