Hybel 2nd, 1513 – Finessa Estate, River Sulis, Lothianshire, Albion

Knowing it would be all too brief, but enjoying it all the more for the brevity, Firenze Finessa, known to most as “Squeak” pulled his wife a little closer to his side. It was a bright, sunny summer day, his younger three children were here, and they were expecting company in the form of old friends who’d be staying for a few days. If he thought about it that way he could almost forget all of the stress that came with why their company was coming, of what was happening here.

“I should double check the linens.” Lianne murmured.

“The house keeper is quite competent, my love. Everything will be perfect.” He kissed her nose and she giggled like the girl of fourteen he had first met, not the woman of forty-one she was now.

“It’s like you forget who is coming.” Lianne pouted slightly.

“Your cousin.” He pointed out blandly tapping her pouty lower lip. “It doesn’t have to be perfect, we’re excused on the grounds of being family.” Lianne smiled and shook her head but made no move to get up and check the linens–or on the dinner preparations or on the parlor maids, so Squeak figured that he had won the argument, though he wouldn’t say that to her, especially not when she levered herself up off the cushion and settled onto his lap.

“Ugh.” The twins said at the same time as they did, sometimes. “You know,” Severus said turning toward Charlie.

“If we’re going to meet up with the lads at the pub, we should probably get going.” Charlie agreed.

“Boys, you’re not even going to be here when they arrive?” Lianne asked.

“We can get clucked over–”

“–And told how grown up we are–”

“And how handsome and like our father we look when we get back, because you know we will.”

“I’ve practically got the speech memorized.” Charlie told her.

“Well, you boys are very handsome and it never hurts to be told so by a beautiful woman.” Lianne said, more as a way of extending the protest so they wouldn’t think she was agreeing than anything else.

“Family doesn’t count.” Charlie said after exchanging a look with Severus.

“You’ve been spending too much time with your brother.”

“We’re twins, it was bound to happen.” Severus reminded her. Lianne just shook her head before nuzzling against Squeak’s neck. “Ugh.” The twins said again on their way out of the parlor.

Vivi continued to sullenly plunk away at the upright ignoring her parents. He wasn’t sure if it was insistence that she practice the piano that had her glaring and sullen or something else. It was no secret that Vivi didn’t care for the piano–nor did the piano seem to particularly care for Vivi as it snuck a sour note into her song.

“Mum, dad, you might want to stop sucking face, the king is here.” Severus’ impertinent comment accompanied another sour note from the piano.

“The King? Is that all I am? A hatrack for a crown?” Hector’s familiar voice came from the entry. “And what about your aunt?”

“Sorry, Uncle Hector.” Severus said.

“Oh, you two look so grown up and handsome, aren’t the twins handsome, Hector?” Lynnette’s voice came a moment later. “You look more like your father every time I see you.” He could imagine that Lynnette was distributing kisses on the cheek and Hector shaking hands and giving hugs, the twins trying to pile toward the door and the flow of royalty pushing them back into the house.

“And I keep telling you, Lynnette, I’m not the best judge of handsome men. I’ll trust your judgment there.” Hector told his wife, as he did every time she asked him that.

“See you later, Mum! Dad!” Charlie called a moment before the door shut.

“They’re leaving?” Lynnette asked, sounding puzzled.

“Aye, they made plans to meet a few of their mates at the pub. That’s teenagers for you.” Squeak said from the doorway to the parlor. “Your majesty.” He bowed lowly to his king who rolled his eyes. Hector’s hair had gone completely white over the past few years, but his face was still boyish and nearly unlined.

“Baron Finessa.” Hector inclined his head regally. “Oh, damn me, Squeak. It’s good to see you. Even if the circumstances are pretty lousy.” He didn’t get a chance to say anything more about the circumstances, even if he were inclined to as his wife and Squeak saw each other and suddenly the small entry was filled with the sounds of bird-like chatter.

“You would swear that those two hadn’t seen each other in years, when I will swear to you, I saw they together just last week.” Hector commented shaking his head before extending his arms toward Squeak. After hugging and back pounding and general good-to-see-you comments, both Squeak and Lianne’s attention was turned to the other occupant of the hall.

Nathaniel had been much blonder as a child, however, he had apparently grown into the Pendragon copper. Though Squeak wasn’t a lot better at truly judging how handsome a man was than Hector was, but Nathaniel had no obvious flaws of face except a scar on one cheek. Squeak wasn’t sure which of the innumerable accidents had caused said scar. The boy had spent years trying to grow into those long legs and arms and was only very recently managing to catch up to them.

“Nathaniel. Oh, it is so good to see you! I wish the circumstances had been happier, it’s been so long.” Lianne drew the young prince in for a long hug. “You look so grown up and handsome. Doesn’t he look handsome, Squeak?” Squeak choked back a laugh that he didn’t want to explain. He had no idea if his wife and Lianne did that on purpose, or if their thoughts just ran along the same line, but they did always say that when they were confronted with one of the other’s children, at least the boys, the girls were “lovely” rather than “handsome” most of the time.

