than the first, about twenty-five, and had dark hair with matching eyes. He smiled at Pat, who blushed and looked down at the floor. "Percival Clavier, with his father Lord Henry Clavier, fifth lord of Sturgeon. I'm sure you know Lord Sturgeon is one of our city's finest merchants." The final man was a tall, thin lord about sixty years old and with piercing black eyes.
Percival leaned forward and gallantly took Pat's hand. He gently kissed it and gave her a wink. "Please call me Percy."
The other men nodded at the new guests, who returned the gesture. "A pleasure to meet you all, I'm sure," Lord Sturgeon greeted them. "I'm familiar with Ned. Who in Ralcott wouldn't know the great castor? But these young ones are a mystery to me. Are you all old friends to our Lord Tramadore?"
"Very old," Ned spoke up. He grasped Fred around the shoulders and hugged the boy against himself. "This young man here has known Lord Tramadore for a good twenty-five years."
A laugh went up from the group, and from others at the table who overheard the joke. "Well, you look quite well for that age," Lord Sturgeon complimented Fred.
"Thank you, sir," the boy mumbled.
Lord Tramadore rubbed his hands together and nodded at the table. "Let's say we dig in, shall we? I've been so busy entertaining my people that I've forgotten to entertain my guests."
Lord Brighton chuckled and nodded toward the front of the room. Behind the head of the table where sat Lord Tramadore there was a short, empty pedestal. "We've been waiting for the last day, my lord. When are you going to let us get a chance at the chair?"
The other conversations died down and a murmur of interest went up from the crowd. "Yes, do let us have a chance at the chair," one of the women, a younger member of the group, pleaded with their lord. Most joined in and the conversations lit up about the chair. Fred had no idea what they were talking about, but Ned and Pat were as interested as the others in the room.
Lord Tramadore held up his hands and silenced them. "I had planned for the chair to be brought out this evening, but if you insist."
"We insist, we insist," Lord Brighton repeated with a jolly laugh.
"Very well then." Lord Tramadore clapped his hands and two servants at the doors behind them left the room. He turned to his three new guests. "Sit where you will and make new friends," he invited them.
Fred was glad when Ned put a hand on his back and led the boy to a pair of empty chairs. Pat, strangely shy, captured a seat nearly opposite them. Fred glanced over all the delicious food and had a fine pile on his plate before the servants returned with four knights in accompaniment. All the attention was on what the knights carried; a large, old chair crafted from wooden beams. It had a low back and thick, short arms with short legs. The knights hefted the piece of furniture around the table and up onto the pedestal.
Lord Tramadore moved his chair so everyone had a good view of the large seat, and he turned to his guests. "All right, who would like to sit in it first?"
The young woman who made the earlier plea jumped from her seat. "Please, if you all would allow me, please let me be the first."
The other guests gave their consent and the young woman gleefully caught up her dress and hurried to the head of the table. Ned leaned in to Fred with a smile on his face. "Watch carefully. This is bound to be very entertaining."
Fred didn't have any idea what the old man meant, but he watched with interest as the girl reached the chair. Lord Tramadore stood close at hand as the young woman stepped up to the chair and turned in front of it to face the audience. She had a nervous smile on her face, and her hands shook when they latched onto the wide, thick arms of the chair. The girl slowly lowered herself onto the seat. Fred couldn't visually tell when she touched the seat because of her bundle of dress, but she soon let out a great yelp and jumped up. The other guests broke out in laughter
Percival leaned forward and gallantly took Pat's hand. He gently kissed it and gave her a wink. "Please call me Percy."
The other men nodded at the new guests, who returned the gesture. "A pleasure to meet you all, I'm sure," Lord Sturgeon greeted them. "I'm familiar with Ned. Who in Ralcott wouldn't know the great castor? But these young ones are a mystery to me. Are you all old friends to our Lord Tramadore?"
"Very old," Ned spoke up. He grasped Fred around the shoulders and hugged the boy against himself. "This young man here has known Lord Tramadore for a good twenty-five years."
A laugh went up from the group, and from others at the table who overheard the joke. "Well, you look quite well for that age," Lord Sturgeon complimented Fred.
"Thank you, sir," the boy mumbled.
Lord Tramadore rubbed his hands together and nodded at the table. "Let's say we dig in, shall we? I've been so busy entertaining my people that I've forgotten to entertain my guests."
Lord Brighton chuckled and nodded toward the front of the room. Behind the head of the table where sat Lord Tramadore there was a short, empty pedestal. "We've been waiting for the last day, my lord. When are you going to let us get a chance at the chair?"
The other conversations died down and a murmur of interest went up from the crowd. "Yes, do let us have a chance at the chair," one of the women, a younger member of the group, pleaded with their lord. Most joined in and the conversations lit up about the chair. Fred had no idea what they were talking about, but Ned and Pat were as interested as the others in the room.
Lord Tramadore held up his hands and silenced them. "I had planned for the chair to be brought out this evening, but if you insist."
"We insist, we insist," Lord Brighton repeated with a jolly laugh.
"Very well then." Lord Tramadore clapped his hands and two servants at the doors behind them left the room. He turned to his three new guests. "Sit where you will and make new friends," he invited them.
Fred was glad when Ned put a hand on his back and led the boy to a pair of empty chairs. Pat, strangely shy, captured a seat nearly opposite them. Fred glanced over all the delicious food and had a fine pile on his plate before the servants returned with four knights in accompaniment. All the attention was on what the knights carried; a large, old chair crafted from wooden beams. It had a low back and thick, short arms with short legs. The knights hefted the piece of furniture around the table and up onto the pedestal.
Lord Tramadore moved his chair so everyone had a good view of the large seat, and he turned to his guests. "All right, who would like to sit in it first?"
The young woman who made the earlier plea jumped from her seat. "Please, if you all would allow me, please let me be the first."
The other guests gave their consent and the young woman gleefully caught up her dress and hurried to the head of the table. Ned leaned in to Fred with a smile on his face. "Watch carefully. This is bound to be very entertaining."
Fred didn't have any idea what the old man meant, but he watched with interest as the girl reached the chair. Lord Tramadore stood close at hand as the young woman stepped up to the chair and turned in front of it to face the audience. She had a nervous smile on her face, and her hands shook when they latched onto the wide, thick arms of the chair. The girl slowly lowered herself onto the seat. Fred couldn't visually tell when she touched the seat because of her bundle of dress, but she soon let out a great yelp and jumped up. The other guests broke out in laughter
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