Page 5 of Enchanted Net
And that was true even more with the Fortiers than with some. Not that Vitus was up on the latest gossip there. It wasn’t the sort of thing Mama or Papa would write about, nor anything Lucas would track as directly. But the Fortiers were known for sharp dealings - enough that people recognised the name well into the Continent. Vitus would need to find someone who could fill in the news sooner rather than later. Possibly Mama in private, in a few days.
“Perhaps we might withdraw?” Papa suggested it offhandedly. “Will you wait for us, my dear?”
“I am a trifle tired. I think I will retire.” She stood and all three men rose politely. Mama came around, kissing Vitus on his cheek, then Lucas, then going around to Papa. “I shall read, though. Tomorrow, dear boys.”
That left the three of them to retreat to the smoking room. Vitus presented the pipes, with a brief explanation of the artists who’d carved them, as well as the pipe tobacco he’d brought back. His father raised an eyebrow, and Vitus said, half-laughing, “I worked it off over several Saturdays helping him do inventory. It was quite informative, actually.”
From there, they settled into a comfortable conversation about matters in the neighbourhood and among the closer family acquaintances. Vitus had not missed as much as he’d feared. Mama’s letters, in particular, had been informatively thorough. When Papa also retired - nominally because he had an early meeting, and really because he wanted to talk to Mama - Vitus stood. “Come up to my room, would you?”
Lucas followed him, dropping into the chair by the bed immediately after Vitus closed the door. Vitus brought the warding up, instinctively and automatically. “How is Mama, really?”
“Much better, honestly. She tires easily, still, but the rest is vastly improved. Magistra Niobe sent around a stone. Mama sleeps with it.”
Vitus blinked. He had not known, and it was one more kindness he owed Niobe for. Of course she’d think of that sort of thing, and of course Mama must have stopped in to the workshop in Trellech more than once. Vitus had certainly given her plenty of reason, little tidbits of news and stories that weren’t about what he was learning that Mama would have enjoyed sharing. “I hadn’t known.”
“It shows.” Lucas shrugged. “I’m glad you’re back. I’m hoping to stay posted here. Cavalry Master’s an excellent post, decent pay, and I’d be able to come see you. Supper weekly, probably. But I worry. Papa does too, even if he won’t say anything about it.”
“I’ll talk to Niobe about it. And maybe see if there’s a Healer who might have other ideas.” Whatever plagued Mama, at least it didn’t seem to be progressing. It wasn’t consumption. The Healers had checked for that, more than once. Colds and catarrh just lingered, on and on, and had in some form since Vitus could remember, though they ebbed and flowed, better and worse. Then he sat on the bed, toeing his shoes off. “All right. Books first or gossip?”
“Books. Then gossip. I won’t be reading them right away. Those?” Lucas had caught sight of the stack on the table. “Are those all for me?”
“Don’t even ask me how many used bookstores I went through. Or how many times I made ridiculous equine noises when my language skills failed me.” He was better now, but he’d started his book searches early, long before he’d gained much functional fluency in any of the relevant languages. “Thumb through, and then we’ll chat.” It was indeed good to be home, and to have things be as he expected.
Chapter4
APRIL 9TH IN TRELLECH, WALES
Vitus paid the carter, dropping a couple of extra coins in his hand once the man had helped him unload the two trunks. The carter brushed his thumb across the coins, then nodded, pleased. “Thank you, sir. Let me know if there’s somewhat else.”
“I will. Not today, though.” Vitus waited until the man had turned the pony cart around and back through the alley onto the street. Then he knocked three times on the door, good steady thumps. It opened before he could knock a fourth time.
“Don’t be silly. Of course you’re still on the wards. Here, pick that up, I’ll take the other end. I can’t possibly greet you properly with them in the way.” Niobe was right there, shawl pinned around her shoulders, her hair up. She looked extremely well, and as if she’d barely aged at all. They didn’t speak again until they got both trunks back to the workshop at the other end of the ground floor. It hadn’t changed, with the long workbenches and grinding stones, with the windows that let in as much daylight as possible. Once they’d set the two down, she turned her hands on his arms. “Let’s have a proper look at you.”
Vitus waited, knowing she’d take in what he was wearing, as well as the rest of it. He had made all the talismanic accoutrements he was wearing, cufflinks, tie pin, and, of course, the watch fob. He’d been lucky enough to do a favour for someone who had some pieces of citrine from one of the Bavarian mines.
Amethyst would have been a lot easier to get, especially in Austria, but he’d not wanted to suggest he was of Fox House. The golden yellow matched his own Salmon House, even though the citrine had been nearly as costly as a good topaz, due to rarity. And, he was vain enough to think the flash of bright gold drew the eye to his hands, where a fair bit of his skill lay. She considered him, head cocked, then grinned. “Buttons, too? That’s clever. Come, tell me all about it.”
Vitus smiled, giving her a proper bow. “It’s good to see you, too. Talking before you look at the treasures I brought back, then?”
“Oh, yes. Stones are patient. I am not always. Tea’s ready. Sit, sit. You look well. The trip back wasn’t too bad, then?” She bustled about to fetch the teapot from the small room off the stairs. It didn’t sit out in the workroom, of course. Too much stone dust and such could get into it. “I’m not expecting any clients today. We can take our time, properly.”
Given that cue, he began with the trip, and the various minor delays and the current state of getting stones through customs. Then Vitus looped back to the beginning of his travels, pulling out his notebook to keep track of the dates. As he went, he undid the cuff links, then pulled out the tie pin, then finally the watch fob, in the order he’d made them. They were, of course, designed to work together.
The cufflinks were a fairly standard protective design, averting the ordinary sort of ill fortune or minor harm that could sometimes come anyone’s way. The tie pin was a much more delicate piece. He’d had to learn three new design techniques to make it properly. It helped him present himself as someone worth listening to. It wouldn’t make up for gaffes, but it would incline someone to hear him out if he didn’t put his foot in his mouth. He’d explained both, with Niobe pulling out her jeweller’s loupe to look at them, asking questions about the design along the way.
“And the watch?” That had been three solid months of work, the last three, before the stop in Geneva to get the watch to complete the piece. “Designed to help me understand what’s truly needed, so I can best judge whether I am the person to provide that.” It came out stilted. Vitus tried not to flinch at that.
Niobe reached out a hand, a finger tapping on the back of his before she picked up the watch and fob to look at it closely. “You’re nervous about it.”
The usual sort of thing was a piece that let you shine in the best light, that was thought the optimal way to bring in business and build your reputation. Niobe had laid it out before he left. She’d had him do all the research reading in the library and from her own collection. And then she had left it up to him what to do. The more he’d thought about it, though, the less comfortable he’d been with it.
Now Vitus looked at his hands, not at her. “Not what I’d originally researched, no.” He cleared his throat. “I came to the conclusion that I found the usual sort of thing uncomfortably manipulative. Not in all cases, of course, but in some. Enough that I wanted to invest in making a signature piece that did something different. Went about it in a way I wanted to use day in and day out.”
“Also,” Niobe said, “A much more difficult problem, as you’re working on multiple layers. Presenting yourself well is simple enough, in terms of construction. This?” She kept looking at the watch, which at least meant she wasn’t peering at him. “This is four layers, isn’t it? Not three.”
Vitus nodded once. “A net around the edge, to bring in the information that’s needed.” He let out a little hitch, a half-breath. “Then clarity, to understand what’s there. Followed by refinement, to understand what is needed. Finishing with self-awareness, to decide if I am a suitable person to provide that.”
Niobe put down the loupe, then slid the watch back into his hand. “Look at me, will you?”
