“And that’s it, then?” he asked.
“Willem, you just said you loved me.” There was a pause during which Willem might have nodded. “Loved me. Past tense.”
“No, Halina,” Willem whined. “I love you. I love you in the present tense.”
“Then why won’t you marry me?” she asked and Marek was relieved that she’d finally come to the point.
“I will,” the Cormyrean replied.
“Why?” she asked. “And when?”
“Halina,” said Willem, “I will marry you now, this precise moment, if that’s what you wish.”
“What do you wish?” she pressed him.
“I want you,” he said. “I want you now, and forever. If I. have you, maybe I won’t have to drink to keep from shaking. If I had you to come home to at the end of the day, I would come home. If I knew that you loved me and would love me forever, I would never again ki”
He stopped short, and Marek held his breath. Was he going to say “kill”?
“Willem?” Halina said.
“I love you,” he replied. “I love you with my whole heart. I’m only happy when I’m with you. I’m a better man, with a brighter future. I smile only when I am with you.”
“Willem…”
“Forgive me,” he said, his voice low and quiet. “Halina, please forgive me for everything I’ve done and will ever do. Forgive me, and love me, and save me.”
“Save you?” she asked.
“Save us both,” he begged.
“And my uncle?” she asked.
Marek’s ears perked up at that, of course.
“What of him?” Willem answered, and his voice was so dismissive, Marek’s blood almost began to boil.
“If he doesn’t approve?” she asked.
“We don’t need his approval,” Willem said, though Marek thought quite differently. “I am a senator, and you are a grown woman. We can do as we please.”
“At the risk of an ally as powerful and important to you as my uncle?”
Ah, Marek thought, good question, girl.
“I don’t know that your uncle is an ally of mine as it is, Halina,” Willem saida point that Marek found surprisingly perceptive. “He is friends with several of my friends, and more than one of my patrons. I don’t think he’ll risk those relationships to stop ours.”
And there you are entirely wrong, my dear boy, Marek thought. Should I decide to, I will grind you into gravel.
“Marry me today,” he said.
“That can’t be possible, Willem,” she replied.
“Tomorrow then.”
Marek smiled again at Willem’s eagerness and thought, So much a boy still, this one. “Tomorrow,” she said. “Yes?”
“Yes, Willem,” Halina replied. “I love you,” he told her. “I love you too,” she said. Marek rolled his eyes. “Come with me now,” Willem said. “I can’t,” replied Halina. “I’ll need to speak with the ‘ sisters.”
“If I come tomorrow to collect you…?”
“I’ll be ready,” she said.
“Tomorrow, then,” he said.
“Tomorrow, my love,” she replied.
There were more sounds of shuffling feet, then the unmistakable echo of a kiss, and Marek cut the spell off with a scoffing grunt. The sound drew the further attention of the sisters, and he smiled and nodded at a few of them before rising and crossing to the door out of the temple of Chauntea. He left laughing.
47
19 Alturiak, the Yearof the Shield (1367DR) Second Quarter, Innarlith
He couldn’t remember buying most of the clothes in his closet. They all looked the same, and none of them looked good. People often complimented him on his taste in clothing, on the cut and material, and so on, but looking at the contents of his closet, he couldn’t believe that. He didn’t let himself think about what he’d spentthousands of gold pieceson those pointless rags.
“Really, my dear,” his mother said. “Whatever are you doing?”
He ignored her. He didn’t have much time, and accommodations had to be made.
“You can at least answer me,” she pressed. “Willem?”
He stood back and looked at the closet. It wasn’t quite half empty, but it would have to do.
“Just like that, then?” his mother went on. “And you refuse even to discuss it? We aren’t a family anymore. Is that it? I’m no longer welcome here? My opinion is of no consequence to you? You have no care at all for”
“Please, Mother,” Willem finally said.
“Did I raise you to interrupt people?” she asked, her eyebrows arched, and the eyes underneath them cold and angry.
“I’m sorry, Mother,” said Willem, “but I am a grown man, and I have to ask you to respect”
“Your mother,” Phyrea said. Willem jumped, his heart skipping a beat, and Thurene gasped. “You should respect your mother, Willem dear.”
“My goodness,” Thurene gasped, a hand on her chest.
“Phyrea?” Willem asked. “What are you doing here?”
“Well,” Thurene cut in, “I for one am delighted to see you, Phyrea dear. I’m sure you’ll be able to talk some sense into my lovesick son.”
“Lovesick?” the master builder’s daughter teased, winking at Willem and leaning against the doorjamb. “Do tell, Senator.”
“It’s that Thayan girl,” Thurene sneered.
Phyrea glanced off to one side as though she’d heard a sound from somewhere downstairs. The gesture made the hair on the back of Willem’s neck stand on end.
“Is something wrong?” he asked.
Phyrea tried to smile, and she shook her head, but still it appeared as though she heard someone downstairs.
“Is someone with you?” asked Willem.
“No,” she answered, but he didn’t believe her. When she said, “Of course not,” she seemed sincere.
“Don’t be silly, my dear,” his mother said. She seemed confused by the whole exchangeand truth be told, so was Willem. “Now, Phyrea, please help me convince my son that he’s opening his home, his life, and his family, to the wrong young woman.”
Phyrea smiled and said, “Willem, you’re opening your home, your life, and your family, to the wrong woman.”
Willem rubbed his eyes and sighed.
“Besides,” Phyrea added, “we both know you’re going to marry me.”
Thurene gasped again, and Willem’s blood ran cold.
“I need to sit down,” he said, but didn’t sit down.
“My stars!” his mother exclaimed, again with her hand on her chest.
“Halina is waiting…” Willem started.
“She’ll get over it,” Phyrea said, then she looked back behind her again and sort of shook her head.
“Someone’s down there,” said Willem, crossing to the door.
Phyrea held out a hand to stop him, and they ended up in an uncomfortable embrace.
“Did you hear something?” Thurene asked.
“Hello?” Willem called down the stairs. “Is someone there?”
Phyrea stood with her eyes closed and her head down while Willem listened for a response, or any sound at all. There was nothing. When he relaxed Phyrea sighed and pressed herself into him. All he wanted was to hold her, to touch her, and for a moment he forgot that his mother was a pace and a half behind him.
“Come with me,” Phyrea whispered in his ear, her breath hot on the side of his face.
She took him by the hand and started to lead him into the hall and to the stairs.
“Should I come with you, my dear?” Thurene asked.
“No,” Phyrea told her.
“Oh…” his mother breathed. “Well, I… I’ll wait for you here, then. Willem?”
Willem couldn’t look back at his mother. All he could see was Phyrea. Her perfect beauty eclipsed everything.
“Don’t worry, Madam Korvan,” Phyrea said. “I’ll take him from here.”
His mother was left at the top of the stairs, blustering and confused.
Phyrea led him out of his house. A coach waited in the street, and she all but pushed him into it. Phyrea rapped on the wall of the coach, and the driver whipped the horses out into traffic. Willem brushed his fingers through his hair and was surprised that it was wet.
“It’s raining,” he muttered, not having noticed before.
Phyrea nodded and leaned in toward him. Her lips met his, and he drank her in. Her hands were on the side of his face, and he put his on her shoulders. When he moved them down to her breasts she didn’t flinch or pull away.