an honor to meet you.” And he gave the man a bone-melting smile.
What the hell was he playing at?
I stepped forward. “Please call me Dunleavy,” I said, offering my forearm. “I am a great admirer of your work.”
“I have to admit I always love hearing that,” he said.
“You made an investigation into the evolution of the tax laws seem interesting. That must have been quite a challenge.”
He laughed, and it was a delightful sound.
“It looks like you have been grossly neglected,” Taro commented, cutting into Reid’s laughter. He was looking at a tray with an empty plate and an empty cup. “Shall I ring for more?”
“Truly, I’ve been very comfortable. I’m happy to be here under any circumstances. Just to be given a chance to look at Flown Raven is an unanticipated opportunity.”
We were all still standing, which looked silly, so I sat down, and the men followed suit. “Why is Flown Raven so interesting?”
“It is believed to be one of the areas most settled by the First Landed. Who knows what kinds of discoveries might be waiting here? Historians have been trying to explore this area for decades, but the previous titleholders wouldn’t allow it. To be the one given this chance is an enormous honor.”
“Are you going to write a book about Flown Raven?” I asked. That would be exciting.
“It depends on what I find.” He looked at Taro. “Source Karish, it would be invaluable to get your input.”
Taro gave him a languid smile. “How so?”
“You lived here as a child, did you not?”
“Ah, my dear man, that was so very long ago, but it will be my pleasure to do all that I can for you.”
I really didn’t like the way Taro was talking to Reid.
Fiona and Dane came in then, and it was a good thing, too, because I was getting confused. Introductions were made, and Dane served liquor from one of the side bars.
“I would like to thank you again,” said Reid once we were settled again. “To have found that book, that is exceptionally good luck. I am honored to be invited.”
“You should be honored,” Daris said as she stepped off the last step at the back of the room. “I live here and I’m never invited to anything. I might as well be Shintaro when he was a child, locked in a room and forgotten.”
I was stunned that she would say that in front of a stranger and an outsider. What a bitch.
Reid was obviously confused. He frowned and glanced at Taro, quickly glancing away.
“I’m starting to understand why you drink so much, cousin,” Taro drawled. “Even you find you unpleasant.”
She sent him a hand gesture that none of us needed translating. “So why are you really here?” she asked Reid.
“I don’t understand,” the professor said.
“You’re living off my sister just to read a book? I don’t think so.”
“Some find the study of history very valuable.”
Daris snorted into her glass of whiskey. I wondered if that hurt. Whiskey was a nasty drink that burned like hell. “Fiona doesn’t.”
“Please feel free to ignore my sister, Academic Reid. Everyone else does.”
“You’re such a fraud,” said Daris. “You love history so much? You admire this historian so much? Name something he’s written.”
I didn’t blame Fiona for not being able to come up with a title right then. I had read many of Reid’s treatises and couldn’t remember the exact title of any of them, and I wasn’t the one being put on the spot.
“I never claimed to be a historian myself,” said Fiona. “We have found ancient things on this land and it would be idiotic not to have those things examined by experts. Now, are you here for any reason other than to cause a scene?”
“No,” said Daris, and she crossed the room to sit too closely beside Reid. “You’re not good-looking,” she announced. “But you are a fresh face, and you are unescorted. Has Shintaro offered you his bed yet?”
Reid blushed. I found that odd in a man his age.
“That’s enough,
What the hell was he playing at?
I stepped forward. “Please call me Dunleavy,” I said, offering my forearm. “I am a great admirer of your work.”
“I have to admit I always love hearing that,” he said.
“You made an investigation into the evolution of the tax laws seem interesting. That must have been quite a challenge.”
He laughed, and it was a delightful sound.
“It looks like you have been grossly neglected,” Taro commented, cutting into Reid’s laughter. He was looking at a tray with an empty plate and an empty cup. “Shall I ring for more?”
“Truly, I’ve been very comfortable. I’m happy to be here under any circumstances. Just to be given a chance to look at Flown Raven is an unanticipated opportunity.”
We were all still standing, which looked silly, so I sat down, and the men followed suit. “Why is Flown Raven so interesting?”
“It is believed to be one of the areas most settled by the First Landed. Who knows what kinds of discoveries might be waiting here? Historians have been trying to explore this area for decades, but the previous titleholders wouldn’t allow it. To be the one given this chance is an enormous honor.”
“Are you going to write a book about Flown Raven?” I asked. That would be exciting.
“It depends on what I find.” He looked at Taro. “Source Karish, it would be invaluable to get your input.”
Taro gave him a languid smile. “How so?”
“You lived here as a child, did you not?”
“Ah, my dear man, that was so very long ago, but it will be my pleasure to do all that I can for you.”
I really didn’t like the way Taro was talking to Reid.
Fiona and Dane came in then, and it was a good thing, too, because I was getting confused. Introductions were made, and Dane served liquor from one of the side bars.
“I would like to thank you again,” said Reid once we were settled again. “To have found that book, that is exceptionally good luck. I am honored to be invited.”
“You should be honored,” Daris said as she stepped off the last step at the back of the room. “I live here and I’m never invited to anything. I might as well be Shintaro when he was a child, locked in a room and forgotten.”
I was stunned that she would say that in front of a stranger and an outsider. What a bitch.
Reid was obviously confused. He frowned and glanced at Taro, quickly glancing away.
“I’m starting to understand why you drink so much, cousin,” Taro drawled. “Even you find you unpleasant.”
She sent him a hand gesture that none of us needed translating. “So why are you really here?” she asked Reid.
“I don’t understand,” the professor said.
“You’re living off my sister just to read a book? I don’t think so.”
“Some find the study of history very valuable.”
Daris snorted into her glass of whiskey. I wondered if that hurt. Whiskey was a nasty drink that burned like hell. “Fiona doesn’t.”
“Please feel free to ignore my sister, Academic Reid. Everyone else does.”
“You’re such a fraud,” said Daris. “You love history so much? You admire this historian so much? Name something he’s written.”
I didn’t blame Fiona for not being able to come up with a title right then. I had read many of Reid’s treatises and couldn’t remember the exact title of any of them, and I wasn’t the one being put on the spot.
“I never claimed to be a historian myself,” said Fiona. “We have found ancient things on this land and it would be idiotic not to have those things examined by experts. Now, are you here for any reason other than to cause a scene?”
“No,” said Daris, and she crossed the room to sit too closely beside Reid. “You’re not good-looking,” she announced. “But you are a fresh face, and you are unescorted. Has Shintaro offered you his bed yet?”
Reid blushed. I found that odd in a man his age.
“That’s enough,
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