“Is it just Nathaniel then?” Lianne asked, drawing back.

“Clarys may be coming with Matilda, if they make it, but her cat was just starting to birth a litter when we were leaving. We couldn’t ask her to leave the cat.”

“More Father crumpled when confronted with Clarys’ teary eyes.” Nathaniel murmured.

“Well, aye.” Hector coughed into his hand.

“And Sebastien–well, he’s going through a sensitive phase, I didn’t know that exposing him to so many grieving people would be good for him.” Lynnette finished. Squeak quirked an eyebrow at Hector, who shook his head just slightly. They’d talk about it later, he imagined.

Vivi’s playing from the parlor suddenly wandered terribly off key as if to remind them that she was there.

“Is that Vivi?” Lynnette asked. Squeak and Lianne both nodded.

“So I’m guessing Piano Virtuoso is not Vivi’s chosen career path?” Hector asked.

“Hector, honestly.” The queen frowned sourly at her husband. “Be nice.”

“Vivi, honey?”

“What, mother?” Vivi called back, still poking at the piano. Hector mouthed “mother?” and it was Squeak’s turn to shake his head to indicate they’d talk about it later.

“Aren’t you going to come say hello?” Lianne asked.

“Fine.” Her song–such as it was–came to a sudden jarring halt.

“Though, I don’t suppose we have to keep you out here in the entry.” Lianne said, coloring slightly. “There’s really no reason for it.”

“No beautiful chambermaids you want to keep an old lech away from working on the cobwebs in the corners?” Hector asked so solemnly you’d almost think he was serious, except the sparkle in his green eyes.

“Hector.” Lynnette poked her husband with an elbow as they all piled toward the door. Vivi had come about half across the parlor only to stop short when she saw Nathaniel behind Squeak and Hector. Her eyes narrowed slightly.

“Oh, Nathaniel,” Lianne said, “I don’t suppose you even really remember our daughter, Vivianne.”

“I–remember her as well as can be expected.” He dropped his lashes to hide his blue eyes for a moment. Vivi’s expression remained unchanging.

“Vivi, this is Prince Nathaniel Pendragon, Nathaniel, this is our daughter Lady Vivianne Finessa.” Lianne introduced formally. Nathaniel extended his hand to Vivi as if expecting to shake, then seemed to remember that this was a lady and one usually kissed the hand of ladies. Vivi, her lips tightening slightly, extended her hand for a shake. Nathaniel’s cheek flushed slightly and he took a half-step back before speaking.

“A pleasure to remake your acquaintance, Lady Vivianne.”

“I guess you can call me Vivi.” She seemed to dismiss him with that as she turned to her mother. “Mother, now that I’m finished with my piano practice, I have a book I’d like to finish so that I can return it to the library tomorrow.” She said.

Lianne looked at Squeak who shrugged. “All right, Vivi. Well, come in, everyone, make yourself comfortable.” She gestured around at the parlor.

Nathaniel took the chair that faced the fireplace, Lianne and Lynnette sitting down next to each other on the settee. Vivi walked out, without even a glance at Nathaniel. That had gone well.

“Well, how about a drink,” Squeak offered Hector by way of excusing them from the parlor. Hector nodded.

“Well, don’t get drunk. I remember all to well when that happened.” Lianne said primly. Lynnette nodded in agreement. Hector chuckled as they walked out of the parlor, into the hall and into Squeak’s study.

Hector paused in the doorway, looking around. “How is it that your wife never notices your paranoia? It never fails to amaze me.” He said upon closing the door.

“Whatever do you mean?” Squeak asked.

“Do you really think that I haven’t noticed that, while they are an excellent example of Sminese paper panels, that there are only two windows and they’re both up there?” Hector jerked his chin at the windows above the fireplace and the bookshelf nook. Squeak shrugged and snagged a bottle of wine at random from below the bar before uncorking it and pouring a couple of glasses.

“Or how bout the fact that there is no seat in this room that doesn’t have something behind it?”

“Paranoia keeps me alive, Hector.” Squeak shrugged.

“But in your own home, in your study?” Hector sank into one of the chairs by the fireplace and Squeak joined him, leaving the wine where it was, it was really only there for verisimilitude, they were working and only the sloppy drank while they worked.

“If you’re going to insist on sending me to live in dens of snakes, I’m going to probably continue to be paranoid.” Squeak told him bluntly.

“Is it that bad here?”

“I felt more comfortable when you sent me into Tower Prison as a prisoner to get to the bottom of that mess with Patron Cassidy.” Squeak said bluntly. “Jayson of Carico would slit his own mother’s throat if it served his purpose.”

Hector’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Anything I can use?”

“Unfortunately no. Hearsay, guesses, rumors, the fucker is damnably good at covering his tracks.” Squeak shook his head.

“So this thing with Rance?”

“Well, you know that brothel I told you about?” Squeak asked.

“The one they populate with slaves who probably aren’t as old as they’re purported to be and they call them after animals or something?” Hector asked.

