Page 16
“Just what? You’ve now made me extremely curious.”
“Well, he’s one of the quiet ones, I suppose you could say. Filthy rich, apparently. But nobody really knows much about him, how he made his fortune, where the Drakes actually came from, whether any of those ridiculous old family stories are true...”
“Married? Wait.” Maelin snorted. “Most probably single or Aunt Varelle wouldn’t have invited him.”
“Single as far as I know. But honestly, he is one of those gentlemen about whom almost nothing is public. He comes and goes as he pleases, I’ve heard it said. If he actually does anything...like run a company or something? I’ve never heard of it.”
“Probably some ugly old toad,” sighed Maelin. “Decided that a ball in Theryn House would be his one trip out this year.”
“It wouldn’t surprise me,” shrugged Alla. “Anyway, there will be more than enough single gentlemen there, Mae. Your problem isn’t going to be selecting one, it’s going to be avoiding all of ‘em. You, my darling friend, are a most appealing catch. So I’m glad I’ll be there helping you avoid the sharpest fishhooks and judging the effectiveness of the bait.”
Maelin nearly howled with laughter. “Go away, you terrible woman. I have to go and pretend to be useful. Don’t forget you’re coming early tonight. I’m relying on you to keep me sane.”
“A sad state of affairs indeed. But yes, I have to go. Practice time.”
“Practice? What practice?”
“Later darling.”
And she was gone.
“Well. That was fun and somewhat annoying.” Maelin pushed the paperwork aside on her desk and sighed. Scarcely more than a week had passed since she’d been in the quiet and tranquil atmosphere of the Tidehold Conservatory.
Now here she was, up to her eyeballs in preparations for a ball, and plotting a way to avoid the more obvious matrimonial ambitions of an aunt she barely knew. It was all very confusing.
“Now then, missy,” the affectionate voice of her tickerkin made her lift her head and grin.
“Inky. What do you have there?” She stared at the quietly lovely flat box Inky carried carefully within five of her eight tentacles.
“Something from your mama, Miss Mae. It’s been in safekeeping for many years, just waiting for the right occasion. And tonight is it.”
“How do you...” Maelin shook her head. Inky was a multifaceted entity with eight arms and about a thousand secrets. Clearly this was one of them.
“Come look.” Inky set the box down on a small side table. “Go on. Open it...”
Carefully, Maelin touched the worn clasp and the lid sprang upward. As it did so, she gasped. “Inky...”
A set of the most astoundingly beautiful pearls lay in concentric circles in a nest of deep blue velvet. Instead of the usual pale cream or white, though, these were a light silver grey, and as Maelin carefully picked them up, she saw shades of blue reflected in their glow.
“How...magnificent,” she whispered. “Three rows of them, all identical. Unimaginable...”
“Your Mama loved these,” said Inky quietly. “She always hoped to see them on her daughter. I knew when she left us that I needed to keep them safe. I’m glad I did because on you? They will look spectacular, and she would have been so very proud.”
Tears stung Maelin’s eyes and she put the pearls back onto the velvet, leaning down to hug her tickerkin. “I have don’t know what to say, Inky. This is...more than I could have ever imagined, ever hoped for...thank you just isn’t enough, but know my heart is full right at this moment. Full of emotions for which I have no words...”
“Wear them and make your Mama proud,” said Inky, her voice gruff. “That’s all I ask.”
“I will,” Maelin nodded. “I promise.”
*~~*~~*
The street outside Theryn House was anything but tranquil on this particular night, but Cyrus would have willingly wagered his best cravat that on an ordinary day it would be quiet, with perhaps one or two old fashioned aethercoaches gliding up and down, barely disturbing the elegant serenity offered by extraordinarily expensive houses built with such careful style. Each was different, all were clearly designed for the Crownborne, and the money involved? It could easily have purchased a third of the buildings in Gloamtide and updated the other two thirds.
He sighed. This was Caelemar, he acknowledged to himself. There was an established order, and there wasn’t a chance in Hellforge of changing it.
Theryn House itself was fully illuminated, of course, reminding guests how important and impressive the Theryn lineage was, and on a more practical note, how much money they had to waste on at least a hundred lighted candles surrounding the entrance, great buckets overflowing with flowers, and four footmen either side of the steps awaiting the chance to welcome guests.
And check their invitations as well, since Heaven forbid an uninvited person of some lower social class tried to get in.
