[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
by streets seething with people. Was it the cannons? What did you see?
Nothing, Summer said, pulling on her coat.
Where are you going? What did you see?
Nothing, Jerin, just nothing. I m going out. I ll be back shortly. You lock
the door after me and let no one in, understand? No one.
What do I do if someone tries to break in?
Ring for help. Summer opened the door.
What if one of the Barneses is the one trying to break in?
Summer stopped with a cry of anger and frustration. Barnes isn t going to
break in! They re the
Queens most trusted servants. Just lock the door and ring if there s
trouble!
Summer fled. Jerin threw the bolt with trembling hands and went back to stare
down at the city. What had happened? What had Summer seen? He scanned the
city, still unable to pick out what had set his sister racing out of the room.
Frowning, he tried a more methodical search, slowly examining the city block
by block, moving east to west. Time stopped as he pressed against the glass,
searching without knowing what he looked for.
There was a slight noise from his sisters bedroom. At first he ignored it;
then, with a spike of cold fear, he realized he was supposed to be alone. He
turned and saw a shadow, cast from his sisters window, on the floor of the
parlor the outline of someone climbing through the window. He snatched up the
fireplace poker, hefting it high, and edged sideways toward the bellpull.
The path to the bellpull, however, took him in front of the bedroom door. He
saw, for the first time, that it was a boy climbing through the window. Jerin
froze, confused.
The boy looked about sixteen, with dirty blond hair and square, plain
features. While cut from fine cloth, his light woolen kilt of green was
gathered high about his waist with a horse-blanket pin. One knee bled
slightly, while the other sported a scab from previous outings. He started at
seeing Jerin, his green eyes going wide in surprise. Oh! There you are! You
gave me a start! Quick, hide me!
Jerin considered. If a strange woman appeared in his quarters, he knew what to
do: flee, fight, or shout for help. But what about a strange man? The boy
seemed to lack any malice, and Jerin hadn t seen another man outside his
family since the harvest fair. Um, you can hide in in my room.
The boy needed no further directions. He beamed a happy Thanks! and darted
off to Jerin s bedroom. Jerin returned the poker to the fireplace and
followed, still confused but now unalarmed.
What are you running from? Jerin asked.
My sisters. Stupid rules. Complete and total boredom. The boy threw himself
onto Jerin s bed. Sit up straight. Smile. Don t sit with your legs open.
Page 87
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Don t slouch. Don t talk. Don t think. I m bored, and lonely, and now I m
whining. Sorry.
I don t mind, Jerin said. I didn t know there was another man in the
palace.
We got in last night. The Queens invited us to stay. I think to give you
someone to show you the ropes without getting your sisters hackles raised.
But, of course, every time I asked when we were going to meet, it s later,
and in good time and when there s time. All I have is time! I ve been
sitting sewing
wedding linens all morning, with tiny invisible stitches, and no one even
offered for me yet.
And vou are?
Cullen Moorland. A brilliant smile. I m the Queens nephew.
Jerin considered what he knew of the royal family. I didn t think the Queens
had a brother.
Cullen laughed. You don t know who I am? I m hurt! But I forgive you, since
you don t know better.
My mothers are were sisters to the Queens consort, the princesses father.
We re old blood, very tah, tah and all that, but we didn t have much clout
until the royal wedding brought us up in the world. Got anything to eat?
We could ring for tea, Jerin stated, and then marveled at how naturally it
came to him, as if he always had tea delivered at the ring of a bellpull.
Then they ll know I m here.
And you shouldn t be?
Oh, it s just that it s more fun them not knowing. It makes being here feel
like I m doing what I
shouldn t be doing. Cullen took a deep breath. The air even smells better
when I decide where to be.
You could stay in here when the tray comes.
Cullen flashed another brilliant smile. You re a great gun! Ring away.
Jerin went back to the parlor and pulled the bell cord. A tap on the door
announced a Barnes sister.
Jerin unbarred the door and asked for a tea tray, adding that he felt very
hungry, and that his sisters might return in time to join him, so could she
make it a generous tray with at least four sets of cups? The Barnes youngest
nodded, impassive as always. Was she totally unaware of Cullen, or was she
humoring Jerin like a child?
When Jerin returned to his bedroom, he found Cullen kneeling beside the
nightstand, jiggling the open drawer.
This is the best suite in the palace. Cullen lifted out the drawer and set
it on the bed. We usually have it when we stay here. It put my sisters noses
out of joint to find you were put up here instead. I don t know why we ve had
to give it up before. A case of speaking before thinking, to be sure.
Cullen reached into the empty drawer hole and fished out a bundle of papers.
My secret stash. Look at these.
Still kneeling beside the bed, he untied the bundle and spread seven tintypes
out onto the bedspread.
Jerin looked at the pictures, then looked quickly away, blushing. Where did
you get those?
Lylia gave them to me. Of course my sisters would have a fit if they knew she
was corrupting me.
Jerrin frowned. He thought at first Lylia was one of Cullen s sisters, but now
it didn t sound like it. Who else would have access to a noble male? A
servant? Who s Lylia?
Gosh, you are an innocent! My cousin, Her Royal Highness, Lylia. Cullen
rooted two cigars out of his bundle and handed one to Jerin. She doesn t see
Page 88
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
the point of keeping boys ignorant. Accident of birth does not make us less
human or less intelligent. We ve got a vow that whichever of us has sex first,
we ll tell the other everything. One time he dropped his voice to a
whisper we practiced kissing. He shrugged, propping one elbow on the bed and
resting his chin in the palm. But it was like kissing your sister. Well, your
own sister. I m sure kissing your sister wouldn t be the same.
Kissing Lylia s sister certainly hadn t been the same. Jerin picked up one of
the tintypes and found himself burning with embarrassment. He had done the
pictured act with Ren.
Cullen put a finger on the top of the picture and tipped it down so he could
see. I always wonder why you would want to put your mouth there.
Luckily, there was a knock on the door. Cullen dived down behind the bed.
Jerin dashed toward the door, slammed to a stop halfway, ran back, and swept
the pictures from the bed to snow down on
Cullen. He ran back and jerked the door open. The Barnes sister stood with the
tea cart.
It wasn t until Jerin barred the door after the Barnes had left that he
realized that he had the cigar still in hand. He collapsed into the chair
beside the cart, giggling. You can come out.
Cullen peeked over the edge of the bed. What are you laughing about?
Jerin waved the cigar. I forgot about this.
Cullen laughed and vanished behind the bed. One last thing. He popped up
holding a bottle. Wine!
Lylia?
Cullen nodded, breaking the seal. A truer cousin is not to be found. He
produced a cork puller and fumbled through the opening of the bottle. He made
a show of splashing wine into the dainty teacups. A
toast! To Lylia!
Lylia. Jerin picked up the cup and raised it high.
And to our friendship, may our sisters allow it to prosper!
The tea had come with sandwiches of roast turkey with spiced mustard, slices
of chilled cucumber in a dill vinaigrette, and raspberry tarts.
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]