Page 42 of Enchanted Net
It made her smile, or at least her lips gestured in that direction for what felt like the first time in months. Even if it had only been days, even countable hours. “Ranked in the first tier, the sort of thing where it depends who is at their best on a given day. Or location.” She shrugged. “I’ve the advantage that we have no salle here. I’m used to duelling in a dozen different places. Other people have the advantage of their home salle. I’ve never been able to rely on that.”
He tilted his head. “That’s an interesting way to think about it. Adaptable to the situation, then. That seems useful. And with your illusion work, as well. Is that a linked skill?”
Thessaly considered that. It was, in a nutshell, the sort of conversation she’d had a lot with Aunt Metaia and not very often with anyone else. Whatever this was, whoever Vitus was, she felt that way with him, comfortable with him, far beyond any sensible reason. And yet, the thing Aunt Metaia had urged her to do was trust that sort of feeling, whether it was in conversation, in magic, or in duelling. Not that they weren’t the same thing sometimes.
“The adaptability to the moment, possibly.” She gestured with her free hand, the stone held against her palm with her thumb. “Home is - it’s a perfectly reasonable house, but it doesn’t have deep roots. Mama and Papa were given it when they married. It hadn’t been in the family that long. There are things I love about it, but...” Her fingers clenched a little against his. “Aunt Metaia’s, that I’m going to miss a great deal. Besides missing her. Both. Separately and together.”
Chapter32
JUNE 23RD IN AN ORCHARD
Vitus kept finding himself not sure what to say, and having to trust that he wouldn’t foul this up. He looked down at his hand, their hands, where his hand was resting on hers. “That must be terribly hard. My grandfather set up the house I live in, I’d have a terribly hard time leaving it. I will someday, probably, it’s not big enough to marry and raise a family of my own. But not to go back, for a visit, Sunday dinner, whatever that looks like, that would hurt.”
Thessaly looked up at him, and then just nodded once. “And that’s different, for both of us, than somewhere like Arundel, where it’s passed down generation to generation, in a specific way. Bryn Glas will go back to someone in the Powell line. I don’t know who. But they probably will change the decoration, the garden, all of that. A lot of what I love about it.”
“They have definitely not done much with the decoration at Arundel in a generation or two.” Vitus said, offering it as a bit of amusement.
She smiled, so it had been a decent choice. “No. Childeric says...” Then she swallowed. “Do you want me to continue that sentence?”
Vitus wasn’t sure how to answer that again. He squeezed her fingers while he was thinking, hoping to reassure that he wasn’t upset, while he worked through a little of it in his head. Then he gave up and cleared his throat. “I’d like to talk it out with you, if you don’t mind. Now, sometime later, whatever you’d prefer.”
Her other shoulder shrugged. “Now is as good a time as any, I suppose?”
Of course, that meant he had to figure out what to say. “I don’t want to do something that would upset the Fortiers. I can’t afford to, on any level. My father’s the man of business of a number of their client families and associated families, for one thing, and I need to establish myself. They’re not particularly interested in helping me - my style of work doesn’t suit what they usually commission.” That was a genteel circumlocution that did what was needed. He’d have to remember that. “But I can’t afford to go against them. And I don’t know what that means with you, or with Childeric, or what someone might be offended by.” He didn’t name the elder Fortiers. He didn’t need to.
Thessaly considered that, chewing on her lip, though she also squeezed his hand back while she thought. He liked that. “Our agreement, the formal agreement, the one with oaths and signatures, is for marriage, for suitable public support, both ways around. Two children, preferably at least one boy, but I am not committed beyond the attempt. A standard sort of agreement there. Either of us might have other lovers, with discretion. And with suitable contraceptive charms, on both parts - the, what’s the word? Not penalty?” She looked up at him.
“Consequences? Contractual obligations?” Vitus offered the two options cautiously.
“Contractual obligations will do.” It wasn’t what she had been thinking, but she went on. “Those. They’re the same in both cases - the child adopted out or otherwise separate from the family concerns, whatever makes sense. Not in the line of succession for either family.” She grimaced. “It doesn’t seem kind, but I hope it won’t be relevant, you know? The charms and potions are very effective these days. Beyond that, discretion. Nothing public, nothing that causes undue gossip. Again, also the usual sort of thing.”
“So a dance in public is fine, a conversation. And that - meeting like this, that is also fine?” Vitus felt that was the place to begin.
“This is also fine. A conversation in a library, a bookstore, being seen at a duelling salle - not that you duel, that would actually be suggestive. A lecture or a concert, then, say. Or whatever in private, when no one can observe. I am...” She swallowed and looked away. “Constrained, at the moment. And also I don’t want to do any of those things. They feel far too raw. I want to duel, but not be seen doing it.”
“And the conversation here?” Vitus felt he needed to clarify this point. Or maybe he needed to hear her say what she wanted, there. “Or in the coming days? I would be glad to arrange to meet you, here or somewhere else, if you would like that. Only if you would. I don’t want to be a bother.”
“You are not a bother. You are very kind.” She hesitated. She said nothing further.
After a long moment, a silence that went on, Vitus murmured, “At the least, it would be good to know how to get you the talisman when it is finished. A few days, maybe a week, depending on other work. It’s not that it will take that long, it’s that there are pauses between several steps.”
“Sometime.” She swallowed. “Sometime would you tell me about the process, about your work? How a piece goes together?” Thessaly looked up at him, and then she suddenly yawned. “I’m sorry, I’m so tired. But yes, come out and give it to me. Probably here, it’s the safest place. Send a note when you’re ready?”
“Your family won’t worry?” That was the other thing. He didn’t much want the Powells, or the Lyttons, or the Lytton-Powells for that matter, annoyed with him either.
“Oh, probably not. Mama’s, I don’t know. Distracted. If you’d rather, drop it at the Fox’s Den and they’ll forward it.”
Vitus nodded. The clubs were useful that way. “I’ll think about it.” He considered. “And Childeric? Will he be bothered if he knows you’re talking to someone else? Privately?”
“Oh, he might make a bit of a fuss if he notices. But that would involve him noticing. Besides, I’m fairly sure he’s got his own pleasures on the side.” Thessaly focused her attention on Vitus. “It feels horrible to say, but I’m sort of glad. I mean, I’m sure it will be fine, the necessary parts. He’s good at picking up skills when he actually cares about them.”
Vitus rather thought that Childeric was the sort who would pick up the skills about his pleasure, and not necessarily about his partner’s. But that was certainly not something he was going to say at the moment. Then he nodded. “So. To sum up, you would like to continue to see me. Now is not the time for anything further, beyond this.” He moved his fingers slightly. “But you would not object if, down the road, we both found that worth exploring more? Only if and when you’re ready, of course.”
She flushed. It was more visible with how pale she was. “That. I’m glad you aren’t pressing. I gather some people do.”
Vitus snorted. He couldn’t help himself. “It seems a poor way to begin what I hope will be a long friendship, perhaps more in time. And besides, we’ve already established you’re the far better duellist, I wouldn’t dare take liberties.” Then he glanced at the bench behind her, considering. It wouldn’t be terribly comfortable in that dress and that corset, but he could offer something now. “I do have that blanket, if you’d like to use it for a pillow. You could rest your eyes, at least.”
Thessaly blinked at him. Then she did smile, like a rock cracking open and water pouring out, a myth of coming forth. “Oh. I would like that very much. If you’re willing. Rather boring for you, though.”
