Not "nerve," she corrected herself. Gall.
The thought helped, and she smiled more naturally as she and Alfred stepped out under the portico with Howard Clinkscales to greet their guests. Miranda and Farragut flanked them on Allisons right, and James MacGuiness, in the civilian clothing hed worn since returning to Grayson, followed on Alfreds left. At Benjamin IXs personal request, the RMN had granted the steward indefinite leave in order for him to serve as Harrington Houses majordomo, and his eyes swept back and forth almost as attentively as the watching armsmens, searching for any imperfection.
They found none. The green-uniformed men on either side of the doorway stood rigidly to attention, gazes fixed straight ahead, as the ground car slid to a halt. The counter-grav ground effect died, and gravel crunched as the car settled. Then the front passenger door opened, and an athletic major in maroon and gold, with the braided aigulette of Palace Security hanging from his right shoulder, climbed out it.
The Mayhew armsman stood scanning his surroundings while he listened to reports over his earbug. Grav sleds swept through the portal and grounded, and a dozen more men in the same colors joined the major to form an alert, open ring about the car. Then he nodded, and a sergeant opened a rear door and snapped to the salute as Benjamin IX stepped out of it past him.
The Protector waved as Allison, Alfred, and Clinkscales came down the steps to greet him, then turned and handed Katherine Mayhew, his senior wife, from the car. Allison and Katherine had met briefly on several occasions during the days before Honors funeral, but the demands of protocol and solemnity had kept them from truly getting to know one another. Nonetheless, Allison had sensed a kindred spirit in Katherine, even through the unrelenting formality of those dreary days, and this was one case in which it probably helped that she hadnt been born to an aristocratic tradition. She understood how such traditions worked, and shed come to respect themmostlybut they werent really a part of her cultural baggage. That left her less impressed with Katherine Mayhews rank than she might have been, and she looked forward to becoming better acquainted with the other woman despite her exalted position, for she suspected they were too much alike not to become friends. They were also very much of a sizewhich was to say "tiny"and the First Lady of Grayson held out her hand with a smile as Allison swept down on her.
"Good afternoon, Madam Mayhew," Allison said formally, and Katherine shook her head.
"I would really prefer Katherine, or even Cat, " she said. "Madam Mayhew sounds much too formal coming from a Harrington."
"I see... Katherine," Allison murmured, and Katherine squeezed her hand and turned to greet Alfred as Benjamin assisted his second wife, Elaine, from the car. Elaine was the shy one, Allison remembered, although the Protectors junior wife seemed to have gained considerably in composure compared to the almost timid person Honor had described from their first meeting, and Allison greeted her warmly.
"Thank you for inviting us," Elaine replied, smiling as she watched Alfred bend over Katherines hand as gallantly as any Grayson might have. "Its not often we get out for anything except formal occasions."
"This isnt formal? " Allison demanded, flicking her free hand at all the punctilious military courtesy and firepower conspicuously displayed about them.
"Oh, goodness no!" Elaine laughed. "With the entire familyexcept for Michael, of courseall out in the open in one place? This is the lightest security Ive seen in, oh, ages! "
Allison was certain for a moment that her leg was being pulled, but then she looked back at the major and realized Elaine was dead serious. The major was too well trained to be obvious, but he was clearly unhappy about his charges potential exposure, and Allison hid a wince of sympathy as he almost visibly swallowed a need to urge the Protector and his wives to get themselves inside Harrington House and under cover. Unfortunately for the major, Benjamin was in no hurry, and Allison chuckled as a torrent of Mayhew offspring poured out of the car on Elaines heels.
Actually, there were only four of them; they merely seemed like a torrent, and individual armsmen peeled off to attach themselves to each child with the ease of long practice. It seemed dreadfully unfair for children that young to already be burdened with their own permanent, personal bodyguards, but Allison supposed theyd better start getting used to the fanatical way Graysons guarded their steadholders and protectors early. And truth to tell, their armsmens presence certainly didnt seem to have stunted the Mayhew broods boisterous development.
The sturdy eleven-year-old in the lead favored Katherine strongly, although she was already as tall as her mother and promised to go right on growing. Rachel Mayhew had been the terror of the palace nursery in her day, and she seemed to be fighting a stubborn rearguard action against the encroachments of civilization. From a few amused comments Clinkscales had let drop, Allison suspected Honor had been a major influence on the taste Rachel had developed for "unladylike" athletics. She was already training as a pilot, as well, and carried a very respectable grade-point average, but her tastes ran to the engineering and hard science courses which had been traditionally male on Grayson. Even worse, in conservative eyes, perhaps, she already held a brown belt in coup de vitesse.
The old-fashioned term "tomboy" came to mind every time Allison laid eyes on the girlwho was more likely to be cheerfully engaged in taking an air cars grav generators apart to see how they worked than in learning to dance, giggle over the opposite sex, or any of the other things she "ought" to be doing. At the moment, one of her hair ribbons had come untied, and shed managed to get a smear of dirt on her cheek. Which, Allison reflected, must have taken some doing, since the ground car had brought her and her family straight here from the shuttle pad. Funny. I thought Honor was the only child who could teleport dirt into otherwise sterile environments!
Jeanette and Theresaten and nine and the biological daughters of Elaine and Katherine, respectivelyfollowed just a bit more sedately. Jeanette had the same dark eyes as Rachel, but her hair was a bright chestnut, whereas Theresas resemblance to their oldest sister was almost eerie. Except that Theresa was neat as a new pin and obviously hadnt made the acquaintance of Rachels secret dirt patch.
And finally, Benjamin reached back into the car and lifted out his youngest daughter. The baby of the familyfor the moment; that status tended to be transitory in families the size people were raising on Grayson these daysshe was only four years old and clearly another of Elaines. She was tall for her age, with hair much the same auburn as Miranda LaFollets, and huge sea-gray eyes, and a promise of elegant beauty already showed through her immature childs bone structure. She buried her face shyly against her father when she saw all the strangers, but then she straightened up and demanded to be put down. Benjamin complied, and she reached out and grabbed one of Katherines hands tightly while she stared curiously at Allison.
"Our youngest," Katherine said quietly, touching the childs curly mop of hair with her free hand. "Your daughters goddaughter."
Allison had known who the little girl was, but her eyes misted for just a moment anyway. She stooped gracefully, making herself the same height as the child, cleared her throat, and held out her own hand.
"My name is Allison," she said. "Whats your name?"
The girl looked gravely at the offered hand for several seconds, then back at Allisons face.