Read Online Crystal Flame by Jayne Ann Krentz - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jayne Ann Krentz
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with Arrisa and her friends?"
"Arrisa was kind enough to invite me when I ran into her on Weavers Street this morning."
"I don't think you realize exactly what sort of evening you might be letting yourself in for," Ridge began with the familiar arrogance of a male who is about to straighten out a sadly naive female. "Arrisa and her friends are not the sort of acquaintances you would wish to encourage."
"Why not?"
"Well, several of them have been trade wives in the past or have accompanied the caravans in, uh, certain capacities. All of them have a reputation for rather loose behavior."
Kalena smiled brightly. "But I am going to be a trade wife myself. These are the sort of women whom I shall be associating with in the future. I should get to know their ways; be accepted among them."
Ridge's mouth tightened. "Your aunt is a respectable Healer. I am sure she would not approve of your plans for tomorrow evening."
Kalena managed to resist pointing out that her aunt was the one who had contracted for the trade marriage in the first place. "I expect you're right. My aunt has extremely restrictive notions," Kalena allowed diplomatically.
"Not half as restrictive as a husband's notions." Ridge clattered his goblet warningly as he set it down on the table.
Kalena chose to ignore the gesture. "I haven't got a husband. Not yet," she said softly.
"Two nights from now that particular detail will be corrected," Ridge informed her meaningfully. "In the meantime you will behave yourself in a proper manner."
"I will behave myself in a proper trade wife manner," Kalena agreed politely. "But since I don't yet know exactly how trade wives behave, I shall first have to learn something about the subject, won't I?"
"Not from Arrisa and her friends," Ridge said coldly.
Aware of Quintel's amused attention, Kalena decided to drop her end of the argument. She had no need to quarrel over the matter. She fully intended to join Arrisa and her friends the following evening and nothing Ridge could do would change that. She would gain nothing by making a spectacle of herself at the trade baron's table. Meekly, Kalena went back to her columa berries.
They weren't quite as good as the ones she was accustomed to getting back in Interlock, she decided.
Ridge watched her broodingly for a short time and then apparently decided he had successfully handled the situation. He appeared relieved, and proud of his first attempt at exercising husbandly responsibility.
"Did you remember to buy riding clothes?"
"Yes, Ridge. I remembered the riding garments. The shopkeeper said they would be ready tomorrow afternoon."
"Boots?"
"I ordered boots. They'll be delivered tomorrow also." He nodded, satisfied. "I'll take care of everything else." "I assumed you would."
He ignored that, turning to Quintel. "We'll leave at dawn the morning after the wedding. There's no reason to delay any longer."
"I quite agree," Quintel said. He took a small bite of the meat and vegetable mixture on his plate. Quintel ate sparingly at all meals. "Tell me, Kalena, did your aunt encourage you to train as a Healer?"
Kalena shook her head, knowing that the art of Healer was the last path down which Olara would have sent her. Such a calling would have made the goal for which Kalena had been raised impossible. Healers found it impossible to kill except in self-defense. Furthermore, Olara had always told Kalena in no uncertain terms that she saw no evidence of the Talent in her niece, anyway. That fact had always made Kalena strangely sad. She would have liked very much to have been born with the Talent. But it was unlikely Olara was wrong in her opinion on Kalena's lack of ability. Olara was a very gifted Healer.
Some said she could have been a High Healer if she had chosen to join the women of the Variance valley. She was almost never wrong. "No. My aunt had other ambitions for me."
"I see. Does your aunt think you might have inherited some of her Talent?"
Kalena looked at him,
"Arrisa was kind enough to invite me when I ran into her on Weavers Street this morning."
"I don't think you realize exactly what sort of evening you might be letting yourself in for," Ridge began with the familiar arrogance of a male who is about to straighten out a sadly naive female. "Arrisa and her friends are not the sort of acquaintances you would wish to encourage."
"Why not?"
"Well, several of them have been trade wives in the past or have accompanied the caravans in, uh, certain capacities. All of them have a reputation for rather loose behavior."
Kalena smiled brightly. "But I am going to be a trade wife myself. These are the sort of women whom I shall be associating with in the future. I should get to know their ways; be accepted among them."
Ridge's mouth tightened. "Your aunt is a respectable Healer. I am sure she would not approve of your plans for tomorrow evening."
Kalena managed to resist pointing out that her aunt was the one who had contracted for the trade marriage in the first place. "I expect you're right. My aunt has extremely restrictive notions," Kalena allowed diplomatically.
"Not half as restrictive as a husband's notions." Ridge clattered his goblet warningly as he set it down on the table.
Kalena chose to ignore the gesture. "I haven't got a husband. Not yet," she said softly.
"Two nights from now that particular detail will be corrected," Ridge informed her meaningfully. "In the meantime you will behave yourself in a proper manner."
"I will behave myself in a proper trade wife manner," Kalena agreed politely. "But since I don't yet know exactly how trade wives behave, I shall first have to learn something about the subject, won't I?"
"Not from Arrisa and her friends," Ridge said coldly.
Aware of Quintel's amused attention, Kalena decided to drop her end of the argument. She had no need to quarrel over the matter. She fully intended to join Arrisa and her friends the following evening and nothing Ridge could do would change that. She would gain nothing by making a spectacle of herself at the trade baron's table. Meekly, Kalena went back to her columa berries.
They weren't quite as good as the ones she was accustomed to getting back in Interlock, she decided.
Ridge watched her broodingly for a short time and then apparently decided he had successfully handled the situation. He appeared relieved, and proud of his first attempt at exercising husbandly responsibility.
"Did you remember to buy riding clothes?"
"Yes, Ridge. I remembered the riding garments. The shopkeeper said they would be ready tomorrow afternoon."
"Boots?"
"I ordered boots. They'll be delivered tomorrow also." He nodded, satisfied. "I'll take care of everything else." "I assumed you would."
He ignored that, turning to Quintel. "We'll leave at dawn the morning after the wedding. There's no reason to delay any longer."
"I quite agree," Quintel said. He took a small bite of the meat and vegetable mixture on his plate. Quintel ate sparingly at all meals. "Tell me, Kalena, did your aunt encourage you to train as a Healer?"
Kalena shook her head, knowing that the art of Healer was the last path down which Olara would have sent her. Such a calling would have made the goal for which Kalena had been raised impossible. Healers found it impossible to kill except in self-defense. Furthermore, Olara had always told Kalena in no uncertain terms that she saw no evidence of the Talent in her niece, anyway. That fact had always made Kalena strangely sad. She would have liked very much to have been born with the Talent. But it was unlikely Olara was wrong in her opinion on Kalena's lack of ability. Olara was a very gifted Healer.
Some said she could have been a High Healer if she had chosen to join the women of the Variance valley. She was almost never wrong. "No. My aunt had other ambitions for me."
"I see. Does your aunt think you might have inherited some of her Talent?"
Kalena looked at him,
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