Page 3 of Centerpiece

Agreeable raised his eyebrows.“I’ve never heard of that.”

“It’s written in the....”The man cut himself off and looked to the fire.He had a plain-seeming ring on one finger.His doublet had a collar, fastened with one loose button.He wore no lace, and the fabric wasn’t printed or embroidered, but the button looked to be mother-of-pearl.A wealthy traveler, then, likely a merchant.“I apologize,” he spoke suddenly, leaving Agreeable speechless.“I didn’t mean to sound insulting.”

“‘S fine,” Agreeable mumbled, because he wasn’t insulted.“Don’t need to read to sow or harvest.”

Those eyes returned to him.“You’re a farmer?”

It was Agreeable’s turn to look at the fire.“Used to be.”He let the memories go with a long sigh, then glanced back.“The priests do a much better job with the land, if it matters to anyone.And a lot of those that used to work it serve in their kitchens now, which is easier, all in all.Except for the feast days.Priests do love a feast when they aren’t the ones preparing for it.”

“So then where do...?”The man stopped himself again, and rubbed his chin as if not too long ago he’d had a short, fashionable beard to scratch when he felt thoughtful.“Does this lord allow hunting on the wild lands, or the gathering of wood?”

Agreeable snorted.It didn’t quite make the man smile, but it was more than a mere lip twitch.

Yet the eyebrows remained knitted in thought or displeasure.“Should I ask if he provides food from his farms?Or lowered your taxes to make up for your inability to hunt?”

“You ask questions you must know the answers to,” Agreeable observed, then widened his eyes to appear innocent when the man’s gaze sharpened.“The tales are that our count has ambitions toward court, and wishes to invite the King, or at least the Duke of this region, here, and is planning to impress him with the vastness and wealth of his estates.Or so it is said.”

Although the old Duke had died, so it would likely be another winter at least before the Count could convince the new Duke to visit.If he could.He’d never gotten the last one to visit.A bit sad, that.All his efforts and nothing to show for it.

Either Agreeable’s answer had satisfied or the man had decided the truth on his own.He gave one short nod.“That explains why the market was not as busy as I’d expected.”

“It all affects even the merchants too?”Agreeable hadn’t thought about it before, but of course it would.He sympathized.“That’s lords for you.What can you do?”

“Steal apparently,” the man returned, dead serious as far as Agreeable could tell.“Until you are caught.”Agreeable suddenly realized why the man was so serious.“And the punishment here?It’s hanging in some places.”

Agreeable awkwardly scratched the side of his neck, remembered the scarf was still there, and began to pet it as though it was a lock of hair, perhaps a lovely thick curl like this man had, but much longer.“Sometimes that here as well.Or you lose a hand.Or an ear.Most often a beating.The bailiff might be merciful, in his way.”

“Have you been beaten?”

“Cheeky,” Agreeable answered without thought, then sucked in a breath.“That would mean admitting to stealing and then another beating, unless I trusted you.”

The man crossed his arms.“I spared you just now.”

“And for what reason?”Agreeable met those lovely eyes and let himself tremble.Very fierce, the man was, all because Agreeable had possibly taken a beating or two.

But the man’s head went back as if Agreeable had surprised him.Not offended, not pleased.Only surprised.Agreeable sank against the door and puffed out a sigh.

The man scarcely seemed to notice.“Ishoulddemand a service, shouldn’t I?That would be expected.Very well.”Agreeable nearly asked who the man was speaking to in his capital, courtly, noble voice, using such words and phrases, but didn’t get a chance to.“I planned to eat in my room tonight.As payment, you will join me and tell me more tales of this lord and this place.”

Agreeable stared until he noticed he was staring.He was lost again.“No one wants to listen to me talk,” he said without thinking, although he hadn’t believed his jewel of a merchant had been after a tumble.The man had a way about him.And Agreeable was...not handsome.Nor was he truly pretty, as lasses and some lads could be.He was comely enough.That was what most said, with speckled cheeks, bright eyes, and a ripe mouth.Even those that claimed they didn’t like lads were inclined to have a go.Agreeable was, well,agreeable.Friendly and very willing.

But people would ask for that before they’d want Agreeable’sthoughtson anything.Maybe it was the dim light, or the scarf hiding his hair from view, so the man hadn’t thought of a more obvious use for him.

Or maybe the man didn’t care for lasses.Agreeable abruptly remembered he was supposed to be a lass, with a false bosom and a skirt.A shame the lovely fellow wasn’t interested.Agreeable had always thought he would have done well as a lass.A mouth was a mouth, after all, although perhaps a woman might get treated differently on her knees than Agreeable did.Or perhaps not.Maybe this man would have been gentle with anyone.

Or perhaps not.

Agreeable reconsidered the man watching him muse about skirts and having his mouth taken, and felt himself grow hot beneath his clothes.Blushing like a lass now too.He gripped the ends of the scarf again.

“Don’t you have to go take care of things in the market?Or talk with other merchants?”Merchants always seemed to do that, share meals and wine while clapping each other on the back.

“Merchants?”The man glanced down over his breeches and doublet.“No,” he said slowly, “I’m not here to sell anything.I stopped to see the market.”

“And paid for a whole room for just yourself?”Agreeable nearly screeched it, unable to be soft.“Spending like that without being concerned about profit?”He opened and shut his mouth.“How richareyou?”

He looked over the doublet and breeches again.He could see now that the cloth was likely fine, and dye in that dark of a black could not have been cheap.The cloth would have to be re-dyed often to keep that midnight shade.

“Um,” he added when the man didn’t seem pleased by Agreeable’s foolish questions.“I wouldn’t know if you told me anyway.”He wondered if he should attempt a curtsy but just bowed his head.“Coin in the sort of amounts you might be used to would make no sense to me.”

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