“There’s no probably about it. I’ve been there, once, Hector. The average age of someone working there is somewhere between my Vivi and the twins. But they have kids as young as five or six working upstairs.” Hector stared at Squeak for a long moment.

“Surely you jest, Cousin.” Hector said almost pleadingly.

“I wouldn’t joke about something like that.” Squeak reminded him.

“I was afraid you were going to say something like that. Though I’m not sure joking about something like that is that much better than saying it in seriousness.” Hector passed a hand in front of his eyes. “Continue, obviously this has something to do with Rance.”

“He went there. I was actually at the tavern across the street watching Carico’s steward, who also frequents the place. Are you sure we can’t do anything about that place?”

“If I dared.” Hector sighed. “But with the new lord of Rance being a twelve year old boy, who I’m told they’re having trouble finding a guardian for the estate.”

“Doesn’t he have a mother?”

“Who is Reman-born, with family close to the border. The Remans are still none to happy about the fact that we are both currently sitting in Albion and not in Reme.” Hector sighed. “And with Rance being close to the border, there are advisors who truly think that if I let Adelina Rance guardian her own son, I might as well gift Rance to the Remans, they’d come in that quick.”

“And he has no relatives who aren’t Reman?”

“Rance has a brother–somewhere–but no one knows where he is. He’s been in the wind since graduating from Camford two years ago. He might have gone into Reme, he might have gone into Glasonland, he might still be in Albion under another name, he might be in Smina for all I know.”

“Hmmm, much younger brother?” Squeak asked.

“Apparently, Rance was older than you and his brother would be twenty-four or so.” Hector shrugged. “Why?”

“Just thinking about where he liked to spend his spare time. And–I’ve heard that he likes to break them.” Squeak told his king with a sour taste in his mouth.

“Wright. I hope it’s just a fight over money, I don’t know if I can handle knowing a man I saw on a regular basis raped his own baby brother.” Hector passed a hand over his eyes.

“I’m not sure that I think that raping someone else’s baby brother is any better, Hector.” Squeak pointed out. Hector sighed and bowed his head.

“As an answer to your question, the last thing I need to do is start prodding across the border right now. Is Henry black or white?” Hector asked.

“White as a bloody lily, cousin.”

“You’re sure?” Squeak looked at Hector flatly.

“If the whole thing doesn’t implode, which it admittedly might, I’m marrying my heir off to Henry’s eldest. Plus the rest of my kids are tight with two of his. I know him pretty well. He doesn’t have a devious bone in his body. I wouldn’t have thought that a good-hearted, kind, hardworking man could make it as a diplomat, but I’ve heard nothing but good things about him. His wife has the personality of a cow-demon, but he’s white as snow.” Squeak told him.

“Then if I slipped into a dispatch or two to let something like that fall in appropriate ears, he’d do it?”

“He’s got an eight year old daughter,” Squeak sighed. “Most fathers would.”

“Rance?” Hector asked.

“And Cox–and I’m sure more of those bloody bastards who frequent the place.” Squeak told him. Hector nodded with a sigh. “And that’s not even touching Jayson.”

“Oh–no. Okay, what about Jayson?”

“I’ve heard rumors, just rumors, mind, that Rance’s death might not have been an accidental lightning strike.”

“You fill me with dread–say on.”

“The official story is Rance was struck by lightning while riding. But his horse is fine. So he wasn’t on his horse when he was struck. He had guards in the park with him. But they were not by his side when he was struck. They didn’t get to where he was until he was already dead and I talked to one of the nuns from the hospital. Rance would have still been alive for probably five-ten minutes after he was struck. So his guards were, say ten minutes away. Why do you take guards with you and then go off on your own?” Squeak asked. Hector just watched him.

“Plus, again, according to the official story, the lightning startled the horse of Lady Elizabet, Carico’s daughter, and she was thrown. So why did Elizabet’s horse spook and not Rance’s horse who was, I’m told, calmly grazing nearby his body. And–this is hearsay because I haven’t seen the girl or the body, but I’m told, it looks more like Elizabet got in a fight, bruises where they’d be if someone hit you not where you’d get them if you were thrown. And Rance’s nose was broken and he looked kinda worked over himself. And nobody’s saying he was thrown.”

Hector steepled his fingers and looked into the middle distance for a minute. “Would Elizabet fight if someone attacked her?”

“Elizabet would punch out St. Robert if she had reason to. Someone attacking you sounds like reason to me.” Squeak told him.

“Is there any chance Rance could have come up with the harebrained scheme to attack Elizabet on her own?” Hector asked in a pained tone.

“Think about what you know about Jayson of Carico, then ask yourself would you want to be the one who raped his daughter?” Squeak drew his mouth into a hard line.

“Fuck. Me.” Hector said pounding his forehead with a fist. “Do you have any good news for me? Any at all?”

—

“So, did you solve all the world’s problems?” Lynnette asked as they sat down to dinner later.

“Nah, just drank and shot the breeze, mostly.” Squeak told her. “What are you looking at, Hector?”

“This book–what’s it doing in a display case?”

