Doom of the Darksword - Margaret Weis [85]
“Thank you, sir,” Gwen murmured. Snatching her own hand back as though it had been burned, she rose hurriedly back into the air.
Gravely, Joram stood up and handed the flowers to her — all except the tulip.
“With your permission, my lady,” he said in a voice that was, to Gwen’s fluttered mind, as dark as his eyes, “I will keep this, a memento of our meeting.”
Did he know who the tulip was? Gwen could say nothing, but muttered something incoherent about being “flattered” as she watched the young man take the tulip, smooth its petals with his hand (such an extraordinary hand, Gwen caught herself noticing, strong and calloused, yet with long, delicate fingers), and then slip the tulip into a pocket beneath his cloak.
Half convinced that she had heard a strangled squeak of outrage before the tulip was extinguished by the smothering fabric, she found herself wondering what it would be like to be pressed against the breast of the young man. Gwen blushed feverishly and turned away. She remembered the passes to City Above only when the Kan-Hanar actually laid them in her hand, and forced herself to concentrate on what the man was saying.
“You will not need a pass, of course, Father Dunstable, since you have dispensation to visit the Cathedral. The restrictions do not apply to you, either. You may go there whenever you like, and you will, I am certain, be desirous of making your presence known to your Order as soon as possible.”
A delicate hint for the catalyst to report to the Cathedral at once.
Saryon bowed humbly. “May the Almin give you a good day, Archmagus,” he said.
“And you, Father Dunstable,” the Kan-Hanar replied. His gaze flicked over Joram and Mosiah as if they did not exist and he hurried out of the hexagonal tower room to interview the next in line.
Fortunately for Gwen, she was captured by her cousins the moment she left the guard tower. This helped her put disquieting thoughts of the dark young man firmly out of her mind — though her heart seemed to beat in time with his footsteps that she could hear so clearly behind her.
“If — if you will excuse me, Father Dunstable,” Gwen said, turning to the catalyst and ignoring his young companions, “I have to tell — explain … all this … to my cousins. If you would like to refresh yourselves, the cafe over there is quite nice. I’ll only be a moment.”
Without stopping to wait for an answer, Gwen hurried away, dragging the excited cousins with her.
“What will your mother say?” gasped Lilian when she had heard as much of Gwen’s story as Gwen felt capable of telling.
“My heavens! What will Mama say?” Gwen had never considered that. To suddenly float in the door with houseguests! And of such an unusual nature!
Lilian and Majorie were hastily dispatched to City Above with news that the renowned Simkin was going to honor the Samuelses with his presence. Gwen hoped fervently that news of his arrest and subsequent disappearing act had not reached her parent’s ears.
Then, in order to give Lady Rosamund time to have the guest rooms opened and aired, the cook informed, and a servant sent to apprise Lord Samuels of the honor in store for him, Gwen returned to the cafe and offered to show her guests the wonders of the city.
Although the catalyst appeared reluctant, the young men agreed with an eagerness Gwendolyn found quite charming. Obviously this was their first trip to Merilon, and Gwen discovered she was looking forward to showing it off. Floating up into the air, she waited, expecting them to join her. They did not, however, and — glancing down — she was astonished to see them looking at each other in some confusion. It instantly occurred to her that they had been walking everywhere and she wondered why. Of course! They must be tired from their journey, too tired to expend their energy in magic….
“I’ll hire a carriage,” she offered before any of them could say a word. Waving a white hand, she motioned to a gilded blue eggshell drawn by a team of robins. It flew over to them, and they each climbed in, Gwen finding — to her embarrassment — that