Saturday, January 30, 2010 - "Though why," came a mild, still-amused female... |
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"Though why," came a mild, still-amused female voice from the cart, "all of you should be so intimidated by poor Ingonida I honestly don't knowRovigo, are we bereft entirely of our manners tonight? Will we keep these people standing in the cold and dark?"
"Absolutely not, my beloved," her husband exclaimed hastily"Alix, it was only the conjured vision of Ingonida in wrath that addled my brain Devin found that he couldn't stop grinning; even Catriana, he noticed, had relaxed her habitual expression of superior indifference
"Were you going back to town?" Rovigo asked
The first tricky moment, and Alessan left it to him"We were," Devin said"We'd taken a long walk to clear our heads and escape the noise, but were just about ready to brave the city again
"I imagine the three of you would have been besieged by admirers all night," Rovigo said
"We do seem to have achieved a certain notoriety," Alessan admitted
"Well," said Rovigo earnestly, "all jesting aside, I could well gucci bag replica understand if you wanted to rejoin the celebrations, they were nowhere near their peak when we leftIt will go on all night, of course, but I confess I don't like leaving the younger ones alone too late, and my unfortunate oldest, Alais, suffers from twitches and fainting spells when over-excited
"How sad," said Alessan with a straight face
"Father!" came a softly urgent protest from the cart
"Rovigo, stop that at once or I shall empty a basin on you in your sleep," her mother declared, though not, Devin judged, with any genuine anger
"You see the way of things?" the merchant said, gesturing expressively with his free hand"I am hounded without respite even into my dreamsBut, if you are not entirely put off by the grievous stridency of my women and the prospect of three more inside very nearly as unpleasant, you are all most welcome, most humbly welcome to share a late repast and a quieter drink than you are likely to find in Astibar tonight
"And three beds if you care to honor chanel cambon ligne bag us," Alix added"We heard you play and sing this morning at the Duke's ritesTruly, it would be an honor if you joined us
"You were in the palace?" Devin asked, surprised
"Hardly," Rovigo murmured in a self-deprecating tone"We were in the street outside among the crowd"Sandre d'Astibar was a man I greatly honored and admiredThe Sandreni lands are just east of my own small holding, you have been walking by their woods even nowHe was an easy-enough neighbor to the very endI wanted to hear his mourning sung and when I learned that my newest young friend's company had been selected to perform the rites, well Will you come in with us?"
This time Devin left it to Alessan
Who said, still highly amused, his teeth flashing white in the darkness, "We could not dream of refusing an offer so graciousIt will allow us to toast the safe journey of Taccio's new bed and the restful slumbers of his Dragon!"
"Oh, poor Ingonida," said Alix from the cart, trying unsuccessfully not to laugh, gucci new bag "you are all so unfair!"
Inside, there was light and warmth and continuing laughterThere were also three undeniably attractive young women whose names flew past Devin, amid screams and blushes, much too fast to be caughtThe oldest of these three though, about seventeen, he guessed, had a musical lilt to her voice and an exceptionally flirtatious glance
In the light of the hallway of her home the merchant's oldest daughter turned out to be small and grave and slenderShe had long, very straight black hair and eyes of the mildest shade of blue Devin could remember seeingBeside her, Catriana's own blue gaze looked more challenging than ever and her tumbling red hair resembled nothing so much as the mane of a lioness
They were ushered by insistent female hands and voices into immensely comfortable chairs in a sitting-room furnished in shades of green and goldA huge country fire blazed on the hearth, repudiating the autumn chillA large carpet in a design that was unmistakably omega constellation Quileian, even to Devin's untutored eye, covered the floorThe seventeen-year-old, Selvena, it emerged, sank gracefully down upon it at Devin's feetShe looked up at him and smiledHe received, and chose to ignore, a quick, sardonic glance from Catriana as she took a seat -nearer to the fireAlais was elsewhere for the moment, helping her mother
Just then Rovigo reappeared, flushed and triumphant from some back room, carrying three bottles
"I hope," he said, beaming down upon them, "that you all have a taste for Astibar's blue wine?"
And for Devin that simple question cast an entirely benevolent aura of fate over his impulsive action in the darkness outsideHe glanced over at Alessan, and was rewarded with an odd smile that seemed to him to acknowledge many things
Rovigo quickly began uncorking and pouring the wine"If any of my wretched females are bothering you," he said over his shoulder, "feel free to swat them away like cats A curl of blue smoke could be seen rising from each hermes kelly bag g |
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