[Continued from here]
The
next morning all went by in a bit of a blur. Beranwen rose just before dawn,
and was hustled around the house by Nereus, hassling the kitchens for food for
lunch, checking on the weather, carrying the packs to the stables, and eating a
hasty breakfast in between. Her family milled around her as she worked, full of
questions and jokes, insults and encouragement. Beranwen wasn't sure what she
told them, but as she led lord Quinton's horse out and round to the front of
the house, she thought she saw her father frowning unhappily.
She
left Quinton's horse with the doorman while she returned for her own mount. At
least she wasn't riding an unknown - ever since her father had taken the job
here, she had been out on most every horse in the stables, saving the two belonging
to their lordships. For today, she was being leant a chestnut mare that she had known as a foal. As she flung her pack over the saddle, she heard her father clear his
throat behind her.
"Pa."
"What
are you about, girl?"
Oh, of course. Beranwen
realised. Tuples don't like nobility.
That's what pa's cross about.
"Master
Nereus told me I'm to be an advisor for the day."
"I
heard that first time you said it. And you'll do it, because you're a good
girl, but don't start thinking it means anything. They'd pass you over
s..."
"Pass
me over soon as spit." Beranwen finished. "I know. But what else am I
supposed to do? I can't tell them no, can I?"
"You
don't have to enjoy it."
Beranwen
gave her father an odd look.
"Enjoy
it?"
"You
start having fun, you'll start thinking you're entitled to something. They'll
bust that dream out of you in a heartbeat."
"Pa!"
"Don't
work for nobles, Winnie. It never did anyone any good."
"We
work for nobles already."
"No.
We work for the horses. You work for the housekeeper. The lords are a long way
up from that. Don't let this go to your head. Don't let them promise you
anything."
"I
think it'd be a dark day I believed a promise from a Mad Man, pa. Don't worry.
Master Nereus has already given me this lecture. Almost this lecture. 'This is just for the one day, and don't go
thinking you'll get anything else out of it.' I'm not going to be
disappointed when I'm back scrubbing tables tomorrow."
"Just
make sure you're not." Her father fidgeted a minute before stepping
forward and wrapping his arms around her. "Good luck out there,
Winnie."
"Pa."
Beranwen hugged her father back, feeling slightly out of sorts at the emotion
he was showing. But then he was pulling away, and was his usual, surly self
again.
Comments