AfterTheMeetingGiulianAndRomeoRomeo crossed to Giulian. "You have someplace we can speak?" he asked. "Here should be good enough, once everyone else has left," Giulian replied with a slight lift of the eyebrows. "We won't be disturbed." Romeo watched the other two men leave and poured himself his first drink of the evening. "Care for one?" he offered. "A glass of the merlot, if you'd be so kind," responded Giulian. Romeo handed Giulian the drink with a small smile. "I wanted to speak to you about Renalda," the Acciaio began with a bit of lawyers' bravado, sounding more confident than his case made him. "One supposes you've heard that I made a visit to see her recently," he prefaced. "If not, I've been made aware that your father is." "Renalda told me about it herself, just this afternoon in fact," said Giulian. "If you hadn't asked to speak to me, I would have asked you." Romeo didn't seem surprised at that. "I'm concerned that Renalda isn't suffering for my mistake." Giulian's eyes narrowed slightly. "No more," he said dryly, "than is appropriate for a young lady crossed in love." "Crossed seems a bit harsh, Jules," he answered. "I was referring to my visiting her and your father's concern over it." "So was I," said Giulian. "Apparently she's been given a tremendous scold and forbidden to see you until she's eighteen. That's crossed enough, I think, for a girl Renalda's age. Oh, and your letter was intercepted, I'm afraid." "I assumed as much, with the letter that is." Romeo frowned at the idea of not seeing her for several years. "Did she give you the idea that I've dealt less than honestly with her?" "She didn't seem to think so," said Giulian, regarding Romeo over the rim of his wineglass. "Father didn't mention the ban on our associating. If it's chaperoned, do you think there would be exceptions?" Giulian canted an eyebrow. "What sort of 'exceptions' did you have in mind?" "Well, your father seemed to give the impression that he wasn't against a union between our houses," Romeo explained. "I thought we might... well... court, chaperoned and all." "Is that what you want?" Giulian asked. "I'm truly not sure," Romeo answered. "Isn't that what courting is all about?" "It is ... but judging purely from what Renalda told me, you seemed considerably more sure of things the other night," Giulian commented. "I'm sure that she's intriguing," Romeo answered. "That from what I saw in a dance class and a late night tiddly winks game, she's everything I could hope my parents find for me in a wife, but..." he spread his hands expansively. "I'd like to really get to know her, and let her get to know something more than my reputation." "That seems sensible," said Giulian, his expression relaxing a trifle. "For what it's worth, I'm willing to do what I can to further that particular goal." The young Acciaio smiled and offered the Anderon heir a hand in friendship, "I can't ask for anything more, Jules. My thanks, truly. "I had thought to bring her a note, but my day's been... busy..." "Considering what happened to the last one, that may be just as well," said Giulian. "In any case, I should give you this." He reached into an inner pocket and brought out a folded letter, which he held out to Romeo. Romeo accepted the letter and placed it immediately in a pocket. "I'm not questioning you, not really, but I wonder if I had answered any different if I'd still be receiving this." Giulian arched an eyebrow at him. "You have a sister ... what do you think?" "I think we understand each other wonderfully," Romeo smiled. "I should find Byeroth before he does something impulsive." "He and Talaren should be in the study," Giulian told him. "Out this door and down the hall a little way on your right." "My best wishes to all your family, Giulian." "And the same to yours," Giulian replied. |