“I’m told that my ancestors brought it out from Underhill. I have no idea whether it’s true or not, after all, being sales people is kinda in the blood and we tend to exaggerate for effect, but that’s what I’m told.” Squeak told him.

“So why is it in a display case?” Hector repeated as he took a seat at the table.

“Well, I just thought it was the custom of the land to keep odd things on display. After all, our neighbor keeps a dead relative as a paperweight in his study.”

“I think it’s a bookend, daddy.” Vivi disagreed.

“What? Either way, how do you even keep a dead relative as either!”

“There’s a funerary jar–with ashes in it–on the console in the baron’s study.” Lianne told him. “There are all sorts of rumors, but the most persistent one is that one of his uncles sided with the Remans when the Baron’s father was trying to retake River Sulis, he was killed in the battle and because he was considered a traitor, he was not buried in the family crypt. And that is–supposedly–the ashes that Baron Jayson keeps in his study.”

“Has anyone ever asked him about it?”

“Of course. He just looks at you and asks if he really seems the sort of man who would keep a dead uncle’s ashes in his study and use it as a bookend.” Squeak admitted. “Then he just changes the subject.”

“Does he seem like the sort of man who would keep a dead uncle’s ashes and use them as a book end?” Nathaniel asked. Squeak and Lianne looked at each other for a long moment.

“Yes.” Vivi put in finally. “Yes, yes, he does.”

Seryl 10th, 1513 – Carico Estate, River Sulis, Lothianshire, Albion

“Vivi?” The only response to his inquiry was his sister slamming the library door. Severus sighed. He was beginning to think there was something seriously wrong with Vivi. Most of the time she was her usual smart, funny self–until their brother sent a letter, then she turned into this raging ball of angst and moped and pouted for days on end. No door was ever safe when she was in this mood. And being around the FitzChivalrys, or rather around Caroline, exacerbated it to almost dangerous levels.

He glanced at the library door then sighed. His twin had a theory about what was happening and Severus didn’t like it. He and Leo weren’t that close, but there was something dangerously wrong with his sister and his eldest brother. But short of dragging Leo out into the gardens and beating him senseless, which he didn’t want to explain to his mother, he didn’t any way to solve that. Vivi wouldn’t talk about. Doubly so if Charlie were right. Unfortunately, the only person she’d probably talk about it with was the one that might have been the root of the problem.

So he moved in the opposite direction, onto the balcony. Maybe there was some other problem that he could solve. At least one that involved him personally.

Leo and Caroline were looking at each other as if they were both biting their tongues wanting–but not wanting–to blame each other for Vivi’s leaving. In Severus’ estimation they probably both were.

“So, Vivi cleared out of here pretty fast.” Severus commented to the person he was actually on the balcony to find. Marianne turned so fast that her plait swung almost around to strike her in the shoulder.

“Y-yeah.” She dropped her eyes and stared at her hands before shooting a look at Leo and an almost glare at Caroline. But her eyes came back to his face after a short moment and an almost smile hovered at the corner of her lips.

“Need to warn the baroness of the approaching Reman army?” He joked. She shook her head.

“Said that the air had turned rancid.” Marianne murmured.

“Oh, please. You don’t need to dredge up–muck, Marianne.” Caroline huffed and stood up from the bench.

“I asked, Miss FitzChivalry.” Severus remind her. Lord Wright Almighty, what did she do with her brain? She could store three months worth of scandals and gossip in there, but conveniently forgot when she caused anything worth gossiping about. She also forgot other things when forgetting served her purpose. Like the fact that the lady she was emulating in her costume was best remembered for being the member of the nobility who got there by getting knocked up before her wedding.

“I should probably go talk to Vivi.” Leo muttered toward his boots as Caroline huffed.

“…If she’s still here.” Severus told him. Leo looked at him sharply. “Given the look on her face when she walked past me in the library, she very well may be half-way home by now. Maybe you should let her cool down first.”

“If she’s that annoyed that she’d leave early, it’s all the more reason for me to go talk to her.” Leo bowed to Caroline and nodded at Marianne.

“We should probably get back to the party, I’m sure that Mother won’t like it if we come back soaked in perspiration.” Caroline linked her arm with her sister’s and half dragged her off toward the door. Severus shook his head and trailed after. Along the way, as she apparently had forgotten that Severus was right behind them, Caroline murmured a litany of things that Marianne had done wrong as a chaperone. If she had just suggested that Vivianne go with Elizabet back to the dancing then Leo wouldn’t have spent so much time paying attention to his sister.

If Marianne had just come up with a topic of conversation that didn’t have controversy attached to it, then Caroline never would have had to point out that Benoit had all the brains of a stone statue or that their father didn’t have the best costume at the party.

Or you could just bit your tongue for once. Severus thought sharply at the back of her head as the litany tapered off sharply off. As Caroline explained, it wouldn’t do to give a litany of flaws that Marianne possessed in front of all of the young men in the card room. After all, their father did still need to find a her a husband. That was proving difficult enough even without them knowing all of Marianne’s flaws.

