Summary

At the engagement party, Evangeline bumps into Merrick Redthorne, heir to House Redthorne, who begins flirting with her. Jacks drags her away from Merrick, telling Evangeline that all of Merrick's wives die early deaths, but it is clear that he is jealous of someone flirting with Evangeline. Jacks and Evangeline meet LaLa's fiancé, Robin Slaughterwood, and begin to believe that he possesses the mirth stone based on the way people seem dazzled by him. Evangeline becomes increasingly aware of how jealous she feels when Jacks talks to other women at the party, particularly the girls from House Darling. These heightened feelings lead Evangeline to assume that the youth stone must also be at the party, as well as the mirth stone, because possessiveness is considered one of its effects.

At the dinner, Evangeline is sat next to the beautiful girl she saw earlier...