So Many Bees

I could, certainly I could, but it's not really misbehaving is it? It's just rather being quite rude. That sort of attitude would never be tolerated in the south, but you see, I am not from here so what I deem rudeness may not be so much the case in this place, no? Lia knew from the younger woman's words that her minder was most likely now in a very precarious position, probably would lose his job if word got back to Malachai. That wouldn't stand, for all Lia knew, the man had a wife and child, or husband and child at home and needed the money that was included in his salary, and she was just a silly old spinster being content as a house guest until her host threw her into the street.

She really needed to have a good think about what she could do in the case that ever came to pass. She could find Rosalie, that might be something. Vincent's to-be-wife, would have been family had ...

No, she was going to make it the whole way through the day without crying today, no, she couldn't think about that.

Ahh so a romantic at heart then, I bet she's very flowery with her language and declarations of love, isn't she? I have a serial one of the ladies at the University tried to get me to read but it bored me to no end. I don't really think one can actually love romantically. Family, yes, romance? And then she thought about the easy smile, and the way her insides felt molten when Malachai touched her arm to guide her around. Maybe there could be something to it.

When the letter was handed over, she noticed the name immediately, So you're my patron's wife, I missed meeting you directly when I was here for the Archon's ball. She talked to highly of you that night for the brief moment she came to tell me that there would be more than enough gold in my research coffers for the next five years. That means.. Lia let the pause go on another few beats as the final tumbler fell into place in her mind. Oh goodness, Malachai isn't your brother, he's your father! She looked startled for a moment, and then the flush in her cheeks started to match her hair, why had the girl been chained in her own home?!

It is absolutely none of my business, so I will keep my mouth shut, but Hells, she should not be chained in her own home, she thought to herself as she turned her eyes back to the paper, and then started to craft the reply, something she had had practice with in the past. Too many days in a row spent sleeping on the settee in her office at the University had had Luce sending a search party, and since then she had sent letters with updates that would put her brother's mind at ease.

Do you miss your daughter? Should I ask to have her brought here for a visit? I'm sorry, that's truly none of my business, but, it ... it might help. Maybe the daughter would stop the younger woman from trying to hang herself, Lia still hadn't forgotten about the brief image she had captured off their touch the other day. She filed the information about the woman's moral flexibility away for a later date. That might come in handy if she needed something particularly not legal procured for an experiment.

How's this? She handed over a short draft on the parchment.

@Novella Tilani