I’d imagine so, he thought. When you have a shrew with the all the faults of a cow demon and none of the virtues of ‘em for a mother and a catty bitch-in-training for a sister, it probably would scare off a few of the fainter-hearted. Oh well, if they’re that stupid, not my fault. Less competition.

“Oh, Leo felt that he needed to check up on his sister, I gather she was in a bit of ill-humor.” Caroline said taking  her seat on the end of the settee, having dropped her sister’s arm and hurried a few steps ahead to proceed Marianne into the card room.

“I hope it’s not serious.” Nadine murmured, looking concerned. “She did seem a bit pale and out of sorts when she left the card room.”

“Well, ill-humor if you consider temper a humor.” Caroline huffed and raised her shoulder in a shrug. “So what did I miss?”

“Oh, you know, Caroline, the light goes out of the room when you leave it.” Audrina smirked. “What could possibly happen without you around to witness it.”

“Other than Lord Joshua was in here for a while playing billiards with that handsome friend of his.” Babette told her.

“Which friend?”

“The scholarship boy. As I was telling Babette while you were gone. I don’t care how nice his rear looks in that leather tunic, he’s still a scholarship boy. You can scrub them up, but you can’t clean them up.” Audrina said. …And Charlie sorta likes her. If I didn’t know my twin better, I would swear it has more to do with the size of the dowry Earl Ravenway is offering for his daughter. It’s like “liking” a shark. Aye, they look impressive from across the way, but I wouldn’t want to marry one.

“What?” Speaking of Severus’ twin, Charlie looked up from his cards when Severus dropped into the empty seat at one of the card tables where Charlie had been fleecing people most of the evening.

“There is no crime in looking.” Babette huffed from across the room.

“You know all those bizarre theories that our baby sister has for–certain people?” Severus asked. Charlie nodded. ” I know where she gets them.”

“You’ll have to explain that one to me–later. So you wanna contribute to my fund here? I think I might be able to buy a new horse before the night is out.” Charlie ran his fingers over the stack of chips.

“Only if you want to cover my drinks at the pub.” Severus batted his lashes at his brother.

“Oh, but where’s the fun in that?” Charlie sighed. “Besides, how shall I afford it and the new horse?”

“Fleece more idiots like us?” Severus asked tossing a stack of coins onto the table and gesturing for some chips.

When Edouard was too drunk to hold his cards steady and Constantin had excused himself to go find Jeremie so they could pour Edouard into a carriage to get him back home, Severus also excused himself as well. He figured he should probably check on when they were expected home. Not that he thought he and Charlie would stay any past the end of the party or that they would go out after it. But he didn’t know if his mother expected them to escort their parents home or if whenever they got there was good enough.

But apparently the ball room had emptied entirely, as he should have known. His father–and all the other fathers–were probably outside smoking and talking. The ladies–well, by this point those still mostly sober were probably helping to pour their less sober friends into carriages just like Dell was helping Jeremie do for his brother.

Well, not quite entirely. Standing at the far end of the room, blonde plait with the caul slipping just slightly to the side contrasting against the teal and gold silk dress.

He’d been standing not far from this spot earlier in the evening, when the ballroom was more full than not, when his father had called him over. The musicians above in the gallery had just struck up a slow song and around him, couples drawn to each other to ask for a dance.

She’d been sitting in the chair not far from where she was standing now, hands folded in her lap, eyes more on them than anywhere in the room.

“Severus, go ask Miss Marianne to dance.” For a man whose whole career was focused around beating around the bush, he didn’t have any patience for it when dealing with his kids.

“Why?” Severus had asked, though there was a puppy dog eager twitch in his feet that had wanted to immediately trot over there, even without looking for where Lord and Lady Henry were. He knew that with Leo’s and Caroline being promised to each other, there really wasn’t any reason for him to look at Marianne. That and she was his sister’s friend. But there was something about the way she had looked, the very first time that he had met her–at one of his mother’s garden parties–the year that they’d first moved to River Sulis.

She’d been–oh–ten or eleven, wearing a soft rose and white striped dress, twisting her hands just like she was doing now, standing shyly at the edge of the hedgemaze. And something in him had decided right then, without any consultation, that he wanted to marry her. He hadn’t–at the time–even known her name. A lot of things had changed in those four years–but the way he always found himself looking at her–that hadn’t changed at all.

But he couldn’t tell his father that, not even when his father started talking about a marriage between Leo and Caroline. How do you say that. No, dad, you can’t marry Leo off to Caroline. I decided at a garden party I was going to marry her sister. Yeah, that’d have gone well.

“Because she keeps looking at the dance floor with a wistful expression that says clearer than words that she’d like to dance–and obviously no one has asked her.” That twitched at something inside of  Severus, that was both good and bad. If she had a suitor–then he’d have some reason to move on–but he would admit to being very glad that he had no competition. If Leo and Caroline would just implode like they were threatening to…

… Maybe?

“But why me?” Severus had asked as his heart declared him a traitor.

“Because you’re a gentleman and a Ferreira–and the only time we leave a lady in distress is when attempting to rescue her will cause her more distress–and besides, you’re the only one in the room that I can order to go do it. Now go.”

