Read Thornlost (Book 3) for Free Online Page B

impression, other than to make him grunt. Jez let it fall, then reached over and snagged Mieka by his collar, lifting him effortlessly a few inches off the ground.
    “Now, what was that you were trying to say, little brother? Something along the lines of ‘I’m sorry, Jez’ and ‘You’re always right, Jez’?”
    He barely had time to kick and flail a bit, as had been usual with this game since they were children, when Jez abruptly released him. He landed on his bum on the cobblestones, and glared up—way up—at his brother. “Is this any way to treat a famous Master Glisker who’s celebrated and praised the length and width of Albeyn?”
    But Jezael wasn’t looking at him. He was smiling in the direction of the house as he murmured, “I’ll finish you off later, Your Lordship.” Then, more loudly: “Time to put your husband to bed, I think—he’s falling-down drunk!”
    “I only fell down because you dropped me!” He scrambled to his feet and brushed himself off, then seized his wife around thewaist and kissed her. She resisted, so he kissed her harder. When she yielded, he relented, and hugged her. “You should’ve come with me to see the Silversuns off.”
    “I couldn’t. Oh, Mieka, I just couldn’t, not after what was said.” He racked his memory for some unseemliness, but she spared him the trouble by rushing on. “It’s just not done, to invite someone to a celebration so far from the city and then—and then someone implying we’ve not enough beds for them—”
    “Oh, that.” He shook his head. “Don’t anguish yourself about it, girl.”
    “But I so much wanted Lady Jaspiela to like us—”
    “Lady Jaspiela likes us fine. Would she have come today if she didn’t?”
    “But, Mieka—”
    “Enough.” He knew where this conversation was headed. She wanted Lady Jaspiela to like them enough to invite them to Redpebble Square, preferably when there were other highborns about. As if there were any fun to be had in a swarm of nobles—except to scandalize them. Still, because he knew it was important to her, he added, “While we’re at Trials, why don’t you visit at Wistly for a few days? You could go see Blye and Jed, and just happen to drop in on Lady Jaspiela, and—”
    “Without an invitation? It’s not done, Mieka, it just is not
done
!”
    Annoyed, he shrugged and let her go. “Just as you fancy. Let’s get some mulled ale going in the drawing room, shall we? The night’s gone chill.”

3

    G allantrybanks was a long drive from Hilldrop. A
very
long drive. The trip wouldn’t have been half so tedious if Derien had been awake. Circumspect and manners-minding as the brothers usually were around their mother, still there would have been interesting conversation. As it was, the boy slept in Mistress Mirdley’s lap, only his tousled dark hair visible amid the billowing counterpane. It fell therefore to Cade to make polite social mouthings from time to time.
    Kearney Fairwalk was no help. When it came to His Lordship, Lady Jaspiela swung between two extremes: respect for his ancient name and title, and total incomprehension of why he had chosen to amuse his noble self by managing a theater group. Depending on which attitude she exhibited at any given time, Kearney either obliged her with Court gossip or shut up completely. Tonight was one of the silent times. He had, after all, just delivered the wagon in which her elder son would be traipsing across Albeyn making an exhibition of himself. After apologizing for any discomfort she might experience on the drive back to Gallantrybanks, he subsided into the carriage’s farthest corner and to all appearances went to sleep.
    So, after a few miles, it was up to Cade to start a conversation. He expressed his appreciation that his mother had taken the trouble to come all this way for his Namingday party. She answered that it had indeed been tiring. A few minutes later he remarked on how nice Mieka’s neighbors seemed to be. She