Book One, Chapters 39-41 Summary

Ada has her sixteenth birthday in 1888. When Ada and Van walk off together, Lucette follows them and they walk back to the group with her. Ada has invited a lot of people to the party including a young man named Greg, whom Van senses is a possible rival. As they talk, Count Percy de Prey arrives and Marina invites him to stay, even though Ada tries to stop her. When he asks about Van's performing adventurers in London, Ada pulls him aside because Percy is drunk. Then Uncle Dan arrives with a birthday gift of mints. Percy and Van get into a scuffle and then rejoin the party. As Percy leaves, Van is not sure if Percy challenges him to a duel. Ada hears about the scuffle from Greg who tells her that Percy started it.

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