He’d sidled past the couples between him and Marianne and slipped into one of the chairs to her side.

“My father seems to be under the impression you’d like to dance.” He had placed his elbow on the arm of the chair and batted his lashes at her when she looked at him.

“Your father is asking me to dance?” She’d looked at him bewildered before peering past him to where his father was dancing with his mother.

“No! No. He–he wanted me to ask you to dance. I mean if you wanted to.”

“Oh–I–well.” Her eyes flickered down to her hands. “The floor is pretty crowded–except over there.”

“Aye, but if we go over there, we’ll have to see Captain Cox’s tunic up close, I see your dilemma.” Severus had joked to keep his shoulders from drooping dejectedly.

“Oh, don’t–don’t think that I don’t want to dance with you, Severus. Please. May–maybe at another dance–one not so–you know–crowded.” Her eyes, always a brilliant unclouded teal pleaded with him to understand.

So later he had agreed, then retreated after a long moment, to the card room where he hadn’t had to worry about the next dance and if there were to be one. But the musicians had already packed it in for the night apparently as the gallery was empty. Still his heart was pounding a beat of its own.

“You know, Miss Marianne.” He almost swallowed his own tongue when she turned to look at him. “You still owe me a dance.”

“I-I do–don’t I? But–” She glanced up at the empty gallery.

“It’s always going to be something then, isn’t it?” Severus sighed, hoping to keep the tone jocular. Maybe it was all for the better, the way his palms were sweating.

“No. If–if you don’t mind the lack of music, I–I don’t mind it.” She admitted toward her hands. He extended one cold clammy hand to her and she took it. The other he settled at her waist before beginning the first steps. But even with only the sounds of their dance steps echoing off the dark marble and up through the empty ballroom for accompaniment, it was better than he could have imagined any professional musician could have played it.

It was allowed to just be, a spin here…

…faster here, slower there…

… until reality reasserted itself and he brought her with one final twirl to a stop.

“Thank you, Mr. Severus.” Marianne giggled as he brought her hand to his lips as the stepped apart.

“Wait, one last thing.” Severus said, the words out of his mouth before he even could think about them. She turned back toward him from where they had started to drift apart. He caught her hand, turning her around in one last twirl.

Darid 14, 1513

Lianne closed her eyes, breathing in the intoxicating smell of roses in bloom, even though the pavilion overhead kept the worst of the sun off, the warm light was a palpable pressure, like the soft hand of a lover, not the cruel task master that it would be in just a few weeks most likely. It was so rare anymore, with the children grown or very nearly, that she had time to sit in her own garden and host a tea party. It seemed to happen so fast.

Surely just a few days ago her little Vivi, now a bright vivacious young woman, one who would make a wonderful bride for Prince Nathaniel if she would just stop being so stubborn, had been a little girl in a violet and white sprigged dress, begging her to stop her research to play teaparty with her dolls. Or to not go to court so they could pick flowers in the wildflower gardens. If only Lynnette didn’t need her so often! Maybe they could have done that more often.

Still, she’d grown up so well. All of their children had avoided the traps that preyed upon so many of the young nobles she saw at court. And even if there hadn’t been nearly as many tea parties, Vivi still seemed so regal, so grown up, sitting with her little friends holding their own little court of girl-stuff.

“Isn’t that right, Lianne?” Katherine asked leaving Lianne to stumble after the thread of conversation.

“Oh, I am terribly sorry, Katherine, my mind wandered. What were you asking?” Lianne colored slightly under her freckles, a useful trick for added sincerity even if it was rarely genuine any more. She really should be paying attention, it was just that her companions–well. To her right, reorganizing her thoughts like a lecturer reorganizing her notes for another round of pontification, was Katherine Fitz-Chivalry.

How many times had she seen girls just like Katherine at court? So earnestly striving to be liked, to be included. So desperate to prove that they were as good, that they lived up to the titles and the surroundings. Except Katherine lacked that innocence, she was obviously skilled at shilling, at proving that she, too, was the right sort.

To her left with an air of icy indifference to anything and everything, sat Marisol. The baroness of River Sulis, their home away from home at least until Hector sent Squeak somewhere else to attend to some other problem or issue for the kingdom, Marisol was as icily regal as any queen born. Some would think that she thought she was above such silly things as tea parties in the garden, but that just didn’t seem quite right.

Personally, it seemed more to Lianne as if Marisol knew that these were things that she had to do, and so she would to do them. What she was really like, Lianne had no idea, she had never so much as glimpsed behind the icy visor to see the sim looking out from inside.

Behind her, seated in lone solitude was Lord Henry, Katherine’s husband. If Lianne had realized that neither Squeak nor the Baron were going to attend she’d have had Juliana center the table under the pavilion and only put out two tables rather than three. Or at least insisted that the twins go riding after the tea part was over with. It surely made Lianne seem a poor hostess.

It was just that only pregnancy, serious illness, or death ever made one miss one of the parties that she usually co-hosted with Lynnette in the Queen’s gardens. She forgot that here in River Sulis, she was not the Queen’s companion, she was just the baroness of some tiny little holding two shires over.

