imperiously in the air, affecting an arrogant pride that
would have made Emerita applaud. “But he must possess enough wealth and a
title to make him worth my time. I am, after all, beautiful and talented and
bright and accomplished in all things domestic.” She dropped her hauteur with
a faint sigh. “But I am also poor as a church mouse and determined to make the
best of a bad situation.”
Eneria sensed
the same fatalism in the slender woman that she’d felt in the petite Vaz. She
took Clarissa’s hand.
“Lady Clarissa,
whomever you choose, ensure that you do not find yourself crying at the altar.
It is painful for your friends and family to watch.” With that, Eneria stood
up. “If you will excuse me, I am going to retrieve my things from your
uncle.” She paused. “I also have the last court dress I wore, my bridesmaid
dress, in the ship. I’d like to go get that as well as some other things from
there that probably shouldn’t be exposed to the open air. Would you like to
take a look at it?”
“Oh yes!”
Clarissa clapped her hands in delight. “I would love to take a look at it.”
“I will bring it
then, as soon as I am able.” She slipped out of the room, feeling a happiness
she hadn’t felt in years. Her relationship with Vaz had been strained first by
the marriage, then by the coup, then by the constant pressure from her mother
to move to Montares. Seth was friendly to her as a work colleague, but he
always kept a guarded distance from her for reasons she never quite understood.
It felt good to have a friend around her age again.
Outside Clarissa’s
door, she encountered Marilyn, who was in the hallway unsupervised, sulking.
She was sitting on the floor, her cat curled up on her lap, kneading her leg
and making a friendly rumbling sound.
“Clarissa doesn’t
have time to play with me anymore,” Marilyn said. “Whenever I ask her to play,
she keeps saying she has grown up stuff to do.” She scratched the cat on top
of his head, causing him to lift his chin in pleasure.
“Well, she does,”
Eneria said, looking at the creature in fascination. “She is preparing for her
debut. It seems to be a very busy time in a young woman’s life here... someday
soon, you too shall have one.”
“Did you have a
debut?” Marilyn asked warily.
“No.” Eneria
crouched down to where she was eye level with the child. “I did not have to be
presented to society. I lived in the court all my life. I also did not have
to worry about meeting a husband; potential suitors would flock to me when I
announced I was looking.”
“Where is the
fairy?” The child changed the subject so abruptly that Eneria had to rearrange
her thoughts for a moment.
“She is asleep.
She has had a very hard time these last few days.”
“Where?”
“In the room
where I am staying.” She straightened up and smoothed her skirts. “But do not
wake her, for she will be cranky.”
“Can she talk?”
“Of course.
When she is awake.” She patted the child on the head. “Now if you will excuse
me, I have some business with your uncle.”
Eneria fled down
the stairs. She had never been very good with children. Her brother had been
the one who adored children, who wanted to play with them and had always wanted
an enormous family with his perfect womanly dream bride.
She did not see
the girl trot away toward the bedroom, the cat at her heels, heedless of the
warnings not to wake up the sleeping fairy.
She found the
master of the house in his study and knocked politely on the door, as she had
learned was the custom here.
“You may enter,”
a deep, masculine voice said.
Eneria felt her
knees turn into pudding. Why, oh why, did he have to be handsome? If he was a
middle aged toad she could stare him down more easily. If he was an old, jolly
man they could have a great time together. But instead, his physical
attractiveness reverberated all the
would have made Emerita applaud. “But he must possess enough wealth and a
title to make him worth my time. I am, after all, beautiful and talented and
bright and accomplished in all things domestic.” She dropped her hauteur with
a faint sigh. “But I am also poor as a church mouse and determined to make the
best of a bad situation.”
Eneria sensed
the same fatalism in the slender woman that she’d felt in the petite Vaz. She
took Clarissa’s hand.
“Lady Clarissa,
whomever you choose, ensure that you do not find yourself crying at the altar.
It is painful for your friends and family to watch.” With that, Eneria stood
up. “If you will excuse me, I am going to retrieve my things from your
uncle.” She paused. “I also have the last court dress I wore, my bridesmaid
dress, in the ship. I’d like to go get that as well as some other things from
there that probably shouldn’t be exposed to the open air. Would you like to
take a look at it?”
“Oh yes!”
Clarissa clapped her hands in delight. “I would love to take a look at it.”
“I will bring it
then, as soon as I am able.” She slipped out of the room, feeling a happiness
she hadn’t felt in years. Her relationship with Vaz had been strained first by
the marriage, then by the coup, then by the constant pressure from her mother
to move to Montares. Seth was friendly to her as a work colleague, but he
always kept a guarded distance from her for reasons she never quite understood.
It felt good to have a friend around her age again.
Outside Clarissa’s
door, she encountered Marilyn, who was in the hallway unsupervised, sulking.
She was sitting on the floor, her cat curled up on her lap, kneading her leg
and making a friendly rumbling sound.
“Clarissa doesn’t
have time to play with me anymore,” Marilyn said. “Whenever I ask her to play,
she keeps saying she has grown up stuff to do.” She scratched the cat on top
of his head, causing him to lift his chin in pleasure.
“Well, she does,”
Eneria said, looking at the creature in fascination. “She is preparing for her
debut. It seems to be a very busy time in a young woman’s life here... someday
soon, you too shall have one.”
“Did you have a
debut?” Marilyn asked warily.
“No.” Eneria
crouched down to where she was eye level with the child. “I did not have to be
presented to society. I lived in the court all my life. I also did not have
to worry about meeting a husband; potential suitors would flock to me when I
announced I was looking.”
“Where is the
fairy?” The child changed the subject so abruptly that Eneria had to rearrange
her thoughts for a moment.
“She is asleep.
She has had a very hard time these last few days.”
“Where?”
“In the room
where I am staying.” She straightened up and smoothed her skirts. “But do not
wake her, for she will be cranky.”
“Can she talk?”
“Of course.
When she is awake.” She patted the child on the head. “Now if you will excuse
me, I have some business with your uncle.”
Eneria fled down
the stairs. She had never been very good with children. Her brother had been
the one who adored children, who wanted to play with them and had always wanted
an enormous family with his perfect womanly dream bride.
She did not see
the girl trot away toward the bedroom, the cat at her heels, heedless of the
warnings not to wake up the sleeping fairy.
She found the
master of the house in his study and knocked politely on the door, as she had
learned was the custom here.
“You may enter,”
a deep, masculine voice said.
Eneria felt her
knees turn into pudding. Why, oh why, did he have to be handsome? If he was a
middle aged toad she could stare him down more easily. If he was an old, jolly
man they could have a great time together. But instead, his physical
attractiveness reverberated all the
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