GiulianAndRenaldaCastingTheNet"I baked a ginger cake for tea," said Renalda, bearing this offering into Giulian's study. "For my kind brother. My kind, message-delivering brother." Giulian looked up from his desk, where he had been working on some notes, and gave his sister an indulgent smile. She set the cake down with a flourish on the table near the fire. "I asked Peterson to bring tea. I thought we could have tea together while you told me everything that Romeo said to you when you gave him my letter!" "He said," Giulian informed her, "that he wants to court you -- properly, this time." Renalda's face lit up. "Really?" she demanded eagerly. "He said that? Ohhhhhh...." Overcome with her feelings, she sprang up and turned a few circles in elegant waltz time. "Isn't he wonderful? Isn't he handsome? Oh Giulian..." She hurried back to kneel by his chair. "What did he say about me? Did he give you a note for me too?" "He couldn't very well," Giulian temporized. "It was at the end of our meeting, and Devon was waiting on him." "Devon?" echoed Renalda. "Oh -- isn't he that scrawny boy who was seeing Jovanna? What a bore he is -- dragging my Romeo away!" She slowed, as though recalling something, and sank down again in the chair to look at her brother more gravely. "Is there any word about Jovanna? Have you been able to find anything out?" "Not very much, yet," Giulian answered soberly. "We're meeting again tomorrow night to share what we have found." Renalda nodded solemnly. "I wish ... there was something I could do to help," she said wistfully. "If only people wouldn't treat me as though I was a little girl!" "It isn't only that," said Giulian. "We still don't know what happened to Jo, or whether we might be putting ourselves in danger by looking for her. If we are, I don't want to be dragging you into it too. We -- the experimenters, that is -- at least we had some training before we went into the lower city." He looked thoughtful. "Though there might be a way you could help, at that, Nalda." Her face lit up. "Really, Jules? Tell me!" Talaren had said there were many ways of coming at this investigation. "You can keep your ears open at school. No," and he grinned, "I'm not telling you you should listen to your teachers, though I'm sure that wouldn't hurt. I'm talking about your classmates, girls from all the noble houses and gentry on Aquila. It has to be a hotbed of gossip. Am I right?" "We do not gossip!" his sister said indignantly. Then she gave her wickedest giggle. "Well ... perhaps. A little. Around the edges." She seemed to be thinking of something and frowned for a moment before looking up at him. "What do you think I should be listening out for?" Giulian thought for a moment. "I'm not sure. You'll have to use your judgment. Some things are obvious -- any mention of Jo herself, for instance, anything said about her. And..." He thought again, then said slowly, "Anything that would suggest ... families taking extra care, setting up extra safeguards on their children. And ... well, anything unusual. Anything that doesn't sound like the sort of thing you usually hear." He made a rather helpless gesture. "I know that's pretty vague. But I'm casting the net as wide as I can." "Oh," said Renalda. She was clearly a little disappointed -- and trying to mask it. Doubtless she had envisaged her big brother employing her in a rather more daring role... Giulian could guess at the thoughts going through his sister's head, and couldn't help sympathizing a bit, but all he said was, giving her a sidelong, speculative look: "I can't help wondering, now, if this is how Father got his start. He always manages to find things out about three beats ahead of everyone else." "I shall do my best," she promised. "Do you want more ginger cake?" "Not for me, thanks, Nalda. But don't let that stop you," Giulian said with a grin. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Renalda was seated in the window seat watching the Bahlmis carriage draw out through the gates. "Wasn't that kind of her?" she asked, without turning round. "To think of me for the fashion show! Do you think Father will let me do it?" "I don't know," Giulian said frankly. "It is for a good cause... and with all the injuries from the foundry fire, the hospital will need funds more than ever." "That's true," agreed Renalda. "But ... oh, Jules! I know it's for a good cause and everything ... but it's the thought of ... of being treated like an adult! Like someone who's properly out!" She slipped down from the window seat and walked across to hug him. "And then, perhaps, Father will change his mind about Romeo," she said wistfully. Giulian raised an eyebrow at her. "Romeo may not be the only gentleman to take an interest, once you've allowed yourself to be seen like that," he commented. "Seen like what, Jules?" Renalda asked innocently. "Onstage ... in front of an audience ... wearing fashionable, grown-up ladies' dresses," Giulian clarified. Renalda's eyes grew a little starry. "I know! Oh, Jules, What a very kind lady Vivien Greywood must be -- to want me!" It is possible her warm feelings towards the unknown Miss Greywood might have been shaken had she known of Romeo Acciaio's plans to dine with her. |