Also, she should have gotten hold of a second pavilion or at least a sunshade for the girls’ table. Sloppy, Lianne, she chided herself. There was a staff to arrange tables and bespeak sunshades and pavilions at the palace, certainly, but that didn’t excuse her not taking care of such things herself with this party.

Just when she thought of asking Vivi if she might go ask the housemaid to come make the necessary arrangements to the table, the point became moot. Through the front gate marched Squeak, such a silly childhood nickname for such a tall, handsome, quite obviously fully grown man possessing as deep and manly a baritone as surely anyone ever had.

The effect, of course was spoilt just slightly by those hideous robes that he wore. Her Squeak had far better taste than that, but as he was so fond of reminding her, the wardrobe made the man. And the man he was here in River Sulis was silly, a little pompous, and not to be taken at all seriously. Besides, he would also remind her, they were historical, a faithful recreation of the robes famously worn by the first Earl of Sarras.

It was hard to believe that the blood of a man who would commission such a terrible outfit could be running through Marisol, probably the single most tasteful woman that Lianne had ever met, even with all of her years at court.

“Squeak, darling,” Lianne called.

“Don’t worry, my love, I shan’t wear these “awful” clothes in your house or to your party,” He called back with a stunning smile, framed to perfection by his mustache and goatee.

“Merci!” She was rewarded with his rich chuckle at the Gaulish. A few moments later, she heard a groan from near the door. Her eyes flew wide and concern rushed to fill her.

“Severus!” Squeak bellowed, surely it was his voice that shook the leaves above and not an errant breeze.

“Vivi, could you be my best friend and go tell your father that the twins are off riding?” She’d also see that a maid was called to bring Squeak something appropriate to wear. I don’t need his sense of humor getting the better of him and him coming to the teaparty in his hosen–or worse–his braises. Lianne thought to herself.

“Of course, mother.” Vivianne stood up, smoothing her lavender skirts, her curls falling over her shoulders as she pushed her chair up to the table. Lianne was too far away to hear what Caroline said to her, but it would take a far less observant woman not to notice the way Vivianne’s spine stiffened. However hard on the heels of Caroline’s comment, Elizabet turned to Caroline and said something. Caroline gasped, eyes wide.

“Lady Marisol, could you please restrain your daughter? The last time that she took tea with Marianne and Caroline, Caroline cried for twenty minutes over whatever cruel thing that your child said.”

“When your Caroline gains the wits to not insult my daughter and her friends, I am certain my Bet will stop making her cry.” Marisol said, swirling her wine around her glass.

“I am quite certain that Caroline said nothing of insult.” Katherine reared up at the challenge.

“Truly?” Marisol quirked a perfect blonde eyebrow. “The last time that Caroline took tea at our estate, she told Marianne that if she insisted upon gorging herself on sweets at every tea, her girth would increase to the point where no chair would hold her and then your husband would never be able to find Marianne a husband.”

“Well, you must admit, Lady Marisol, that hunting for a spouse is a battleground and that a young lady must use every bit of advantage in battle. It’s just bad policy to gorge oneself on anything, especially sweets.” Katherine pressed her hand to her bosom in affront.

“I took more pastries at tea than the two that Marianne did.” Marisol said cuttingly. “And certainly my own arse has not grown to the proportions that would require it it’s own shire!” Katherine gasped and gaped.

“Ladies, please. There’s no need for profanity or arguments.” Lianne interjected.

“Oh, did I miss profanity. I always miss the fun parties. I only ever show up at the boring ones.” Oh, thank the Lord Wright. Lianne thought to herself as she glanced over her shoulder to see Squeak, now properly attired in an Aubergine suit. He grinned at her and winked.

“It was just a small spat, my lord.” Katherine said, glancing at Marisol and then Lianne.

“And no wonder it’s turning into a romp, those are not tea glasses.” He gesture to the golden goblets on the table.

“We were just having a little Gaulish, as a finisher for the tea.” Lianne offered. Squeak gathered a plate of fruit from the refreshments table and walked over to the pavilion, he dropped a kiss on the top of her head before dropping into the chair next to Henry.

“I do hope you saved me some.” He said. “And I hope that you will forgive my manners as I eat, I worked straight through luncheon, my lord.”

“Oh, not at all, I understand, my lord.” Henry said with his usual easy-going tone.

“Does that fill our requisite my lords for the afternoon, can we just call each other by our Wrightian names rather than being so cursedly proper?” Squeak asked.

“But properness makes the world go round, father.” Charlie said appearing as if conjured out of the hedgemaze. She hadn’t known that the twins were home.

“At least that’s what Brother Dustin is always telling us.” Severus followed. “And you know what they say about broken clocks, after all.”

“Severus!” Lianne scolded, getting to her feet to plant her hands on her hips. “I am quite sure that Brother Dustin is not a broken clock.” Before Severus could come up with whatever his clever retort was, and Lianne was certain he had one, Squeak turned to her.

“While you’re scolding our son, my love, please remind him again why it is not okay to hide my clothing?” Squeak asked with another disarming grin.

