The Wyvern's Spur - Kate Novak [98]
"Of course," Giogi agreed. "I was going there later, anyway. But I thought Julia was handling the arrangements for the memorial service."
"She was, but she twisted her ankle while walking in the ice last night, so she's out of commission. Aunt Dorath was beside herself, claiming how the curse had found another victim."
"That must have put her in a foul mood. Julia, I mean."
Gaylyn laughed. "Silly boy. It's been the luckiest break she's had all year. There's nothing like an ankle injury. No one can say you're malingering, because its so gruesome-looking, but you can cover it up with your petticoat and still look marvelous for all the suitors who come to wait on you hand and foot."
"Julia has suitors?" Giogi asked with mild surprise.
"Well, only one, but that's all she wants. She's in heaven right now. Sudacar couldn't have found a better excuse to fuss over her unless she'd been kidnapped by a dragon."
"Samtavan Sudacar is Julia's suitor?" Giogi asked, astonished.
"Who else? Sudacar is so commanding. Of course, Steele isn't keen on it, because Sudacar doesn't come from forty generations of nobility and isn't rich. Just between you and me-I shouldn't be saying this to outsiders," she whispered to Olive and Cat, "but Steele is acting like an old poop. He just wants to keep Julia under his thumb, because he'll never get a nice girl to do things for him if he doesn't sweeten himself up."
She has Steele's number, all right, Olive thought.
Giogi tried to imagine Sudacar fussing over Julia, and Julia being pleased about it. No one has that much imagination, he thought and shook his head. "Gaylyn, I'm afraid we've really come on business," he said.
"I know," Gaylyn said with a sigh. "I was just pretending otherwise. I know it's awful about the spur and Uncle Drone, but it's hard for me to be gloomy, what with Amberlee and all. Uncle Drone wouldn't mind. You know, right after Uncle Drone died, I dreamt of his spirit while I was sleeping with little Amberlee lying beside me. In my dream, Uncle Drone appeared by my bed and bent over the baby. He tickled her under her chin and made funny faces at her. Then he disappeared. I know it was his spirit, because he was dead by then, but not even being dead stopped him from playing with his new niece."
Olive smiled at the young woman's fanciful notion.
"That sounds like Uncle Drone's spirit," Giogi agreed. "Gaylyn, we need to look over things in Uncle Drone's lab. I was hoping he might have written something in his journal about the theft of the spur. We'll be looking through his magic, too, in case there's something there we can use."
"Oh, dear. It's a good idea, but Aunt Dorath has forbidden it. Steele wanted to do it yesterday. She told him it was too dangerous and sent him off on other duties. She's probably right, you know."
"Yes. That's why I brought Mistress Cat and Mistress Olive along as advisors."
"Well, in that case." Gaylyn stopped for a moment, tilting her head like a child considering some mischief. "You might want to sneak up the back stairs, so you don't disturb Aunt Dorath in the nursery. I kept a catalog for Drone. It's a lovely pink book with pressed flowers on the cover, and it's on his desk."
"You cataloged his magic?" Cat asked. "Have you studied magic?"
"Oh, no," Gaylyn said, laughing again. "My father was a sage, though. I used to catalog all his things for him. When I helped Uncle Drone, he was always around to keep me from anything chancv. You will be careful, won't you, Mistress Cat?"
Cat nodded.
"You know, you really are much prettier than your relative," Gaylyn complimented the mage. "I like the way you've done your hair."
Cat flushed and bowed her head.
"We should get started;" Giogi muttered, obviously annoyed with Gaylyn's admiration of the mage.
Apparently, Olive realized, it's going to be a long time before he forgives Cat for suggesting he would abandon her.
They took their leave of Gaylyn and left the parlor. Giogi led them through a maze of hallways and stairways. They headed in every conceivable direction,