“Severus!” Lianne sighed.

“I didn’t!” He protested looking up from the fruit trays, injured look on his face. “I just switched the pots in front of the door.”

“It’s the same thing.” Squeak sniffed.

“Sorry, father.” He said walking around the table, Lianne turned around to see him sliding into her chair. “Severus.”

“You tell me not stand and eat, Mum. It was the only open chair.” He paused for a second and looked toward where his sister sat. His Adam’s apple bobbed for a moment as if he were swallowing heavily.

“Mother, may Elizabet, Marianne, and I be excused? Master Chalmers is going to be giving us a test tomorrow on the story of St. Romeo and St. Juliette and I want to be certain I know everything.” Vivianne asked.

“Of course, Vivi, study hard.” Squeak said turning in his chair.

“Thanks, daddy.” She blew him a kiss as she headed for the mouth of hedge maze. Lianne stifled a sigh, she couldn’t remember the last time that Vivianne had been that affectionate toward her. She reserved much more of her regard for her father and her brothers, especially Leo.

“Thank you, Lady Finessa. The tea was wonderful.” Marianne said with a curtsy.

“You’re quite welcome, Marianne.” Lianne said with a nod.

“Yes, thank you, Lady Finessa.” Elizabet said, her blue-gray eyes sparkling. “I especially enjoyed the pastries.” Marisol actually chuckled, it was a rich sound that was all too infrequent.

Vivianne’s leaving had left Caroline in lone splendor at the girls’ table and that wouldn’t do, she’d spent too much of this tea lost in thought, not attending to her guests’ needs. She slipped into the chair that Marianne had vacated. “I’m not keeping you from studying, I hope?”

“No,” Caroline said. Well, that was one conversation starter that had lead nowhere fast.

“Your sister is such a lovely girl.” Lianne tried again. Caroline glanced at the tree with a slightly sour look on her face.

“I think Julia will be prettier when she grows up.” Caroline told her. This was going to be like extracting water from a stone. “Have you heard from Leo? Is he enjoying Camford?” There that was something that they could talk about.

“What are those two girls doing?” Lianne could hear the scowl in Katherine’s voice from where she sat.

“Playin’ it looks like, Lady Henry.” Severus told her. “That’s what they were doing when we came in, playing solider it looked like.”

“Soldier!” Katherine gasped. “I knew nothing good would come from letting Julia spend time with that girl.”

“Pray recall, Lady Henry,” Marisol interjected with what Lianne imagined was the cold certainty of a hunting knife being plunged into flesh. “That that girl is my kin. My cousin’s daughter.”

“Second cousin.” Katherine corrected. Lianne saw Henry cringe.

“Aye. Second cousin, still puts us at closer relation than you have to those Reman families you like to remind us you’re related to.” Marisol’s tone was growing icier by the moment. Lianne wracked her brain to think of some way to defuse the situation, she certainly had never intended for this party to stop the two ladies from talking to each other, which had happened before. Especially because it made Vivi so miserable.

“Henry, I’ll tell you, I don’t like the look of that cloud, d’you?” Squeak interjected loudly enough that they could all hear him.

“It could be nothing, but it could mean rain.” Henry agreed. “Perhaps I should gather my daughters and head on back home before we find out.”

“Aye.” Squeak said, standing up from his chair and offering the other man a firm handshake. “Charlie, could you please go find Marianne for us.” Severus turned in his chair as if he was going to say something then turned back toward the table and popped a grape in his mouth without a word. Charlie stood up and ran off in the direction of the house.

“Well, if we’re going to use inclement weather as a reason to break up the party, perhaps Lyssa, Bet and I should take our leave of you as well.” Marisol smiled tightly. Goodbyes were said without incident and finally, when all of the the guests had disappeared through the wrought iron gate.

“Those two.” Squeak expelled his breath in a sigh.

“Aye.” Lianne agreed.

“You two are braver than I am. I’d be afraid to have dinner with Lady Henry and the baroness in the baron’s dining hall.” Severus said.

“Why so?” Squeak asked, sounding honestly puzzled.

“The baron has all those weapons and suits of armor in there. I’d be too afraid that they’d pull something off the wall, suit up and use them on each other.” Lianne offered a polite twitter of laughter that paled next to Squeaks heartier guffaw.

“Well, it’s probably a good thing that Caroline is intended for Leo then.” Squeak said. “And  that I don’t see the baron or baroness pursuing the idea of the Fitz-Chivalry’s Edmund for Elizabet.”

“Yeah, that’d be a bad idea.” Severus seconded as Vivianne sat down at the table next to him, her face as blank as a just washed slate. “I don’t think that Edmund could handle a girl like Elizabet. I’m not sure there is a man who can handle a girl like Elizabet.”

“What, you’re not up to the task?” Charlie asked, sitting down himself to finish the rest of his plate. Something, again, passed over Severus’ face. It was so peculiar how she could read almost any courtier with consummate ease, but her own children were often completely incomprehensible to her.

“Nope. After all, our mama only raised one fool, and that’s you.”